# Spike brewing conical fermenters unitanks



## Aus.Morgo (28/10/17)

Hi all,

Is anyone using or had a play with the spike brewing conical fermenter unitanks?

I was planning on buying a SS Brewtech conical and brite tank (smallest versions), SS Brewtech has said they are looking at doing a smaller 7gal unitank but no date.

Seeing as Spike brewing has the CF5 which is up to 7Gal I'm leaning that way. 
I like that unitank option halves the space compared to a conical and brite tank plus its cheaper, should help with performance and lower infection risks etc

Any thoughts?


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## droid (28/10/17)

I'm a uni tank fan too, linky?


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## Aus.Morgo (28/10/17)

https://spikebrewing.com/collections/fermenters


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## Aus.Morgo (28/10/17)

The CF5 has just been made available for pre order. I'll wait for reviews before going ahead but have heard other gear by them is pretty good, apparently heavier duty than some others.


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## Mardoo (28/10/17)

Spike makes some well thought out, solid gear, IMHAO.


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## CJW (29/10/17)

Aus.Morgo said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Is anyone using or had a play with the spike brewing conical fermenter unitanks?
> 
> ...



I emailed Spike a while ago, prior to their Unitank launch, about availability in Australia. They said they have many projects underway, one of which is working on Australian availability/distributor.

I have been meaning to follow them up to see how that is going, but I would certainly be interesting in the Spike Uni as by all accounts the welding is superb and the SS Brewtech TC ports on the front can be a bit crowed I hear.

How would you get a Spike conical here? Would there be any advantage in a multiple buy? I'd certainly be interested.

Maybe my only concern is the pressure rating, says 15psi, which is fine when cold crashing but would prefer it to be higher to pressure ferment at ale temps (I need to look more into this). Also says it handles 5psi transfers for the band which seems odd.


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## Aus.Morgo (29/10/17)

I haven't looked into shipping yet though I have a US mail forwarder I could likely use. Might find out the size and weight of packed uni from them first though.


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## CJW (29/10/17)

Aus.Morgo said:


> I haven't looked into shipping yet though I have a US mail forwarder I could likely use. Might find out the size and weight of packed uni from them first though.



I've replied to my old email to see if there is an update on international (Aussie) shipping. I'll post back here if/when I get a response.

If you ask them about shipping dimensions, weight and volumetric etc weight also ask how many they get to a pallet. I am guessing it might be 4, this could make shipping into Aus much cheaper if everyone got together on it.


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## Aus.Morgo (1/11/17)

Just checked the SS Brewtech website today, they have their 7 gal uni listed! 

https://www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/home-unitanks/products/7-gal-unitank

Going to email them about the dimensions, seems a little wide compared to the 14gal


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## CJW (1/11/17)

CJW said:


> I'll post back here if/when I get a response.



I heard back from Ryan at Spike, firstly he confirmed the working and transfer pressure is 15psi.

Secondly, he has suggested getting in contact with a freight forwarder they have used before for shipping into Aus.

The details provided are

*Michael Paine | Senior Freight Consultant*

InXpress Barossa Valley
PO Box 3, Gawler, SA 5118
Phone: 1300 584 884
Email: [email protected]​
I'd be interested in the CF10 as it can do 5 and 10 gallon batches, but I guess it would need all the accessories in the same shipment so it adds up.

Anybody want to talk to Michael and suss out the details and what, if any, benefits would come from shipping a couple at once?


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## Hubert (7/12/17)

CJW said:


> I heard back from Ryan at Spike, firstly he confirmed the working and transfer pressure is 15psi.
> 
> Secondly, he has suggested getting in contact with a freight forwarder they have used before for shipping into Aus.
> 
> ...



Hey CJW,
I used Mike to ship my CF15 out recently. Communication from him is fantastic. Price was better than I could arrange myself too (his contacts are heaps better than mine  ). He also had contact fairly regularly with Ryan from Spike, so there were no surprises when the quote for freight came in. 
I only shipped a single unit with a few extras in the one shipment. You can however fit four to a pellet and this would cost roughly the same as one air freighted, but take 6 odd weeks to get to Aus. I just wanted mine sooner, and didn’t have three other buyers lined up and sorted. 
In the end, door to door from the US to regional Qld, approx $450 and a week transit.

As for the CF15, welds are great, solidly built piece of kit. Very well protected for shipping too, so another bonus there. Currently have a Mosaic SMaSH fermenting away nicely. Highly recommend the CIP ball Spike sell too. Works a test with my Kaxin mag drive pump. Massive port in the lid for dry-hopping and 2’ dump port on the other end. 

Solid, well though out bit of kit. 

Do it, you deserve it!

Cheers.


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## huez (23/12/17)

@Hubert do you have any photos mate? Particularly of the welds?


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## Hubert (23/12/17)

huez said:


> @Hubert do you have any photos mate? Particularly of the welds?



None at the moment, I’ll grab some over the next day or so and post back here.


