Modding the FERMENTASAURUS

[S.E]

The other mod I did was to the dip tube/hose that comes with the pressure lid kit. The silicone hose attaches to the underside of the lid by fitting INSIDE a small length of tube (that is identical to a gas dip tube out of a corny keg) and floats on top of the wort/beer by attaching to a stainless float. This allows you to draw the beer from the top of the fermenter (which is clearer), but the ball has a habit of sticking to the sides of the fermenter, which sucks up a bit of crud, and the hose VERY easily detaches from the float and the tube under the lid. If this happens, you can still get the beer out via siphoning, or through the dump valve, but both of these are less than ideal.

I’ve just remembered that these things come fitted with a floating dip and went back to re read your post and see I completely missed the bit that you replaced it because the ball was sticking and giving trouble.

The float I use is a Cask Widge and has never stuck to the side of my 15 Gallon corny. I bought it in the UK a few years ago but thought I saw that one of the site sponsors stock them here.

Here are the spare floats on the UK website: http://www.caskwidge.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7&zenid=lYXHXkbd6FU8sKDkmSi5x1
they also have a ss hop screen fitted.

 

[The Punt]

Yeah, a floating dip tube hose to pull clear beer from the top is good in theory, but the one supplied with the pressure lid isn't a great design. If the silicone tube was a bit larger in diameter, it could be clamped over the short dip tube to prevent it becoming detached. Same for the float end of the tube. I like the idea of the hop screen.

 

[markp]

Yeah, a floating dip tube hose to pull clear beer from the top is good in theory, but the one supplied with the pressure lid isn't a great design. If the silicone tube was a bit larger in diameter, it could be clamped over the short dip tube to prevent it becoming detached. Same for the float end of the tube. I like the idea of the hop screen.

The silicon hose supplied does slip over the original short dip tube, I have it set up like that on my fermentasaurus and never slips off.
Cheers.

 

[Kev R]

The butterfly valves are more expensive and there is the obstruction of the butterfly in the bore. ( I think that may be the cause of blockages with the original valve) The sanitary ball valves have no obstruction. Disassembly cleaning, the 2 parts of the body, body seal, 2 ball seals and stem and seals + reassembly 5 min tops and im'e 100% sure that it's clean

 

[buckerooni]

a

Right, I got all the bits for this mod from 2014online (http://stores.ebay.com.au/2014online/) EXCEPT the actual valve, which I got from 2008mysky (http://stores.ebay.com.au/2008mysky/) but I have seen these valves on KegKing's website.
The parts are:
1 X DN15-DN50 1/2"-2" Sanitary Female Threaded Ferrule Pipe Fitting Clamp Type SS316 (112697116225) (Make sure you get the 1" thread)
1 X 38MM 1-1/2" 1.5" Sanitary Ferrule Elbow 90 Degree Pipe Fitting SS316 Tri Clamp (121338690388)
1 X 1/2"-2" 12MM-57MM Sanitary Hose Barb Ferrule Pipe Fitting SS316 Tri Clamp Type (112693304117)
3 X 1.5" Tri Clamp Clover Sanitary Fits 50.5MM OD Ferrule Flange Stainless Steel 316 (122864193442)
3 X 1-1/2" 1.5" 38MM Silicon Gasket Fits 50.5MM OD Sanitary Tri Clamp Type Ferrule (122864199623)
And the valve : 1-1/2" 38mm SS304 Stainless Steel Sanitary 1.5" Tri Clamp Butterfly Valve (401385200948)

Just check that all the fittings are 1.5" tri-clamp, as some of the listings let you choose between different sizes. Hope this helps.
Cheers.

awesome, brilliant stuff! I'm hoping this gives more clearance under the unit, so I can potentially lower the unit a little (cut/mod the base) so I can fit it (with the pressure) kit into a fridge I have lined up that is about 50mm too short with a standard 'sauras (fingers crossed).

 

[blotto]

The silicon hose supplied does slip over the original short dip tube, I have it set up like that on my fermentasaurus and never slips off.
Cheers.

Yeah I've got mine set up with the hose over the dip tube and over the tube on the float, pushing it inside is incorrect. @The Punt you need to watch the keg king youtube vids that explain how to set up the fermentasaurus because it sounds like your doing that part wrong, not that it matters now you've gotten rid of the float.

 

[mashmaniac]

The whole idea of TC fittings is they are sanitary, there are no threads for nasties to hide. I'm not knocking the OP, just remember there is still a few spots there that will need a thorough cleaning. I have a stainless conical, to clean I simply hose out , fill with perc (soak 1 hour), drain, strip the TC's and dump them in a bucket of perc till next use, then star san every thing before use. That regime won't work with this there are still threads to scrub.
Maybe MKII will be closer to the mark, these are probably closer to the mark for simplicity of cleaning with similar upgrade to whats shown here.

 

[buckerooni]

wow, the 2014online blokes are fast - delivered in 8 days! still waiting for the butterfly valve...

 

[buckerooni]

thanks Punt, can fit this in a 450L fridge

 

[The Punt]

@markp and @blotto you guys are right, the silicone tube DOES fit over the dip tube and float. I have gone back to using the float after having a near disaster with an IPA I made recently that blocked BOTH the gas in and the beer out disconnects. Don't ask....
Also, as far as sanitizing goes, if you remove all the tri-clamp fittings and loosen the lock ring, you can then fill a Bunnings 5 litre handy pail with your sanitizer of choice and let the bottom section of the fermenter soak overnight without unscrewing the plastic/stainless bits. I am yet to have a problem with infection...yet.

