Duda Diesel chiller

[RobP]

Has anyone tried the longer Duda Diesel chillers? I'm looking at the 12" long 30 plate chiller. Robert

 

[day_trippr]

I have a B3-23a 30 plate which I believe is the base model you've characterized. I had mine built with male GHT threads on the water ports and 1/2" MPT on the wort ports. I put camlock males on the wort ports and GHT disconnects on the water ports. The thing is crazy effective with my deep well water (50s°F year 'round) with single pass to fermentor performance.

Down-side common to all brazed PCs is cleaning it. Can be a righteous pita. Avoid recirculating FO/WP hops if possible (I actually plumbed an extra drain on my BK for such things). Post-brew pound out as much debris as possible using high pressure water before frying out the rest with caustics. And if all else fails, strip any rubber bits off and bake the thing in the oven at 500°F+ for as long as it takes to turn everything inside to ash...

Cheers!

 

[Golddiggie]

I have the 40 plate, 12" wide chiller with garden hose fittings for chill water then NTP for wort. I installed TC adapters onto the NPT connections since that's what everything else I have uses. With my ground water temps (similar to day_trippr) I can get 9-10 gallons of 195F wort down to 65 in conical in about six minutes.

I have a Brewers Hardware wort strainer between the pump and the chiller. That keeps hop matter out of the chiller. I still clean out the cold break out of it during cleanup (running hot PBW through it, then rinse it).

I'll be placing the chiller up for sale soon, since it's replacement is on the way.

 

[JeffersonStateBrewing]

I'll be placing the chiller up for sale soon, since it's replacement is on the way.

what replacement did you get? something bigger or altogether different? shopping for wort chillers now. buy once cry once, not buy and buy and upgrade again and again.

 

[Golddiggie]

Got the Blichmann Pro chiller now... 25 square feet of cooling surface area.

Comparison pictures:


The DD has gone to a new home. Plan to make the mount for the new one for connecting up to the brew stand this [long] weekend.

 

[JeffersonStateBrewing]

long weekend huh? must be nice. my weekends are always too short.

what was the price of that big boy. i am not seeing it on their regular website, do i need to log into the pro site? i want a chiller, shopping now. just ordered a bunch of SS brewtech ekettles and infusion mash tun but need a cooler. they dont offer one.

 

[Golddiggie]

It's on their "pro" gear section ($505 delivered). No need to do any 'log into' tasks.
https://www.blichmannengineering.com/pro-brewing-chiller.htmlI'm flipping between three source for my next size jump (to a 1bbl setup). Spike, Blichmann and Stout.

 

[JeffersonStateBrewing]

wow! found it. $500 ouch. i guess you get what you pay for right? thinking it over at the moment. that will be a long cry.

 

[Golddiggie]

wow! found it. $500 ouch. i guess you get what you pay for right? thinking it over at the moment. that will be a long cry.

I spent about that again on the three roller malt mill from Monster in the same week (or two). My old mill still has plenty of life left in it (hardened steel rollers) and the new one should easily handle going to at least a 1bbl setup (if not 3.5 or 5 bbl). I'll need to make a new cart for it, or how the grain gets caught after milling, with either of those sizes.

We get the coming Monday off from my day job. I need to get things done so that I can try to brew the following weekend.

 

[k-daddy]

Has anyone tried the longer Duda Diesel chillers? I'm looking at the 12" long 30 plate chiller. Robert

I recently changed my brew setup to a BIAB and now use a Jaded Hydra immersion chiller. I'll be selling my Duda Diesel plate chiller (20 plate, 18"L). It works amazingly fast for 5-6 gallon batches but I wanted to shorten my cleanup time.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

It's on their "pro" gear section ($505 delivered). No need to do any 'log into' tasks.
https://www.blichmannengineering.com/pro-brewing-chiller.htmlI'm flipping between three source for my next size jump (to a 1bbl setup). Spike, Blichmann and Stout.

Great upgrade! So what is your overall impression using the Duda Diesel chiller? I'm looking to replace my Chillzilla and the Duda plate chillers look good. I'm not ready to upgrade like you are, that's more beer than my liver can handle this late in life. Thanks!

 

[Golddiggie]

Great upgrade! So what is your overall impression using the Duda Diesel chiller? I'm looking to replace my Chillzilla and the Duda plate chillers look good. I'm not ready to upgrade like you are, that's more beer than my liver can handle this late in life. Thanks!

IME, the 12" wide chiller (40 plate) did a solid job of things when used correctly. Adding the wort strainer before it also helped to prevent it getting plugged up. IMO, I wouldn't go smaller than the 12", 40 plate, model. Make up an assembly to go after the chiller (on the wort flow side) so that you can control how fast the chilled wort leaves it. That will allow you to get to your target temperature in a single pass, fast.

There are a few things that I wish DD would offer for connections to their chillers. For both water and wort flows. Basically, what I had to add to mine for fittings to get optimal use out of it.

I would advise placing the chiller so that it's resting on it's side, not standing up (ports facing your, not facing the ceiling). plate chillers seem to work better that way.

 

[Golddiggie]

This is what I used at the wort out port before getting more TC fittings and adding the O2 infusion setup. It was made when I was recirculating the wort back into the kettle (reason for the two valves). Towards the end of it's use life, I was using just one of the valves and going direct into the kettle.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

This is what I used at the wort out port before getting more TC fittings and adding the O2 infusion setup. It was made when I was recirculating the wort back into the kettle (reason for the two valves). Towards the end of it's use life, I was using just one of the valves and going direct into the kettle.
View attachment 760029

I was just checking the Amazon site which has a large assortment of Duda heat exchangers. I had one pinged to my wish list I was considering, the B3-36A 40 plate model. Your valve arrangement is similar (less the two valves) I have on my Chillzilla. I've had that for many years now but it doesn't seem to chill like it did when it was new, even after extensive cleaning. I brew larger batches now too, nothing like you're doing. Good time for an upgrade. Thanks for the pictures and comments!

 

[JeffersonStateBrewing]

This is what I used at the wort out port before getting more TC fittings and adding the O2 infusion setup. It was made when I was recirculating the wort back into the kettle (reason for the two valves). Towards the end of it's use life, I was using just one of the valves and going direct into the kettle.
View attachment 760029

That is brilliant! I have been thinking of how to do exactly that but never considered a double valve manifold. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[Golddiggie]

That is brilliant! I have been thinking of how to do exactly that but never considered a double valve manifold. Thanks for the inspiration.

Honestly, with correct use there's zero need for two valves. This is my current configuration:


The T fitting (with the gas line connected for O2) connects to the plate chiller. Ball valve regulates flow of wort coming out to hit the desired temperature. Which is shown by the dial thermometer before the wort leaves the assembly. TC fittings all around makes full disassembly, cleaning, and assembly easy. I take the valve fully apart after each use to make sure nothing is left hidden around the ball. Since that's cold side. I also place the entire thing in a bucket of Starsan on brew day for long enough to get it sanitized.
I had this connected to my DD chiller. Which is why I had the NPT to TC fittings on it.