Done with the plate chiller....

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Brewskey

Brewskey

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I really hate my Duda Diesel plate chiller.....really hate it. I think it has clogged every single time I've brewed with it no matter what I do. I brewed a batch this evening with 4oz of pellet hops that were in Lowe's paint strainer bags and it still clogged from the stuff that made it through the bag. I know a lot of people use plate chillers, there must be something I'm doing wrong.. I flushed the damn thing out after the last time it clogged and it seemed to be flowing freely so I don't think it was old hop debris that caused the problem. Thinking about buying a counterflow chiller, any recommendations?
 
Jaded Brewing makes The Hydra. It's an amazing immersion chiller. I think it would be perfect for you. You can even get an attachment to recirculate your wort against the chiller to cool it faster. I just got mine in the mail and it looks amazing. I can't wait to try it! Also I got mine in less than a week after ordering.

https://jadedbrewing.com/products/the-hydra

https://jadedbrewing.com/products/whirlpool-arm

The second link is for the recirculating arm I mentioned. If you buy it at the same time, they build it into the chiller. Very cool. I plan to use mine to whirlpool for hop additions as well.

HydWB3.jpg
 
There are more expensive CF chillers out there for sure but this one I bought off Amazon has been great.

I like it over my old immersion chiller... each to their own

edit: I have the 3/8" the 1/2" might be better for another $20??

Cheers!
 
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Another vote for the hydra. Awesome piece of copper hardware.
 
Thanks for the replies, the Hydra looks pretty awesome. So its working well for you guys with 10gal batches also?
 
Brewskey said:
Thanks for the replies, the Hydra looks pretty awesome. So its working well for you guys with 10gal batches also?
Click to expand...

Can't say--I only do 5-gallon batches, probably have 5.75 gallons in the kettle when I start to chill.

Two weeks ago, the Hydra took me from boiling to 70 degrees in 4 minutes. I timed it. It's amazing to watch the thermometer move like it does. So how fast for a 10-gallon batch? Maybe 8 minutes?

Takes about 2 minutes to spray it off and it's ready for the next time. No cleaning of counterflow chillers, no running PBW through it to clean it for next time, then rinsing....
 
I cant really say too much as I am a noob, but with a hop spider and a Wilserbrewer hop boil bag my Duda B3-23A has not given me one bit of trouble. Though I am really considering that a cf chiller would just be easier.
 
nobadays said:
There are more expensive CF chillers out there for sure but this one I bought off Amazon has been great.

I like it over my old immersion chiller... each to their own

edit: I have the 3/8" the 1/2" might be better for another $20??

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Im seriously considering this chiller or the Exchillerator loaded model with temp gauge etc...

After reading all these positive thoughts on the JaDed hydra part of me wonders if I should just get one of em
 
Last edited by a moderator:
nobadays said:
There are more expensive CF chillers out there for sure but this one I bought off Amazon has been great.

I like it over my old immersion chiller... each to their own

edit: I have the 3/8" the 1/2" might be better for another $20??

Cheers!
Click to expand...

I have the 3/8" version and i send my wort from boil kettle to pump to cfc and into my fermenter. I can chill in one pass if my water is coming in at or below pitching temps. Although i have not had any issues with clogging, i assume the half inch would reduce the chances. I am completely satisfied with its efficiency though. I now use my old ic as a herms coil.
 
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I have a Therminator plate chiller (PC) and I admit that I hated it at first due to clogging and upkeep (rinsing thoroughly). I bought a stainless hop spider, extra large and improved my whirlpool and I no longer have much material getting into the PC.

Still have to PBW it and rinse throughly so now I don't hate it, i just dislike it!
 
If you have any questions about my Exchilerator CFC contact me at www.brickriverbrew.com/contact. Plate and convoluted chillers are designed for clear liquids, heavy hop dosing at the end of the boil results in anything but a clear liquid. I also question not letting the hops move around by caging them during knockout whirlpool.
Stay Exchilerated
 
coolitfast said:
If you have any questions about my Exchilerator CFC contact me at www.brickriverbrew.com/contact. Plate and convoluted chillers are designed for clear liquids, heavy hop dosing at the end of the boil results in anything but a clear liquid. I also question not letting the hops move around by caging them during knockout whirlpool.
Stay Exchilerated
Click to expand...
Why is it that every brewery both large and craft I ever toured seems to use a plate chiller then? I will say most of them use plate chillers that come apart for cleaning but not all... I visited one 2 weeks ago that used the duda 36a plate chiller with a brewers hardware filter at the inlet of the chiller... he told me he desnt even need to use clarifying agents.
 
augiedoggy said:
Why is it that every brewery both large and craft I ever toured seems to use a plate chiller then? I will say most of them use plate chillers that come apart for cleaning but not all... I visited one 2 weeks ago that used the duda 36a plate chiller with a brewers hardware filter at the inlet of the chiller... he told me he desnt even need to use clarifying agents.
Click to expand...

