Plate Chillers

Using a plate chiller at the end of the boil is one way to cool the wort quickly. While bacteria and wild yeasts are inhibited due to high temperature, the wort is highly susceptible to oxidation damage if it cools slowly. Moreover, the formation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) may influence the flavour and aroma of the beer if the wort is allowed to cool down naturally. Moreover, rapid cooling also eliminates the proteins that cause chill haze or the cloudy formation of the liquid under low temperatures. This is the reason why it is so critical for homebrewers to use techniques and equipment to cool the wort rapidly.

There are many ways to chill the wort after boiling. While water baths are very crude, one piece of equipment used in chilling beer is the plate chiller. The plate chiller looks like a box with chutes or openings at both ends where the wort and water go in and out. They come with different fittings, Tri-Clamp, garden hose or barbed.

Inside the plate chiller are multiple stainless steel plates that are welded together. The plates are sandwiched together and hot wort moves in one direction along the sandwiched plates (and cold water in the other direction) while exuding cooler wort (and warm water) in the other direction. It cools the beer faster than other types of chillers. The advantage of this particular chiller is that it utilizes less water than coil chillers and it comes with a sleek and practical design.

Here at OntarioBeerKegs, we have a variety of plate chillers. Although they may be expensive top-of-the-line chillers, many home brewers who want to upgrade their home brewing station opt for this type of chiller because of its practicality and functionality. Our plate chillers come complete with the necessary fittings so that you can use it immediately. Browse through our selection of plate chillers and find out which one is best for your brewing station. Not sure which plate chiller is right for your brewing needs, take a look at this beer wort chilling chart and find out.