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## seamad (23/12/17)

Hubert, how are you cooling yours ?
I'm thinking of the 10, have an old glycol chiller sitting around doing nothing, was thinking of using it with the centre cooling coil.


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## Hubert (23/12/17)

@seamad, the CF15 fits nicely in a STC1000 controlled fridge. Glycol chillers aren’t really an effective option in Nth Qld unfortunately, would be constantly running.


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## huez (23/12/17)

Hubert said:


> None at the moment, I’ll grab some over the next day or so and post back here.


champion


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## Hubert (28/12/17)

Ok, sorry for the delay. Was caught up Christmassing with the family...
All pics are on the external of the unitank. The internals are all polished and sanitary. 






4" TC modular top port





1.5" TC port





1.5" TC sample valve fitting





Leg 

My thoughts so far:
- Recommend getting your TC fittings from Spike as well, they are of better quality than the ones I can get locally. 
- The CIP ball works ok with a kaxin pump. Am going to see how it goes with a Chugger or March in the new year. Currently it doesn’t give full coverage in the one spot. All it really means in its current configuration is I have to move the lid around to clean and sanitise, not a biggie. 
- If you’re going to be doing 5gal batches with the occasional double/triple, go a smaller unit. The temp port lies in line with the 5gal mark. 

Happy Brewing.


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## huez (28/12/17)

Nice one thanks for that hubert.


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## CJW (28/12/17)

Hubert said:


> None at the moment, I’ll grab some over the next day or so and post back here


What is your thoughts regarding the lid seal, I would love to see one and get an impression regarding the construction.

Is it rolled? Does it seem solid or flimsy? I have no grounds to doubt their engineering but i would love to see it before purchasing one.


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## Hubert (29/12/17)

CJW said:


> What is your thoughts regarding the lid seal, I would love to see one and get an impression regarding the construction.
> 
> Is it rolled? Does it seem solid or flimsy?



The rubber seal works a treat. Seats nicely and is easy to install/remove. The Spike crew even sent a spare for Justin. Not envisaging having to use it in the near future, but a nice gesture none the less. 
The clamp that holds the lid works. IMHO it looks like the bleed actuator clamp used on old helo engines. And they never missed a beat. Three solid pieces held together by by a metal, semi-flexible strap. Definitely a two handed operation to fit. Holds the pressure the vessel is rated to without a worry.


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## Meddo (28/1/18)

With the good current AUD/USD exchange rate I'm going to grab one of the Spike CF15s very soon, hopefully this week. Purchase prices on the fermenters are CF10 USD$625, CF15 USD$750.

On @Hubert's advice I got in touch with Mike at InXpress regarding importing the fermenters, and now just want to see if there is anyone else in Brisbane (or willing to collect from Brisbane) interested in getting some Spike gear so as to reduce combined shipping costs from Milwaukee.

Indicative ($AUD, excluding GST) pricing for shipping only from Mike is:

~$430 for one CF10, 6-10 days delivery
~$530 for one CF15, 6-10 days delivery
~$1020 for three CF15s, sea freight 45-52 days delivery, so about $340 each

As such, I'm looking for another 2+ people who are keen in the next week-ish to go in on a group shipment, otherwise I'll just go the single unit option. Mike advises that three units will likely be enough to qualify for sea freight and hence the cheaper price - any additional units will be fine but will not significantly improve the cost-per-unit any further.

Mike advises that no import duty will be payable on the Spike gear, however if the total shipment value is over $AUD1000 it will be subject to GST. Any additional accessories are likely to fit in the packaging for the fermenters and therefore will not incur any additional shipping costs (as they are based on volume, not weight).

It's short notice obviously but I'm keen to make this happen asap so if anyone's interested in joining in please let me know sooner rather than later. I've got a bit more info from Mike but I won't go into too many more specifics here now - if anyone has any questions please just let me know.

https://spikebrewing.com/collections/fermenters/products/cf15
https://spikebrewing.com/collections/fermenters


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## homebrewnewb (29/1/18)

$A1020 for three CF15s.

what's the shipping costs from the US?

that looks phenomenal if the numbers are correct just for the product alone.


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## Meddo (29/1/18)

Sorry, with hindsight that was a very ambiguous post by me - those are the shipping costs that I quoted, not purchase. I've updated the post to clarify.

Purchase prices on the fermenters are CF10 USD$625, CF15 USD$750.


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## huez (29/1/18)

I would have been keen but i contacted spike about dimensions last week and the ones they have on the website are measured without any valves or accessories attached. So the CF10 went from being a pretty tight squeeze in my ferment fridge to not even close to fitting. I'd double check with them before committing if you plan on putting it in a fridge.


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## homebrewnewb (29/1/18)

they are probably more suited to jacket cooling, they are bigish units i would be surprised if you could find a unit to cool them short of a cool room.


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## Meddo (29/1/18)

huez said:


> I would have been keen but i contacted spike about dimensions last week and the ones they have on the website are measured without any valves or accessories attached. So the CF10 went from being a pretty tight squeeze in my ferment fridge to not even close to fitting. I'd double check with them before committing if you plan on putting it in a fridge.