I use a SS hop spider and whirlpool... not one bit of trouble with mine either...
 
wyowolf said:
I use a SS hop spider and whirlpool... not one bit of trouble with mine either...
Click to expand...

Just the hop spider here ( and a 6" piece of braided stainless attached to my diptube) and no evidence of any clogging in 4 years of using mine... just did a german pils with 7 oz of pellet hops yesterday in it. took 11.2 gallons of boiling temp wort to 54 degrees in one pass (15 mins total)

I would really like to know what some people who claim to use the hop spiders and still have all the clogging issues are doing differently to have such drastically different results? There has to be something?
With the paint strainer bags I would say its safe to assume the holes are just too big..At least thats what I found with the ones I used from the home depot.
 
augiedoggy said:
Just the hop spider here and no evidence of any clogging in 4 years of using mine... just did a german pils with 7 oz of peelet hops yesterday in it.

I would really like to know what some people who claim to use the hop spiders and still have all the clogging issues are doing differently to have such drastically different results?
With the paint strainer bags I would say its safe to assume the holes are just too big..At least thats what I found with the ones I used from the home depot.
Click to expand...

there IS a lot of break material there... but I guess its not big enough to bother the PC. I run it through whatever the pump pumps it at... then immediately hook up to faucet and blow it out both outlets a couple times... no issues yet.

thinking about just using a SS filter thing on the inlet side of the PC and not even bother with the spider...
 
JDXX1971 said:
I cant really say too much as I am a noob, but with a hop spider and a Wilserbrewer hop boil bag my Duda B3-23A has not given me one bit of trouble. Though I am really considering that a cf chiller would just be easier.
Click to expand...

wyowolf said:
there IS a lot of break material there... but I guess its not big enough to bother the PC. I run it through whatever the pump pumps it at... then immediately hook up to faucet and blow it out both outlets a couple times... no issues yet.

thinking about just using a SS filter thing on the inlet side of the PC and not even bother with the spider
Click to expand...
...
Click to expand...

This is what I am thinking too. I have roughly half the parts to build my filter already.
 
augiedoggy said:
Why is it that every brewery both large and craft I ever toured seems to use a plate chiller then? I will say most of them use plate chillers that come apart for cleaning but not all... I visited one 2 weeks ago that used the duda 36a plate chiller with a brewers hardware filter at the inlet of the chiller... he told me he desnt even need to use clarifying agents.
Click to expand...

My best guess on this has to do with the pumps homebrewers typically use vs. commercial breweries. Magnetically coupled pumps have relatively low head and flow capabilities. The pumps I've seen in commercial applications are usually directly coupled, and can push a lot harder through the filters and plate chillers. They also usually have true CIP systems (meeting the full CIP standards for flow) to clean out the system completely. I'm not an expert on this, so it's just an educated guess...
 
augiedoggy said:
Why is it that every brewery both large and craft I ever toured seems to use a plate chiller then? I will say most of them use plate chillers that come apart for cleaning but not all... I visited one 2 weeks ago that used the duda 36a plate chiller with a brewers hardware filter at the inlet of the chiller... he told me he desnt even need to use clarifying agents.
Click to expand...

It's a function of scale. You have no option but large plate chillers at commercial volumes. Also, whirlpooling leaves lovely hop/trub cones at large commercial scales. They don't get all that particulate in the drain and into the chiller.
 
thekraken said:
Yeah but +$40 in TC fittings in my case.
Click to expand...

i just plan to splice it into the outlet pump line, it already has TC on it, so i just need to use TC/barb fitting, which i already have one of...
 
I have heard people have clogging issues with those inline filters. I have one, but haven't used it yet. I make a lot of IPAs so even with that filter, I will probably have to bag my hops anyway. I have been using hop bags with the duda and have had no issues, i just don't like bagging hops. I have been debating ditching the filter and going with a 50' 1/2" stainless IC, but I'm worried I will be disappointed with the cooling times.
 
augiedoggy said:
Why is it that every brewery both large and craft I ever toured seems to use a plate chiller then? I will say most of them use plate chillers that come apart for cleaning but not all... I visited one 2 weeks ago that used the duda 36a plate chiller with a brewers hardware filter at the inlet of the chiller... he told me he desnt even need to use clarifying agents.
Click to expand...

I've always thought breweries use plate chillers because of water efficiency and scale. When I went from 5 gallon batches to 10 gallon batches I upgraded to a 50' 1/2" IC. This is huge compared to the 25' 3/8 unit I replaced and I can chill 10 gallons now faster than I was chilling 5 gallons before. But thats to chill 10 gallons and water usage is not a major issue where I live. Imagine the size of chiller I would need to chill 500 gallons? How could I get it into the kettle--surely you are not taking it in and then taking it out so I guess it must be in the kettle all the time. I recirc wort when chilling ala Jamil o'chiller to get decent chill rates without sloshing the think around. I lift the chiller out and continue pumping for a bit at the end to achieve whirlpool. How would that work in a bigger brewery?
 
