Brewtech SS fermenting vessels discussion thread

[sav]

Your clamps loose a bit of tension. Grab 2 screw drivers one horizontal and the other vertical and hook and bend. It's on there website.
Sav

 

[Cocko]

As a user:

I really love my Chronical, 26L - It is just fun. I am sure you all agree after building something or throwing a bit of coin at it, for your own beery benefit, you take ownership.

As I have said before - even cleaning it becomes a fun part.

Well, brewing in the 26L Chronny is just plain rad- you some how care about everything - Temp. attachments, Cleaning, yeast health etc...

Not just Ss stuff but I am saying its cool when you make a new piece of the puzzle, it is all of a sudden SO important... or just plain fun.

Again, as a user - Go Ss.




And jyo - eabod.

 

[Black n Tan]

Put another batch down yesterday and had a play with the spunding valve today. Managed to hold a stable 4psi with a little bleed on the valve.

Hi blair, where did you source the triclamp spunding valve? Looks like nice one.

EDIT: typo

 

[blekk]

Hi blair, where did you source the triclamp spunding valve? Looks like nice one.

EDIT: typo

[SIZE=11pt]The spunding is a home job. Couldn’t find one at a reasonable price so built this up for about $50.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Gauge - [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]SWAGELOK - PGI-63C-PC30-LAOX INDUSTRIAL PRESSURE GAUGE 1/4" NPT Male 30/30[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Relief Valve - [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Control Devices CR Series Brass Pressure Relief Valve, 0-100 psi Adjustable[/SIZE]

Triclamp –
½” with BSP thread. The T piece is ¼” NPT female, female, male to match the gauge and relief valve threads (they’re both NPT). I had the BSP reducing bush lying around but had to tap the ¼” BSP to NPT to fit the T piece. Thread tape is O2 thread tape.

Over all I’m happy with the setup however I’m going to change out the spring in the relief valve after this batch as I’ve found it doesn’t pop off and snap shut properly until around the 40psi mark (tested before using it so I wouldn’t ruin the new toy!). Below 40psi it opens but doesn’t close so I have just been letting it bleed very lightly to accommodate the 5psi of the chronical (keeping it around 3-4psi on the gauge). The one good thing about the light bleed is I can tell when the ferment has finished as the pressure starts to drop off, then I just screw the relief all the way in and let it sit slightly pressurised.

 

[mckenry]

Hey Blair. Genuine question. Not taking the piss. Why use a spunding valve at all? If u close off the blow off/airlock the built in relief should let co2 escape at 5psi anyway? Or doesn't yours have one?

 

[mckenry]

Oh. I just read your second in depth post. I understand what you're doing now but why not just let the built in safety so it's job at 5psi?

 

[Florian]

built in safety? Are you talking about the lid clamps?

Or do you have something on your 17gal that we 7galers don't have?

 

[mckenry]

built in safety? Are you talking about the lid clamps?

Or do you have something on your 17gal that we 7galers don't have?

OK. Yeah the 17 has a small spring loaded pressure relief 'knob' that lets go at 5psi. Well I thought it was 5psi from the chit chat here. It's in the lid. Not on the 7?

 

[mckenry]

That's what I use to purge the headspace after oxygenating the wort and fitting the lid. Hook up the co2 to the blowoff, pressurise the fermenter, release the air. Repeat until I'm happy it's only co2 coming out of the relief.

 

[blekk]

No, don't have that on the 7's, would be great tho. I haven't got too many brews under my belt with the new bit of kit (I also certainly don't have the experience that others around here have) but I know 4psi is probably doing very little (I read somewhere 15 is the optimal pressure??) I figured if I'm going to have some bling I may as well pimp it up and make it look impressive

 

[blekk]

That's what I use to purge the headspace after oxygenating the wort and fitting the lid. Hook up the co2 to the blowoff, pressurise the fermenter, release the air. Repeat until I'm happy it's only co2 coming out of the relief.

