Sick of my plate chiller

I probably backflush less than 5 minutes with hot tap water. The one time I did soak in OxyClean, there were some pretty nasty looking chunks that came out. That said, I start my pump 15 minutes before the end of the boil and have never had an infection or off taste from the plate chiller. It’s hard to beat 6 minutes from boiling to 63F.

[quote=“TG”] And it’s easy to sterilize in the oven.
YMMV[/quote]
I was baking mine before I added cam locks as I wasn’t sure if you can bake teflon tape in the oven.

[quote=“airlocksniffer”][quote=“TG”] And it’s easy to sterilize in the oven.
YMMV[/quote]
I was baking mine before I added cam locks as I wasn’t sure if you can bake teflon tape in the oven.[/quote]

Teflon tape and components typically have a rating of about 500f

For years a friend would flush his SABCO chiller both directions with faucet water. Then circulate hot PBW. Due to the design of the older model, back flushing it with PBW was not an easy option so it was never done. On brew day mash out water was boiled and circulated through the chiller to sanitize things.

He always wondered about this. Speaking with SABCO, they felt the process was sound.

I read on another forum about using lye (drain cleaner) to eat any solids that may still be in the chiller. He now circulates a lye solution 3-4 times a year. 6-12 brews.

I use the Shirron plate chiller and have yet to have a problem with infections. As of right now I whirlpool at the end simply by stirring my wort, let it settle and then gravity feed though the plate chiller. I don’t do anything fancy other than backflushing to clean with baking and PBW soaking occasionally. It wastes less water which makes me feel better about it. Just read someone suggesting this but next time I go to Northern Brewer I’m going to get some longer tubing and run warm/hot water from the plate chiller into the washing machine.