alternate the 2 channels (wort water) plate chiller

[stockstinks]

OK,
Here's my plan.
I just bought a Duda diesel plate chiller with quick disconnects on the wort and chilled water.


PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT MY SWITCH-A-ROO IS IN ADDITION TO NORMAL CLEANING...I will clean my plate chiller after every use as I always do. I just was thinking if I did the following switch-a-roo, it would be even better[/SIZE]
My plan is to flow wort through wort side and water through the water side........... THEN, on my next brew day I will alternate the flow. The wort will flow through the water side and most importantly, the water will flow backwards through the wort side.

Is that clear as mud?

So what I'm saying is, every time I use it it will get back flushed

 

[stockstinks]

Does this sound like a good idea?

 

[gregkeller]

why not back flush it directly after using it? I run oxyclean through my plate chiller for 20 minutes or so in the opposite direction the wort moved through. After that i blow fresh water through in both directions and call it a day.

 

[krenshaw]

depending on your connectors it may not be easy to do it that way.. the quick disconnects for my water hoses and beer hoses are different, and they are threaded on to my dudadiesel.. i do what gregkeller says, just backflush it once or twice after using, though i probably just do 5 gallons or so once (just a couple min going with a partially open valve) and it has been fine

 

[stockstinks]

I will backflush it right after I use it. I was just thinking if the plate works in either direction, why not reverse it each time I use it???

 

[stockstinks]

The Dudadiesel plate that I ordered has 1/2" mpt on all 4 ports. So, I put camlocks on them.

they can easily be switched around.

 

[stockstinks]

I LOVE this forum.

 

[daksin]

No, because you need to backflush the chiller immediately after use every time. If you don't you've essentially got all sorts of crap in your chiller rotting in there until you use it next.

 

[stockstinks]

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT MY SWITCH-A-ROO IS IN ADDITION TO NORMAL CLEANING...I will clean my plate chiller after every use as I always do. I just was thinking if I did the following switch-a-roo, it would be even better

 

[gregkeller]

I'm thinking that if you clean it properly after using, then there should be nothing "unsavory" left in it, so switching it up will have nothing else to clean. If you wanna make sure it's super clean, then save the first 5 gallons or so of the hot water from when you are chilling it, and use that to pump through your plate chiller with some PBW or oxyclean. both of those cleaners work much better when hot. I usually catch the first 8-10 gallons of hot water coming out of my plate chiller in my mash tun and use that to clean everything afterwards.

 

[horseinmay]

I love this idea.

 

[stockstinks]

This is the answer I got Brian Duda from Dudadiesel.com "It will work exactly the same regardless of which way you configure it. All that matters is that you arrange the two fluids in counter flow for maximum efficiency."

This makes me happy and I will alternate the 2 channels on each brew day.