Help with determining heat exchanger size and capacity for 2bbl

[handbrewedbeer]

I am looking at heat exchangers for my nano/pilot 2bbl system and have come across a couple options. I will be using March AC-3B-MD pumps (10GPM with 3/4" inlet and 1/2" outlet).

The first option is by AGC and is their "demo" plate chiller, sized for educational facilities. I have found an ebay seller with 3 for $500 each. I believe they are 30 plates with capacity to 50. If they are too small I was thinking that I could use one to recirculate the wort down from boiling and use a second with glycol to get down to pitching temps. Here is a listing of the specs on the AGC Pro013: http://foodscience.psu.edu/facilitie...heat-exchanger

The second option is a shell and tube system that was used in an earthworm farm and never had any caustic chems in it, according to the operator and designer of the system. They are 2' x 4'-6' x 1' and the pipes are 2". There are 2 available at $500 each. They are also within a distance I would be transporting myself instead of the Plate chiller options which would ship cross country. http://merced.craigslist.org/bfs/3649653798.html

Any thoughts on these as a chilling solution? Obviously the shell and tub have an immediate downside of being huge in comparison, but other than that I am not even sure that either would work and would like some advice before I plop down the $1k plus on either.

Thanks,

Brian

edit: forgot second link

[brewmaster 2011]

Go with the 2 stage plate heat exchanger. It is simple to stet up and use.

[CPESystems]

HX sizing

The shell and tube one is actually a tube-in-tube one and won't work well for you. Your flow rate is quite low so the flow through the tubes will be laminar and the heat transfer very inefficient. A properly built one of these is call a spiral-flow and the tubes are corrugated to get turbulent flow.

The little AGC ones will work better.

[CPESystems]

AGC heat exchangers

The AGC ones are pretty small, only 4.2 sq ft per unit so you might want to check with Wade at AGC and see what kind of performance you will get out of them before you spend your money.

You might be better off to get a correctly sized one for your application. It would be about the same price (approx $1500).

[handbrewedbeer]

Go with the 2 stage plate heat exchanger. It is simple to stet up and use.

And by 2 stage you mean the method I was suggesting: one of the agc's whirlpooling, and then the second chill with glycol in to the fermenter, right?

[callmetim]

for a 2bbl system you don't need much. it just depends on how much time you are willing to spend chilling your wort. I am on a well and don't have great water flow - about 3.5 gpm so no matter how big the chiller its going to be slow. I knock out 106 gallons at 74 degrees in about 50 minutes and I am using a plate chiller I got from Duda diesel that cost about $135. I am sure the 2 stage would work faster. you could chill in about 10 minutes but I figure what the hell else do I have to do? So while I am chilling the wort I do other stuff.

[handbrewedbeer]

for a 2bbl system you don't need much. it just depends on how much time you are willing to spend chilling your wort. I am on a well and don't have great water flow - about 3.5 gpm so no matter how big the chiller its going to be slow. I knock out 106 gallons at 74 degrees in about 50 minutes and I am using a plate chiller I got from Duda diesel that cost about $135. I am sure the 2 stage would work faster. you could chill in about 10 minutes but I figure what the hell else do I have to do? So while I am chilling the wort I do other stuff.

Makes sense. I definitely want to be double and triple brewing some days and wouldn't want to be too bottle-necked by chilling. But like you say, 2BBL isn't too much to have to chill so I have options.

Thanks

Brian

[beejay]

We also use a chiller from duda diesel. It was in the $300 range and we easily knock out 60 gallons of wort between 65-75 F in about 10 minutes using only city water. We do have a high flow rate of around 20 GPM on our water though.

[kbills]

I am on 3 1/2 bbl and I have two chillers form DudaDiesel daisy chained together. One came with our brew system, wasn't enough, I got the second, larger one which still was not quite enough due to well water flow rate and temperature in the summer. So I chained them together and in the summer months get 108 gallons knocked out in about 30 minutes, and in the winter more like 15-20 minutes. Their prices were pretty good, too. I just added the fittings to convert to tri-clamp.

[Rick500]

I am on 3 1/2 bbl and I have two chillers form DudaDiesel daisy chained together. One came with our brew system, wasn't enough, I got the second, larger one which still was not quite enough due to well water flow rate and temperature in the summer. So I chained them together and in the summer months get 108 gallons knocked out in about 30 minutes, and in the winter more like 15-20 minutes. Their prices were pretty good, too. I just added the fittings to convert to tri-clamp.

Which model(s) are you using?

[gypsyhead]

And by 2 stage you mean the method I was suggesting: one of the agc's whirlpooling, and then the second chill with glycol in to the fermenter, right?

Not quite bud, a 2-stage heat exchanger is a single unit, but cold water serves as the cooling medium in one part, and glycol serves as the cooling medium in another part. I know at least one regional brewery in the UK who has a 2-stage heat exchanger, only using the water side to cool their ales down, but adding in the glycol cooling when they brew lagers.