Plate Chiller - BK Recirc

[reddskinnfan]

I have a 30 plate Duda plate chiller. It's the b3-36a version.

It works great as a single-phase chiller. I want to recirculated to get BK down to 165F for steeping hops.

Anyone use their plate in this manner? What are your experiences? I haven't tried it yet, and I haven't ever had any issues with clogging (and I use a Jaybird FB) with pellet hops.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Natdavis777]

I have a 30 plate Duda as well. I found that when I went to using a pump, I could no longer cool to the low temps (70s) like I could when it was gravity fed. So I always recirculate the wort now. At 5 minutes left, I pump boiling wort though the pump, then through the chiller, then through the whirlpool port in the BK. Once the 5 min is up and the chiller is sanitized, I crank the water and start cooling. I have a thermo on the output side of the chiller so I can monitor the wort temp coming out (but this is not the same temp as the BK wort, so that still needs taken via a pen thermo).

After a few minutes though, the wort is typically down to the 170s, and if I plan on doing a whirlpool addition, I just keep recirculating the wort, but kill the water so it doesnt cool. At the end of the whirlpool addition, I crank the water back on and chill down until the output wort is in the 60s, the shut everything off and let the wort settle and the cone form (about 15-20min). Then runoff in the carboys.

** A few side notes, this is for a 10 gal batch, and I use a large stainless hop spider, so I dont have to worry about hop particulate going though the pump or chiller **

 

[Duda_Energy]

I have a 30 plate Duda as well.

I should note that based on your photo, you have a 12a-30 plate, while OP stated he had a 36a-30. Both work, it should just be noted that if OP replicates your process exactly his wort will reach temp a good bit quicker, and should prepare for that.

 

[reddskinnfan]

I should note that based on your photo, you have a 12a-30 plate, while OP stated he had a 36a-30. Both work, it should just be noted that if OP replicates your process exactly his wort will reach temp a good bit quicker, and should prepare for that.

Thanks Duda! I figured it would. What about pressure loss?

 

[PlexVector]

I've started doing similar the last brew day. I have the 18" 20 plate Duda & works fast with 60F well water. I whirlpooled with a hop schedule of 190F through 165F and then switched in the chiller for sanitization for about 5 min to make sure the chiller has completely heated to >160F, then turn the water on. Kettle to Fermentor (62F) in about 6 minutes. This seemed to help my chill haze issue some. Next time I think I will completely chill the kettle first and then dump to fermentor to reduce cold break even more hopefully. In the past I went directly from 200F kettle to fermentor through the chiller.

 

[Jaybird]

Red
I am starting to use a 30 plate chiller as well. and don't see any reason why you cant do what you are talking about, I did it without any issues. My last batch took about 6-8 min to get to below 165* doing the return to the BK. I was only at 8 gallons also so I suspect for a 10 gallon you would be closer to 12 min.

Cheers
Jay

 

[Natdavis777]

I should note that based on your photo, you have a 12a-30 plate, while OP stated he had a 36a-30. Both work, it should just be noted that if OP replicates your process exactly his wort will reach temp a good bit quicker, and should prepare for that.

Wasnt sure of the model number, just knew it was a 30 plate. Either way, gets the job done with ease

 

[30_Ounce]

I whirlpool while I chill my 12-15 gallon batches with my B3 36A Duda and the only issue i have is the bottom of my kettle will be 80-100 degrees and the top will be around 160-170 from stratification. I also use a hop bag and a filter/strainer from Brewers Hardware.

 

[kombat]

I don't contain my hops, so to avoid clogging my chiller I don't introduce the chiller until after I've already whirlpooled and let the wort settle for 20 minutes. I do my hop stands at whatever temperature the wort is at after flameout. Brulosopher did an exBeeriment that suggested there is no perceptible difference between a hopstand done at boiling temperatures, and one done at 165° F. I'm not willing to risk clogging my plate chiller in pursuit of an advantage that appears to not even exist.

Regarding JayBird's remark that it takes 6-8 minutes to chill 8 gallons from boiling down to 165° F, that's not been my experience at all. I have the 24a-30 Duda chiller and it chills 5 gallons from boiling to 65° F in less than 3 minutes (not a typo) at winter groundwater temperatures. I have a valve on the outlet port of my chiller (along with a thermometer) so I can throttle the flow through the chiller and adjust the temperature of the outgoing wort as necessary. If it takes 6-8 minutes to get 8 gallons chilled to 165° F, then something is wrong with your setup.

 

[Jaybird]

I don't contain my hops, so to avoid clogging my chiller I don't introduce the chiller until after I've already whirlpooled and let the wort settle for 20 minutes. I do my hop stands at whatever temperature the wort is at after flameout. Brulosopher did an exBeeriment that suggested there is no perceptible difference between a hopstand done at boiling temperatures, and one done at 165° F. I'm not willing to risk clogging my plate chiller in pursuit of an advantage that appears to not even exist.

