Cleaning the ChillWizard

[mchrispen]

Thought I would document the process I use for cleaning my ChillWizard. I have been asked this a few times on my website.

1.) After each brew session I recirculate hot PBW through the plate chiller. I do not do a backflush each time, although that would probably be wise. I rinse with cold water (not sanitizer) and leave the hoses disconnected between brews. I will flush with sanitizer before passing wort through the system, using during mash.
2.) I backflush with a garden hose at about 40 PSI : about every third or fourth brew session OR I notice constriction or lessened flow through the system.
3.) When the plate gets blocked up - I will backflush with garden hose, then reverse the flow using a longer hose I built and recirculate hot PBW. A cold rinse, and then revert the flow normally and recirculate PBW again. Rinse with cold water.

Each time I make sure to take apart what plumbing is accessible and give it a good cleaning - including the sintered stone for O2 which gets boiled.

Once or twice a year, the chiller portion is emptied of any residual water (if possible) and baked in the oven at 350F for at least an hour. If there is still liquid in the chiller - then it returns to the oven until no water remains. It helps to set this into an aluminum roasting pan as liquid may boil out of the chiller - and push some hops/break material. After, cool with cold water and flush both forward and backward until the liquid runs clean. Re-assemble. The plate chiller should be fully sanitary at this point - you may wish to foil over the hose attachments until use.

Make sure to use fresh pipe tape when re-assembling.

I now use a large hop spider for any pellet hops but continue to allow whole hops to float free. A copper or stainless scrubby looped under the diptube and false bottom helps to keep anything large enough to plug up the chiller.

[Usmcruz]

Invest in some Acid #5 and do a hot circulation through it for 30 minutes every 6 months if you brew often to keep the internal sparkling. I used the same acid on the brew magic with awesome results.

[cellardwellar]

Invest in some Acid #5 and do a hot circulation through it for 30 minutes every 6 months if you brew often to keep the internal sparkling. I used the same acid on the brew magic with awesome results.

Where do you buy yours? I've only seen it in gal. jugs that would last me years so I have been trying to find out if it has a shelf life.

[Usmcruz]

Its shelf life is very stable, and if not mixed with anything will last a couple years. I ordered mine from the company, or you could get your local homebrew store to order a gallon or two for you.

[Goose]

I considered the hop spider but found one of these very functional. After each brew I backflush with mains water then hot PBW and rinse. Not had anything get into the plate chiller(s) so far...

[Usmcruz]

You know what a hop spider is? Seeing how i live in italy now, the italians sell these so called hop spiders in there winemaking shops. There really used for dipping into the wine tanks to filter the wine to take samples with these large pipettes while the screen filters out any sediment in the sample. Came across these the other day when i ventured into a brewing supply warehouse here in naples italy.


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