No problem... I out at my kids party tonight but will post all the links when I get back home.
Doubling Down: SS Brewtech Conical + FTSS + Glycol Power Pack
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No problem... I out at my kids party tonight but will post all the links when I get back home.
I would rather transfer to kegs so I can use the unitank for another batch. Right now carbing in the tank is an issue, as transfers have not been smooth. Hoper to figure that out. Will use it basically as a fermenter for now.
Anyone have a good hop filter, or filter to attach to the racking arm? I got one for racking arm but does not fit. Looking to keep all the hops out of the transfer. Always issues with poppets and ball locks.
Anyone have a good hop filter, or filter to attach to the racking arm? I got one for racking arm but does not fit. Looking to keep all the hops out of the transfer. Always issues with poppets and ball locks.
Tozzi
Active Member
The Bouncer McDaddy isn't bad, but clogs up when lots of dry hops were used.
Also, I don't know if it can sustain the pressure.
I'm now using this one, which is extremely nice, but somewhat exotic and I don't know if it's available outside Europe (while it evidently was made in China, so it should be available through one of the usual outlets there):
https://www.braubebo.de/tri-clamp/filter/35/hopstrainer-hopfenfilter?c=15
Else, you could try to use a Blichmann HopRocket and fill it with rice hulls or other sorts of husks.
You could also use flower hops to give your beer an "extra kick"...
I've done that before and it also works quite well.
As for the transfer, a typical mistake is to have the pressure set too low.
Try with a few more PSI on both serving and receiving sides, keeping the difference as low as possible.
A spunding valve on the keg's gas post helps immensely.
Also, I don't know if it can sustain the pressure.
I'm now using this one, which is extremely nice, but somewhat exotic and I don't know if it's available outside Europe (while it evidently was made in China, so it should be available through one of the usual outlets there):
https://www.braubebo.de/tri-clamp/filter/35/hopstrainer-hopfenfilter?c=15
Else, you could try to use a Blichmann HopRocket and fill it with rice hulls or other sorts of husks.
You could also use flower hops to give your beer an "extra kick"...
I've done that before and it also works quite well.
As for the transfer, a typical mistake is to have the pressure set too low.
Try with a few more PSI on both serving and receiving sides, keeping the difference as low as possible.
A spunding valve on the keg's gas post helps immensely.
I also have the Brite tank (10 gal) and was disappointed that there wasn't a way to relieve pressure when there is product in the tank. I modified mine like this:
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I use a 1.5" TC to male 1/4" flare connector with a John Guest 1/4" flare to push connect (5/16") fitting (http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/1-4-mfl-push-to-connect/). I use BevSeal Ultra tubing with push connect fittings on everything; faucet tail pieces, keg connectors, Unitank and Brite tank
Morrey
Well-Known Member
I had huge success with CIP cleaning today after switching from a Chugger 7 gpm pump over to a 1/5 hp Harbor Freight sump pump I use for keg system cleaning. I installed a ball valve on the pump's output to control flow rate. Beautiful setup and worked like a charm.
I didn't have such great success transferring carbed beer with a 1 micron filter inline between the Uni tank and keg. I filled keg with sani-clean and pushed sanitizer out of keg, thru the filter and into a catch bucket. I sanitized and purged the filter and lines in one operation. Very smooth and no foaming inside the filter and 3/16" lines.
HOWEVER, when pushing carbed beer I got NOTHING BUT FOAM after the filter in the output line. The filter created turbulence that made a darn mess pumping foam. Remembering what Tozzi said, I increased input pressure to 10 psi and increased spunding valve back pressure to 7 psi. I tried every combo of pushing pressure and spunding back pressure and finally gave up.
The beer (lager) is pretty clear anyway so I ditched the filter and put on my standard transfer line after wasting a quart or so of beer. Unless there is something I missed, my impression is that carbed beer may be problematic through a filter. Maybe uncarbed beer works better, but I am not impressed with my not so great filtration efforts.
I didn't have such great success transferring carbed beer with a 1 micron filter inline between the Uni tank and keg. I filled keg with sani-clean and pushed sanitizer out of keg, thru the filter and into a catch bucket. I sanitized and purged the filter and lines in one operation. Very smooth and no foaming inside the filter and 3/16" lines.
HOWEVER, when pushing carbed beer I got NOTHING BUT FOAM after the filter in the output line. The filter created turbulence that made a darn mess pumping foam. Remembering what Tozzi said, I increased input pressure to 10 psi and increased spunding valve back pressure to 7 psi. I tried every combo of pushing pressure and spunding back pressure and finally gave up.
The beer (lager) is pretty clear anyway so I ditched the filter and put on my standard transfer line after wasting a quart or so of beer. Unless there is something I missed, my impression is that carbed beer may be problematic through a filter. Maybe uncarbed beer works better, but I am not impressed with my not so great filtration efforts.
