Fermzilla

[Grmblz]

Greetings, Australia. I've registered her so I could ask @KegLand-com-au this:

I've just taken delivery of FermZilla 27L and I'm looking forward to using on my next brew day.
However, before I can do that, I need to clean it. That's where I run into problems. From the FermZilla manual:

9.Only use chemical cleaners and sanitizers that are approved by Kegland. These include:
a) Super Kill Ethyl Sanitiser Spray (KL05371)
b) StellarSan (mixed to the correct specification) (KL05357)
c) StellarClean (KL05494)

- none of which are available here in Denmark


My question to KegLand is:

Which, if any, of the following products that are available here can I use to clean and sanitize my new FermZilla


Isopropyl Alcohol 70% (spray)
http://datablade.novadan.dk/dokumenter/1083-1-en.pdf
http://datablade.novadan.dk/dokumenter/1083-2-en.pdf


Five Star:

PBW
StarSan
SaniClean
https://www.fivestarchemicals.com/breweries/homebrewing/products/


Chemipro ® OXI
https://www.brouwland.com/en/our-products/cleaning/cleaning-products/d/chemipro-oxi-1-kg-fles


VWP Cleaner/Sterilizer
https://www.vwpcleanersteriliser.co.uk/


Grainfather High Performance Cleaner
https://shop.grainfather.com/high-performance-cleaner-500g.html



Thanks in advance.

All of the Five star stuff is ok, as is sodium percarbonate. I don't know about the other stuff. I don't work for Kegland but do use these chemicals on my Fermzilla. It's PET no different to soda bottles.

 

[Grmblz]

Is the fermzilla thermowell able to be used under pressure?

https://www.kegland.com.au/60cm-thermowell-1-4inch-duotight-bulkhead-included.html

At 35psi there'll be ~2.7lb.f ejection force acting on it, is a duotight fitting going to hold this?

Khee recommends cutting a fine groove using a pipe cutter so the duo has something to grip, it's why their pressure guages have a groove machined into them.

 

[Meddo]

Khee recommends cutting a fine groove using a pipe cutter so the duo has something to grip, it's why their pressure guages have a groove machined into them.

According to the YouTube video the groove should be 15mm from the tube end to line up with their duotight fittings.

 

[jimreevescairns]

First brew in the fermzilla. Omnipollo 4:21 vanilla raspberry milkshake IPA. Chucked the raspberries in the top after primary fermentation and dry hopped 230g mosaic pellets through the bottom tonight.
Great seeing the process as if happens unlike my old bucket. The colour change is amazing!
Planning to do closed transfer for the first time but going to be interesting with all those raspberries floating around with the dip tube.
Never used fruit before - will it sink with the cold crash ? I will find out anyway but interested in others experience
Cheers Jim

 

[BrEWinther]

Thanks for the replies, @Schikitar and @Grmblz..

I will try your recommendation ( I'm starting to run out of beer ), but would have preferred an official answer from @KegLand-com-au

 

[Substance]

thanks @Grmblz so flat beer at room temp to match the starting gravity sample is all it needs to be, knew it would be something simple
Cheers
D

 

[Schikitar]

Planning to do closed transfer for the first time but going to be interesting with all those raspberries floating around with the dip tube.
Never used fruit before - will it sink with the cold crash ?

I did a Raspberry Citra Milkshake IPA a while back (it was delicious by the way so I think you'll enjoy your brew), that said, I bagged the raspberries in a large grain bag as it can get messy. Do the cold crash but I'm not sure if they'll all sink or not, you may have to backflush the liquid out post with CO2 if the pickup tube gets blocked..

 

[jimreevescairns]

Thank you Schikitar - considered a bag but felt I’d get more out of them if free. May try it next time depending on how I go

 

[Half-baked]

I will try your recommendation ( I'm starting to run out of beer ), but would have preferred an official answer from @KegLand-com-au

Don’t know if Kegland monitor other threads, next time try posting on the Kegland question and answer thread.

But you’ll just get the same advice: same stuff but the KL versions...

 

[BrewsWayne]

A pair of 27 FermZillas arrived in Colorado today, to join a 65L BrewZilla and 35L DigiBoil.

All of the products showed up with NO dings, dents or scratches.

 

[WEF]

A pair of 27 FermZillas arrived in Colorado today, to join a 65L BrewZilla and 35L DigiBoil.

