I know many brewers use inline chillers, HERMS, small solid pumps, hard lines, etc. with great success, but I never liked the thought of running the wort thru anything I can’t see, disassemble, physically clean, etc.
That’s a major reason I decided on an immersion vs an inline chiller, disassemble-able pump and valves, silicone transfer tubing vs hard line, etc.
A lot more time is spent disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling my equipment between brews than actually brewing with it.
Like you said, it’s amazing what gunk is hidden away.
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