Plate Chiller First Use Lessons Learned

[TheMadKing]

I'm happy with my IC personally, but I'd go to a CFC if not.

After brewing a second batch with the plate chiller, I agree that an IC is less overall work for homebrewing and I intend to switch back.

No cleaning other than dunking in water, no sanitizing other than sticking in 5 minutes from the end of the boil. No back flushing, half the hoses, similar chill time if I spring for a Jaded Hydra and go back to my old whirlpool arm.

Only real downside is the inelegant act of sticking a giant hunk of metal in your beer rather than pumping it through a chiller... But really it is less work than CFC's or PC's because of the easier cleanup and fewer connections

 

[user 246304]

I honestly just don't remember, it's been so long. My old brewlength was 10 gallons or so into the fermentor. I do recall it seemed to take a long time to squeeze the final few degrees out with an IC. I intend, too, to take up to 15 gallons down to 58-60 for pitching. I am kind of like an ex-husband in an amicable breakup with the IC, nothing against it but looking strongly to a PC for its efficiency, unless I can be dissuaded.

Do you guys believe the IC can get it down to 58-60 in a reasonable time? Do you believe the 100' version is perhaps necessary. I'm not averse (in fact probably will) to setting up a pre-chill ice bath and recirc.

 

[schematix]

My Jaded Hydra cools nearly as fast as my Therminator.

 

[user 246304]

Schematix, what's your brewlength?

 

[applescrap]

I honestly just don't remember, it's been so long. My old brewlength was 10 gallons or so into the fermentor. I do recall it seemed to take a long time to squeeze the final few degrees out with an IC. I intend, too, to take up to 15 gallons down to 58-60 for pitching. I am kind of like an ex-husband in an amicable breakup with the IC, nothing against it but looking strongly to a PC for its efficiency, unless I can be dissuaded.

Do you guys believe the IC can get it down to 58-60 in a reasonable time? Do you believe the 100' version is perhaps necessary. I'm not averse (in fact probably will) to setting up a pre-chill ice bath and recirc.

As your ground water gets colder an ic should take it to 60 in 5 to 7 minutes. My 40 dollar one does. You have to agitate it. If you dont want to agitate it yet want fast cooling an ic probably isn't the right tool, maybe the jaded ic will do that but still I think they recommend agitation. For me I dont like the idea of sending beer where I cant see it. But to each their own.

 

[schematix]

Schematix, what's your brewlength?

whats a 'brewlength'?

 

[TheMadKing]

whats a 'brewlength'?

Amount of time your average brew day takes I think? I've never seen it as 1 word though

 

[Qhrumphf]

Prechillers are useless. Pump ground water with an IC or recirculate with a PC/HE/CFC until you're <100F and then switch the water flow to ice water from ground water.

Or a glycol CLT. That's even better.

 

[TheMadKing]

Prechillers are useless. Pump ground water with an IC or recirculate with a PC/HE/CFC until you're <100F and then switch the water flow to ice water from ground water.

Or a glycol CLT. That's even better.

Exactly what I do.

I keep about 30 frozen water bottles in the bottom of my freezer, and dump them into a cooler with about 3 gallons of water, and circulate that through my chiller with a pond pump. It drops the wort temp FAST from 100F down to pitch temp even with my DIY IC. Then I just re-freeze them all and use them again next time. No wasting ice, or buying it every batch.

 

[user 246304]

whats a 'brewlength'?

Sorry, not trying to be cool, how big are your batches?

Applescrap, yeah, that's an issue I forgot to mention. I whirlpool, and after that, I want no disturbance in the BK. I used to sanitize the IC by dropping it after WP had settled, and it had maybe 1/2 hour at near boiling. But it never moved, and I was pretty tight about that.

 

[user 246304]

Amount of time your average brew day takes I think? I've never seen it as 1 word though

That's because I screw up the language regularly. Yes,

How much beer do we brew in a batch at the Portsmouth Brewery?

A. The “brew length” of our brewery is seven barrels.

 

[TheMadKing]

That's because I screw up the language regularly. Yes,

gotcha, no offense intended just a comment.

My average brew day is ~4 hours including cleanup

 

[schematix]

Sorry, not trying to be cool, how big are your batches?

I'm usually chilling 12-16G of wort.

Performance entirely depends on water temp. This time of year i run the 75F tap water through the Hydra for about 20 minutes, which will put me within about 10 degrees of the tap water temp. I'll then switch to recirculating ice water to get the rest of the way. I always switch from tap water to recirculating ice water at tap water + 10 degrees though since it's a good balance between speed and efficiency. Takes a ton of ice to chill water 10 degrees.

Overall brew time varies. Lately i've been pushing about 6-7 hours, but a lot of that is because of my 3 hour mash program. Looking to cut an hour from that.