Cleaning & Sanitising Plate Chillers

[mschippr]

Hi,

I just got myself a 20 plate chiller in preparation for my first AG and was wondering what you guys do to clean & sanitise them before and after a brew day?

Thanks.
MARK.

 

[Supra-Jim]

Once you've used it run water back in the reverse direction (opposite to the direction of flow when you're chilling). Even run a some water mixed with whatever cleaning solution you may be using.

To steralise before use just run some sanitiser through it. Remember though, it must be clean to begin with, sanitising does not replace/supercede cleaning!!

Cheers

SJ

 

[captaincleanoff]

i also give it a boil before using

 

[razz]

I always back flush mine with 90-95 degrees water as soon as I've pumped the wort into the fermenter. Then it gets a 30 min recirc of powdered brewery wash at approx 70-80 degrees, followed by a run through with hot water to remove the PBW. Never used sanitiser in it yet. I tried recircing napisan but the PBW does a much better job. Before use I run 95-100 degrees water through.

 

[Zwickel]

it very depends on the system youre using.

In my case, Im going to fill the MLT with hot caustic soda (~3% solution), set the stirrer to its highest speed so it splashes around in the MLT, conect the outlet to the pump, from pump to the plate heat exchanger, from there up to the sparge arm and recirculate the caustic for about 30 min.

Doing the same with hot citric acid afterwards.

That gives a perfect clean to everything. :icon_cheers:

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Back flush with very hot water immediately after use to clean, every half dozen brews or so, circulate pbw or some other similar cleaner - hot caustic will absolutely work, but in my opinion is way too dangerous to justify the minimal increase in effectiveness over the much safer pbw.

Sanitise - I squish tinfoil over the in/outlets and whack it in the oven at 175 or so for a couple of hours. That sterilizes it and with the tinfoil... it stays sterile till next use. Rip off the foil and away you go.

Of course... pretty much everything that has been suggested so far will work - you just need to work out what is easy/convenient and effective in your brewery

TB

 

[mschippr]

Since its new can i just submerge it in starsan without the fittings overnight with my other gear before use? (im doing my first brew tomorrow - sunday)

Will it corrode if its in starsan/liquid for that sort of period? I think its made of stainless so it should be ok.

Afterwards i'll do a back flush and see how i go.