Plate Chiller Help

[amrmedic]

I am looking at getting a plate chiller. I saw the therminator and other models out there. I know you need a pump to push the wort through, but do you need to use a pump to push the cooling water through it or is the pressure from a garden hose adequate?

Also, any advice on which model is the best way to go and how to clean them will be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[BendBrewer]

Some guys do gravity feed the wort. No, hose pressure is more than enough.

I went with the 40 plate from Keg Cowboy. I just back flush it. Pump comes in handy for that.

 

[ultravista]

I have the 30 plate chiller from Keg Cowboy and have no issues with gravity feed / drain. I may buy an inexpensive drill operated pump to push sanitizer throught it though.

 

[ECBrewer]

Garden hose would work fine but since you live in Florida your tap water may be to warm. Alot of guy's with warmer tap water get additional pump and drop it into a 5 gal bucket filled with ice water and that works really good. I live in the north east and my tap water give me frost bite when i wash my hands so I dont have to worry about that extra pump. The extra pumps makes it easy to pump sanitizer/PBW to clean the chiller and the lines too.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

Garden hose would work fine but since you live in Florida your tap water may be to warm. Alot of guy's with warmer tap water get additional pump and drop it into a 5 gal bucket filled with ice water and that works really good. I live in the north east and my tap water give me frost bite when i wash my hands so I dont have to worry about that extra pump. The extra pumps makes it easy to pump sanitizer/PBW to clean the chiller and the lines too.

Another option is to run the hose water through a copper coil pre-chiller. The coil sits in ice water and the hose water cools quite a bit passing through it.

One less pump and you get full hose pressure and flow.

 

[ECBrewer]

Another option is to run the hose water through a copper coil pre-chiller. The coil sits in ice water and the hose water cools quite a bit passing through it.

One less pump and you get full hose pressure and flow.

Thats even better!