Plate Chiller ?

[Capn Ahab]

What's a Y filter when it's at home? Anyone got a pic/link?

[Belter]

What's a Y filter when it's at home? Anyone got a pic/link?

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewit ... 0893940440

[CRoark]

I've read that you can bake your plate chiller to burn up any blockages and deposits inside....anyone try that?

[barneey]

You can bake a plate to dry the thing out / store dry (they are quite dificult to store dry), but wouldnt recommend baking a plate with wort / debris still in it

[barneey]

[Dave S]

I've just been reading about whirlpool/IC's on Mr Malty here and as I already have an IC I've decided I'm going that route.

[Fil]

I've just been reading about whirlpool/IC's on Mr Malty here and as I already have an IC I've decided I'm going that route.

check any utubes to confirm it works first.. what little reading ive done on the subject has led me to believe u need a clean cylinder pot with no obstructions like thermowells elements or huge coils in order for a whirlpool vortex to form to accomplish the debris forming a central cone. some big breweries even use a seperate vessel for the whirlpool.

[barneey]

I`m still waiting for a JBK member to show me a vid of their whirlpool working.

IMO it doesnt exist in a home setup - folklore again - prove me wrong

[Dave S]

I`m still waiting for a JBK member to show me a vid of their whirlpool working.

IMO it doesnt exist in a home setup - folklore again - prove me wrong

Well I think it's worth an attempt as the cost is nothing like that of a plate chiller - solar pump and a few bits and pieces. Malty seems to think it's a goer, though it would have been good if he'd provided some pics of it in operation. My boiler is a Buffalo, so no obstructions in the way.

[barneey]

Good luck with the test, when ever I`ve tried in the past, yes a circle liquid motion can be achieved BUT A HOP CONE? I`ve never managed one.

[darkonnis]

I don't honestly think a whirlpool is possible without a hugely powerful pump. I just don't buy it. You also need a tangetial outlet to get the angle right which I have never seen except for on one set up (big rich or rich lock?)

As for plate chillers, buy the most powerful one you can with the least amount of plates. The kW rating refers to heat transfer, the only thing I've been unable to work out, is exactly HOW they've measured their kW ratings....

[borischarlton]

I can whirlpool with mine using a March May 809. It is a 100l pot using gas so nothing to disrupt the flow. I drop out of the side about 1.5" from the bottom, no hop filter, to the pump then back into the top. On the inside I use a 90deg elbow and a hosebarb to reduce the bore, this then squirts the wort round. Whilst i wouldn't call it a hop cone, I use pellets, it does concentrate all the debris into the centre of the pot. I would say the 100 litre pot is the smallest it would work for, no chance in a 50.

Rob

[barneey]

Interesting Rob as you have mentioned a couple of things like clear pot + pellets, I`ve never considered the size being an important factor untill now. Have you ever tried with whole leaf? using the same setup.

[borischarlton]

I have used it with whole hops and failed. I tried with a hop stopper, it is a T shaped copper tube with holes so very close to the rim of the pot. Whilst it works perfectly draining the pot under gravity as soon as the pump get turned on it blocks. so I tried without the hop stopper and the hole blocked. I cut another hole about 2/3 of the way up the pot so I could take wort from there rather than the bottom, that blocked to.

In a commercial set up with a 3'' (or more) diameter run off and a proper pump it wouldn't be a problem.

Rob

[Dave S]

I can whirlpool with mine using a March May 809. It is a 100l pot using gas so nothing to disrupt the flow. I drop out of the side about 1.5" from the bottom, no hop filter, to the pump then back into the top. On the inside I use a 90deg elbow and a hosebarb to reduce the bore, this then squirts the wort round. Whilst i wouldn't call it a hop cone, I use pellets, it does concentrate all the debris into the centre of the pot. I would say the 100 litre pot is the smallest it would work for, no chance in a 50.

Rob

So the size of my boiler, (40l Buffalo) could be an issue then. I guess even if the whirlpool part didn't work too well, it should still assist in cooling the wort quicker and save having to manually agitate. Malty does say that a large IC - close to the diameter of the boiler also helps.