Regarding JayBird's remark that it takes 6-8 minutes to chill 8 gallons from boiling down to 165° F, that's not been my experience at all. I have the 24a-30 Duda chiller and it chills 5 gallons from boiling to 65° F in less than 3 minutes (not a typo) at winter groundwater temperatures. I have a valve on the outlet port of my chiller (along with a thermometer) so I can throttle the flow through the chiller and adjust the temperature of the outgoing wort as necessary. If it takes 6-8 minutes to get 8 gallons chilled to 165° F, then something is wrong with your setup.

WOW! Less than 3 min full volume to 65* recirculating in the boil kettle? That's ROCK STAR brother. Yeah My set up wont do that. I wonder what your temp was when you started the full volume temp drop in the kettle. I would also be curious what your ground water temp is.


That's freeken KILLER!

Don't get me wrong...It is coming out of the chiller at 66-68* almost immediately but the ENTIRE 8 gallons in the kettle, yeah It was every bit of 6-8 min.


Cheers
Jay

 

[BlueHemlock]

WOW! Less than 3 min full volume to 65* recirculating in the boil kettle? That's ROCK STAR brother. Yeah My set up wont do that. I wonder what your temp was when you started the full volume temp drop in the kettle. I would also be curious what your ground water temp is.


That's freeken KILLER!

Don't get me wrong...It is coming out of the chiller at 66-68* almost immediately but the ENTIRE 8 gallons in the kettle, yeah It was every bit of 6-8 min.


Cheers
Jay

Why do you pump the 66-68* wort back into the kettle? Why not pump it straight to the fermenter?

 

[Gavin C]

I have a 30 plate Duda plate chiller. It's the b3-36a version.

It works great as a single-phase chiller. I want to recirculated to get BK down to 165F for steeping hops.

Anyone use their plate in this manner? What are your experiences? I haven't tried it yet, and I haven't ever had any issues with clogging (and I use a Jaybird FB) with pellet hops.

Thanks in advance.

Yes, I've done this without problems.

Love my DudaDiesel plate chiller.

Simple whirlpool setup. Hop spider used to prevent clogging/blockages

Recirculate wort till at desired temperature and then switch off the water to the chiller. Carry out whirlpool hop-stand addition for desired time then water on to begin cooling again.

I've since removed the dial thermometer using the hole in the kettle to attach a whirlpool arm. It works really well and has shortened my chilling time by about 30%.

Whirlpool Arm

Hope that's of some use. Best of luck.

 

[Duda_Energy]

Thanks Duda! I figured it would. What about pressure loss?

There is a lower pressure drop on your unit, but both are so small its negligible. You wouldn't really see a difference pressure wise between your setup and Natdavis777's unless you were pumping at 20+ gpm


Also, to the back and forth on whether it should take 8 min to get to 165F vs <3 min to get to 65F, the absolute biggest factor on this is typically not just the ground water temp - but the ground water pressure. 70F water at 15 gpm can chill to 165F twice as fast as 50F water at 5gpm. So its possible there's nothign wrong with his setup, he just has low water pressure

 

[kombat]

Why do you pump the 66-68* wort back into the kettle? Why not pump it straight to the fermenter?

I was going to ask the same thing.

I also don't recirculate (well, I do during the whirlpool, but that's not while chilling). When chilling, I run it through the plate chiller, straight into the fermenter. In the winter, with the valves all wide open, the wort is coming out of the chiller at around 65° F (my groundwater is around 40° F in winter). It takes less than 3 minutes to run the whole 5 gallons through the chiller in one pass, wide open, and into the fermenter at 65° F.

If I throttle the wort output from the chiller a little bit (maybe down to half?), it takes maybe 5 minutes, but I get wort into the fermenter at 50° F (i.e., for lagers). Granted, that only works in the winter months. In the summer, the best I can hope for is 70° F, and I do the rest of the chilling in the fermentation chamber.

 

[Jaybird]

The question was about a 165* Hops Stand. Some people like to get the wort to about 165 "ish" to do the hop stand and who am I to judge. I was simply doing it myself for a test of the plate chiller and the automated flow/temp control system I was using/testing. Nothing more really. But as far as the OP's question it was all about a hop stand at 165* and how long it takes to get the "FULL VOLUME" in the BK down to that temp.

Cheers
Jay

 

[BlueHemlock]

The question was about a 165* Hops Stand. Some people like to get the wort to about 165 "ish" to do the hop stand and who am I to judge. I was simply doing it myself for a test of the plate chiller and the automated flow/temp control system I was using/testing. Nothing more really. But as far as the OP's question is was all about a hop stand at 165* and how long it takes to get the "FULL VOLUME" in the BK down to that temp.

Cheers
Jay

Gotcha. I'm on the same page now.

 

[reddskinnfan]

Thanks guys (all of you). You all saved me some $$$ and will be trying this out on a whirlpool'ed IPW that will be showcasing Galaxy and Simcoe hops (with some appearances by Amarillo, Warrior and Mosaic).

Thanks for the replies and the help!