Plate Chiller Storage

[Fat Bastard]

Got a Mashmaster 30 plate jobbie. Love it to bits, except for the hose barb fittings, so I got some CPC quick disconnects for it, which I've mounted on a short length of HD silicon hose to allow me to rapidly change the hoses to backflush after use. I normally run hot tap water through it initially, followed by some boiling napisan solution and finally a boiling water flush from the kettle after it's clean.

Is there any reason why I shouldn't leave it full of the boiled water (held inside by the CPC dry breaks) until next time? I was sterilising it in the oven after use and sealing the barbs with foil, but this way seems like less hassle. am I inviting infection doing ths?

Cheers,

FB

 

[raven19]

After your process I would just let it drain then air dry.

My concern with leaving it filled with (boiled) water is what it will do to the metal i.e. corrosion possibilities?

 

[drsmurto]

I flush in both direction with hot tap water immediately after use and let drain.

I am getting better at doing a PBW clean of the kettle/chiller every few brews followed by a good rinse and drain.

Like Raven has mentioned I would be concerned about leaving it full of water when in contact with the copper innards - corrosion.

 

[stanko]

I flush in both direction with tap water also , then it,s in a very hot oven ,for 1/2 hour or so .

 

[Benchish]

I have heard restricting the outflow whilst pumping cleaner will help get the crud out of the corners and such. I guess the water will always follow the path of least restance and that might not always be where the build up is, so changing the flow parameters will change the path and get more crap out.

I think leaving it wet could invite growth of something inside the chiller, where is immersion would probably cause corrosion. You could try using co2 to help blast some of the water out before baking to speed things along.

 

[browndog]

While the water won't really have an effect on the s/s plates or the copper welds, it will create a degree of electrolysis between the two. The copper being less noble than the s/s would tend to be oxidised very slowly over time. As the other brewers have said, give it a rinse and a good shake and put it away where cockies can't crawl in the barbs, or put caps on them while it is stored.

cheers

Browndog

 

[Thirsty Boy]

i use my plate chiller infrequently, so I really want to have it absolutely inert between uses - when I am being good and concientious - i will back/forwards flush immediately after use, then hot pbw soak (well, starting hot and sitting overnight) followed by a rinse - then i scrunch alfoil over all the in/outlets and cook it in a 180-200 oven for a couple of hours.

That makes it dry, and also makes it sterile - so next time i want to use it I can just pull off the foil, hook it up and go without sanitising - plate chillers are capable of being a real infection weak point, so cooking the **** out of it every now and again to sterilise rather than sanitise it, gives me peace of mind.

 

[TidalPete]

Mine is encased in a ss bracket that hooks onto the brewframe for easy detachment & is sterilised with boiling wort via the March pump & whirlpool tool for the last 20 minutes of the boil. After chilling & whirlpooling it's taken off for a hose out in both directions then put back for the PBW system clean\soak & rinse before being drained, air dried & hooked back onto the brewframe again enclosed in a sealed plastic bag ready for next time.

TP