Hi
Looking for advice regarding plate chiller attachments. I plan to buy a duda diesel plate chiller. The chiller comes with multiple options for connections.
Our plan is to have a garden hose in and out for water and quick disconnects for wort in and out.
Male or female NPT fittings of 1/2 or 3/4 inch are options on the plate chiller.
I’m sure there are multiple connection options that would work.
Any recommendations? What works well for you?
thanks
Kent
Are you upgrading from another form of chilling or is this your first chiller?
The one I am looking at, the B3-23A 20 has garden hose water fittings, a good thing and options for 1/2" male hose barb or NPT. I would not use hose barb. My old counter flow has garden hose water and just the copper tubing sticking out for wort. This means clamping the hoses on every time like you would with a hose barb. It works but a PIA. The other option is a 3/4" triclamp. I have never used one but they say that they are the most sanitary. Their website is kind of confusing. Is 3/4" size through the chiller or just the fitting. If it goes through that big then the bigger the better I would guess.
Also consider your brew set up. Can’t go any larger than the smallest opening feeding the chiller.
This looks like very nice chiller for the money BTW.
I would go all cam lock fittings… There isn’t a better fitting for the home brewer… period. Was it Loopie that introduced me to them? If there is the option, then, 3/4" for the water/garden hose side, and 1/2" for the wort side… Sneezles61
A friend of mine has one of those chillers. Don’t know what model he has but it’s single pass quick chilling for sure. One thing I don’t care for is cleaning it. You can’t see inside of it. Best to bag or hop spider hop additions too so they don’t go into chiller. Sure you can back flush it and soak it but what does it look like inside who knows after a bunch of uses.
I’m familiar with cam locks and IIRC I linked you up to a sale. Have never tried them as I use the quick disconnects.
These are what I use on my plate chiller. I have a 12 plate duda diesel. People will tell you they’re a pain to clean. They absolutely are NOT. Flush in both directions with boiling water after use, then again prior to use. Done. Maybe once a year I’ve run boiling pbw through mine. Never had an issue.
Pictures below of my setup. If I recall correctly DD’s model numbers are specific to the connection options. Mine is dudahx-b3-23a-30st.
I had some of these… they do drip… I wasn’t happy… The cam locks don’t… AND they are a universal machined gizmo… The ball locks aren’t… they are more specific to whom sells/manufactures them… Sneezles61
They are manufacturing specific but I’ve never had problems with them leaking.
Can’t understand how ball locks became a standard in soda kegs or beer kegs for that matter. I worry about keeping them clean. All those little ball bearings that’s alot of nooks and crannies. Use them for air but the cheap ones can leak
The cam locks are from a military spec’d standard… That doesnt mean they are the best… It just means that many are made by many different sources… and they will all work in their sizes… Sneezles61
I’ve never had them leak but have heard this complaint about them before.
Best thing around camlock
Nothing like juggling tubing and fittings with hot wort pouring everywhere to make you appreciate the simple operation of camlock fittings. Very easy to do one handed when you’re in the process of making a huge mess. The ball locks always seem to get gummed up at the wrong time and you have to fight with them to get them fully engaged and sealed.
thanks everyone for the input. Very appreciated.
Kent
Sneezles61
Thanks for all your good advice. Ordered cam locks and plate chiller.
Looking forward to using them soon.
Kent
You’ll be happy! Sneezles61
OK so I’ve run out of patience with my QDs the last two times I’ve brewed. I guess it just took time for them to stick and I’ve gotten annoying minor finger injuries the last two brew sessions. I have enough issues with arthritis in my mitts don’t need bruises and cuts if I can avoid them.
Figured it out…female on the hose…male on the fixed hardware sides…$160 for my brew cart fittings!
