Therminator Users?

[Wez]

Hi

Does anyone use a therminator?

http://www.hopandgrape.co.uk/Catalog/de ... BLI2140272

I'm interested to know what people think of them before I consider a purchase.

Thanks, Wez

 

[Aleman]

Wez . . . Save your money! I know someone with one and he loves it, it works for him and shave a good chunk of time on brewday. . . . However you can get a plate heat exchanger from eBay for a lot less money . . . . Like this one

 

[Wez]

The appeal of the Therminator is the claim that it's v.easy to clean, happy to be swayed though :thumb:

 

[Aleman]

I have a small 10 plate chiller and it is very simple to clean . . . just back flush with the hose . . .I then fill mine with boiling water, and cap with blanking caps . . . Stays clean and ready to use next time.



I hesitate to say it but I suspect that the therminator chillers are simply a modified hot water heat exchanger unit . . . with a Blichmann label stuck on . . . they certainly don't look any different to mine (Apart from having more plates)

 

[brewzone]

I agree with Aleman, there a far better value exchangers to be had.

The Italian ones are nice, there is also an American seller too!

 

[Wez]

Great :thumb:

I need something that is easy to clean as the main priority - any sugested products other that A's ebay link?

 

[brewzone]

Great :thumb:

I need something that is easy to clean as the main priority - any sugested products other that A's ebay link?

Check this beauty out!

Spending the birthday pennies Wez? :

 

[Wez]

Abso-bloody-exactly!

:thumb:

 

[Vossy1]

For not a bit more money than the therminator you can buy a proper gasketed plate heat exchanger (Sondex S4) which you can take apart and clean when you invariably get s**t inside it.
I used a copper braized sealed unit and had problems with hop detritus refusing to come out of it. I would have carried on using it but it started to rust internally. I would seriously consider using a filter pre he.

And before anyone says it was a cheap unti it was an Alfa Laval, which are pretty decent :thumb:

re the sondex prices

S4 frame £184, plates £3, gaskets £1.50, ports around £12 +vat
Costs depend on number of plates and gaskets :thumb:

 

[Wez]

Super tip V :thumb:

 

[Aleman]

And considering the size of the plates you don't need very many to cope with our volumes

 

[Vossy1]

Would you know how to work out how many plates would be required Aleman ?
I found it really hard to describe to the lady at Sondex, especially with variable temperature coolant (ie, tap water), variable flow rate (can be controlled) and variable batch sizes :lol:

 

[Wez]

Ordered the Therminator :thumb:

 

[Vossy1]

:party:

 

[Wez]

Got it :party:

Will be having a play with it tomorrow and hoping to use it in a brewday on Sunday :thumb:

 

[EskiBrew]

Will be interesting to hear how it goes :thumb:

 

[Wez]

And me :?

 

[corby_brewer]

been reading up on these wez, they say it can chill 10 galons in 5 minutes. now that sounds like a good investment.

 

[Wez]

Yep - i'm looking forward to using it, if im honest my main concern is ensuring that the thing is clean after use and sterile before use, those are my challenges, I think it's an end of the "ah, sod it Ill clean up tomorrow brewdays" but thats where I want to go anyway, as close to a controlled brewday as I can.

Time saved, may turn out to be nothing after the cleaning routine.

I'm looking forward to seeing the cold break after the cooling....

 

[Vossy1]

if im honest my main concern is ensuring that the thing is clean after use

The main concern should be to stop stuff (hop debris) getting into it in the first place, as once in, it can be impossible to get out. The clearance between plates can be 0.5mm, so anything larger can get stuck :thumb: