Nano - build out!

GreenMonti said:

Without getting this thread any further off track, your the one who asked about using RO water. If this is a specific topic you want to know about, then star a thread on it.

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no, that's a good point. please don't answer that anyone. I'll search elsewhere.

now back to the build-out.

Sorry guys, I missed some of your questions and comments. Thanks for your suggestions and questions.

if you haven't cut the metal yet give a shop vacuum a think or two.
Suck the spent grain out like who dun it.

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I hadn't thought of that, which is funny, because I'm the only guy I know who uses a shop vac to suck the dirt out of my post holes. I put a fence up around my 2.5 acre property and dug the holese with an auger on a bobcat, then cleaned all of them out that way. Perfect little holes with smooth sides all the way down.

In any case, I want to be able to tip - I currently brew on a 2050 and love that feature.

Those are very affordable alternatives to the SS fermenters we usually see. I noticed that the website said the tops are not vented. Do you plan on modifying them at all to vent them or for blow off?

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Definitely going to rig up a blow off assembly on the tops, probably in the lid. I'm also adding in a thermocouple for my RANCO temp controller as both the 60's will fit inside my double glass door merchandiser.

Just curious, what 65 gallon kettles are you using? I was looking for a larger kettle and havent come across anything bigger than the blichmann. Thanks and good luck, looks awesome!

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I'm having them custom build by a local fabricator. They will be 25" x 30.5" and have all the NPT and tri-clover fittings welded in place. The MT and the WP will be 18 ga, the BK will be 18 ga sides welded to a 14 ga bottom.

Also, one would also be concerned with the light affecting the beer since these tanks are opaque. Do the UV stabilizers fix that issue, or does that just mean that the plastic itself won't dry and crack under uv light?

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I haven't heard that this is an issue with this tanks - in any case they will be inside my GDM with the windows blacked out anyway and the larger one will be in my cold room. I'm not positive if the RESIN of these conicals is UV protective, but I think that can be checked by calling Ace.

Another question about the fermenters. Are you going to be replacing them yearly? I ask because on the 11/23-24/08 brew strong I heard that bad stuff can accumulate in the pores of food grade plastic buckets, and no amount of scrubbing or sanitizing will remove that bad stuff. (bad stuff=wild yeast, bacteria, etc.)

Edit: Could have been the 6-12-05 Sunday Session I heard it on.

Are you going to be replacing them yearly?

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Heck no! These aren't the same plastic - the Ace Induction tanks are far sturdier and hardy than a standard plastic bucket - not to say you'll be scrubbing with a wire brush, but they should last for a long time with care.

I plan on cleaning upon emptying (not letting it sit), using OxyClean and my powerwasher. Many other nanos use these and have for years.

mikefromcu said:

Heck no! These aren't the same plastic - the Ace Induction tanks are far sturdier and hardy than a standard plastic bucket - not to say you'll be scrubbing with a wire brush, but they should last for a long time with care.

I plan on cleaning upon emptying (not letting it sit), using OxyClean and my powerwasher. Many other nanos use these and have for years.

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Great to know.

Hey all, what's the temp rating for the gaskets in tri-clover fittings?

For my Bk drain, I'm putting the burner off-center as was suggested and building a heat shield to protect the outlet port of the kettle. Now figuring on whether I should weld a TC ferrule or a 3/4" NPT fitting to the bottom of the kettle.

I'm thinking NPT just because I don't want to ding up the ferrule when I clean the kettle but still curious about the gasket heat rating.

Thanks.

mikefromcu said:

Hey all, what's the temp rating for the gaskets in tri-clover fittings?

For my Bk drain, I'm putting the burner off-center as was suggested and building a heat shield to protect the outlet port of the kettle. Now figuring on whether I should weld a TC ferrule or a 3/4" NPT fitting to the bottom of the kettle.

I'm thinking NPT just because I don't want to ding up the ferrule when I clean the kettle but still curious about the gasket heat rating.

Thanks.

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IIRC boona gaskets are rated to 250*.

Hey how is this going? Great read for me so far, never considered a tankless water heater as a way to...heat water.

PTFE (TEFLON) gaskets have an upper use temperature of 500 F. The gasket will creep at that temperature so it could leak under pressure.

How do you plan on carbonating? Will you be using something for a bright tank? I was planning on using plastic conicals as well for fermenters. This is it off to kegs, bottles, cans??

That's a good question. How would you go about carbing 60 gal of beer without bright tanks?

Chill, rack to kegs brite beer, force carbonate in the kegs one at a time, 40# CO2 for ~ 16.5 minutes per 1/2 bbl. Easy peasy. Been doing it for a year now.

At what point are you filtering your beer? If I remember correctly you even filtered the jucundus at your anniversary last week, or maybe I'd had way too many glasses by the time I got to that one. Great beer, great party, will be going back as soon as my growler is empty. Greetings from Tijuana.

We don't ever filter our beer, nor use anything but kettle finings. Gravity, time and temperature are all we need!
Thanks and hope to see you here again soon. That was a blast!

Mike,

I have the 85 gallon Ace Roto tanks. I saw in your blog you moved to the 110 gallon. How did you go from the 2" fitting on the bottom to a 1.5" TC fitting? (Part # and where you bought it would rock :crossI can't seem to find anything that reduces easily in a semi sanitary way?

Thanks and great to see the progress on your blog!!
Craig