Good info, thanks. Did you get any actual dimensions that you could share? I asked for some drawings last week but they didn't give me anything useful.


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## Belgrave Brewer (29/1/18)

I looked at the Spike gear, as well as the SS Brewtech Brewmaster, and several other options out there. They are pretty sweet units.

The inline cooling coil would be fine for fermenting, but would not suit as a serving tank as less contact with the beer as it is consumed unless the coil reaches the conical area. Would be fine in a ferment fridge though.

I ended up going with jacketed fermenters from Brew-Tek and glycol chilling in an insulated room.
https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/glycol-chilling-and-multiple-jacketed-fermentors.97625/

They make non-jacketed fermenters that are tight and compact for ferment fridges, but a little more pricey.


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## huez (29/1/18)

Meddo said:


> Good info, thanks. Did you get any actual dimensions that you could share? I asked for some drawings last week but they didn't give me anything useful.


I must have deleted the email sorry, i think its mainly the sample valve sticking out the front thought to be honest.


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## Hubert (31/1/18)

homebrewnewb said:


> they are bigish units i would be surprised if you could find a unit to cool them short of a cool room.





huez said:


> measured without any valves or accessories attached. So the CF10 went from being a pretty tight squeeze in my ferment fridge to not even close to fitting. I'd double check with them before committing if you plan on putting it in a fridge.



I’ve got the CF15 with the additional ports and it fits nicely in my ferment fridge. Mind you, I did get the unit first then trawled gumtree & farcebook marketplace a fridge that would fit it. Internal dimensions of 50x50 gives ample space to fit yeast starters etc around the legs. 

Cheers,

H.


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## Meddo (1/2/18)

Hubert said:


> I’ve got the CF15 with the additional ports and it fits nicely in my ferment fridge. Mind you, I did get the unit first then trawled gumtree & farcebook marketplace a fridge that would fit it. Internal dimensions of 50x50 gives ample space to fit yeast starters etc around the legs.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> H.


Hey Hubert, if you get a chance would you mind checking the maximum depth of your unit for me please, as in front to back, including valves? I've got a pretty big fridge but I think it's more like 470 mm deep than 500. Would be good to make sure the door will shut before I purchase one.

Thanks mate


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## pat_00 (1/2/18)

That CF30 looks great for the price. Doubt you could cold crash easily with the coil though.


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## Hubert (1/2/18)

Meddo said:


> Hey Hubert, if you get a chance would you mind checking the maximum depth of your unit for me please, as in front to back, including valves? I've got a pretty big fridge but I think it's more like 470 mm deep than 500. Would be good to make sure the door will shut before I purchase one.
> 
> Thanks mate



@Meddo, the unit itself is 430mm, with the valves extruding a further 80mm out from that. So from back to extremities is just over 500mm. Remember though, you will gain a few mm in the door thanks to the seal and if you take the shelves off. 
Mine sits in a Fisher & Paykel C450 single door fridge nicely or reference.


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## Meddo (1/2/18)

Hubert said:


> @Meddo, the unit itself is 430mm, with the valves extruding a further 80mm out from that. So from back to extremities is just over 500mm. Remember though, you will gain a few mm in the door thanks to the seal and if you take the shelves off.
> Mine sits in a Fisher & Paykel C450 single door fridge nicely or reference.



Great, thanks Hubert. I reckon on an angle I'll be able to get it in fine.


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## lespaul (13/2/18)

I’m interested, but a little unsure if this is going to be ideal.
I’m really after a stainless conical fermenter that can handle pressure ferment and transfer, with a thermowell. The chronically looks good, but i really need something that’s 8 gal, the 7 gal doesn’t seem to be enough headroom.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.


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## Meddo (13/2/18)

lespaul said:


> I’m interested, but a little unsure if this is going to be ideal.
> I’m really after a stainless conical fermenter that can handle pressure ferment and transfer, with a thermowell. The chronically looks good, but i really need something that’s 8 gal, the 7 gal doesn’t seem to be enough headroom.
> Any thoughts would be appreciated.


I wound up ordering a CF10 on my own - should be getting on a plane any minute...

I was tossing up between the Spike and the SS Brewtech unitank in 10 gal sizes. I chose the Spike cos I reckon it would be easier to clean with the full-width removable lid. I'm not so confident on the performance of my sump pump for CIP that I'm prepared to compromise scrubbing access...

I've also read a number of complaints about the weld quality on the SSB unitanks - possibly due to not having as easy access to the internals? No such complaints for the Spike, that I've found anyway.

I prefer the cooling coil design on the Spike, although I'm not sure I'll ever use it given the ambient temps in my Brisbane garage. On the plus side for the SSB they've got the local distribution set up, more ports, a larger TC port in the lid which potentially opens up more options with modified caps, and arguably a bit prettier...

Edit: just saw you mention the Chronical - I could be wrong but I don't think they'll do pressure fermentation, just low pressure transfers - you'll need the unitank for pressure fermentation or forced carbonation.


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## lespaul (13/2/18)

Shame I just found the thread, I'm in Brisbane too. Thanks for the reply


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## kingo102 (13/2/18)

I was actually leaning towards the SSB unitank in a 14, although was also considering the spine. You mentioned poor weld quality, did you have a source or review? Can't seem to find many reviews on the SSB.

Cheers
Dave



Meddo said:


> I wound up ordering a CF10 on my own - should be getting on a plane any minute...
> 
> I was tossing up between the Spike and the SS Brewtech unitank in 10 gal sizes. I chose the Spike cos I reckon it would be easier to clean with the full-width removable lid. I'm not so confident on the performance of my sump pump for CIP that I'm prepared to compromise scrubbing access...
> 
> ...


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## Meddo (13/2/18)

kingo102 said:


> I was actually leaning towards the SSB unitank in a 14, although was also considering the spine. You mentioned poor weld quality, did you have a source or review? Can't seem to find many reviews on the SSB.
> 
> Cheers
> Dave


Hey Dave, this was the first one I found - did a bit more reading/watching afterwards and found a few other reviews with similar sentiment. I haven't looked at one myself so secondhand info only.


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## lespaul (13/2/18)

How much was the unit delivered in $AUD?
Would you mind starting another thread when you get it to give it a review etc after you've done a couple of brews?
Would love to hear your thoughts on how it would go with a smaller sized batch ~23-26lt. Would also love to see some pics and feedback.
You must be pretty excited with that bit of shiny on the way!!!


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## kingo102 (13/2/18)

Damn that's unfortunate! Will have to have a look first hand when they arrive



Meddo said:


> Hey Dave, this was the first one I found - did a bit more reading/watching afterwards and found a few other reviews with similar sentiment. I haven't looked at one myself so secondhand info only.


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## Meddo (15/2/18)

lespaul said:


> How much was the unit delivered in $AUD?
> Would you mind starting another thread when you get it to give it a review etc after you've done a couple of brews?
> Would love to hear your thoughts on how it would go with a smaller sized batch ~23-26lt. Would also love to see some pics and feedback.
> You must be pretty excited with that bit of shiny on the way!!!


You can spend as much as you want on the fermenter itself, depending on accessories. I'm going to be picking up a few additional bits of tri-clamp kit from AliExpress when they finish partying, rather than buying it all from Spike.

It was about that $430 amount for shipping, plus $120 or so optional for shipping insurance ($AUD). I'll be copping a GST bill cos I couldn't show enough restraint with accessories, but shouldn't have to pay any duty on it. It got scanned into Sydney last night so I'll hopefully get a brew into it next weekend....

Seems like it'll be fine for 23-26 L batches - I certainly hope so cos that's my standard batch size. The table below is from Spike showing various dimensions, the only thing that would be affected is the location of the thermowell, although there's nothing stopping you just taping the temp probe to the outside of the FV.

Old mate in the vid below has a sook about the location of that thermowell for his 5 gal batches at about 15:55, although he seems to have brewed exactly 5 gal (19L) of wort and not allowed for any deadspace, loss to yeast/sediment etc. so I don't think it's really an issue as long as you take that into account.

FYI, in addition to the dimensions from Spike, I'd estimate there'd be about 600-750 ml of deadspace in the 2" sight glass, elbow and valve if you go down that configuration path. I'm intending to get a 2" diaphragm valve to go below the sight glass (once AliExpress reopens) - the downside of having a 2" butterfly is there's no real flow control in those valves, and in most of the video reviews the presenters seem to make a fine mess spraying yeast slurry everywhere using them. I'd perhaps suggest they trial a bucket, too, rather than a wallpaper tray like they all seem to use.


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## Meddo (26/2/18)

Haven't yet brewed with my CF10 - they forgot to include the lid gasket plus not much time - but I've realised that my choice of accessories wasn't necessarily optimal given a few changing circumstances while the unit was in transit. If anyone in Brisbane decides to import one for themselves I've got the CF10 chilling coil (USD$90) that I'll likely never use now, so would be keen to swap that for a few other pieces if they can be included in a shipment.


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## enoch (17/4/18)

Q re the carb stone versus the optional rotating racking arm.
By default the carb stone on the racking valve probably would cause a big bubble to form rather than a stream of fine bubbles coming out the racking arm.
Could you place the sample valve on the racking valve (2 valves in series) and put the carb stone on the port the sample valve is normally on? Are both ports standard 1.5 inch TCs?


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## Meddo (17/4/18)

enoch said:


> Q re the carb stone versus the optional rotating racking arm.
> By default the carb stone on the racking valve probably would cause a big bubble to form rather than a stream of fine bubbles coming out the racking arm.
> Could you place the sample valve on the racking valve (2 valves in series) and put the carb stone on the port the sample valve is normally on? Are both ports standard 1.5 inch TCs?