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Morrey
Well-Known Member
Yeah, all that is a bit too much for one day...at least for me as it seems we agree totally. Brewing and cleaning up is a pretty long process, and transfer to keg and cleaning is a long process in itself. I stagger these a day apart as I find it too taxing all in one day.
Tozzi
Active Member
Yes, unfortunately, that may well be the case.
The hop particles probably cause gushing (Mentos effect).
Morrey
Well-Known Member
Did you have a bad experience (like me) pushing carbed beer thru the filter?
So I'm looking for tips here. I use sight glasses to capture and save yeast (instead of Mason jars) however, I'm making a 12 gallon Czech lager right now and when I closed the valve right on the dump port and removed the sight glass I attached another capped sight glass to fill again since mine was 100 percent full of beautiful yeast. Didn't think about all the oxygen that would introduce by opening the valve. Of course it all bubbled up, I immediately purged the headspace, but can't help wonder if I got oxygen into the beer since fermentation is done.
Any ideas how to minimize or eliminate that? And thoughts on if I will notice the oxygen?
Thanks
Any ideas how to minimize or eliminate that? And thoughts on if I will notice the oxygen?
Thanks
Use a valve on the sight glass instead of a cap. Crack the downstream valve then open the dump.
I assume you mean crack just a tiny bit to allow pressure out. Wouldn't I lose a bunch or beer / yeast that way?
By regulating the dump valve and bleed valve you can get very fine control of the flow with little loss.
Thanks, I'll give it a try after this sight glass is full. I'm getting tons of good yeast from this batch. I have 4 sight glasses so it's easy to keep filling them as long as good yeast is settling down.
May I trouble you for a pic, please?
Yes! Same results as you posted. It didn’t happen with my first transfer (ever from the tank) of the pliney clone. Maybe because it wasn’t as carbonated as yesterday’s? I too, tried to bump up the psi with no good result. So I think the filter is going back on the shelf....OR the beer won’t be carbonated in the tank if I wanna use the filter. Ended up just going from the 1.5 tc post out to the liquid out on the keg. It just added to an already long beer day.
Going from my Ss brewbuckets I always had clear beer but both of the beers coming out of the tanks have been hazy. Think I’m gonna get two of those Ss dryhoppers that you provided the links for. I use the same company’s Ss hop basket in my boil so i know the quality is there like you said. So no real reason to use that filter in the first place.
I don't have a pic since I don't collect yeast at home, but it is essentially a block and bleed setup where the sight glass replaces the "T"
Morrey
Well-Known Member
I had this water filter rigged for beer filtration for close to a year and never used it. After yesterday, I think it will find its way back to the shelf unless I transfer something "still" or non-carbed.
Uni tanks offer the advantage to dump trub after crashing and before carbing which seems to give nicely clear lagers w/o finings (or filtration) anyway. I'm always trying for ways to reach the higher fruit, when I really should be thankful for the beer quality being made now.
I use a flare fitting like this: https://www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/accessories/products/1-5-tc-to-1-4-mlf-threaded-flare
That connects directly to a normal draft line connection (using swivel nut of course) and terminates with standard ball lock connector that connects to keg. You don't need to have a ball lock post on the fitting, but you can add one easily if you wish.
emr25
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Made some upgrades for fermentation prior to brewing the latest batch of NE IPA over the weekend.
First and foremost the Penguin 1/2 HP Glycol Chiller, with thick walled 3/8” silicone tubing and foam pipe insulation plumbed to the SS Brewtech 7 Gal BME Chronical chiller coils.
Also, a 3-way T-flow ball valve was added inline with my blowoff cane tubing. This will allow easy injection of CO2 into the conical headspace for uses such as flushing after adding dry hops and creating positive pressure for trub dumps, cold crashing, and pressure transfers to the keg.
The CO2 manifold was another new addition to be able to move the tank outside the fridge, with a 1/4” flare fitting pass-through bulkhead installed in the fridge sidewall to pass CO2 in for the keg.
Looking forward to year-round dialed in fermentation temperature control, minimized O2 exposure, and a true cold crash prior to racking to the keg!
First and foremost the Penguin 1/2 HP Glycol Chiller, with thick walled 3/8” silicone tubing and foam pipe insulation plumbed to the SS Brewtech 7 Gal BME Chronical chiller coils.
Also, a 3-way T-flow ball valve was added inline with my blowoff cane tubing. This will allow easy injection of CO2 into the conical headspace for uses such as flushing after adding dry hops and creating positive pressure for trub dumps, cold crashing, and pressure transfers to the keg.
The CO2 manifold was another new addition to be able to move the tank outside the fridge, with a 1/4” flare fitting pass-through bulkhead installed in the fridge sidewall to pass CO2 in for the keg.