Co2 is heavier then air so shouldn't need to 'burp' multiple times when flushing. All I do is run a gas line in through the top port and flush for about 10 secs, seal her up and let it do its thang. Even if there is a small amount of air trapped it will sit above the co2 layer and be pushed out when the ferment kicks off.

 

[mckenry]

Yep. When I say repeat- it means once or twice. I would only gas up for 6 or 7 seconds. I just like to be 100% sure no air is in there ever. Just coz I can with the chronical.

 

[HeavyNova]

Cleaned mine after bottling on the weekend...

Got the vast majority of crud off with a just a hose, then all she needed was gentle wipe to remove the remaining stuff! About 1,000,000 times better than cleaning out the Willow jerry can with a sponge on a stick, like I used to!

 

[bullsneck]

That's what I use to purge the headspace after oxygenating the wort and fitting the lid. Hook up the co2 to the blowoff, pressurise the fermenter, release the air. Repeat until I'm happy it's only co2 coming out of the relief.

Co2 is heavier then air so shouldn't need to 'burp' multiple times when flushing. All I do is run a gas line in through the top port and flush for about 10 secs, seal her up and let it do its thang. Even if there is a small amount of air trapped it will sit above the co2 layer and be pushed out when the ferment kicks off.

Can I ask why it's necessary to fill the vessel with CO2 before fermentation has begun? Surely any oxygen will be absorbed by the yeast in the growth phase.

 

[roller997]

Given that there were plenty of breweries using open fermenters and the fact that the wort should be oxygenated, I am curious as well on why you would purge the air with CO2?

The CO2 created by the fermentation would displace the air pretty quickly.

I have tried to create oversized batches via open fermentation in a fridge. Works really well as per my avatar and when the fermentation begins to subside I put the lid on my conical and shield it from air at the latter part of the fermentation.

Interesting article relating to open air fermentation.
http://hbd.org/brewery/library/OpenFerm.html

 

[Camo6]

Checked a Landlord I had CCing last night to find the tray under it filling with beer and a stalagmite forming under the cone. Quickly transferred to a keg but couldn't figure out why the tap o ring had started leaking until I realised the little stalagmite was frozen beer and the airlock was frozen solid. The only problem with using an upright freezer as a ferment chamber is it chills too damn quick. Must remember to drop 5c at a time.

Has anyone tried sourcing thicker silicone o rings for the tap seals? I know some replace the tap completey but I kind of like the racking arm.

 

[blekk]

Can I ask why it's necessary to fill the vessel with CO2 before fermentation has begun? Surely any oxygen will be absorbed by the yeast in the growth phase.

For me its so I know it will give consistent results. I don't use fresh/liquid yeast (for now anyway) so fermentation is a little slower to kick off and I would like to give it the best start in life. If for some reason there is wild yeast trapped inside my fermenter, I'd imagine it could possibly establish itself faster then my dormant strain.

 

[TidalPete]

Posting these for Sav re his conical.

Filtering 60 lt. Can you post this mate no where near 5 psi claimed before leaking co2. Love the ease of it

 

[bullsneck]

For me its so I know it will give consistent results. I don't use fresh/liquid yeast (for now anyway) so fermentation is a little slower to kick off and I would like to give it the best start in life. If for some reason there is wild yeast trapped inside my fermenter, I'd imagine it could possibly establish itself faster then my dormant strain.

Ok. Fair enough. If it's for consistency.

Bear in mind you are pitching a lot of yeast, compared to the much fewer spores in the air. Yes, the CO2 will inhibit growth of wild spores, but remember yeast is essentially a spore too.

 

[Spiesy]

For me its so I know it will give consistent results. I don't use fresh/liquid yeast (for now anyway) so fermentation is a little slower to kick off and I would like to give it the best start in life. If for some reason there is wild yeast trapped inside my fermenter, I'd imagine it could possibly establish itself faster then my dormant strain.

Rehydrate your dried yeast. Shouldn't be any more noticeable lag times with decent, healthy dry yeast.