When do you clean your counter flow chiller?

[MashBag]

I clean my counter flow chiller immediately after each use. This prevents any residue buildup and ensures it's ready for the next brew session.

I have bad news... I think you will find it does still collect residue, as it happens during transfer, and doesn't simply wash off. Stainless or copper?

 

[Andrew Booth]

I recirculate through the chiller for 45 minutes the recommended contact time after that I pump no rinse through

 

[MashBag]

If would be a brilliant thread for anyone unsure which chiller to buy

 

[hoppyscotty]

I have bad news... I think you will find it does still collect residue, as it happens during transfer, and doesn't simply wash off. Stainless or copper?

Well this is where process is vital...the challenge with plate chillers and some CFC chillers are there are internal features that generate turbulence in the wort flow..these are like saw teeth ridges internal to the where the wort flows as turbulent flow is far more efficient at heat transfer than laminar flow. Any solids that are in the wort stream can snag and get hung up on these features which is why its best to flush through with just water first and ideally from both directions to dislodge any soil that is caught up in one of these 'turbulators'. Then a decent cleaner will/should simply dissolve any organic matter...this is why I tend to have a soak time as well as recirculation time as I worry that the moving flow might not be as effective at dissolving the organic matter.

 

[MashBag]

"Well this is where process is vital.."

Yes indeed
I don't use & have never owned a plate chiller (or a cfc) because they are a challenge. And I don't make beer for a fight. I have a perfectly good wife for that.

 

[Sadfield]

Preparation time + cooling time + cleaning time + contamination risk.

An immersion chiller still looks like the better option at homebrew scale.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Preparation time + cooling time + cleaning time + contamination risk.

An immersion chiller still looks like the better option at homebrew scale.

Agree..I use the one that came with my BZ when I brew with that.

Nothing is a challenge...just a case of doing your homework. Chilling is a pretty established process in brewing. I tried using a plate chiller that was not designed for the task and found it not suitable...or at least 'sub optimal'. I invested a modest sum of money in a proper chiller designed for the task and its a great bit of kit and one of the best investments in brew kit I've ever made both in terms of the ease and speed of work flow on the actual brew day and in the consistency and quality of the resulting beer. Alot of challenges you see on a larger scale simply don't exist at smaller homebrew batch sizes. Horses for courses.

 

[Jordang]

I run hot water straight after use, then VWP and a rinse before use

 

[DCBC]

My understanding is that Starsan, as well as sanitising surfaces while still wet/foamy, creates an inhospitable environment for bacterial growth even when it has dried out.

So I:

- Circulate chemclean through my CFC for about 20 mins while I'm cleaning out my pumps, boil kettle, mash tun etc
- Rinse with a little hot water
- Suck out as much of what's left as possible with a wet vac, making sure to turn it over a few times to let water fall from one part of the coil to the next
- Spray Starsan in the top with the wet vac in the bottom port to help pull it all the way through. I then leave it to dry naturally, but if it never dries (I'll never know for sure!), my thinking is it's only starsan, not water

Then I just do the 10-min hot wort circulation at the end of the boil to re-sanitise.

I use pretty much same method for my Riptides as it saves having to tear them down and soak them as often. No problems so far. It seems like a lot of steps but it really isn't much work.

 

[Agentgonzo]

My understanding is that Starsan, as well as sanitising surfaces while still wet/foamy, creates an inhospitable environment for bacterial growth even when it has dried out.

Interesting! I'd not thought of that

 

[Brewnode Dave]

I've been using a plate chiller for 8 years without any real issue. Before every brew I soak with pbw (or Chemclean) and sanitise with starsan. Immediately after use, I soak it again with pbw and rinse.
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