Haven't used mine yet, in the middle of a move so it's sitting idle. Not sure re bubbles going through the racking arm, what you suggest makes sense though.

Yes both ports are 1.5" TC. The racking arm and the butterfly valve are seperate fittings, so you could just put the sample valve onto the racking arm instead of the butterfly valve if you wanted to configure it that way. Not sure how good it would be for the carb stone to sit in beer for a few weeks if you left it attached?

My plan is to attach a carb stone in a sight glass below the dump valve after I've dumped the trub, and bubble straight up from the bottom. Will likely be a standard 2" TC stone rather than Spike's version. Should be able to purge the sight glass using the carb stone before connecting it to the butterfly dump valve - will lose a bit of beer when it's disconnected after but that's not the end of the world. Speaking of, I need to pull my finger out and get on Ali and order such a beast to make sure I get it some time this year...


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## enoch (17/4/18)

Meddo said:


> Not sure how good it would be for the carb stone to sit in beer for a few weeks if you left it attached?


The ss Brewtech one goes on its own port with no valve so I guess it’s safe.
Being sorely tempted to buy but resisting thus far.


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## Meddo (17/4/18)

enoch said:


> The ss Brewtech one goes on its own port with no valve so I guess it’s safe.
> Being sorely tempted to buy but resisting thus far.


Whereabouts are you?


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## enoch (17/4/18)

Meddo said:


> Whereabouts are you?


Adelaide.


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## lespaul (5/11/18)

@Meddo @Hubert 6 months down the track how's the Spike units going? 
Might be heading to the states in a bit for work so will look at getting a CF10 sent to my hotel and bring it back on the plane. Keen to hear if it still gets the thumbs up!


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## Meddo (5/11/18)

Mate I'm only on my third brew with it, haven't really formed much of an impression yet but comfortable with my purchase so far. The welds are all beautifully polished inside which makes it really easy to clean, along with the full size lid.

On the first brew I tried to put pressure on it prior to crash chilling (to prevent vacuum collapse) and it wouldn't hold pressure - turned out the the 1.5" TC port on the lid hadn't been welded on the outside and had a crack / leak. They were good enough to send out a replacement at their expense though so can't complain too much. This was the only real problem I've had with the unit and it got remedied quickly.

Second brew while I was waiting for the replacement lid I used glad wrap instead (two pieces cos one wouldn't cover the full opening) but my fridge dripped dirty condensation water onto it which found it's way through the overlapping glad wrap and wound up infecting it. My own fault for not setting it up better but I can't really draw any conclusions about the FV from this batch unfortunately.

Third one is underway at the moment with the replacement lid, no complaints so far.

A few things:

The sample valve that comes with it has a fairly large barb (not sure exactly, maybe 10 mm), I've been using a spare one I had from AliExpress with an 8 mm barb instead - mounted on the racking arm rather than on a separate port
The temp gauge has a fairly wide range, I can't remember exactly but it's like 5 - 100 degrees or something so not much use in a fermenter
The spray ball is good but not good enough without a true CIP pump - I trialled it mounted in the centre of the lid (on a 4" to 1.5" end cap reducer) using a 65 W KK pump (3/4", max head 6.5m, max flow 52L/min) with 65 degree PBW and it cleaned off most but not all of the mess. Upside is that the removable lid makes it genuinely trivial to get in and scrub it clean. At the moment I figure if I'm going to have to scrub the last bit off I may as well just scrub it all off until my ship comes in and I can justify building a true CIP cart (likely never)
Since you're in Brisbane, if you do decide to bring one back maybe we could work out a trade of some accessories if you're interested? I got the chilling coil for the CF10 but then found a fridge to put the unit in so will likely never use it, and also the blow-off cane. Also got a few other bits and pieces like another small-barb sample valve, TC clamps and gaskets, reducers etc. I would like to get the leg extensions which I forgot to include in my order, and a replacement pressure gauge (dropped mine and bent it), and perhaps the carb stone setup. Otherwise would be happy to just sling you some cash to bring those things back if you have room in your baggage allowance.

Cheers,


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## lespaul (5/11/18)

Thanks for the quick reply! Sucks you had to tip the second batch! But still some positive news, especially with them willing to post a new lid at their own expense.
Sadly I've moved to Melbourne. But I might still be able to bring some stuff back. I'll have to sort it out once my trip is confirmed.
So in hindsight you think the leg extensions were worth it? Anything else you'd recommend getting as a necessity? 
Just wish the USD wasn't so expensive!


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## Hubert (5/11/18)

lespaul said:


> @Meddo @Hubert 6 months down the track how's the Spike units going?
> Might be heading to the states in a bit for work so will look at getting a CF10 sent to my hotel and bring it back on the plane. Keen to hear if it still gets the thumbs up!



Loving it! After a slow start due to other commitments and not brewing a whole lot, I’ve put about 8 brews through it so far. I’ve also started doing double batches as a norm thanks to the size. And now that the dearly beloved has started drinking beer too, it’s kind of a necessity. 

