Cleaning a plate chiller system

[Moarhops]

Hi guys

I've just moved from an immersion chiller to a plate chiller/pump system, partly out of curiosity but also to be able to effectively whirlpool in the kettle.

I understand that it's standard practice to backflush cleaning fluid through the system but I wondered if, as a final step, people broke down all the valves and fittings and soaked these? Seems it might be worth doing once in a while but after every brew session would mean cleaning off the PTFE tape on the threads and reapplying. Bit of a hassle...

Interested to hear your thoughts.

 

[clarkpadgett]

Get a couple of these and you won't have to worry about PTFE tape.
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/nptswivelcooltouch58barb90.htm

 

[Dcpcooks]

It won't hurt to remove and clean the valve and connections. It could hurt if you don't.

I place my valve on the hot side after the pump before the chiller. I use the pump and valve ito whirlpool so it's pasteurized after the whirlpool.

I use cam locks on the beer side of the chiller.

After the brew day:

I back flush with hot water. I reverse the flush to wort in and flush again. I reverse flow again and hook up the pump I used on the hot side for the whirlpool and dump the inlet and outlet into a bucket of hot PBW and run it through the in and out of the chiller until it's clear. I don't really time it as I'm cleaning the mash tun or drinking beer. So it's 20-30 min.

The last thing I do is flush it with hot water.

I'll bake it every few months to sterilize it.

I soak it in star San at the start of brew day.

Place your valves and crevasses on the hot side if possible and limit them on the cold side.

Cheers :mug

 

[Dcpcooks]

Get a couple of these and you won't have to worry about PTFE tape.
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/nptswivelcooltouch58barb90.htm

That's the blichmann fitting. Cam locks are a better cleaner and faster way to connect hose. I learned it the hard way.

I have some I'll sell you cheap!

 

[daveMN]

I connect to a bottling bucket containing PBW and backflush after I brew and recirculate back into the bucket. I attach a paint strainer to the end of the hose to catch any hops. Then I reverse the hoses after a while like Dcpcooks. I have a second bucket setup with Star San that I recirculate before I chill; pic of the setup attached.

View attachment 1508290047227.jpg

 

[Moarhops]

Thanks for the feedback guys, very helpful. I'm using camlocks on all of the tubing and they seem ideal. I've placed a hop filter on the input of the pump and a valve on the output. As I plan to recirculate (drop temp with chiller to 75C ish) and whirlpool there's a connection (and a valve) to the whirlpool connector on the brew kettle. Quite a few valves/connections in total.

I find that it took a lot of PTFE tape to prevent the threaded fittings from leaking but maybe that's normal for BSP fittings (I'm in the UK).

Cheers

 

[augiedoggy]

Hi guys

I've just moved from an immersion chiller to a plate chiller/pump system, partly out of curiosity but also to be able to effectively whirlpool in the kettle.

I understand that it's standard practice to backflush cleaning fluid through the system but I wondered if, as a final step, people broke down all the valves and fittings and soaked these? Seems it might be worth doing once in a while but after every brew session would mean cleaning off the PTFE tape on the threads and reapplying. Bit of a hassle...

Interested to hear your thoughts.

If they are taped and sealed well its not really needed.. I flush my system with hot water directly after brewing and every few brew sessions I use a pbw /hot water mix (for 4 years now)... Some people disassemble everything every time.. whatever makes a person happy. The truth is there are more nooks and crannies inside that plate chiller one cant dissassemble and clean than in all the valves and fittings of most breweries... Its a bit silly imho... The times I have disassembled my pumps and valves I havent found anything to be concerned of and its never caused any issues with my beer. running boiling water through will sterilize everything. Ive never seen anyone come to this forum and say they got sick off of bad homebrew from sanitation. Nor have I seen people say they were getting infected beers from not disassembling the entire brew system and reassembling each time.. Hot pbw will get into the same places and the wort would to grow anything its just as effective as CIP systems everybody seems just fine with using?

I disassemble everything on the cold side but on the hot side you will not have problems if you flush the system clean. Theres more bacteria and bugs in your grain that your killing with the hot temps than in those fittings.

btw soaking a copper brazed plate chiller in starsan is not ideal. Its also not more effective than running 170+ water or wort through it as most people do without problems. Starsan doesnt kill everything theres a Thread on this here somewhere..