Plate Chiller Orientation

[mpcluever]

Looking at the possibility of a plate chiller and was wondering if the orientation matters. The Therminator shows that it should be set a certain way for chilling and a different way for sanitizing. Does it really matter?

 

[Ryush806]

The Therminator is set up so that you get counter-current flow when chilling. That way the wort is seeing ever colder water as it passes through the chiller so it is more efficient. Are you talking about going the exact opposite way for sanitizing? They do this so you can backflush your plate chiller and hopefully get more of the trub/hops out by reversing the flow. Having used one before, it definitely works. You'll be getting relatively clear wort coming out of the exchanger while cooling and then when you back flush you get a nasty nasty stream of crap for a bit.

 

[mpcluever]

No I mean physical orientation (this end up). The Therminator has it labeled, but if it's bolted down to a stand, how it that even possible?

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

I have been looking for the answer to the same question. I ordered a dudadiesel chiller and have been trying to figure out the optimal orientation.

I read somewhere that having it sitting flat with in out posts pointing upward was best. I am not sure why and there doesnt seem to be a consensus. I am not sure if this means that it doesnt really matter all that much?????

If you havent seen the dudadiesel chiller then it will be difficult to picture what i described.

I am curious to see what others have to say or have experienced with regard to orientation and chiller performance

 

[mpcluever]

I know dudadiesel and that's probably where I'm going to go. I think this is what you're referring to

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

Yep, i read that having it oriented just like that is best with posts up but i have seen lots of people with them mounted vertically (attached to the leg if a brew stand for example) so i suspect it must not matter all that much.

I will probably just trial and error it .... i used a buddies plate chiller. It was the 40 plate dudadiesel and we had it set on its side (similar to how therminator is pictured) and it worked fine. 72 in to fermenter with pump at full speed and 65 if i throttled it back just a tad.

 

[nameless]

I've used the dudadiesel for about 15 batches now and have had it oriented both ways (like the two pictures) and never noticed any difference in efficiency or performance. That being said, I wasn't specifically looking for a difference, but I think any difference would be negligible especially when there are other factors that have a much bigger impact (water temperature, flow rate). Going out on a limb here, but I'd think that changing the orientation when blasting water trying to clean/dislodge particles might help break crap loose.

 

[mpcluever]

I guess I could see especially on the Therminator where all the connections are on one end, that if you were filling it with sanitizer and letting it sit, that you'd want the openings at the top so it doesn't run out. I plan to recirc boiling wort through it to sanitize it so I don't see how the orientation is going to really matter with both flows blasting through there.

 

[canalibrewer]

I am trying to decide between a blichman plate exchange and a sabco chill wizard for the brew magic system. has anyone used a chill wizard? the price is four time as much as the blichman and i'm just trying to justify such a high cost.

 

[nameless]

I am trying to decide between a blichman plate exchange and a sabco chill wizard for the brew magic system. has anyone used a chill wizard? the price is four time as much as the blichman and i'm just trying to justify such a high cost.

Well the sabco is a system that includes a plate chiller. I personally couldn't justify spending that to shave a couple minutes off the time. Of course if you don't already have one, you'll need a pump in order to use a plate chiller, but you can create a much more versatile system instead of having one dedicated to chilling. And like the other posts here, I'd suggest looking at the dudadiesel chillers.

 

[mpcluever]

Blichmann says you can use gravity through the Therminator. Obviously slower than using a pump, but can be done...

 

[nameless]

It can be done, but that would be an awful lot of moving buckets around to get it to recirculate. I don't have the numbers, but I don't think running it through once will get you close to 80 from boiling. More importantly though, unless you have some pressure going through to clean it out, a lot of sediment will remain in there. I'm diligent about keeping mine clean with PBW, and even with that I wind up running it through going both directions for a while before clearing it out to the point I'm happy with.

 

[BrewGuy]

I think the reason that it has the "sanitize this end up" is if you are going to be boiling it in a pot of water. That way the internal liquid will begin to boil an spit out the top just my guess. I have a therminator and it is bolted to my stand. The way I clean and sanitize it is with hot pbw for 1 hr in one direction an 1 hr the other direction then a hot water rinse. I never use stars san with it as I've heard that it is not good to store an acid with copper and it's hard to flush that thing out fully. Just my two cents.

 

[jcaudill]

I think the whole inlet/outlet facing up thing is primarily for gravity fed applications. If you're pumping then it makes no difference how that thing is oriented.

 

[Budzu]

"orientation" may refer to the flow direction. You should be cleaning and sanitizing the plate chiller in the opposite direction that the wort will flow in. Maybe that is what is meant? I don't think moving the plate chiller to different positions is necessary, although choking and throttling may be required to push out all air bubbles.

 

[mpcluever]

"orientation" may refer to the flow direction. You should be cleaning and sanitizing the plate chiller in the opposite direction that the wort will flow in. Maybe that is what is meant?

I doubt it. It's pretty clearly labeled as to what hose goes where. It's the "Operate this side up" that I was concerned about.

I'm sure that it's not going to matter what way I have it sitting. Liquid will be going through there so fast, it's not going to matter what way it's sitting. Thanks for all the input everyone!

 

[photogscott]

I don't have the numbers, but I don't think running it through once will get you close to 80 from boiling. More importantly though, unless you have some pressure going through to clean it out,

I get below 80 with So Cal water running once and plenty of gravity fed flow.

 

[nameless]

I get below 80 with So Cal water running once and plenty of gravity fed flow.

I stand corrected...brew in Tennessee during the summer and it's a different story

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

Orientation. We mount ours so that the wort port can gravity drain for final clean-up.