Welds are polished really well on the inside, so it’s a true sanitary unit. Cleaning is a breeze, I have the CIP ball, but lack the decent pump to use it effectively. As @Meddo mentions, taking the lid off is a breeze, and access to clean manually is no trouble at all. Tri-clover fittings all round make it easy to pull apart as required. 

My last brew was fermented under pressure, just to see how it went, and I didn’t have any issues. A quick purge of CO2 at the start, and then I just let the yeast do it’s thing. The PRV released as advertised at 15PSI (although I did check on it a fair bit). Dumping out the bottom is easy with the 2in valve, just need to get a barbed restrictor or something similar to prevent too much wastage (it seriously dumps if you’re not careful). 

If work are paying for your luggage too, why stop at one???

Cheers,

H.


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## Hubert (5/11/18)

lespaul said:


> Anything else you'd recommend getting as a necessity?



Would go the carb stone. Can also be used to oxygenate the wort prior to pitching. Wishing they had released it before I had mine shipped as the current cost for that is a bit prohibitive. 

Cheers,

H.


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## lespaul (5/11/18)

Great! Thanks for the feedback! 
I was thinking the gas manifold bundle and racking arm (not 100% sure if the racking arm is necessary). Then get the equivalent of the closed pressure transfer kit and other TC fittings and barb's off Ali/eBay.
I might just transfer to the keg to carb as I've been doing previously. I couldn't see the massive benefit that would make this bit of kit really valuable? Maybe I'm missing something? I have a seperate oxy kit.
Thanks again for the info. Keen to have a solid bit of kit in the Brewhouse that will hopefully outlast me!


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## lespaul (7/11/18)

@Hubert I saw that you were doing double batches. I was just looking at the volumes of the CF10 and it seems a little tight for 2 cornies, trub and krausen. Had any problems?


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## Meddo (7/11/18)

The CF10 is designed for double batches, I've just finished my first double in it and it certainly looked fine. The blow off barb is always there if you're expecting a krausen monster though.


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## Hubert (7/11/18)

lespaul said:


> @Hubert I saw that you were doing double batches. I was just looking at the volumes of the CF10 and it seems a little tight for 2 cornies, trub and krausen. Had any problems?



I went for the CF15, so no size issues there. Even after dry hopping, the dump valve makes for a pretty clean transfer. I have been averaging 45-46lt per batch to allow for trub and I still get s couple of bottles out of each batch. 

Cheers,

H.


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## Meddo (14/11/18)

Re leg extensions, yeah they're necessary if you want the sight glass below the vessel. I thought I'd be able to get away with having the sight glass horizontal off the elbow rather than vertical but it just doesn't work right like that. I'll probably just wind up knocking up some legs myself but would prefer the first-party version if I had my time again.

And yeah I should have got the carb stone too - I had plans to use an alternative version via AliExpress but that whole horizontal sight glass failure buggered up that idea.

The chilling coil I would have skipped with hindsight, simpler and cheaper to get a fridge to put it in (although they need a pretty big one) rather than spending $1+k on a glycol system. I can't see any way that the coil would hold lagering or crash-chill temperatures in Brisbane ambient so basically not worth bothering with.

If you want to see some pics of my current arrangement do a g search for Dry hop airlock for pressurised FV.


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## Meddo (14/11/18)

Oh yeah definitely get the racking arm, otherwise the deadspace will be too much. Having said that, there are alternatives out there that I suspect are slightly better than the Spike version. I got one of these as a whirlpool return on my brew rig but something like this (right angled to get lower in the cone would be better) with the dual o-ring would work well on the conical - plugging up the TC port means one less place for trub and yeast to settle and need cleaning later:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-5...720.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.1f684c4dPyd1nu

The rotation on the Teflon gasket works well but I haven't actually needed to rotate mine at all during a fermentation - have just left it pointing down. Might need to rotate it up a bit if I do a massive dry hop, will see how it goes when I do an IPA next.


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## Meddo (15/11/18)

Hey @Hubert, do you have any pics of your whole unit and fridge arrangement? I've got mine in a 600L commercial fridge but that thing's a bit past it's prime, might have to look into some alternatives and it looks like someone nearby is selling the same fridge that you're using. I've got a few other bits and pieces hanging off my vessel so would like to see how yours looks in that particular fridge.

Cheers,


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## Hubert (15/11/18)

@Meddo, I’ll grab pics for you tomorrow. Still trialing different layouts, agree with your comment about the sight glass, would be great to have it vertical.


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## lespaul (15/11/18)

You guys are legends, thanks for the help! 
I'm also looking for a fridge suitable for the spike, so pictures would be great.


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## Hubert (16/11/18)

@Meddo,
Current configuration of the fridge. Not super happy with this layout, prefer the sight tube vertical, that requires me to have the valve above the tube with a blank on the bottom (good for yeast harvest, not so much for dumping trub in a controlled manner). Need to adjust the leg supports/get some extensions for the front and it’ll be sweet. Once I’ve transferred this brew, I’ll be taking the feet off and looking for some threaded rod or the like to fix it up. 

Cheers,

H.


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## Hubert (16/11/18)

STC controlled fridge has no issues holding temp in Nth QLD, or chilling down to 2 odd deg either. Pretty happy with the FB Marketplace for this pickup 

H.


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## Meddo (19/11/18)

Nice one @Hubert, that looks like a more appropriately sized fridge for the unit. My commercial jobby is 600L but a lot of that is width/depth that doesn't help as much as height.

I've just knocked up some leg extensions - 42 mm square pine and 3/8" furniture studs and t-nuts. Just pitched a double-batch of a lager intended to be a Munich Helles, dumping trub and yeast is a priority for this batch and since it won't be dry-hopped I left off the dry-hop airlock and put the extensions and sight glass / valve on it instead.

Using a 2" diaphragm valve for flow control when dumping the yeast and trub, unfortunately it's bloody long and adds a heap to the height requirement. I'm also a little bit skeptical as to how well it will work since it requires so many rotations to open and close - I'm a little worried that I'll need to open it right up to get it flowing but then won't be able to shut it off quickly enough. One way to find out though...


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## lespaul (22/11/18)

Hubert said:


> @Meddo, the unit itself is 430mm, with the valves extruding a further 80mm out from that. So from back to extremities is just over 500mm. Remember though, you will gain a few mm in the door thanks to the seal and if you take the shelves off.
> Mine sits in a Fisher & Paykel C450 single door fridge nicely or reference.


So I'm having a little trouble working how big I need the fridge to be. @Meddo what's the internal width and depth of yours? looks like a good fit?

Setup looks good @Hubert!


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## Lionman (23/11/18)

I want one...


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## Hubert (23/11/18)

Lionman said:


> I want one...



Just do it 

They’re a great bit of kit!


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## Lionman (23/11/18)

Hubert said:


> Just do it
> 
> They’re a great bit of kit!



Haha, its goign to take about 4 years for the wife to emotionally recover from the 1K I just spent on brewing gear.


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## Hubert (23/11/18)

Lionman said:


> Haha, its goign to take about 4 years for the wife to emotionally recover from the 1K I just spent on brewing gear.



Yeah, that’d hurt a bit... Mine drinks mine, so it was a win for her as well I guess.


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## lespaul (1/1/19)

It's finally here! Ended up with the pressure kit, pickup tube, few extra 2" and 1.5" addons, and some tubing all up for $1078 so not too different to what's on the Aussie market with pressure fermenting. Most of that was the USD conversion fee.
Seems like a really solidly built unit!
Brewing tomorrow so hopefully, have it going by tomorrow night.
Have you guys noticed a difference in the end product with the pressure ferment, i.e reduced esters and fusels at higher temps, quicker fermentations or anything? I'm doing an English ale tomorrow so not sure if I should just ferment as normal, or increase temps because of the pressure.


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## Hubert (2/1/19)

lespaul said:


> It's finally here!
> .....
> Have you guys noticed a difference in the end product with the pressure ferment, i.e reduced esters and fusels at higher temps, quicker fermentations or anything? I'm doing an English ale tomorrow so not sure if I should just ferment as normal, or increase temps because of the pressure.



Congrats!! Absolutely love the build quality of mine. 

I have only done one pressure ferment so far, it was an IPA and did ferment quite quickly (4 days as opposed to the usual 7). Good on that note and there weren’t a whole lot of ester losses that I could perceive. 
Check out the BeerSmith podcast https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast...nn-beersmith/id398500515?i=1000400084905&mt=2 for some more info. From what I’ve heard/read, the pressure ferment is mainly aimed towards getting lagers fermented out quicker and at higher (Ale) temps, not some much an issue with Ales as they generally get done fairly quickly anyway. 
Transfer to keg was a little harder as the beer was already carbed, so a closed transfer is essential. I hadn’t quite nailed down my process when I did this one, so it took a while amongst all the foam  End product was still a nice beer that the traditional lager drinking FIL drank without complaint. 

Cheers,

H.


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## Meddo (2/1/19)

lespaul said:


> It's finally here! Ended up with the pressure kit, pickup tube, few extra 2" and 1.5" addons, and some tubing all up for $1078 so not too different to what's on the Aussie market with pressure fermenting. Most of that was the USD conversion fee.
> Seems like a really solidly built unit!
> Brewing tomorrow so hopefully, have it going by tomorrow night.
> Have you guys noticed a difference in the end product with the pressure ferment, i.e reduced esters and fusels at higher temps, quicker fermentations or anything? I'm doing an English ale tomorrow so not sure if I should just ferment as normal, or increase temps because of the pressure.


Well done mate, sweet looking setup - what's the fridge you're using?

Haven't done any pressure fermenting yet as I don't have a spunding valve that I can trust. For me I'm not too concerned about doing the fast lager high pressure thing, but as I continue my lager-brewing education I would like to try the traditional German cold fermentation with a bit of top pressure to approximate the hydrostatic pressure in big commercial vessels.


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## lespaul (2/1/19)

Thanks guys! So stoked on the purchase.
I managed to get a commercial fridge off a mate who's a fridge mechanic. 
I might give the pressure ferment a go on this one just for fun. Will report back


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## Meddo (15/4/19)

lespaul said:


> It's finally here! Ended up with the pressure kit, pickup tube, few extra 2" and 1.5" addons, and some tubing all up for $1078 so not too different to what's on the Aussie market with pressure fermenting. Most of that was the USD conversion fee.
> Seems like a really solidly built unit!
> Brewing tomorrow so hopefully, have it going by tomorrow night.
> Have you guys noticed a difference in the end product with the pressure ferment, i.e reduced esters and fusels at higher temps, quicker fermentations or anything? I'm doing an English ale tomorrow so not sure if I should just ferment as normal, or increase temps because of the pressure.


Hey @lespaul, what's the make/model of that fridge? And internal dimensions if it's not too much trouble?


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## [email protected]! (20/9/19)

Sorry to drag up the thread, but is anyone planning on getting one of these anytime soon? I'm planning to get one early next year, figure i need to get organising (and convince the wife of the soundness of the purchase).

Also is anyone cooling the fermentor with the internal coil and water/glyco? I'm hoping to save some space and do this, but curious about the extra cost. My existing fermenting fridge is not big enough. Plus i'm in Canberra so heating will be the issue for most of the year.


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## Meddo (20/9/19)

[email protected]! said:


> Sorry to drag up the thread, but is anyone planning on getting one of these anytime soon? I'm planning to get one early next year, figure i need to get organising (and convince the wife of the soundness of the purchase).
> 
> Also is anyone cooling the fermentor with the internal coil and water/glyco? I'm hoping to save some space and do this, but curious about the extra cost. My existing fermenting fridge is not big enough. Plus i'm in Canberra so heating will be the issue for most of the year.


I've just gotten a G40.1 glycol chiller, I'm hoping to start running batches off it in the next few weeks. I need to build an insulation layer first and source some tubing and wraps. Was using a glass door commercial fridge previously but it carked it a couple of months ago.

Let me know if you do go ahead with an order, I might try to combine postage for some accessories if you don't mind.


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## Hubert (20/9/19)

[email protected]! said:


> Sorry to drag up the thread, but is anyone planning on getting one of these anytime soon? I'm planning to get one early next year, figure i need to get organising (and convince the wife of the soundness of the purchase).
> 
> Also is anyone cooling the fermentor with the internal coil and water/glyco? I'm hoping to save some space and do this, but curious about the extra cost. My existing fermenting fridge is not big enough. Plus i'm in Canberra so heating will be the issue for most of the year.



Purchase is very sound. Loving my CF15. Super versatile as far as pressure ferments, carbing and even serving straight from the tank is you get a little lazy (yep, I’ve done it...). And the tri-clover fittings make it easy to breakdown and clean. 

It really does live up to the buy once, cry once philosophy. 

As far as the glycol goes, can’t really comment on that as I live in Nth Qld so unless I get an industrial glycol chiller, it’s a temp controlled fridge for me.


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## [email protected]! (21/9/19)

I kind of figure that a temp controlled fridge is the way forward. I need one to control my yeast too so kind of means i have no real choice. Plus i concluded that i may get too much condensation in summer if only it is cooled. I brew in a not yet wet room (plan on eventually getting it tilled and sealed). Just need to arrange a fridge big enough.


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## citizensnips (21/9/19)

I use a 52L SS conical in a ferment fridge. Cost me $80 to buy a fridge that fit it. A couple of $10 reptile heat mats hanging on other side connected to your stc/inkbird and the jobs done. I could never and still can't get my head around why any homebrewer would want to spend that amount of money on setting up a glycol system, particularly in the case of one vessel. You would want to make sure you throw in the CIP attachment as cleaning the chilling coils is a PITA if you don't have one. What's more is those coils add a hell of a lot more of surface area for bacteria to hangout, particularly on the underside/shadowed areas. That is just my 2c


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## Basso (24/9/19)

[email protected]! said:


> Sorry to drag up the thread, but is anyone planning on getting one of these anytime soon? I'm planning to get one early next year, figure i need to get organising (and convince the wife of the soundness of the purchase).
> 
> Also is anyone cooling the fermentor with the internal coil and water/glyco? I'm hoping to save some space and do this, but curious about the extra cost. My existing fermenting fridge is not big enough. Plus i'm in Canberra so heating will be the issue for most of the year.[/QUOTE


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## Basso (24/9/19)

I am interested in getting one. Will let you know if I go ahead - just started looking. What size are you interested in?
Cheers 
Mark


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## [email protected]! (8/10/19)

The 15G one. But i've now seen the 55L fermentasaurus is now available so debating on the merits of both.


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