 

[peterlonz]

I like the very workmanlike approach to these mods. Well chosen components dealing with fairly obvious problems.
Pity that the manufacturer did not see the glaring need because solving with plastic parts in volume would not add greatly to the overall cost.
On the basis of what appears above I will delay any proposed purchase I had floating around in my head.

 

[Peta]

The silicone hose for the float can be put OVER the post on the pressure lid. It has never come off for me. Not sure the keg intake is a great mod ...

 

[shacked]

@/// check this out!

 

[wide eyed and legless]

You guys who have removed the original butterfly valve from the bottom of the FV, have you thought about refitting it at the top close to the opening, you could put your dry hops in the bottle and when you are ready to dry hop open the butterfly valve and drop the hops in.
The problem with the curvature could be overcome making a thicker silicone washer to get a good seal.

 

[Grok]

Waking up an old post!
A very cheap mod for the Gen1 (and others) Fermentasaurus that brings everything up to work height in a chest freezer/fridge using standard garden hose fittings and a small mod on the collection bowl. This could be done neater I'm sure, but I wanted to see if it works, and it does!
The stand is used upside down and the whole height is about 720mm, just enough to fit inside the chest freezer with the lid closed. You could get less height by using right angled posts as well.
This setup is for pressure fermenting and uses the pressure to force the trub out the end of the hose into whatever you want like a jug, or you can use the bowl and valve components upside and bleed off the air from the gas post to fill the bowl.
But whats best of all, is you now have is a CO2 or oxygen direct injection chamber. By placing clarifying agent, or hops slurry or liquid into the bowl, screw the (closed) valve assembly on it, turn it upside down and plug into the hose coming from the bottom of the fermenting tank. If your using co2, you could remove any oxygen in the bowl by letting some content from the pressured tank to back flow a bit, then purge through the (now) top gas post button, and then attach the gas of choice to the the gas post at say about 20 psi. This bit is important, lower the pressure inside the tank temporarily via the relief valve and then open the bowl valve for about 10 secs. The aim is to get the liquid shooting straight up into the centre of the wort followed by lots of vigorous bubbles to spread and mix it into the wort. The technique works well and is borrowed from using the WW pressure fermenter for the last 3 years or so, produces delicious beer and saves on co2 as well.
I ferment at 20psi, and serve at 20 psi because I like lots of bubbles, works for me!



or make your own outta PVC bits.

 

[Bruer]

Not sure if it's mentioned elsewhere on AHB, but a great way to introduce dry hops without oxygen is using magnets.

Its as simple inserting a magnet in a hop sock and put it inside the fermentor. Have a magnet on the outside to hold it in place.Then simply pull the external magnet away and the hops drop into the beer.

If a hop sock ain't your thing I'm sure you could rig a stainless shot glass or cup with magnets to up-end the contents (your dry hops) into your beer.

 

[buckerooni]

changed over to a QD fitting, no more explosive moments around the shed!

 

[gusterminator]

Waking up an old post!
A very cheap mod for the Gen1 (and others) Fermentasaurus that brings everything up to work height in a chest freezer/fridge using standard garden hose fittings and a small mod on the collection bowl. This could be done neater I'm sure, but I wanted to see if it works, and it does!
The stand is used upside down and the whole height is about 720mm, just enough to fit inside the chest freezer with the lid closed. You could get less height by using right angled posts as well.
This setup is for pressure fermenting and uses the pressure to force the trub out the end of the hose into whatever you want like a jug, or you can use the bowl and valve components upside and bleed off the air from the gas post to fill the bowl.
But whats best of all, is you now have is a CO2 or oxygen direct injection chamber. By placing clarifying agent, or hops slurry or liquid into the bowl, screw the (closed) valve assembly on it, turn it upside down and plug into the hose coming from the bottom of the fermenting tank. If your using co2, you could remove any oxygen in the bowl by letting some content from the pressured tank to back flow a bit, then purge through the (now) top gas post button, and then attach the gas of choice to the the gas post at say about 20 psi. This bit is important, lower the pressure inside the tank temporarily via the relief valve and then open the bowl valve for about 10 secs. The aim is to get the liquid shooting straight up into the centre of the wort followed by lots of vigorous bubbles to spread and mix it into the wort. The technique works well and is borrowed from using the WW pressure fermenter for the last 3 years or so, produces delicious beer and saves on co2 as well.
I ferment at 20psi, and serve at 20 psi because I like lots of bubbles, works for me!


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or make your own outta PVC bits.
View attachment 115768

What is the part number or name of the fittings you used to screw into the fermentasaurus? the components that adapt the plastic bottom of the fermentasaurus to the 90 hose barb? Does regular 3/4" hose fittings fit?

Thanks,

 

[Grok]

What is the part number or name of the fittings you used to screw into the fermentasaurus? the components that adapt the plastic bottom of the fermentasaurus to the 90 hose barb? Does regular 3/4" hose fittings fit?

Thanks,

Yes, just standard 3/4 garden hose fitting. I advise you to get the brass, not the plastic swivel ones because they leak in a short time. The brass right angle ain't cheap, but you won't have any trouble with it.

 

[The Lazy Brewer]

Perfect! Just what i was looking for. Now got to wait 4 weeks for the China Express to get me my bits. Better get a brew on in the meantime.