Cleaning a counterflow chiller

It's brew day! I'm going to use my CFC. I have boiled a turkey fryer pot full of water, and siphoned it through the chiller. I flipped the chiller half way through. The exit water was around 180°. I just got done using my siphon pump to pump soapy bleach water through it. It's soaking in the soapy bleach water now. I'll pump a few more times, then rinse the chiller. After that, I'll probably pump Starsan through it immediately before use. I'll probably also store Starsan solution in it, after siphoning soapy water through it, and rinsing. Here's hoping!
 
Well that's why I like my counterflow chiller. My wort was 64° when I pitched the yeast!
 
jeffpn said:
It's too long to run a brush through.

I was thinking about this, because I'm paranoid about my CFC as well. I planned on running a tiny magnet with string attached through my chiller. With the help of another magnet on the outside I'll be able to run the string the entire way through - in theory. Then I'll be able to tie a brush to the string. If I tie another string to the brush I can pull both ways as much as I desire. But then I thought, I've got pumps. Now I just pump PBW through the chiller while cleaning my entire system. Rinse with hot water (boiling) and then right before cooling I use my chiller inline to my whirlpool. Boiling wort should sanitize it. Rinse and repeat.
 
suprchunk said:
I planned on running a tiny magnet with string attached through my chiller. With the help of another magnet on the outside I'll be able to run the string the entire way through - in theory.


You might find the more difficult than you think. If the tube is copper, a moving magnet creates a magnetic field that hinders its movement. Its called Lenz's law.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BeFoz3Ypo4
 
I had bought some wire that was the same gauge as the wire with which my 1/4" brush's handle was made. I twisted it with a drill, and it looked just like the twisted handle of the brush, but 25' long. I could only get about 7-8' of that site into my chiller. I was hoping to use it to drag the brush through its entire length. It was a fail.
 

Back
Top