[weazletoe]

  Going to add a plate chiller to the mix too. I'm very happy with my home made IC, it does a fine job on a 12 gallon batch, but I'm really trying to streamline everything in the new brewery. I have decided to upsize from 6x8 to 10x8. That will help, but I am really working with a limitation here. I figure by big ole' 50' chiller is just one less thing to have setting out on brew day. I will most likely end up with the Shirrone, from NB. With average water temps, will this be sufficent to cool a 12 gal batch, or do I REALLY need the Therminator? Also, I know they can be a pai to clean, but just how bad are they, and what is the process?

[narvin]

Cleaning is easy if you have a pump.  I save the hot water that comes out of the chiller in my mash tun and sparge water tank and use it for cleaning.  Add some PBW to one and recirc backward and then forward through the chiller.  Do the same with the fresh hot water to rinse.

I made a hop stopper out of SS mesh from McMaster for my boil kettle... almost nothing gets in the plate chiller in the first place.

[weazletoe]

  Sounds easy enough to clean. Love the hop stopper you made. I'm gonna steal that idea. No patent on it, right?

    Man, I am REALLY gettin excited about the build. June is gonna be a great month!

[narvin]

 Sounds easy enough to clean. Love the hop stopper you made. I'm gonna steal that idea. No patent on it, right?

    Man, I am REALLY gettin excited about the build. June is gonna be a great month!

I hope there's no patent... I stole it from this thread: http://www.homebrewchatter.com/board/showthread.php?t=2550&s=5ddbcd429a04a056f7b075c605401f88   

One thing I would suggest is that there's no reason to bother with stitching it up with stainless thread: double crimping and tapping with a hammer seals it up just fine.

[Pinski]

That is a really nice hop stopper.  Weaze, I think you'll like the therminator. I used mine for the first time last week and it was amazing. I boiled some water and backwashed it with the pump to clean them both out. My concern is the best way to "dry" them out and store them. Any hot tips out there?

[tom]

I think the Shirron is the best bet per $.  You can even get 2 for the price of 1 Therminator.

I have a Therminator that I bought before the Shirron came out.

The Therminator works well.  But when the tap water is higher than I need, I use a 2nd plate chiler in-line that I pump ice water through.

I have a thermometer at the output and valves on the water and wort flow so I can dial in the temperature I want.

[phillamb168]

That is a really nice hop stopper.  Weaze, I think you'll like the therminator. I used mine for the first time last week and it was amazing. I boiled some water and backwashed it with the pump to clean them both out. My concern is the best way to "dry" them out and store them. Any hot tips out there?

Apparently you can basically autocalve it by putting it into a cold oven, setting it to 350 * F, and coming back in an hour or so. Make sure you take off all the rubber parts, of course...

[Thirsty_Monk]

That is a really nice hop stopper.  Weaze, I think you'll like the therminator. I used mine for the first time last week and it was amazing. I boiled some water and backwashed it with the pump to clean them both out. My concern is the best way to "dry" them out and store them. Any hot tips out there?

Blow them with clean compressed air or CO2.