How to hold return hose when Recirculating Wort through plate chiller

[shaneshepherd]

I just bought a pump....should be here in a few days.

I've been using gravity to push my wort through the plate chiller...I never can get my temperature quite low enough though with a single pass. My plan is to use the pump to recirculate the wort back onto itself in the kettle after passing through the plate chiller until it reaches my desired temp.

My question is, I know that silicone hose can get very floppy when warm/hot. How can I keep it from collapsing on the end...or just falling out of the top of my kettle when my wort is pumped back over the top of the kettle?

 

[govner1]

I've used two methods on two different BK's. On the first I had a ball valve at the top of my pot w/ a 90° nipple on the inside w/ attached silicone tube for recirc & chilling.
On my new 15g BK I've made a cooper tube in an "S" curve that is attached to a 1/2" silicone hose from my CFC and is clamped to the side of my BK. The copper tube hangs down into the BK w: the outlet almost touching the bottom and facing to the left to create a CW whirlpool.
I recirc until I reach 64-66° depending on the beer. I end up w/ a nice pyramid of trub in the middle if the bottom of the BK then drain to my BB's.

 

[shaneshepherd]

I've used two methods on two different BK's. On the first I had a ball valve at the top of my pot w/ a 90° nipple on the inside w/ attached silicone tube for recirc & chilling.
On my new 15g BK I've made a cooper tube in an "S" curve that is attached to a 1/2" silicone hose from my CFC and is clamped to the side of my BK. The copper tube hangs down into the BK w: the outlet almost touching the bottom and facing to the left to create a CW whirlpool.
I recirc until I reach 64-66° depending on the beer. I end up w/ a nice pyramid of trub in the middle if the bottom of the BK then drain to my BB's.

This sounds pretty interesting! Do you by any chance have a picture of your setup?

 

[kombat]

I just use this:

 

[TungstenBeer]

I just use this:

Yup, I use the same thing for recirculating PBW through my plate chiller after brewday. $1 at HD.

Just make sure your hose is long enough so that it isn't splashing and aerating (if you place value on that sort of thing; many don't).

 

[Brettomomyces]

I'm also a plate chiller recirculator and do something similar to govner1. Ball valve at the top of my BK with a 90d elbow pointing sorta sideways. I usually recirculate my ales for about 5 minutes, my BK drops in temp to about 120-125, and wort coming out at about 64. Cut the pump, move the hose to fermenter and start it up again. I put a thermometer on the out post of my plate chiller and use that to track the temperature. I don't worry about splashing, it's about a 4" drop to the surface and I don't whirlpool with my FB setup. Saves me a little O2 as well.

 

[tally350z]

I do a similar chilling process as the others have stated, but I use a sub-pump in a homer bucket. I use groundwater to get the bulk of the temp down to 110, then I fill the bucket with ice and recirculate the ice water through the plate chiller. If I slow down the flow I can get the wort into the carboy at 52*, but I obviously don't slow it that far down. I can get the carboy full with 65* wort in about 5 minutes.
Plus I made a fill top using a carboy bung, and a camlock disconnect. I can just put that in the top of the carboy and let it go.

 

[govner1]

This sounds pretty interesting! Do you by any chance have a picture of your setup?

I'll get some pix in the AM. I do use a large clamp to hold everything in place.

 

[schematix]

I added a recirc ball valve port (you can see in the link in my sig). Fairly inexpensive if you have the step bit to cut the whole.

 

[govner1]

This sounds pretty interesting! Do you by any chance have a picture of your setup?

Attached is a shot of the line coming from my CFC and one of the tube inside my BK.

 

[ndinh]

I have a similar setup but use this:

http://www.morebeer.com/products/wort-chiller-recirculation-package-10-gallon.html

Basically the same thing. I just clamp the whirlpool arm to the kettle. It does a great job and always produces a hop cone in the middle. If you just want to recirculate, you can pretty much use anything that has weight and a barb on one end to connect to your tube and let it hang inside the kettle. As for your tubing, you're either using tubing that's too thin or tubing that's not made for high temp. Mine doesn't fold or get soft even with boiling liquid.