Looking forward to year-round dialed in fermentation temperature control, minimized O2 exposure, and a true cold crash prior to racking to the keg!
emr25
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2015
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- 89
The next planned upgrade is to use a CIP spray ball and sump pump for cleaning the BME Chronical.
The pump I’ve seen recommended and plan to purchase is this 1/3 HP submersible from Amazon.
Would this pump work better with the Micro or Regular sized spray ball from SS Brewtech?
Also, how can I convert the outlet on the pump to something like a 3/4” hose barb to run 3/4” tubing from the pump to the CIP inlet? I’ve read that brass should be avoided since I plan to do a hot PBW rinse followed by clean water followed by SaniClean.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X07GQS/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.ssbrewtech.com/products/cip-spray-ball-3-tc-assembly
https://www.ssbrewtech.com/products/mini-cip-spray-ball-1-5-tc-assembly?variant=40297379154
The pump I’ve seen recommended and plan to purchase is this 1/3 HP submersible from Amazon.
Would this pump work better with the Micro or Regular sized spray ball from SS Brewtech?
Also, how can I convert the outlet on the pump to something like a 3/4” hose barb to run 3/4” tubing from the pump to the CIP inlet? I’ve read that brass should be avoided since I plan to do a hot PBW rinse followed by clean water followed by SaniClean.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X07GQS/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.ssbrewtech.com/products/cip-spray-ball-3-tc-assembly
https://www.ssbrewtech.com/products/mini-cip-spray-ball-1-5-tc-assembly?variant=40297379154
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Sorry for the delay Tozzi. It's 3 separate pieces. From the left.
1. Perlick 690SS From beveragefactory.com
2. MrBrew Quick Disconnect Adapter from https://www.amazon.com/MRbrew-Disconnect-Adapter-Chrome-Brewing/dp/B076S2WKJR/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518467314&sr=8-2&keywords=mrbrew+quick+disconnect
3. 1.5" TC to 1/4" Flare - https://www.ssbrewtech.com/products/1-5-tc-to-1-4-mlf-threaded-flare
The "disconnect" (i don't know why they call it that) adapter was the hardest to find. The first two I ordered would not work with a flow control faucet (a must).
Hope this helps...
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I have that setup. I use the larger spray ball. If you have an open 3" port, that's what I would use.
I also have that model pump in 1/5 HP and it's plenty powerful. In fact, it's slightly too powerful - you really have to be careful to make sure you have sufficient return. It's very easy for the pump to drain the bucket faster than it can be returned (with both valves wide open).
I use a female garden hose to 1/2" mpt adapter and then from there use a Cool Touch fitting to my hoses. I use a 90 degree Cool Touch to supply the CIP ball. The supply line is normal 1/2" silicon tubing.
Parts:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00835IOUM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/nptswivelcooltouch12barb.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/nptswivelcooltouch12barb90.htm
I use 3/4" silicon tubing to return from the bottom dump valve and 1/2" tubing from the racking valve. I can tell you that it barely keeps up with that flow with the smaller 1/5 HP pump. I used to use a 1" reinforced tubing for return and that worked slightly better at the expense of flexibility of the hose and having to use clamps. I prefer the smaller silicon stretched over a 1" barb for ease of use. However, you do need to be sure there are no kinks anywhere or the pump will quickly outrun the return.
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Tozzi
Active Member
With CIP, it's all about the inner diameter of the tubing.
3/4" for supply, and 1" for outlets is what works best for me.
If your pump seems to be too weak, look at the tubing first.
I was skeptical at first, too, but larger tubing does the real magic.
@byounger:
Thanks a lot! I'll go grab these, even if it means another 2 hours trip to my local Customs & Excise office...
Luckily, I already own 2 of those 1,5 TC to 1/4 MFL adapters.
They come in handy extremely often. Might even have to buy some more of these.
The "disconnect" in your second link is exactly what I was looking for.
Of course, once again, they won't ship to Europe (same as Ss Brewtech).
Will need to find another supplier first or once again bother one of my American friends.
3/4" for supply, and 1" for outlets is what works best for me.
If your pump seems to be too weak, look at the tubing first.
I was skeptical at first, too, but larger tubing does the real magic.
@byounger:
Thanks a lot! I'll go grab these, even if it means another 2 hours trip to my local Customs & Excise office...
Luckily, I already own 2 of those 1,5 TC to 1/4 MFL adapters.
They come in handy extremely often. Might even have to buy some more of these.
The "disconnect" in your second link is exactly what I was looking for.
Of course, once again, they won't ship to Europe (same as Ss Brewtech).
Will need to find another supplier first or once again bother one of my American friends.
Tozzi
Active Member
Yep, 24 hours is sufficient.
With CIP, it's all about the inner diameter of the tubing.
