Single 1-Stage Stainless Counter-Current Plate Heat Exchanger Wort Chiller

This single stage counter-current heater exchanger uses pre-chilled water either from one of our cold liquor storage tanks, or tap water if cold enough, to knock down the temperature of wort post-boil. This chiller is capable of knocking down even our 15BBL brewing systems in under an hour. (See our dual 2-stage heat exchanger here if one wants to use a mix of tap and pre-chilled water; this is useful where tap water is not cold enough and/or one's cold liquor tank is not large enough.) 

As an added benefit, if one uses the next batch's brew water to cool the wort (and transfers it into a waiting brew tank and hot liquor tank), less energy will be required when heating on brew day, saving electricity.  

It is easy to use these exchangers with BREWHA's latest 5-in-1 unitank. Simply flush out the dump port to remove solids, connect your pump inlet to the uppermost 5-in-1 port (near the top of the wort level when boiling) with our 1" stainless coil silicone hose, and the pump discharge into the wort inlet on the heat exchanger with our 1/2" braided silicone hose. Connect the wort outlet of the heat exchanger to the 2" Tee Assembly with 1/2" braided silicone hose, and the Tee Assembly should be connected to the 5-in-1 dump port (see video below). Fully open the valves attached to the fermentor, and turn the diaphragm valve open two full turns. After letting wort fill the line and plate chiller, pump boiling wort through the heat exchanger (wort side) for a couple minutes to sanitize it (returning the wort back into the 5-in-1). Only then connect cold water to the water side of the plate chiller and start adding cold water to the water side of the heat exchanger (tap water or pre-chilled water from one of our Cold Liquor Tanks). The wort will be chilled as it passes through the plate chiller and will be returned to the 5-in-1 through the 2" Tee Assembly connected to the bottom dump port of the tank so that as cold wort fills the tank, it displaced the boiled wort out the top port and into the heat exchanger. The 'tee' minimizes currents so that the chilled wort enters slowly in the bottom, evenly displacing the hot wort out the top, and not breaking the temperature stratified layer (hot wort existing at the top, cold wort entering in the bottom). The tee also allows for a temperature sensor to be installed to monitor the temperature of the wort as it is returned back into the 5-in-1 unitank. Adjust the diaphragm valve flow rate until the wort is being returned 3-5C/5-10F below yeast strike temperature (if necessary, it is easy to raise the wort a few degress with the heaters once aeration mixes the tank at the end of chill). If the wort is returning too warm, slow the wort flow through the plate chiller by partially closing the digphragm valve. To get the most effective chill, the cooling media (tap water or pre-chilled water from the Cold Liquor Tank) should be at least 10C/20F below desired yeast pitching temperature, and chillant should be ran through the chiller 20% faster than wort.

Frame material: Stainless Steel
Gasket material: EPDM
Casters: Stainless Steel
Heat transfer area: 3m²/32ft² 
Dimensions: 450mm/17.8" wide x  877mm/34.5"long x 700mm/27.5" tall (with casters)

Note: Do not run solids, including hop material through the plate chiller as it will plug it up.

Note: The upper port is situated as near the end of boil volume for maximum batch as possible, in order to minimize the boiled wort above the exit. This means that in order to prevent the pump from drawing air down into the pump line, the end of boil volume should be a minimum of 5% above the stated vessel size. For example, for the 5BBL system, the end of boil volume should be minimum 5% above 5BBL, or 610L (this end volume is pretty standard due to losses to yeast and dry hops). If air is being drawing down into the plate chiller (as visible through our 1" silicone hose) a few more liters of water should be added to the boil to increase the volume to where it doesn't draw air in.

Note: With our single stage plate chiller, hoses and March 7S pump setup, and with the diaphragm valve fully open, wort will recirculate through the plate chiller at about 30L/minute (about 8USG). 

Tap Water Hose Assembly Set includes Plate Chiller and:

• 1.5m/5' of premium 1" stainless coil silicone hose with hose barb fittings and hose clamps
• 2—90cm/3' of premium 1/2" braided silicone hose with hose barb fittings and hose clamps
• 1—120cm/10' of 1/2" braided silicone hose with hose barb and garden hose connection
• 2" elbow
• 2"x1.5" Reducer Tee
• 2–3" analog temperature guages with 75mm stem
• 1.5" Tee
• 10—1.5", 3—2" TC Clamps and Gaskets

Cold Liquor Hose Assembly and Pump includes:

• Everything listed above in the Tap Water Hose kit (less 10' of 1/2" hose and garden hose connector), plus
• 1m/3' of premium 1" stainless coil silicone hose with hose barb fittings and hose clamps
• 2—90cm/3' of premium 1/2" braided silicone hose with hose barb fittings and hose clamps
• 4—TC Clamps and Gaskets
• March 7S 1hp pump, diaphragm valve and pump cart

Let us know if custom hose lengths are needed and we can accomodate!

Click here for the plate Chiller manual.