 

[shaneshepherd]

Thanks! I think I have a plan now! My pump was delayed due to another item I ordered not being in stock...but should be here this week. I went ahead and ordered my hoses and the hardware for the camlocks...hoping to be brewing with a pump next weekend!

 

[Little_Lebowski]

I just use this:

A little bump here but does anyone else use one of these? Haven't had a chance to install a permanent whirlpool attachment to my kettle yet and will have to improvise a bit during brew day tomorrow. Is the rubber on these spring clamps rated for the heat on the kettle wall? Anyone melt one? Also, are you clamping to the kettle with the hose in there as well or do you dangle a metal ring or something from the clamp for the hose to slide through? Thanks!

 

[day_trippr]

My guess is he clips that to the kettle rim and runs the return hose through the "hole" between the jaws.
If you're worried about the rubbers melting, just remove them - they slip off easily...

Cheers!

 

[Little_Lebowski]

My guess is he clips that to the kettle rim and runs the return hose through the "hole" between the jaws.
If you're worried about the rubbers melting, just remove them - they slip off easily...

Cheers!

I haven't had the chance to shop for any yet until after work I'm assuming they come in different sizes

 

[day_trippr]

I haven't had the chance to shop for any yet until after work I'm assuming they come in different sizes

They do indeed. I have nearly a dozen of them for woodworking and they're all the same size as the one pictured, but the big box hardware stores have quite a selection of sizes...

Cheers!

 

[kombat]

As described, I run the tubing between the jaws (well, at least I did, before I installed a whirlpool port on my kettle. The post you quoted was a year-and-a-half old). I never had any problem with the rubber melting, as I clamped the hose to the top of the kettle, which is far away from the flame (which is, of course, underneath the kettle), and thus could be, at most, no more than 212° F.

 

[Logan1891]

I use the "Spincycle" weldless whirlpool return in my keggle and it works great.I also use cam lock fittings with a 90 degree elbow so there is no crimping or kinking on the high temp silicone tube.

Just a word of caution, I tried using the plate chiller return into the kettle idea a couple of times. I was using pellet hops and they completely clogged the plate chiller. If you want to use a plate chiller to cool the wort then return to the kettle I would strongly recommend a hop bag or some method of hop filtration.

 

[Little_Lebowski]

I have a false bottom custom made from Nor Cal which I hope will filter out a large percentage of stuff clogging up the chiller. I plan on recirculating with only the pump to remove any material that might have found its way under the false bottom before I add the chiller into the chain

 

[Logan1891]

Let me know how that works out. I might switch to a false bottom and ditch the side pick up.

 

[Little_Lebowski]

Let me know how that works out. I might switch to a false bottom and ditch the side pick up.

So there's the end of virgin brew day with the false bottom from NorCal. I must say I'm very impressed with the amount of pellet hop filtration. My plate chiller was running beautifully even towards the end where i was getting down to the real nitty gritty pumping the last gallon or so. It wasn't an entirely clean filtration but with a little back flush of the chiller everything seemed to clean up very nicely. I'm pleased to say the least.

 

[Little_Lebowski]

Here's another shot

 

[Little_Lebowski]

Seems like a good amount did make it past the false bottom but thanks to the 30 min plus of whirlpool recirculation it was all piled in the middle of the space under the false bottom. So... false bottom + generously pumped whirlpool = super flow chiller

 

[Logan1891]

where is your pick up tube and how is it positioned?

 

[Little_Lebowski]

It's just a short 90 degree down to the bottom. The false bottom has an opening built in to it to sit right over the top of the tube. The side walls of the false bottom are also the same material as the top

 

[Little_Lebowski]

These are some pictures I had from when I was working with NorCal for measurements. Great customer service btw

 

[Logan1891]

yeah that looks like the best of both worlds. You have a side pickup and a false bottom so you can take advantage of whirpooling.