Show us and rate your wort chiller - plate style

[kegtoe]

Looking for peoples set-up and review of plate style wort chiller.
How long to cool 5 gallons?
How easy to clean?
Anything you would do differently?

I'm especially curious with the non-therminator model as I cant affor 200 for the chiller. But feel free to post those if you'd like. Looking forward to your pics and responses

 

[kegtoe]

Nobody? - Really??

 

[IrregularPulse]

an hour and nobody on a workday!? Patience, someone will be along.

 

[pickles]

an hour and nobody on a workday!? Patience, someone will be along.

thats 13 hrs, but still be patient

 

[wildwest450]

Um, there's tons of threads on the subject.


.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

You preferred no Therms, but that's what I use. Cooled down from boiling to 60º-65º in about 10 mins depending on ground water temp. I recirculate for a little while until I hit that temp then go to the carboy. Afterwords I flush backwards with boiling water/cleaner (PBW, etc) then rinse with tap water. I've used it on about 8 - 10 batches so far with no issues.

 

[Henrythe9th]

I have 2 alfa lava 15 plate exchangers, and am using 1 now with a 40ft 1/2 copper immersion chiller w/ whirl pool..in series

I do 12 to 15 gal batches but can give you this

before plate chiller 13gal from boil to 60f in 25 to 30 min IC and whirl pooling

last Sunday 15 batch IPA from boil to 58f in 15min with both plate and IC and



Im going to try both plate chillers together next brew without the IC,, have to add a new whirlpool port to the kettle

 

[mikefromcu]

Hose water in SD right now is about 78*, so here's what we do:

Whirlpool >> pump >> Therminator (hose water full force) >> Convoluted Copper Coil in ice bath in Hot liquor Tank >> Fermenter.

I can pump over with the valves wide open at 30 seconds a gallon, meaning I can knock out a whole batch in just about 25 minutes, single pass, at 65*.

The post chiller, using my HEX coil in ice is freakin' awesome.

I figure I'm about 85-90 coming out of the therminator at that speed, and the coil knocks it all the way down. In fact, I let it warm up for some of the pump - if I kept stirring the ice, I'd get it all pumped over at < 55*. Yes, less than 55.

Mike
www.hessbrewing.com

 

[kegtoe]

anyone use the huge ones off of ebay???