Cooling Wort with a Paraflow Heat Exchanger

[beermaker]

Is there any benefit to be had in recirculating the cooling wort back to the copper? At present, I['m plumbed up to pump the hot wort from the copper through the heat exchanger to the fermenter. Works well but tends to carry the cold break through to the FV. Just been reading some stuff about the Brutus 10 RIMS system which got me thinking - if instead of pumping straight to the FV I recirculate the cooled wort back to the copper it should in theory contain the hot and cold break. Once cooled, let the whole lot settle and then pump it through to the FV with the hops acting as a filter bed to minimise transfer of hot and cold break to the fermenter. Does this sound like a plan or am I being stupid again? Thoughts please!

Wassail!
Phil

 

[thedrayman]

As they say in the House of Commons, 'I refer my colleague to the reply I made earlier'. :-)

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=30057

 

[beermaker]

Interesting topic DrayMan, cheers for the link! : Did you get much of an advantage from it? Been thinking further - if I permanently plumb the outlet of the heat exchanger to the copper, and use angle the inlet so that it forms a whirlpool in the copper it'll cool quicker, contain the hot and cold break and the whirlpool action should act to separate the break and the hops from the wort. Can then transfer the outlet of the pump from the heat exchanger to the fermenter to run out ready for pitching. Hope that makes sense!!

Wassail!
Phil

 

[Muddydisco]

The question is didn't you mean counterflow heat exchanger? a parallel flow exchanger is efficiently very poor.

 

[Aleman]

Paraflow is a make of Plate heat exchangers . . . normally BMFers used in breweries and dairies

 

[beermaker]

quite right! sorry, mixing my terminology! back in the day when I was an engineer we used to call such heat exchangers parallel tube heat exchangers. it is indeed parallel tube but counter flow! :

Wassail!
Phil

 

[thedrayman]

beermaker, I'll be sampling the brew at the weekend so will let you know how it is.

 

[Muddydisco]

Ah didn't know paraflow were a Maker of heat exchangers makes sense if you were used to them :thumb:

 

[beermaker]

Brilliant, cheers Drayman :thumb:

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of replumbing the heat exchanger and incorporating a whirlpool effect to contain and separate the break and hops from the wort. Going to sketch up a few ideas and see if it's worth the effort of replumbing the brewery to incorporate it.

Wassail!
Phil

 

[beermaker]

In the absence of AutoCAD I've sketched up an idea by hand. Hope this makes sense! I've got most of the bits in my shed already, just need to make the necessary opening into the side of the copper (drilling stainless steel - lovely!) and get soldering! Definately think it's worth a punt and if it doesn't work I can salvage most of the parts and just put a blanking cap on the tank connector.

Wassail!
Phil