plate chiller with ball valve

[bcryan]

question is for those of you using a pump and a plate chiller. how do you control the speed of the wort passing through the chiller? is the ball valve better placed on the hot wort in or cool wort out? thanks for your answers.

 

[insanim8er]

I think Hot

That way you can get it to a trickle in the plates if need be. Plus I think the thermometer would read better vs restricting out and running into the issue of over cooling while the water continues to cool as it's blocked... If that makes sense.

But I just use the ball valve from my pump

 

[day_trippr]

My pump pulls from the BK and pushes through the vertically oriented PC from the bottom end. Flow rate is regulated by the ball valve on the pump outlet. No need for another valve...

Cheers!

 

[bcryan]

so if you're controlling the flow at the kettle are you ever worried about not having enough flow to the pump and possibly damaging the pump??

 

[jakenbacon]

Cool wort out sir. This causes the restriction of fluid to be inside of the plate chiller, resulting in more contact time with plates. If you put the valve on the hot wort in, it would limit the wort input and you would be running much more inefficiently due to less wort coming in contact with plates which will still be cooled by the same amount of water.....

 

[insanim8er]

so if you're controlling the flow at the kettle are you ever worried about not having enough flow to the pump and possibly damaging the pump??

I fixed that... Pump not kettle. I just got pumps and only used them once two weeks ago, so I'm still getting used to the new system.

This is my set-up for the chiller. I do have a ball valve that connects the hose in if I need to restrict flow on the water side.

Cool wort out sir. This causes the restriction of fluid to be inside of the plate chiller, resulting in more contact time with plates. If you put the valve on the hot wort in, it would limit the wort input and you would be running much more inefficiently due to less wort coming in contact with plates which will still be cooled by the same amount of water.....

My thoughts on that are opposite. I feel that way you have to control the water flow to not over chill. I have cold ground water and can run pretty much full throttle especially in the winter. With the input being restricted, I just adjust the wort and it chills as fast as I can flow it.

 

[Teromous]

I bought valves with the assumption that I would need to restrict flow, but never ended up needing them. I suppose it depends on the water temp where you live, size of your plate chiller, and speed of your pump. I use a chugger pump and a 40 plate chiller (Keg Cowboy if that matters) and 0 flow restriction is needed on the wort side. The only adjustment I really do is done at the water tap outside my house so I'm not wasting water if it comes out of the plate chiller too cold.

 

[Nightshade]

Something I didn't see addressed...never restrict the intake side of the pump, if you are going to restrict flow do it on the output side. restricting the intake side is a guaranteed way to fry your seals on the pump...been there, done that.

 

[Nightshade]

I fixed that... Pump not kettle. I just got pumps and only used them once two weeks ago, so I'm still getting used to the new system.

This is my set-up for the chiller. I do have a ball valve that connects the hose in if I need to restrict flow on the water side.

View attachment 177873



My thoughts on that are opposite. I feel that way you have to control the water flow to not over chill. I have cold ground water and can run pretty much full throttle especially in the winter. With the input being restricted, I just adjust the wort and it chills as fast as I can flow it.

I too control temp by water flow not wort flow.

 

[m1k3]

I open the kettle valve wide open -> Pump has a ball valve that regulates the flow (on the out side) -> Into my Blichmann Therminator -> I have a temp gauge mounted on a T and the flow goes into the fermenter.

I live in California so the water supply is always run at max to cool the chiller, even in "winter".

 

[Broham1]

Cool wort out sir. This causes the restriction of fluid to be inside of the plate chiller, resulting in more contact time with plates. If you put the valve on the hot wort in, it would limit the wort input and you would be running much more inefficiently due to less wort coming in contact with plates which will still be cooled by the same amount of water.....

This. You want control of the wort's contact time in the chiller.


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[Doctor_M]

This. You want control of the wort's contact time in the chiller.


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Interesting, not saying you guys are right or wrong but sabcos chill wizard has it restricted pre plate chiller
https://brewmagic.com/product/chill-wizard-system/

 

[day_trippr]

Interesting, not saying you guys are right or wrong but sabcos chill wizard has it restricted pre plate chiller

They also have the pump head installed upside down...

Cheers!