Vicarb problems

[Luch15]

I just purchased some equipment and got to cleaning it. When I opened up the Vicarb heat exchanger I was greeted with a film of rotten wort and grains caked to the plates, apperently wort and grains had been sitting in there for some time. Smells like the back end of a chicken coop! Wondering if I should just replace the plates, I am afraid the rancid smell won't come out of the seals. Has anyone had to clean something like this? Is it possible to replace the seals? Ideas?

[Todd]

Chicken Coop

You should be able to do a thorough soak of the stainless plates with NaOH. I would highly recommend discarding the gaskets and replacing those.

I hope you measured the distance between your endplates on your heat exchanger so you are able to recompress your new gaskets and plates to the correct setting.

Vicarb plates and gaskets are easy to source. The supplier may have the specs for compression for your model #.

[Coast]

Agree w/ Todd on this. Soak the plates and discard the seals, but take good notes when dismantling the HX. Some have diverter plates that switch the flow to maximize the cooling. These will need to go back in the same place and the same direction. Again, measure the distance between the end plates so you don't over tighten the exchanger. 3M makes a gasket glue if you don't have the self seating style plates.

[Luch15]

You should be able to do a thorough soak of the stainless plates with NaOH. I would highly recommend discarding the gaskets and replacing those.

I hope you measured the distance between your endplates on your heat exchanger so you are able to recompress your new gaskets and plates to the correct setting.

Vicarb plates and gaskets are easy to source. The supplier may have the specs for compression for your model #.

Thanks guys, the plates came clean with a little elbow grease and caustic soak. I numbered all the plates as I took it apart and have the compression number.

[gitchegumee]

An easy trick here is to strike a permanent line (like with a angle grinder!) across the plate edges diagonally BEFORE you disassemble. (I do it whenever I walk into a new brewery) This keeps them not only in the right order, but right-side-up, too. And before you throw those gaskets away, check prices. You may be in for some sticker shock to know how much a pound of rubber will cost you. Good luck!

[lhall]

Phillip,

So do you take a die grinder with you on all brewery tours? Just kidding! We painted a diagonal stripe on our stack of plates, works great.

[gitchegumee]

...correction...
Append "whenever I walk into a new brewery" with "as the new head brewer". That should keep some of you from banning me at your door! I come to sample beer, not to scar your equipment! BTW, stack widths (min and max) should be stamped on the Hx nameplate. I wouldn't trust the "as found" condition of a heat exchanger to be correct. Never know who tore it apart last.

[Dodger1]

Anyone know a good gasket supplier for Vicarb HX?

[Geoff Logan]

Good idea. Make sure to seal them correctly! Otherwise you're inviting the uninvited.

Geoff