Early Review Shirron Plate Chiller

[rockytoptim]

I bought Shirron Plate chiller from Austin Homebrew last week and it got delivered on Friday. I did short test with about 10 gal of 200 deg F water and it chilled it on one pass down to 72 deg F in about 6 minutes. Cant wait to actually try it on my next brew day.

 

[wyzazz]

Plate Chillers rock!

 

[Ranger9913]

I've posted on here before about the Shirron plate chiller and after brewing with is again this weekend I am never using it again. This thing will gum up with the littlest of of hop debris. Mine worked great for the first 3 or 4 batches and then slowly became completely useless. Upon a complete failure to pass any wort I cleaned this thing by soaking in PBW, baking at 400 for 2 hrs, soaking it again in PBW, running ACL through it attempting it again two weekends ago. It did work just fine after all that but I did use a hop bag and leaf hops.

Immediately after I transferred the wort I back-flushed it with water from a hose for 2-3 mins, and then ran with the pump and PBW for 10-15 while cleaning up.

Upon this brew day, I again cleaned it by recirculating PBW through it and it passed water through it just fine as it ALWAYS does. When I went to recirculate my wort through it in the last 15mins it started out strong and within 2-3 mins was completely clogged passing no wort. Hooked a hose up to it and it passes the water just fine, hook my wort hose to it and it goes from a trickle to nothing in under a minute.


Bottom line, I'm retiring the Shirron and getting a CFC.


I would take extreme care to back-flush the chiller and possibly bake it after 1 or 2 brews. Maybe even let it soak in PBW after every batch.

 

[wyzazz]

I've never had my plate chiller clog, but I bag my hops (pellet and leaf) with a 5gal paint strainer bag.

 

[Ranger9913]

I will admit that most of my beers are 70-100 IBU's and use a lot of hops. However, I whirlpool my wort, siphon off the side, let is simmer for 10-15 before transferring to to plate, and it's just not performing. How is it that the chiller will pass water just fine, but won't pass the wort? I'm using a pump, and I can dial my hose pressure down to less than the pump and I still can pass the water, but the wort gums it up in no time.

 

[wyzazz]

I'm a hophead as well, I don't whirlpool, draw from the center of my keggle after letting the wort sit for 10mins. Just different experiences I guess, maybe my paint strainer bag has some sort of voodoo?

 

[pjj2ba]

I think with a plate chiller, you have to have a GREAT kettle filter. I went through several homemade filters before settling on a homemade hopstopper style filter. Even that would give me fits. It sounds like you and I both like to recircluate back to the kettle. My filter would work great, but often after 10 min. or reciculating and then draining it would slow to a trickle for the last gal. into the carboy. This was because the filter was getting plugged.

I've now switched up my routine and have no clogging issues. I now immediately drain my hot wort to a modified corny (~ 5 min by gravity). I then recirculate between the modified corny and the chiller. This way the hot wort only has to make a single pass though my filter and doesn't plug up. Other benefits include I can use it as a giant hopback. Also if I'm pressed for time (like yesterday) I can chill it most of the way and then just leave it can come back to it later. Since the sytem is totally enclosed I don't have to worry about contamination

For cleaning I've found that HOT cleaner works the best. I get lots more crap out than with warm or cool cleaning solution.

 

[Ranger9913]

I'm thinking of going to a CFC. I doubt I can clog up a 3/8" copper tube.....

 

[wyzazz]

With a 3/8" copper tube I'd be willing to bet you could pass a few whole hops if you were using an LG 3-MD-HC pump!

 

[Ranger9913]

That is exactly the combo I plan on using,

 

[wyzazz]

I just purchased the LG and am waiting on it to arrive, I can't wait!!!

 

[Ranger9913]

Really, where did you purchase yours from?

 

[wyzazz]

Fleabay - here's a link to the seller. Fair warning, get ready for the "HBT Effect".