I’m considering a plate chiller to replace my immersion. Is there any problem created by putting all the cold break trub into the fermenter?
Immersion chillin in the boil pot (I think) congeals the cold break trub and it sinks to the bottom to be tossed with the spent hops rather than all being transfered to the fermenter. Any problem with cooling in line to the fermenter and putting all the cold break material in the fermenter?
Also, any issues with hop clogging? How do you avoid clogging?
There is no problem with cold break in the fermentor unless you plan on harvesting the yeast; then it makes the process a bit more difficult. But I’ve heard cold break actually contains nutrients that help with yeast health, and if so then getting some cold break in there is a good thing.
You do have to worry about clogging with hops, as well as how to clean the plate chiller effectively to prevent crap from building up in it. I put a strainer (stainless steel braid) over the intake line in my kettle to keep the big stuff out. Works great for whole hops, not quite as good for pellets. A good strong blasting rinse IMMEDIATELY after you finish using it will blow out a lot of the gunk that collects inside (most of it cold break), but you should plan on using so PBW or similar cleaner that will dissolve that stuff every few brew sessions.
It is more work to maintain than an IC, but it does a fantastic job of chilling quickly.
I do reuse yeast, often times for lagers. And lagers are what I really want the plate chiller fast and colder cooling for. Thanks for the advice. I think I’ll stick with the immersion for now.
