Best Way To Clean A Copper Counterflow Chiller

[ScrewyBrewer]

At the end of each brewday I pump a 140F mixture of water and Oxyclean through my counterflow chiller. Followed by pumping clean 140F water through it. The next brewday I run boiling wort through the chiller for 10-20 minutes to sanitize it. This has kept my Chugger pump from binding up for 3 years. Prevented wort contamination when filling the fermenters and eliminated off flavors in my beer. The cleaning process adds about 45 minutes to my brewday. Does anyone else do this or something similar?

[John Sand]

Sorry Vince. I use an immersion chiller and clean it with a hose.

[RickBeer]

Can you reverse flow? Cleaning things in the same direction as the normal flow doesn't clean as well as reversing the flow. Also flow rate is important.

This is for beer lines, but parts are applicable: https://www.brewersassociation.org/indu ... -cleaning/

[ScrewyBrewer]

Can you reverse flow? Cleaning things in the same direction as the normal flow doesn't clean as well as reversing the flow. Also flow rate is important.

This is for beer lines, but parts are applicable: https://www.brewersassociation.org/indu ... -cleaning/

As part of my 'Spring Cleaning' I substituted Powdered Brewery Wash in place of OxyClean. Based on the color of the wash water coming out of the chiller I was surprised at how much brewing grime seemed to have been missed when using OxyClean. Next time I will reverse flush the chiller too but for now, I think I'll be good for brewing another 100 gallons before cleaning with PBW again.

Thank you for sharing the beer line cleaning link @RickBeer that's next on my list of 'things to do in the brewroom'.

[RickBeer]

No problem.

I don't have a chiller, or taps, or lines. But I read with interest what people are doing, things like whether they disassemble faucets, etc. I happened to have an expert explain things to me in great depth (scary), and much of what is considered necessary by an expert isn't even done by most bars/breweries. Line cleaning every 2 weeks. Complete faucet disassembly every time. Replacement of lines at specified intervals. The usage of physical cleaning mechanisms (i.e. tiny sponges in the lines) vs. just chemicals. Different chemicals every 6 months. Amount of time pump is run, flow rate...

If a bar/brewery posts their cleaning information ("Lines last cleaned xx/xx/xx" or "Lines cleaned very 2 weeks"), they nearly pass out from excitement.

[Beer-lord]

We have one of the top 100 beer bars in the the U.S. (who can you believe?) and top 25 by others (http://www.complex.com/city-guide/2011/ ... america#15) and they brag about their cleanliness and blog and tweet about it. Others have taken notice:

Only in New Orleans will you find a beer bar open 24/7. The staff is militant about clean beer lines and proper glassware, so even when you stumble in at 4 a.m. you get the best pint in the city. Choose from more than 47 rotating taps and about as many bottles, all focusing on American beer. Go for an exhaustive introduction to local NOLA Brewing or to people-watch from the balcony.

And then there's another popular place in the burbs near me that has a nice selection of beer and some decent food and we've had to send pints and pitchers back because sometimes they have an off flavor and just once, the server told us she was told the lines needed cleaning! Imagine that it makes a difference because it can.

[Kealia]

Wait, we're supposed to CLEAN our stuff?!?!?!

Nobody tells me this stuff.......

[Inkleg]

I just make sure there's no cat hair in my stuff and call it good.

[John Sand]

You can't even find cat hair in your house!

[ScrewyBrewer]

But I read with interest what people are doing, things like whether they disassemble faucets, etc.

After watching a YouTube video by a professional beer line cleaning company I decided to take my Perlick taps apart for cleaning. It turned out to be a big disappointment there was nothing inside to clean really.

After emptying a keg over a period of several weeks my taps start to stick and more effort is needed to open and close them. Pumping ~140F OxyClean and water through the lines and taps loosens them up again so they open and close easily. At least 4 times a year I run beer line cleaner through the lines and taps just to be sure.

[John Sand]

My method, using a hand pumped garden sprayer and One Step, has not been very successful. A better cleaner, more heat and pressure apparently makes a difference.

[RickBeer]

Time, temperature, pressure, chemicals.

[mashani]

Burn it with fire?

[ScrewyBrewer]

In the spirit of Spring Cleaning, I pumped some 140F Beer Line Cleaner through my lines and taps. The entire process took under 2 hours including flushing the two taps and 11 foot long lines with clear water. Under normal use, they shouldn't need another cleaning with caustic until the Fall.

While I was at it I also pumped the BLC through my counter-flow chiller too. Just for good measure.

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[John Sand]

Nice set up.