Plate chiller

Don · Post by **Don** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 10:02 pm

I think I'm getting ready to move up to a plate chiller.

Who uses them and what kind of advice do you have.

Thanks
Don

sirgiovanni · Post by **sirgiovanni** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:00 am

A buddy of mine got the double tap box, that uses the double plate, out of Northern(?). When we do our week long camping gig in August, there is just no effective way to keep kegs cold. It did a great job.

Chris Alvey · Post by **Chris Alvey** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:38 am

I assumed you were meaning a wort cooling device. I know that there are generally two available - the smaller/cheaper Shirron and the larger/more expensive Therminator. I have the Shirron.

My process goes something like this: On the water in i have my old immersion chiller hooked up in line and sitting in an ice bath to cool the incoming water. The outgoing water is collected for washing.

On the wort side I have a pump that has a scrubby over the end that is used to get the wort out of the boil kettle (no valves.) The out part of the wort just goes into the carboy.

I am generally able to cool down to the mid-to-upper 70s by setting my water at hose speed and my wort pump at a pretty slow speed. I then have to put the carboys into the fridge to get it to the intended ferm temperature. This is summertime specs, so I am interested to see what happens in the fall/winter.

One thing to note is that the cold break is produced in the chiller and other than rigging up a foam filter or some such, it seems inevitable that the cold break will fall into the fermenter. Maybe that's not such a big deal in the scope of things, but it is something to note.

If I were to do it again and money was not a factor, I think I would spend the extra coin for the larger Therminator.

Cleaning is done with a bucket of StarSan and some pumping - so far no issues. In theory the thing can be boiled if you really wanted it sanitary.

Don · Post by **Don** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:27 pm

[quote="Chris Alvey"]I assumed you were meaning a wort cooling device. quote]
Yes sorry!
I do not use a punp from my kettle to the carboy but plan to in the future.

I've heard some people have issues with leaf or whole hops and Wort plate coolers.

I have a home built double coil tubing Immersion Chiller now and can usually bring the temp (for a 5 gal batch) to mid 70's in the summer time in about 20 min. In the winter I can get 68 deg in 15 min.
I did a 10 gallons batch the other day and it took longer, I ended up putting the carboy in my cooler for a couple of hours to get the temp down to 70.

I've seen the Ice bucket method and I have a third coil and small pond punp to try this, but I was trying to make my brew day simpler.

So I need to save up and get the big mother "Therminator" at $200?

Chris Alvey · Post by **Chris Alvey** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:56 pm

here's some 'science' from the Therminator's manufacturer's site ... take it for what it's worth:

http://www.blichmannengineering.com/The ... tition.htm

The time saved in the brew day is definitely one of the very best features of either plate chiller. I used to have to stand there and stir the wort to get it down to temp as quickly as possible with the immersion. Now I can be doing other cleanup chores while the kettle is draining and, overall, the process takes less time when you take stirring, whirlpooling, letting the trub settle, and racking into the carboy like I did before.

sirgiovanni · Post by **sirgiovanni** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:41 pm

oops.

sorry bout that, I have a one track mind right now. I want that cooler chiller plate.

Don · Post by **Don** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:36 pm

Well if I'm going to bite the bullet I might as well do it now especially since Northern has free shipping on $200 orders.
"For a limited time only, get free BrewSaver Ground shipping on orders over $200"

Chris Alvey · Post by **Chris Alvey** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:27 pm

looky here ... http://search.ebay.com/therminator_W0QQ ... turnedZ300

Would this work?

Don · Post by **Don** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:35 pm

Chris Alvey wrote:looky here ... http://search.ebay.com/therminator_W0QQ ... turnedZ300

Would this work?

I've seen them before but these are made for solar water, Heat pump system, household central air conditioning,
afterheatrecycling, refrigeration equipment, industry cold
water machine, oil cooler and so on. I know that there has been some who bought them for beer but I can't get a reply on how the work.

Thanks for the help.

Don · Post by **Don** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:37 pm

Hey my avatar is now a hophead.
I'm making my first IPA this weekend.

Chris Alvey · Post by **Chris Alvey** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:01 am

Hey my avatar is now a hophead.
I'm making my first IPA this weekend.

You know the old saying ... Every time you brew an IPA, an angel gets its wings. Or, something like that, I forget exactly.

Best of luck and enjoy that hoppy goodness!

Chris Norrick · Post by **Chris Norrick** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:33 pm

All I know on plate chillers is I have one on my christmas list!

Dwayne_Delaney · Post by **Dwayne_Delaney** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:58 pm

I have the Shirron and have been happy with it . I have never used the Therminator so I really can't compare the 2. At the Brew B Q last year, John Blichmann said that he designed the Therminator for 10 gallon brewers and those who live down south where tap water temps are warm. I have no problems using mine with gravity and it cools as fast as I can drain into the carboy to within a couple of degrees of the tap water. During the cooler months, I actually have to throttle down my water almost to a trickle to keep it from cooling too much. You MUST use hop bags to keep hops out of the chiller.
Here are the fittings that I use: http://www.ovha.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=

My cleaning regimen is as follows:
1. Immediately backflush with hot water as soon as possible after using.
2. Fill with PBW and let it sit for at least a couple of hours. Flush. Repeat 2 or 3 times.
3. Drain and store.
4. On brew day, flush with water and fill with Starsan.