Counterf low chiller, will this work?

[trapae]

I'm thinking about finally switching from using from immersion chillers ( first one goes through an ice bath to the second one that is in my kettle ) to a counterflow chiller. Currently I put my immersion chiller in the last 15 minutes of the boil to sanitize it and run my pump the last 15 minutes as well and circulated boiling wort back through a whirlpool arm I have attached to my chiller.
So if I do away with my kettle immersion chiller, I would place a whirlpool port/arm into the bottom of my kettle. And here's what I'm thinking: The last 15 minutes of the boil I will run boiling wort from my kettle to my pump and through the CFC and then back through the whirlpool port in the kettle to sanitize everything. I will have a three-way valve coming out of the CFC so after flameout and after whirlpooling step when I'm ready to fill my fermenter, I just turn of the three-way valve the other way and fill the fermenter.

Question is:
1. I'm worried that running boiling wort through my pump, the CFC, and back will dissipate so much heat that I will have a hard time keeping the boil up. I do use natural gas though. Does anyone do this and have any experience?
2. I often use a large amount of pellet hops especially in whirlpool. I usually just throw the hops right into the kettle and do not use a spider or bag. Has anyone had any major problems with the CFC clogging?
3. Any other better ideas for my system or anyone have a great way to do all this?

Thanks

 

[dshepard]

I do what you are thinking of doing now with a convoluted (I think that is the term) tube in a tube CFC. And yes the boil subsides for a few minutes, but then comes right back. I guess it depends on boil size and burner. So far I do not have problems with pellet hops. Sometimes I use a stainless steel tea ball and sometimes I just throw them in. I do have a whirlpool arm attached to the return. One thing that you will notice is that sometimes it is difficult to get the pump to work in the beginning as the wort will flash to steam in the tubing and/or pump housing. I have to start off very slowly by throttling the valve on pump discharge.

I have no experience with the plate type CFC.