Defining And Categorising Chilling Methods

[PistolPatch]

I was about to start thanking you all individually and realised that would take the whole day .

The above is all very constructive and has raised a couple more points that I would have forgotten, missed or not even thought of. "The Basics of Chilling," article is only intended to be just that but the above has given me a far better idea of the best way to lay it out so as the brewer will be able to access more detailed information when they need it without having to wade through a PP style novel .

So, many thanks to you all again,
Pat

 

[MHB]

Just for fun I once tried freezing about 3 Kg of M10 SS nuts (sterilised) and dropping them into the wort to see how much cooling effect they had.

And?

One of those not worth the trouble things

What I had in mind was being able to work out exactly the mass of cooling media (i.e. M10 SS nuts) to add to a given mass of wort, when you know the exact temperature (and thermal mass) of all the parts of the equation you should be able to toss in exactly the right amount to nail temp you're looking for.

Didn't work out that way, too many variables, the temperature of the deep freezer wasn't constant, the wort is cooling while your weighing out the nuts that are getting warmer, too much wort and trub mixed in with the nuts and who would have believed the -35oC nuts will form a coating of Ice when they are dumped into boiling wort. Bigge was too much friction whirlpools don't, they stall

Nice theory, but what a PITA.

M

 

[Hogan]

So as long as you are aware that they will eventually lose efficiecny and performance as they slowly build up biofilm, then you can keep them perfectly free of infection by covering the in/outlets in a cap of tinfoil and baking that ******* in the oven.

TB - I have wiki'd biofilm but how do you stop /reduce / clean it from the plates of a HE.

Cheers, Hoges.

 

[Bribie G]

TB - I have wiki'd biofilm but how do you stop /reduce / clean it from the plates of a HE.

Cheers, Hoges.

Caustic Soda? Full face mask, lab coat, elbow length rubber gloves, well ventilated area etc etc etc ??? You can buy it at Woolies so it's not a prohibited substance.

 

[stevem01]

An interesting coincidence to this topic in another thread

319 year old brewing book
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...showtopic=42883

Post 14, page 30
Circumstances to be observed in Cooling and Firmenting your Beer or Ale

 

[goomboogo]

TB - I have wiki'd biofilm but how do you stop /reduce / clean it from the plates of a HE.

Cheers, Hoges.

Hoges, in the retail forum, /// has a thread about a multi enzyme cleaner they have used at the brewery. There's a couple pictures of rinse water from the heat exchanger after it was soaked with the enzyme cleaner (it had previously been done with caustic). If the pictures are anything to go by, this cleaner seems to do a good job. I think he mentions it's effectiveness in removing bio-film. When it's available for sale, I was going to give it a go on my plate chiller.

 

[leiothrix]

Hi Pat, regarding fermenter chilling, which is what I do, I've got the white 30L fementers and would have put well over 100 nochill brews in them probably more like 150. The plastic does seem to go a little soft with the heat, but you can still pick it up by the handle indents. I've often thought of the consequences of the plastic tearing while carrying it and raising it up onto a table, would not be pretty. So I guess that answers 1 and 2, as for 3, I tried that once thinking I would cool the wort down quicker in the fridge, I came back 2 hrs later and when I opened the fridge door it was like opening an oven. Never tried it since.

cheers

Browndog

I put my hot wort into my sanitised 30L fermenter, seal it up and leave it over night sitting on a concrete floor. The next day it gets moved into the fridge and yeast added. The only issue I've found with this is having to check the airlock for the first couple of hours as either the steam blows it all out, or when it starts cooling it gets sucked back in. I use starsan solution for the airlock fluid, so not worried about infections from the fluid.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

TB - I have wiki'd biofilm but how do you stop /reduce / clean it from the plates of a HE.

Cheers, Hoges.

You more or less don't - even with caustic CIPs, the stuff builds up. Big Heat exchanges can be pulled apart and physically scraped out... brazed plate heat exchangers simply have a shelf life. Its probably a pretty long one though... I'm not saying that they are an unworkable tool, they aren't, I have one... just that being aware that the performance of your particular unit will almost inevitably degrade over time, and why, is a good thing.

Regular caustic circulation slows it down - or PBW for homebrew purposes is basically just as good and shitloads less dangerous - optimally, you would circulate hot PBW after every brew... realistically you do it as often as you can be bothered to, the more often the better. A run of acid every now and again will help too.

Scotty's enzymatic cleaner might be the solution - probably is - but unless you are talking about that very new development, then gunk builds up in heat exchangers no matter what.

 

[Hogan]

Thanks for the info TB. Apologies PP for the OT skew.


Cheers, Hoges.