Video: $80 DudaDiesel 30-Plate Chiller

[HickoryMike]

I have seen these cheap plate chillers mentioned in several places. A couple folks said they purchased them, but their reviews offer little feedback. I purchased one of these chillers and filmed this video to document the unboxing and trial run. I also took about 1min to explain how plate chillers work, just in case you're unfamiliar with them.

Hopefully I'm getting better at this whole video making thing. Crank it up to 720p and enjoy. Let me know if this was helpful and subscribe to my channel.



Thanks. I hope you liked it.

 

[azscoob]

Sweet vid, I was looking into getting one of them once I get my brew stand past the planning stage. When will it get run through the paces on a brew day?

 

[HickoryMike]

Sweet vid, I was looking into getting one of them once I get my brew stand past the planning stage. When will it get run through the paces on a brew day?

I'll be brewing my blonde ale over the holiday weekend. We will break it in good.

 

[dogtailale]

Nice vid, I sure like how less time and water is involved.

I got 1 question how do you clean them and know they are clean?

 

[HickoryMike]

I got 1 question how do you clean them and know they are clean?

I'm learning as I go, but I have read that cleaning isn't that big of a deal. First, it's important that you filter your hops out well (thus the hopstopper video that preceded this one). After your brew day you want to give your chiller a thorough rinse. Soaking the unit in PBW, then Starsan before use has been recommended in some places. If you sense that your chiller is full of dry hop matter (for whatever reason) you can place the unit in your oven and bake it. Then when you flush it out any formerly stubborn sediment should come out.

So, if you know what to do sanitization shouldn't be an issue.

 

[mariojr]

RAdio Head. Awesome.

 

[dogtailale]

Alright saw your vid Octoberfest hop stopper I see how the stopper works with the standard old school chiller. Chiller cools wort and hops to 80ish dgs pull hop bag out with sanitized hands & squeeze. Now that plate chiller thats going to one hot squeeze.

I know Im missing a step. I guess Ill wait for you next vid.

Thank you

 

[HickoryMike]

Alright saw your vid Octoberfest hop stopper I see how the stopper works with the standard old school chiller. Chiller cools wort and hops to 80ish dgs pull hop bag out with sanitized hands & squeeze. Now that plate chiller thats going to one hot squeeze.

I know Im missing a step. I guess Ill wait for you next vid.

Thank you

The hopstopper/immersion chiller combo is not a natural partnership. In that video I squeezed the juice out of the spent hops after chilling using the IC.

In the future I will not use an immersion chiller. At the end of my boil I will simply run the 210 degree wort through my plate chiller. The plate chiller will chill the wort to the temp of the water coming out of my hose.....this time of year, that's 80 degrees.....in the fall and winter it would be considerably lower.

Hopefully that explanation fills in some of the gaps. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[goofiefoot]

Great video. Time-wise, what are your savings? It looks like you cranked the flow back to about 1/3 from your boil pot. Assuming you're draining 5-6 gallons, how long does it take to fully drain, and will filtering the hops out increase that time?

 

[HickoryMike]

Great video. Time-wise, what are your savings? It looks like you cranked the flow back to about 1/3 from your boil pot. Assuming you're draining 5-6 gallons, how long does it take to fully drain, and will filtering the hops out increase that time?

First, I think you have to take into consideration the absolute BEATING using an immersion chiller has been this summer. I have spent about 20-30 minutes each brewday stirring wort only for my wort to eventually hit 80 degrees.

With the valve open about 1/3 of the way, I would estimate that it took around 10 minutes to drain 6 gallons. In December when the water is 45 degrees, I imagine I'll be able to open the valve more.

So, I'm trimming time off my brewday, which is awesome. Even more awesome is the fact that I'm sitting on my ass, drinking homebrew while my wort is chilling and filling the fermenter. I'm not endlessly stirring. I don't have to mess with inserting a giant copper coil into my kettle. I think this is going to be quick, but more importantly, easy.

 

[bendavanza]

Good video. What did you shoot it with?

 

[HickoryMike]

Good video. What did you shoot it with?

I'm a bit ashamed to say that I have been shooting video with my digital camera. It's a Cannon Powershot. It does a pretty good job for a point-n-shoot.

One day I'll be able to get something nicer, but I just dropped a lot of coin on a Top Tier, a new BK, and a new HLT. Hmmmmm....there's a video idea somewhere in there....

 

[ScubaSteve]

Actually, i was gonna buy a camcorder until I found that my Sony camera could record just fine and still zoom, etc.

Really no need to buy camcorders anymore unless you really need high quality film. The technology is upgrading so quickly that even cellphones can record HD video.

 

[jfenton78]

Which model of chiller did you get?

 

[samc]

Which model of chiller did you get?

$80 DudaDiesel 30-Plate Chiller is the thread title

 

[jfenton78]

$80 DudaDiesel 30-Plate Chiller is the thread title

Thanks for the no help. If you look at the Duda website there are three 30 plate chillers in the $80 price range (they also have some over $120). Althought they are similar there are some differences. I'd like the model number because, the price will change over time due to inflation. Having an exact model number helps people know what to look in the future even if the price is not $80.

Jeff

 

[HickoryMike]

Which model of chiller did you get?

I purchased this one off Ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...075934&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_3509wt_911

Thanks for watching.

 

[jfenton78]

Thanks mike. I was having trouble finding the eBay posting.

 

[HickoryMike]

Thanks mike. I was having trouble finding the eBay posting.

One of the cool things about DudaDiesel is that it seems you can get whatever size fittings you want. I went with the 3/4" (for no particular reason) but if you wanted 1/2" male fittings, they can do that.

 

[bendavanza]

Nothing wrong with that Canon. It looks tons better than most camcorders from just a few years ago.
I shot my brew video with an iphone.

 

[NiteOwlBrewing]

It also appears they have the 30 plate with 4x1/2" or 3/4" hose barbs. That would eliminate having to buy the hardware to convert to hose aside from the female for the garden hose in. I think it was the same price. I kinda forget now as I was looking at the much larger units.

 

[HickoryMike]

If your're curious how this wort chiller performed during an actual brew, check out episode 3:

 

[samc]

Thanks for the no help. If you look at the Duda website there are three 30 plate chillers in the $80 price range (they also have some over $120). Althought they are similar there are some differences. I'd like the model number because, the price will change over time due to inflation. Having an exact model number helps people know what to look in the future even if the price is not $80.

Jeff

Not everybody reads the titles! I couldn't very well offer you the model number he bought. Your snarky reply is duly noted and under-appreciated. You could have been informative without the first sentence, but if it makes you feel better I am mortally wounded.

 

[jfenton78]

My apologies samc. It's been a crappy few weeks at work.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

Assuming boiling wort and ice water as inputs, how long would one of these 30 plate chillers take to bring 5 or 10 gallons to pitching temp?

I have seen 5 minutes tossed around. Is that realistic?

 

[HickoryMike]

I think that's very realistic if you're using ice water.

 

[DonH]

alright, im sold! I was about to spend the same on a DIY CFC! this is much faster haha!