Weezy said:
It's a function of scale. You have no option but large plate chillers at commercial volumes. Also, whirlpooling leaves lovely hop/trub cones at large commercial scales. They don't get all that particulate in the drain and into the chiller.
Click to expand...

beat me to it :)
 
wyowolf said:
there IS a lot of break material there... but I guess its not big enough to bother the PC. I run it through whatever the pump pumps it at... then immediately hook up to faucet and blow it out both outlets a couple times... no issues yet.

thinking about just using a SS filter thing on the inlet side of the PC and not even bother with the spider...
Click to expand...

I use a tiny 24vdc p38i pump to push the wort from my BK down through my disable 23a PC mounted below and then up 4ft to the top of my Conicals... And even when doing that I had my pump set to 40% power on the pumps pwm controller.. I emmediatly flush the PC out afterwards with water. I've just had absolutely no issues with this so I wonder why some stainless hop spiders seem to not work?
 
eric19312 said:
I've always thought breweries use plate chillers because of water efficiency and scale. When I went from 5 gallon batches to 10 gallon batches I upgraded to a 50' 1/2" IC. This is huge compared to the 25' 3/8 unit I replaced and I can chill 10 gallons now faster than I was chilling 5 gallons before. But thats to chill 10 gallons and water usage is not a major issue where I live. Imagine the size of chiller I would need to chill 500 gallons? How could I get it into the kettle--surely you are not taking it in and then taking it out so I guess it must be in the kettle all the time. I recirc wort when chilling ala Jamil o'chiller to get decent chill rates without sloshing the think around. I lift the chiller out and continue pumping for a bit at the end to achieve whirlpool. How would that work in a bigger brewery?
Click to expand...
You wouldn't use an immersion chiller in a brewery.. for many reasons including the ones you mentioned but what about a CFC? I never see these being used in breweries.. even all the small 3 barrel breweries I've been to use plate chillers. Do they use a lot more water?
 
augiedoggy said:
I use a tiny 24vdc p38i pump to push the wort from my BK down through my disable 23a PC mounted below and then up 4ft to the top of my Conicals... And even when doing that I had my pump set to 40% power on the pumps pwm controller.. I emmediatly flush the PC out afterwards with water. I've just had absolutely no issues with this so I wonder why some stainless hop spiders seem to not work?
Click to expand...

I have the arbor fab 300 micron one they recommend for pellet hops. It does get most of the hop material, but I do see quite a bit of break material in there after... but I whirlpool and "most " of stays in the kettle.. but i dont seem to have any issues with the chiller. My March pump is about half open or so... mostly to make sure i get max cooling, in the winter I have to go faster otherwise it cools it too much, in the summer when water is 70 not so much...
 
augiedoggy said:
300 same as wyowolf and I do get some green trub in my boil kettle but most of the solids stay in the Hop spider
Click to expand...

I wonder about hop utilization with it sometimes. thats why i am looking at the filter. I do agitate it several times during brewing, I've noticed that its difficult for liquid to get out of it when it gets some hops in it. So i take my spoon and stir it up a few times.

With the SS filter I just throw the hops in and away you go...
 
wyowolf said:
I wonder about hop utilization with it sometimes. thats why i am looking at the filter. I do agitate it several times during brewing, I've noticed that its difficult for liquid to get out of it when it gets some hops in it. So i take my spoon and stir it up a few times.

With the SS filter I just throw the hops in and away you go...
Click to expand...

I use a homemade stirrer the I control the whirlpool with INSIDE the hop spider so I get very good hops utilization. But I did notice a difference in hop utilization on a bohemian pils I have made a few times.. the last time I made it I cleaned my hop spider with a fine bristle brass brush bercause much of the holes had become plugged. The pils came out with more hop flavar than ever before after this so now i keep it clean.
 
augiedoggy said:
I use a homemade stirrer the I control the whirlpool with INSIDE the hop spider so I get very good hops utilization. But I did notice a difference in hop utilization on a bohemian pils I have made a few times.. the last time I made it I cleaned my hop spider with a fine bristle brass brush bercause much of the holes had become plugged. The pils came out with more hop flavar than ever before after this so now i keep it clean.
Click to expand...

hmm any pics of that setup?
 
I use a 1/2" 50 ft copper IC for 10 gallon batches. I actually have 2 that I used to run thinking I would need it. I stopped using the 2 because it was sort of a pain with 2 pond pumps running. With the one I have no issue chilling 10 gallons. Its winter here and the tap water is cold and I actually got it down to 50 deg for pitching a lager yeast.

With the advent of no chill brewing fast chilling is outdated and proven unnecessary. I chill all my ales to around 100 deg and that goes really fast with the single IC. I pitch the next day when the temp naturally drops to 65 in the ferm chamber....never had a single infection or issue.

IC's are stupid easy to use and clean....and they work
 
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