3/4" for supply, and 1" for outlets is what works best for me.
If your pump seems to be too weak, look at the tubing first.
I was skeptical at first, too, but larger tubing does the real magic.
@byounger:
Thanks a lot! I'll go grab these, even if it means another 2 hours trip to my local Customs & Excise office...
Luckily, I already own 2 of those 1,5 TC to 1/4 MFL adapters.
They come in handy extremely often. Might even have to buy some more of these.
The "disconnect" in your second link is exactly what I was looking for.
Of course, once again, they won't ship to Europe (same as Ss Brewtech).
Will need to find another supplier first or once again bother one of my American friends.
PM me. I’ll consolidate a shipment and send to you directly. It’s not a problem.
Thanks. Also thanks for CIP pump info. I just ordered the 1/4 HP version of the one listed above. Should be enough to get the job done. Will be nice to simplifying cleaning.
Tozzi
Active Member
Thanks, that's really kind of you!
Luckily I've found all I need, once you pointed me at the right direction regarding what to look for.
Sometimes, my head is just spinning with all those different thread types.
Whilst we do have metric ones over here, usually, I now have to deal with NPT, GHT, MFL, and the list goes on and on; it seems to never end.
Luckily, I was able so far to at least avoid the British ones, which are (of course) yet different again...
Another PITA is the fact that all the tubings I can buy here are metric, while their counterparts of course are not.
It's either hose clamps or lighter/torch (latter case meaning no chance of removing that tubing later on without using a knife).
But I'm getting used to it.
GHT threads involved some shopping for disconnects from China (and waiting for 2 months) in order to build some DIY adapters, but I'm getting there...
Already, my collection of reducers and fittings is likely to make some plumbers go pale with envy by now.
In Europe, we're traditionally blessed with good beers available all around, the downside being that in home brewing (and suitable low volume equipment) we are decades behind, by lack of perceived necessity.
But that's perhaps for another thread.
Very happy with Ss Brewtech Equipment I am, for sure.
Using lots of Blichmann-made stuff as well, and FiveStar cleaning & sanitising products.
Sorry for the wall of text.
@emr25
I use the regular sized ball and after the second cip I think I’m getting more efficient with this process. This weekend will be another chance to clean as I am kegging a blind pig clone. After all are we all really just professional cleaners who happen to brew beer?
I was thinking of getting bungs to put in the places of all of the tc fittings so I could have those all out (still cip without making a mess) and in the pwb solution in the bucket with the sump pump....then just leave them in there for the rinse..dump that sanitize and reassemble all for an Idaphore soak.
Here is my setup
I use the regular sized ball and after the second cip I think I’m getting more efficient with this process. This weekend will be another chance to clean as I am kegging a blind pig clone. After all are we all really just professional cleaners who happen to brew beer?
I was thinking of getting bungs to put in the places of all of the tc fittings so I could have those all out (still cip without making a mess) and in the pwb solution in the bucket with the sump pump....then just leave them in there for the rinse..dump that sanitize and reassemble all for an Idaphore soak.
Here is my setup
Does anyone know anywhere to get a filter that will fit the tip of the racking arm? Trying to avoid hop matter getting in the line and clogging things up during transfer. I tried one off amazon but only fits a keg dip tube it was too narrow for the diameter of the racking arm.
In case anyone was wondering they are shipping with the FTSs mounting bracket starting last week
Morrey
Well-Known Member
Does the bracket fit around the TC clamp, or is it built together?
I’m having the same issue. I’m getting tired of hop bags clogging the racking arm (and bottom BF dump valve). This last batch, I put all the hops in several bags and attached dental floss. I strung it across the internal glycol tube to prevent them from sinking. Less than ideal. I’ve thought about attaching a modified bazooka tube to the racking arm and folding it over at the connection with a ss clamp fitting. I don’t really like that option either.
The bracket is welded to the TC clamp on what came with my BME Brite Tank.
Morrey
Well-Known Member
I'll keep watching the Ss website for the bracket to be sold as an accessory. This is an awesome addition to these tanks.
Mine FTSs and unitanks shipped with that tc shelf on 1/5. Weird how some people got them and some didn’t.
Is clarity the reason y’all are using dry hopping cylinders and or bags in the unitanks? Can’t one just throw them in and then cold crash to get most of the hop matter to fall then dump that? How do the breweries do it that have uni’s?
Is clarity the reason y’all are using dry hopping cylinders and or bags in the unitanks? Can’t one just throw them in and then cold crash to get most of the hop matter to fall then dump that? How do the breweries do it that have uni’s?
I wanna say they likely don't use bags, to me seems redundant when you will loose the same amount of beer just about either way. I don't plan on doing bags for my first IPA but then again I don't care about the haze for them.. I do however care when it comes to other styles but a cold crash should be sufficient
