Storing Counter Flow Chiller cleaning and storage

[LagerLover78]

Hi all,

I built Counter Flow Chiller last year at the end if the season and used it on one 5 gallon batch. I have read several different threads on how one should clean and store CFCs with varying instructions and suggestions.

The last time I used it, I flushed with water as best I could and tried to purge as much water out of the copper beer line....have a feeling that some water remained inside over the winter.

I have a feeling there may be some of that nasty oxidation that I've heard people talk about and as about result I may need to run fresh soft copper tube before my first batch this spring. Is there a way to tell?

Do you all think fresh copper tubing is necessary? What's the best way to clean and store a CFC after use?

All info is greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

 

[imasickboy]

Recirculate some hot pbw through there, rinse very thoroughly, and call it done.

You can run some starsan through if it makes you feel good.

 

[LagerLover78]

Thanks for the reply!

I've heard that you're supposed to store it full of PBW until the next use.

Does this make sense?

 

[imasickboy]

No. PBW and copper together for long periods will likely create copper phosphate, and turn it bluish inside. Don't soak soft metals in PBW for extended periods.

 

[govner1]

Fill it with StarSan and let it sit for 30 minutes or so and flush with clean water.

 

[LagerLover78]

So, sanitize with star San before running wort thru, then post chill flush with water and the. run more star San?

 

[johnwpowell]

I whirlpool for 15 minutes at flame out through the counter flow with no cold water running which sanitizes it.

 

[jmark]

I have a jaded CFC (https://jadedbrewing.com/products/the-jaded-cfc) but before that I used a traditional CFC. Both get the same regimen though... after a brew day, I run a rinse cycle through the MLT, BK and chiller and that's about it. I do drain as much as I can out of the chiller, but the next brew day, I will circulate boiling wort through the chiller for the last 10 minutes of the boil to sanitize the unit. That does drop the temp to the low 200s for a few minutes, but hasn't seemed to affect anything. I recently picked up some Saniclean though (no foaming version of Starsan) so I may use that on my post brew day regimen in the future to avoid the boil sanitization approach.

 

[kh54s10]

I would fill it with PBW or Oxyclean and let it sit for an hour or so. Flush well with water. Then when really rinsed, taste the water, if you don't taste any metallic I would say it is good to go. Sanitize with Starsan just before use. I would not store it with anything in there.

I bet that the water in there evaporated during the winter, I would not worry too much about it.

 

[LagerLover78]

Thanks all!

KH54S10 - I actually capped off the copper tubes with the red plastic caps that came with it...nor sure if that would prevent evaporation...

 

[govner1]

So, sanitize with star San before running wort thru, then post chill flush with water and the. run more star San?

No. I was suggesting that you fill it w/ StarSa, let it sit, then rinse to clean it up after storage.
I routinely rinse w/ StarSan before each use. I chill and whirlpool so as others have posted I run wort from the BK through my pump & chiller for five minutes or so before I turn on the chilling water.
After I'm finished I run hot water w/ SaniClean through my system. Usually 5-6 Gallons.

 

[gnef]

What I do with my dual stage counterflow is to pump recirculate star san for at least 10-15 minutes before attaching to the boil kettle.

Once I am done chilling, I run clean water through it, and then I hook up my oilless air compressor to it and blow out all the water. This works really well, and I built an adapter specifically to go from the air hose to a female camlock fitting.

I need to do this, as I built my custom counterflow, and the twist goes up and down, so water will always get trapped if I don't use the compressed air to blow it out.

For you, I would do a PBW circulation, and then a star san circulation, then water flushed through it, and then blow it all out with air like I do.