Cornelius two line beer chiller

[Portreath]

I've got my hands on a Cornelius chiller, the type you would find in a bar that does not have a cellar. Has anyone used one of these for home/beer cave, or had any experience setting it up?

 

[The Baron]

Hi Portreath they are quite simple to use.They work by creating a ice bank for the beer to go through in the pipe work inside so it just cools the fluid(beer) in the pipe as it goes through the ice bank. On the top is the filling hole to put the water in and fill until it comes out of the pipe at the back which may have a blanking plug which should be removed and replaced once water runs out of it wwhich means it is filled to the correct level- obviously making sure the cooler is level when you do this. At the back depending on the model are the cooling pipes plus sometimes there are 2 pipes that point upwards which are for a cooling python to keep the pipes in the head of the beer pump/tap cool and in some cases it will give that cool water effect on the pump/tap. The other pipes are for the beer to go in (so your beer out on the corny goes to the inlet)and come out and may be numbered to make it easier to identify which is which. Attach your barrel corny to the inlet side and the outlet to your beer pump/tap
Hope this is as clear as mud plus if you search online there is a manual that may help as well

 

[Braindead]

Yeah I have a Maxi 210.
Just giving it a clean but I think the pump may have gone on the coolant recirculator as my python system isn't chilling

 

[Portreath]

Thanks both. I'll dig it out in the week an post some pics, yes mine needs a clean too. I noticed that when I moved the unit there was quite a lot of fluid sloshing about, and quite a bit came out, is this normal? I hope it wasn't the coolant you mentioned!! yikes!

 

[Braindead]

Yeah there should be a little plug at the back of the cooler, thats the overflow pipe.
Is it a maxi 210 u have?

 

[The Baron]

No the fluid will be the water in the ice bank I would think, just fill it from the top steadily and let it run through to flush out any old water before replacing the plugs. To clean the pipelines you can either use a corny and fill with what ever cleaning fluid you want to use and leave for the amount of time you want it to sit in the pipework then use the same corny and flush it out with water and starsan. I usually leave the starsan in until I am ready to serve my beer then pull the first half to pint and throw this as the beer will force the starsan out then you are ready to drink your beverage

 

[Braindead]

Baron do you use a python system for the chilling of the lines too?

 

[Portreath]

Ah I see. I'll go search for a Cornelius manual to get my head around the set up. I'm guessing that the chiller does not need to be on all of the time. would it be the type of system you could turn on a few mins before drawing of the beer, or would it need to be on longer?
@Braindead I've just looked up python re the chiller and from the pics I've found it looks like my set up has got this. I.e. I have 2 beer lines to the faucets but there are a few more pipes from the unit all bundled into a thermal insulating tube, does this sound like the python system you mention?

 

[simon12]

If you look at the pictures on this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CORNELIU...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
the python line is the one with the john guest fittings on it.

 

[Braindead]

Inside my python, I have the coolant in and out so thats on a loop, and the line 1 and 2 out.
So you attach all them and then attach your corny kegs to the line in of the chiller, so it goes from your corny, through the chiller then up through the python to your taps.
I would give it a good hour to chill the lines down

 

[Braindead]

No beer lines lines attached yet

 

[The Baron]

I don't use my python coolant line I jut put a small piece of pipe looped between them so it re-circs itself or it would pump out the water/coolant. Also you would need to insulate all the pipework to help stop fobbing as the cooled beer hits the uninsulated pipework the temp change can cause fobbing/frothing

 

[itry]

I have one its a great bit of gear. I modified it so i can control the temp on it aswell as use it for cold crashing.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/conical-fermenter-cold-crashing.81514/

 

[Portreath]

When I drag my chiller out I'll take some pics as there are a few little additional bits and pieces I'm not quite sure of. On another note, my is opening a diner and the beer techs have just installed a brand new Evo70 chiller, and 4 faucets, looks like a nice bit of kit.