How can I maximise the cooling from a counterflow chiller

RoomWithABrew said:

Happy to try and explain.

The cooler is a Coolossus and a Coolossus 2 from kegland. Joined together using half inch BSP to triclamp for the wort flow, irritating design modification of the company.
Cold water in via the green tubes and out via the clear tubes ( clear tube just so I could check it flowing).

My brew kettle is a modified Guten 70 litre which is basically the same as a brewzilla 3.

However modified with a SmartPID controller, also I fitted a three way half way up the recirculation pipe with the tubing leaving and covered in the black pipe insulation.
This connects into the ball lock at the front which has a whirlpool on the inside of the kettle. Picture to follow.
Reason for this is I can recirculate over the top of the grains during mash but also the whirlpool mixes the deadspace between maltpipe and kettle wall plus it provides flow over the peripherally positioned ( design flaw ) temp probe.

Further modification of adding a second drain hole and pump, this during mashing is connected to the other front ball lock seen in the picture to the left of midline. This also has a whirlpool arm on it and can mix the deadspace higher up during the mash when I periodically turn it on and off.

Once I have sparged and malt pipe is out I fit the trub trapper and then replumb the 2nd pump to feed into the top of the cooling tower, outflow via sight glass and the previously mentioned T piece with thermowell onto the 2nd whirlpool.

Post boil I use both pumps and get a really good whirlpool, I slow whirlpool by turning off the recirculating whirlpool only pump ( pump 1 ).
By about 30 minutes wort is nearly all cool enough. Turn off the cooling and the pump feeding the CFC, let it stand for 5 minutes.
Detach the pipe from the CFC bottom at the kettle and add a longer tube so that I can then pump straight into the fermenter.
I'll add the photos of the inside of the kettle with the whirlpool arms, drain holes and trub trapper plus it's effect. Also the sight glass and T thermowell.View attachment 108784View attachment 108783View attachment 108782View attachment 108779

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RoomWithABrew said:

Make sure the CFC is connected correctly.
I was using a wortometer to allow post CFC temp measure.
Then changed to a half inch BSP T with a small thermo well in the side part of T. Insert thermometer or temp probe into this.
Agree with comments about slowing flow into CFC to improve the chill.
I turn my pump to CFC on at end of boil, takes a couple of minutes to drop temp to 80 C. Then whirlpool additions and circulate without cooling water.
If no whirlpool additions I recirculate and chill after the outflow has been above 80 for a few minutes.
View attachment 108759
Do remember to remove your kettle jacket.

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