For anyone thinking the stout chiller would be a decent option only being $150, they add an extra $100 in shipping and fees at checkout. Looks like another Spike order is in my future!
@@SpikeBrewing You tested it against the Exchilerator Maxx 2.0, but I'm wondering specifically when tested against the Exchilerator Brutus Pro which is twice the length of the Maxx 2.0.
Ive always wanted a spike system, they follow the legendary Apple design and engineering philosophy of the Home-brew world. They just aren't imo for the average joe in terms of cost. I wish they offered these products at a price point the average person could afford. maybe one day... keep up the good work guys.
An immersion chiller is not that much more manual than a cfc or plate chiller. Just whirlpool the wort in the kettle… the manual agitation comes into play only it you have a brew configuration with no pump. And if you have no pump a cfc or plate chiller is not a good option. That said I hate immersion chillers because they are big, clunky, a pain to clean and can sit on the element in some electric systems, but I think some of your criticisms are a little unfair, and don’t mention some advantages like the ability to lower the entire finished wort temp quickly rather than a percentage over time.
I've had the same plate chiller for 15 years plus and it has yet to clog. I have never heard of anybody clogging a plate chiller. Granted we are a bunch of old guys and we never toss hops in freestyle.
@@SpikeBrewing oh your chiller looks dope and I am sure it works really well. If my plate chiller ever clogs, I will investigate. But why are plate chillers clogging? Is it a maintenance thing? Bad plate chiller? That's crazy. I always flush my plate chiller right away and never toss hops in without a bag. Those hop spider screen chingaderas really suck. I use a center kettle spider with a bag. It works great.
@@Leadership_matters With all the big hop addition IPAs now a days there is a lot of hop material that gets through. If that collects in a low point of a plate chiller it can easily clog it.
I have the Exchillerator Max. One thing it has that Spike doesn't is a thermometer, which I find very valuable in controlling wort and water flow. I do like to see what temp the wort is flowing into the fermenter, but maybe, the spike as shown is good enough that it doesn't need it?
Just get a 1/2" stainless NPT tee, a 1/2" NPT analog thermometer, and a 1/2" NPT nipple to connect it to the wort out connection, then use the remaining hole in the tee for your quick disconnect or whatever, that's what I did and it works fine (just make sure to use teflon tape on everything). However even in my situation (no garden hose, only a 2.4GPM faucet), usually my wort is coming out at about the same temp as groundwater which is 79 this time of year if I throttle the wort back to a similar flow rate as the input water
What do you recommend as far as cleaning and care for the chiller post transfer on brew day/between brew days? Is it safe to use PBW since the inside is copper?
The JaDeD cools very fast if you have a good flow rate with cold tap water, and yeah you need to stir it. It’s kind of unfair to put it against plate and counterflow as it’s an entirely different concept of chilling.
11:32 Ok, but the Spike chiller comes with nothing too. So let's compare apples to apples here. And I would add that the Spike essentials options don't even get the chiller brew ready from what I can tell. OTOH, if you order the Exchillerator with the brew ready option it is good to go out of the box. The Exchillerator Maxx TC Brew Ready option will set you back $384. The Spike chiller with TC and essentials kit is $450 and you still don't have a thermometer.
We just double checked and without fittings (since everyone's setup is different) you're looking at $255 vs $325 for the tri-clamp option. However the Spike chills about 75% quicker and it's just a bunch of Home Depot fittings cobbled together.
For anyone thinking the stout chiller would be a decent option only being $150, they add an extra $100 in shipping and fees at checkout.
Looks like another Spike order is in my future!
Very exciting.
Just hope you can get and keep them in stock soon...
How does the spike chiller compare specifically to the Exchilerator Brutus Pro?
About twice as fast with less water usage. Check out our website for the data.
@@SpikeBrewing You tested it against the Exchilerator Maxx 2.0, but I'm wondering specifically when tested against the Exchilerator Brutus Pro which is twice the length of the Maxx 2.0.
Ive always wanted a spike system, they follow the legendary Apple design and engineering philosophy of the Home-brew world. They just aren't imo for the average joe in terms of cost. I wish they offered these products at a price point the average person could afford. maybe one day... keep up the good work guys.
An immersion chiller is not that much more manual than a cfc or plate chiller. Just whirlpool the wort in the kettle… the manual agitation comes into play only it you have a brew configuration with no pump. And if you have no pump a cfc or plate chiller is not a good option.
That said I hate immersion chillers because they are big, clunky, a pain to clean and can sit on the element in some electric systems, but I think some of your criticisms are a little unfair, and don’t mention some advantages like the ability to lower the entire finished wort temp quickly rather than a percentage over time.
I've had the same plate chiller for 15 years plus and it has yet to clog. I have never heard of anybody clogging a plate chiller. Granted we are a bunch of old guys and we never toss hops in freestyle.
Do a Google of clogged plate chiller. It is extremely common.
@@SpikeBrewing oh your chiller looks dope and I am sure it works really well. If my plate chiller ever clogs, I will investigate. But why are plate chillers clogging? Is it a maintenance thing? Bad plate chiller? That's crazy. I always flush my plate chiller right away and never toss hops in without a bag. Those hop spider screen chingaderas really suck. I use a center kettle spider with a bag. It works great.
@@Leadership_matters With all the big hop addition IPAs now a days there is a lot of hop material that gets through. If that collects in a low point of a plate chiller it can easily clog it.
@@SpikeBrewing so the big takeaway is I need more hops!!! TY
When running the wort through chiller with your pump into the conical fermenter, how much wort is left behind within the pump/chiller?
A negligible amount. Little enough where we've actually never seen that asked or brought up as an issue before.
I have the Exchillerator Max. One thing it has that Spike doesn't is a thermometer, which I find very valuable in controlling wort and water flow. I do like to see what temp the wort is flowing into the fermenter, but maybe, the spike as shown is good enough that it doesn't need it?
Just get a 1/2" stainless NPT tee, a 1/2" NPT analog thermometer, and a 1/2" NPT nipple to connect it to the wort out connection, then use the remaining hole in the tee for your quick disconnect or whatever, that's what I did and it works fine (just make sure to use teflon tape on everything). However even in my situation (no garden hose, only a 2.4GPM faucet), usually my wort is coming out at about the same temp as groundwater which is 79 this time of year if I throttle the wort back to a similar flow rate as the input water
What do you recommend as far as cleaning and care for the chiller post transfer on brew day/between brew days? Is it safe to use PBW since the inside is copper?
Absolutely that is safe! We'd recommend running hot PBW through the chiller and then flushing it with clean water.
@@SpikeBrewing perfect. Thanks!
@@SpikeBrewing I will be trying mine out for the first time on Saturday. Cheers!
The JaDeD cools very fast if you have a good flow rate with cold tap water, and yeah you need to stir it. It’s kind of unfair to put it against plate and counterflow as it’s an entirely different concept of chilling.
A worse way from our testing...
11:32 Ok, but the Spike chiller comes with nothing too. So let's compare apples to apples here. And I would add that the Spike essentials options don't even get the chiller brew ready from what I can tell. OTOH, if you order the Exchillerator with the brew ready option it is good to go out of the box. The Exchillerator Maxx TC Brew Ready option will set you back $384. The Spike chiller with TC and essentials kit is $450 and you still don't have a thermometer.
We just double checked and without fittings (since everyone's setup is different) you're looking at $255 vs $325 for the tri-clamp option. However the Spike chills about 75% quicker and it's just a bunch of Home Depot fittings cobbled together.
We need dealers in Europe for those fermenters. And normal retail prices.