All of the products showed up with NO dings, dents or scratches.
View attachment 116374

You can cut those silicon pickup tubes a bit shorter so that they are sitting on the butterfly valve with a straight lead.

Another cheap and extremely effective "mod" i did with my Fermzilla was drilling a large hole in a Coke lid and putting a 6" length of Silicon hose in it with a small hole drilled into the side wall where a small digital thermometer probe is inserted, then the outlet of my Grainfather counter flow chiller hose is inserted into this 6" hose which can now be screwed onto the FermZilla providing me with an inline temperature readout on the fly and is a good way of holding the silicon hose into place so that it doesn't slip out during the transfer process.

 

[BrewsWayne]

Thank you for the suggestions. I will give them a try when I finally start using the gear.
Cheers

 

[pauly]

Long time lurker here, I've just received my Fermzilla (no dents or scratches!) and am looking forward to putting down a few brews but I'm not sure the best way to dry hop.

Previously I'd just load the dry hops into a hop sock and chuck them in the top of the fermenter and forget about it. Since I can, I'd like to do a ferment under pressure and then an enclosed transfer to a keg. I saw a Celler Dwellers video where Gash used the collection container to dry hop, to be honest it didn't look like it worked that well! I guess I can always release the pressure, throw them in through the top, then purge with co2, but that seems like a waste and fiddly. I am also toying with picking up one of these and just dry hopping in the keg which seems like the simplest option to me, but I am a bit wary of leaving the hops there too long as I am not a fast drinker.

Any recommendations?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

This is in another thread.
https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/kk-fermentasaurus-conical-pet-fermenter.93589/page-18

 

[Paddy]

Pauly I copied the IP of the magnets in a metal hop ball for a light load and used the collection bottle on the Fermzilla for a heavy load. Hops made it all the way to the top in a flash, was worried about a following bang, and turned out a very nice drop.

 

[Schikitar]

I saw a Celler Dwellers video where Gash used the collection container to dry hop, to be honest it didn't look like it worked that well!

I've dry hopped through the container, just a couple tips; make sure you've dumped most of the trub from the FZ (via the container) first, then when you screw the container back on you'll need to connect gas to it (about 30psi) and purge the container about 8 times and then open the valve. Alternatively, just release the pressure from the FZ and crack the top lid and dry hop through there, unless you're making something like a NEIPA then I wouldn't be too concerned..

 

[pauly]

This is in another thread.
https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/kk-fermentasaurus-conical-pet-fermenter.93589/page-18

Thanks for the link, that's a very neat idea with the magnets.

The Minister of Finance approved the purchase of a kegerator. Unfortunately that was contingent on the fermenting fridge being retired, which is why I'm trying out the Fermzilla. Probably won't work for me as I'd have the hops at room temp too long.

 

[pauly]

Pauly I copied the IP of the magnets in a metal hop ball for a light load and used the collection bottle on the Fermzilla for a heavy load. Hops made it all the way to the top in a flash, was worried about a following bang, and turned out a very nice drop.

Thanks for the report, I think I will give the collection bottle a go then!

 

[pauly]

I've dry hopped through the container, just a couple tips; make sure you've dumped most of the trub from the FZ (via the container) first, then when you screw the container back on you'll need to connect gas to it (about 30psi) and purge the container about 8 times and then open the valve. Alternatively, just release the pressure from the FZ and crack the top lid and dry hop through there, unless you're making something like a NEIPA then I wouldn't be too concerned..

Good to hear you and Paddy have successfully used the container to dry hop.

I actually have a NEIPA FWK from grain & grape, but that will be the second or third ferment. I guess with this I would do the first dry hop through the top and then the second through the container. Do you have any tips for it?

 

[TheBeerBaron]

I've dry hopped through the container, just a couple tips; make sure you've dumped most of the trub from the FZ (via the container) first, then when you screw the container back on you'll need to connect gas to it (about 30psi) and purge the container about 8 times and then open the valve. Alternatively, just release the pressure from the FZ and crack the top lid and dry hop through there, unless you're making something like a NEIPA then I wouldn't be too concerned..

I did exactly this, dumped trub, cleaned & sanitised the container, 100g of hops in, attach back onto FV and purged. Opened the valve and bingo. Also, just to see what happened, re-attached gas to collection container and pulled the PRV up top which results in gas bubbling through container and really bubbling all the pellets up into the main body. Worked perfectly!