Construction of a Boil kettle (with a dual cooling system)

[ColdJazz]

I'm the planning stage of constructing a boil kettle.

It will be built around a Blichmann 55G (208 litres) for boiling batches of approximately 100 litres.

I will install a separate Whirlpool system in the kettle (separate in the sense that it will be installed with its own pump - it won't pass the plate chiller for re-circulation).

The lid to the BlichMann BoilerMaker will be fitted with a stainless steel lid which is designed for the Speidel Braumeister:

The above Speidel lid will cover a hole which we will make in the Blichmann lid. This hole will be used for adding hops etc. and also to divert the steam from the boil via the "chimney" (a fan system till draw off the steam from the boil and out of the brewery). Not sure if this hole with be located in the middle of the Blichmann lid...

I consider the above ideas as pretty solid. But I have started to have thoughts about a "dual stage cooling system" (not as solid maybe).

The idea I have is to install an immersion chiller in the Blichmann lid (close to or in the actual middle of the kettle). The immersion chiller will be placed in the wort during the whole boil and its two connections will be attached through the BlichMann lid. The chiller will in other means be a permanent installation.

With the above installation I will be able to chill the wort before it enters the plate chiller (useful if I for example want to chill the wort to lager fermentation temperatures without re-circulation via the plate chiller). I will also be able to chill the wort quickly from boiling/near boiling to precise temperatures for late hopping/whirlpool hopping etc.

The heating of the boil kettle will probably be done via heating elements from The Electric Brewery. I will make sure that I can set the temperature in a stepless manner. In this way I can chill the temperature of the wort quickly (vith the imerssion chiller) to a set temperature and keep it there for any amount of time (fun for experimentation and flexability?).

One might ask why I even bother with a plate chiller with the above imerssion system installed. One reason is that I MIGHT want to chill the wort before it enters the plate chiller (for the above mentioned reason) and another reason is that my plate chiller system has a connection for oxygen.

The only negative effect the above system might have (that I've come to think of) is that the immersion chiller might interfere with the whirlpool? Does any of you guys have any experience with whirlpooling with the immersion chiller is located in the wort?

Any other thoughts and ideas about the above is more than welcome!

Best regards,
Anton

 

[acidrain]

I ditched the immersion chiller for a plate chiller because the whirlpool is too slow with the IC in place.
You might think about adding SS tubing to the outside of your BK for added cooling.

 

[dlester]

The immersion chiller is overkill and difficult to clean. I would stay with the chill plate, but whirlpool first to keep out large particulate matter, which if lodged in the chiller, will mold and become a source of contamination.



Good Luck,

 

[ColdJazz]

...because the whirlpool is too slow with the IC in place.

That's what I was afraid of. But do you think it could be a "function" of the diameter of the boil kettle and the diameter of the immersion chiller that cause this problem? I have a similar problem with my 20 litres Speidel Braumeister and my immersion chiller. But I recon the reason for this is that the diameter of the Braumeister is too cloose to the diameter of the immersion chiller (although the diameter of the Braumeister is too small for a good whirlpool no matter what).

The BoilerMaker is 60 cm in diameter (23,6 inches).

You might think about adding SS tubing to the outside of your BK for added cooling.

Might be a good idea! I will look into that.

Cheers!

 

[ColdJazz]

The immersion chiller is overkill and difficult to clean.

I am aware of that. I would not even think about using an immersion chiller in the way I described above if its function merely was to chill the wort to adequate temperatures before it entered the plate chiller. As an example I would use the immersion chiller to quickly halt the boil – and lower the temperature to a set goal (for example to stop the isomerization of alpha acids).

I am a bit of a control freak – and I love flexibility.

I would stay with the chill plate, but whirlpool first to keep out large particulate matter, which if lodged in the chiller, will mold and become a source of contamination.

I will stay with the plate chiller. I will whirlpool first to keep large solids out of the plate chiller. As I described in my first post I will install a whirlpool in the boil kettle.

The whole system will be CIP – so no risk for matters being stuck in the chiller.

My future system will be able to clean the mash tuns, boil kettle, plate chiller – and even my conicals, by the same CIP-system (re-circulation if I wish).

Cheers!