Heat Exchange - Might Be Overkill For My 20l Batches?

[chrisluki]

Hey guys

My bro in law has given me one of these for my home brewing setup.

I think it might be slightly too large for my 20l brews?

thoughts?

Cheers

Chris

 

[fraser_john]

Yes, no doubt it will be, I'll give you $50 for it

 

[tugger]

$100

 

[droid]

it's a bit hard to tell how big it is

would you push the final runnings through with water or accept the loss?

 

[MHB]

Thoughts -- you luck, lucky *******
Mark

 

[tugger]

it's a bit hard to tell how big it is

would you push the final runnings through with water or accept the loss?

Just blow it out with co2.

 

[crowmanz]

time to upgrade the batch size!

 

[droid]

Just blow it out with co2.

are we on the same page? i'm talking about pushing water in behind the wort and stopping the runnings into the fermenter when the water gets there so as to avoid the loss in the hoses and heat exchanger

 

[tugger]

Yes. But instead of pushing it with water you close the input valve and open the co2 to blow the wort out of the chiller.
I do it daily.

 

[tugger]

I have mine setup with valves on the input and output so I can recurculate non chilled tanks and keep them cold.
The modular valve setup means I can run the chiller with the carbonator or with any other product without having to remove pipes.
This means I can attach a bubble cap and blow it empty.

 

[droid]

thats cool does it need much c02 to flush or is it a quick sqirt? apols to chrisluki but it's probably relevant anywho

 

[klangers]

Yes. Massive overkill.

It won't work any better than a suitably sized heat exchanger, and you'll suffer heaps of losses as discussed above.

The good thing about it is that you can pull it all apart for a thorough clean.

The bad part about it is that the connections appear to be welded on.

 

[chrisluki]

I have mine setup with valves on the input and output so I can recurculate non chilled tanks and keep them cold.
The modular valve setup means I can run the chiller with the carbonator or with any other product without having to remove pipes.
This means I can attach a bubble cap and blow it empty.

ImageUploadedByAussie Home Brewer1471576699.616121.jpg

That looks like a bloody commercial setup?
I am still a 3V 20l brewer!!

 

[klangers]

Post a photo of the data plate and I'll tell you everything you need to know.

 

[chrisluki]

Yes. Massive overkill.

It won't work any better than a suitably sized heat exchanger, and you'll suffer heaps of losses as discussed above.

The good thing about it is that you can pull it all apart for a thorough clean.

The bad part about it is that the connections appear to be welded on.

I have to see it in the flesh to check it all out...not sure about what is welded on or not.
My bro in law asked me what i use to pump water through my current immersion chiller, I said the garden hose...he told me i needed to upgrade my hose for this!

Maybe I should see if there is a sem-pro interested in buying it.

 

[klangers]

Yeah check it out and get a photo of the data plate. Unless you're really brewing serious volume, and have the coolant flow available (unlikely without a buffer tank of cooling water and a pump), this will be more trouble than it's worth.

My hunch is that it was used for some non-food grade operation, judging by the connection style and use of galvanised pipe.

There are others on here who do brew some pretty insane batches (for homebrewers) who would probably be very keen to buy it off you. It's not me, I've got something similar sitting in my loungeroom at the moment anyhow!

 

[eldertaco]

Yeah, 20L looks like it might just fit in there :lol:

 

[MHB]

I would be surprised if it holds more than 2-3L
If you put a bit of thought into where you locate it and how you make your connections you will be able to let it drain down with virtually no loss.

Mark

 

[chrisluki]

I would be surprised if it holds more than 2-3L
If you put a bit of thought into where you locate it and how you make your connections you will be able to let it drain down with virtually no loss.

Mark

i like what you are saying!!!

I currently use probably 100 litres of water to cool down my wort...would this be twice, three, four times as efficient?

 

[klangers]

This will not be efficient at all unless as stated previously you reach the design flow rate. Heat exchangers rely on specific Reynolds numbers inside of them in order to actually reach there design capacity. As to the amount of coolant that you use, it is almost impossible to tell because it depends on the different temperatures of your work and coolant as well as the flow rate through it.

As an engineer who works with these things all day y, I still think it would be much better for you if you sold it and use the cash to buy a smaller heat exchanger which is well within the design parameters of Wort cooling.

Mhb is right, you can minimise the losses with clever pipework and placement but Bigger is better does not apply to heat exchangers