Plate Chiller

[Jonnycheech]

Can anyone recommend a good plate chiller? I've been using an immersion for the last few years but I'm setting up a brewing rack and I like the idea of connecting the kettle output to a plate chiller and directing it straight to a FV.

I know contamination is a concern if not cleaned properly. How are people generally doing this? Filling the kettle with some cleaning solution and letting it run through your whole system?

I'll be using it for around 20L batches. Quicker the better in terms of chilling but price is a concern. Any advice appreciated, cheers!

[Leann ull]

Why don't you just whirlpool you will half your cooling time?
To answer your question
Blichman rolls Royce and priced accordingly
Malt miller Angel homebrew and Homebrewbuilder all have good versions and I've seen good reports about them
Other option to go cheap is Aliexpress.
At the end of of the day it's just the number of fins and the quality of the conductivity of the metal.
I've done loads of research on them and read loads of US threads and lots of folks go back to immersion or counterflow for clean up reasons. Other option for you is counterflow and convoluted copper or probably stainless for cleaning from ali express is my next purchase.

[Jonnycheech]

Cheers CH!

How does whirlpooling half your cooling time? I always thought people whirlpooled after cooling? I've obviously never done it myself.

Yeah I had thought of a counterflow alright. Do you think Aliexpress could be trusted for quality? This is the cheapest I've found. Works out about €150

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Stainless-Steel-304-Counterflow-Wort-Chiller-Brewing-Equipment-wort-cooling-coil-for-homebrew/32551746038.html?spm=2114.30010308.3.1.X7zULD&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_2,searchweb201602_1_10017_10005_10006_10034_10021_507_10022_508_10020_10018_10019,searchweb201603_6&btsid=3cb1e13c-a0ed-4415-b713-b936129aa845

[Leann ull]

Way I do it is immersion in 12-15 mins to go wait until she boils again run pump 1 min to sterilise the line even though it's clean.
Whirlfloc 10 mins to go
Element off
Water on
Pump on

By circulating with pump you eliminate hot spots like in middle of coil and you get max thermal transfer

I went from 20-25 mins down to 10-12 for  25l

Even that last brewday I posted with 55l it was just 20

I do have a twin coil it makes a difference but not 50%

My first whirlpool arm was just a length of copper clamped to side with a crimped 90 degree angle  to create flow on the boiler end
Try and borrow a pump and give her a go

[neoanto]

I got a nice plate chiller on brewbuilder.CO.UK
They're good and cheaper than you can buy here.
I can easily get to pitching temp with one pass through the chiller

[Leann ull]

After this thread spent time reading about convoluted counterflow chillers again last night on US forums, God dammit sticking with my immersion, 30 Sec blast with high pressure hose and she's good to put away.

[molc]

I just put my plate chiller inline with the BK out 15 mins from the end and let it get cleaned from the waters I'm using to clean the BK. Keggle are heavy, so I collect the cooling water in the MT and just pump it around the system while scrubbing at the end of the day. Haven't ever had it clog or taint... so far

[Vermelho]

After this thread spent time reading about convoluted counterflow chillers again last night on US forums, God dammit sticking with my immersion, 30 Sec blast with high pressure hose and she's good to put away.

Have to agree with CH here on the ease of use h an having immersion chiller. I made a double feed immersion chiller and it chills 20 litre batches in 10-12 mins and 40 litre in 20mins if I use a spoon for keep the water moving. It's excellent and there's no fuss with cleaning before or after. I had a counter flow chiller and spent a long time researching it and though it was the best thing for me but the hassle of cleaning it ruined it for me.

[Jonnycheech]

The jury's out so! 

[Leann ull]

borrow one try it out see whats involved?

[darren996]

I have used one for over a year with no problems. Sometimes I chill straight to fermenter and sometimes I chill back into the kettle.  You can use a pump or gravity feed into it.

After use I back flush the chiller by hooking it up to the hot tap in my sink. 
Before use I flush with starsan and drain.  Every 5 or six uses I will pump boiling water through it.

Maintenance is minimum. Use a bazooka screen to filter debris before it gets to the chiller.

Immersion chillers are  less maintenance, no need to worry about pumps or gravity or tubes. They chill the whole batch at the same time. You can see any dirt or build up on it.  I am currently weighing up changing from a plate chiller to an immersion



Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[DEMPSEY]

With my old set up I have a counterflow chiller and when the boil is over I would run the hot wort through the counterflow and back to the boil kettle to create a counterflow. I also cooled at the same time. This can work with a counterflow because the size of the pipe work allows for the cooling wort to flow without blocking. I would suggest that this would not be best to do this with a plate chiller. I would do as the commercials would with this and whirlpool hot wort through the plate chiller without the cooling side of the chiller on,let it settle,pump hot wort through the chiller and cool it directly into the fermenter.

[DEMPSEY]

Back washing is fine and do it after each use but an Oxi hot flush is advisable every couple o brews especially if it has not being used for a while.

[Vermelho]

You're welcome to try my chiller if you want. Drop me a PM if you're interested

[darren996]

Back washing is fine and do it after each use but an Oxi hot flush is advisable every couple o brews especially if it has not being used for a while.

Just did that today, back flushed from both sides with hot oxi,  wasn't sure if I could run oxi through it, thanks for the tip.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk