Half Barrel Chronical FTSS system

[kchomebrew]

Posting this for a review/details on the Half Barrel Chronicle FTSS temp. control system from SS Brewtech.

I purchased one of the SS Brewtech Half Barrel Chronicles. One of the things I liked was the tricclover fitting on the top of the lid and pressure relief valve that can accommodate 5psi CO2 transfers of beer from fermenter to keg in a closed loop. I brew a lot of hoppy beers, so it was important to have that type of feature. I also changed the valves out to butterfly valves since I prefer those.

I just purchased and received the FTSS for this fermenter and was a tad bit disappointed with some of the features. Overall, I like the design and concept and it works great. But, for the reasons I purchased this fermenter, the FTSS set up doesn't have a lot of my requirements in mind (triclover fittings, CO2 transfers, etc.). The lid has no pressure relief valve on it, no tri clover fitting on the lid to accommodate the triclover connection set up I built for CO2 transfers on other conicals I have, and the lid isn't domed/curved. It's flat like the one on the 14 gallon set up. Also, the airlock set up is way too small for a half barrel set up. It uses the same tiny rubber airlock stopper that the brew buckets use. I really wanted to see a triclover fitting on the lid to accommodate a blowoff tube setup also. Just an FYI for those purchasing one of these.

So, my solution is I'm going to drill a small hole in the lid and install the pressure relief valve (SS Brewtech sells the pressure relief valves) and then I'm going to drill another hole in the lid and punch out a 1/2in. section with my greenlee hole puncher and then fasten in a triclover 1.5" x 1/2 male NPT piece to serve as a more adequate blowoff tube port and as a connection point for my triclover CO2 transfer system.

I'll post some photos once I've completed this. I'd imagine, if you are a home brewer purchasing a half barrel setup, having triclover fittings for CO2 transfers is really important to you.

 

[soonerpike1748]

I'm in the same boat you are... Mine is getting shipped to me as we speak. I plan to ferment with it first before I cast judegment and/or make modifications. Right now I'm trying to design a way to use the original top.

 

[wasitim]

I too am looking at moving to the SS 1/2 barrel fermenters, currently using plastic conicals.

I'm wondering how things went punching new holes in the cover for the tri-clover fitting went and if you still have a good seal for pressurized transfers. What parts did you use to get the seal or did you have the fitting welded?

I have coils in my plastic conicals and would like to reuse them on the domed lid since it already has a TC fitting at the dome top.

Does the flat lid on a 1/2 barrel decrease the max amount you can put in the fermenter?

 

[heckels]

The lack of a 1-1.5" TC fitting on the FTSS is a detractor on all models. On my 10 gallon setup I end up sanitizing the domed lid and gasket and swapping it out when it's time to transfer so I can push with CO2. Definitely not ideal. I may have to consider silver soldering a TC fitting on. Let us know how it works out.

I was also thinking you could potentially attach the end of the CO2 hose to the barb for the blowoff and use that to push instead of the TC fitting. Haven't given that a try yet though.

 

[dmcman73]

I'm in the same boat you are... Mine is getting shipped to me as we speak. I plan to ferment with it first before I cast judegment and/or make modifications. Right now I'm trying to design a way to use the original top.

The tops of these are curved, there are no flat surfaces to drill a hole in and be able to push the barb connections though and tighten down to make a seal because of the curve of the top. The only way you can do this is by heavily modifying the curved tops which would involve cutting and welding in extra pieces to give it two flat spots for the barbs to go through and get bolted down.

I own the 7 and 14 gallon ones with the FTSS in both. i was a bit disappointed that the FTSS uses a flat top on it but then after using it and seeing how well the temp controller worked, I got past it. I don't do pressure transfers where I can see this being an issue though but, it would be easier to modify the flat top by drilling a hole and trasfering the pressure relief valve from the curved top the the flat one. As for pressurizing the vessel, could you install some sort of a "T" on the blow off hole so one section of the T is for blow off and the other, with a valve, was where you would pressurize?

 

[abeasst]

I would just use the blow-off fitting to pressurize the fermenter if needed.

 

[wasitim]

I'm not going with the FTSS as I have a full control system built already and SS coils in my plastic conicals. I like the extra head space in the domed top as well as the TC fitting in the center.

How thick are the domed lids? I'm thinking maybe I could punch a couple holes and silver solder in a couple of fittings to attach my coils to the lid.

 

[soonerpike1748]

I was looking to put a tri-clamp tee on the domed fitting. One side would have a cap and coils running through it, the other would be the blow off tube. The bad side is that I can only get 1/4" SS tubing to go through the 1.5" TC cap. I don't think 1/4" tubing is enough flow to maintain temp on 15 gallons.

 

[wasitim]

Can you owners of the 1/2 barrel chronical give me the interior dimensions?
How tall is the round part and how tall is the cone?
How far from the top of the round part until the thermowell?

I need to see if my coils will fit in the upper part.

Thanks.

 

[kchomebrew]

As an FYI I sold the ftss system and didn't drill any holes. Bought a stand up freezer with temp controller. Also sold the chronical. Using stout tanks now, which had everything I wanted.my experience was the chronical was letting oxygen in and causing problems with my hoppy beers. Not sure where but I feel like the lid seal wasnt tight enough. Too flimsy with the latches. Just my opinion. Blichmann and stouts seal much tighter and no problems. I can't stand oxidized taste of any kind in beer.

 

[augiedoggy]

I was looking to put a tri-clamp tee on the domed fitting. One side would have a cap and coils running through it, the other would be the blow off tube. The bad side is that I can only get 1/4" SS tubing to go through the 1.5" TC cap. I don't think 1/4" tubing is enough flow to maintain temp on 15 gallons.

this is how I mounted my blow off tube with my thermoprobe in the same hole with my stout conical which I bought without a built in thermoprobe...

You should be able to get two sections of 3/8 stainless coil for the chiller through the opening without an issue.

you can even just stick them out of the top off the tee using a rubber stopper after you drill the 2 holes.. and use the side port for the blowoff tube.. thats what I do with my thermowell.

 

[sudbuddy]

You should see what @dcpcooks did with his half barrel chronical. It's pretty nuts. Perhaps he can grace us with some pictures

 

[Dcpcooks]

I'm looking for a 17mm punch so I can mount the coils on the sides of the 1/2 barrel. That will allow me to use the domed lid and not have to swap out lids for transfer. I'm using a heated/ cooled circulating bath to manage temps. I know Ss is looking at a few new ideas for temp control but they are pretty tight lipped at this point. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1443027569.032459.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1443027591.780541.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1443027621.182917.jpg

 

[homemaltster]

Can you owners of the 1/2 barrel chronical give me the interior dimensions?
How tall is the round part and how tall is the cone?
How far from the top of the round part until the thermowell?

I need to see if my coils will fit in the upper part.

Thanks.

Over a year and no answer to wasitim's question. Now I'm looking for the exact same info:

Height of cylinder
Height of cone
ID of cylinder (is it the same at the top and bottom of the cylinder? If not, I shouldn't be calling it a cylinder)
Height from top of cylinder to thermowell

wasitim was asking about the 1/2 barrel Chronical, but if people can share numbers from the 7 gal and 14 gal, that would be helpful too.

 

[augiedoggy]

As an FYI I sold the ftss system and didn't drill any holes. Bought a stand up freezer with temp controller. Also sold the chronical. Using stout tanks now, which had everything I wanted.my experience was the chronical was letting oxygen in and causing problems with my hoppy beers. Not sure where but I feel like the lid seal wasnt tight enough. Too flimsy with the latches. Just my opinion. Blichmann and stouts seal much tighter and no problems. I can't stand oxidized taste of any kind in beer.

I know this is old but I just noticed it.

Funny you say that I have a stout conical as well and when I saw the chronicals my buddy ordered I wondered about the seal being that the stainless was so thin... He told me he seal too well though to the point where he damaged one of the seals trying to get the top off and I had to get him another because I ordered them for him being that he doesnt own a pc and ss brewing had/has? no actual phone number to reach a human.

 

[Dcpcooks]

I really like the brewers hardware and the stout versions but I couldn't justify the price point. Yes they look like they will last a lifetime and are pretty bullet proof.

That said I now have two SSbrewtech conicals. One is set up with the coils and a lab grade recirculating heated and cooled water bath. The new one is free standing in a commercial fridge with a small 200 watt heater on a ranco 2stage controller. They both work very well. Great temp control and very easy to clean. My first one is 2.5 years old now and I've had no problem with sealing or the latches. Could they be a little more robust? Yes that a reasonable observation but after 2.5 years of continual use with no issues I was comfortable getting another.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1485987475.136221.jpg

 

[augiedoggy]

I really like the brewers hardware and the stout versions but I couldn't justify the price point. Yes they look like they will last a lifetime and are pretty bullet proof.

That said I now have two SSbrewtech conicals. One is set up with the coils and a lab grade recirculating heated and cooled water bath. The new one is free standing in a commercial fridge with a small 200 watt heater on a ranco 2stage controller. They both work very well. Great temp control and very easy to clean. My first one is 2.5 years old now and I've had no problem with sealing or the latches. Could they be a little more robust? Yes that a reasonable observation but after 2.5 years of continual use with no issues I was comfortable getting another.

View attachment 387206

Im confused? the 12.5 gallon stout conical is less than the SS one. I paid less than $450 for mine shipped from stout... when I ordered the SS ones for my friend they were a lot more than that.
the $70 cooling jacket from coolzone.com also fits the stout perfectly...

looks like they went up $10
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-5G-Conic...030375?hash=item33c7c6db67:g:YhEAAOSwcBhWWI3m

 

[Dcpcooks]

I wanted the 20 gallon model, it was $753 but shipping was an additional $270. So just over $1000. I got the ss for $595 with no tax and free shipping plus a ranco for $150 and a used commercial fridge for $300. So basically, I got temp control and the conical for the price of the stout. My lovely wife has been great but I dint want to push her to far toward the edge

 

[homemaltster]

Dcpcooks, which size is that? And would you be so kind as to measure the height of the cylinder portion of your conical for me?

Sigh, such a pretty thing.

 

[Dcpcooks]

It's a Half barrel. I'd be happy to open it up and look at it again[emoji481] for your measurements.

13" from the bottom tri clamp to the start of the cylinder, 16" for the cylinder. 43.5" top to bottom. You would probably want another 5-6" minimum of clearance to dry hop, add the CIP set up and get access. To pitch yeast you'd want 10" so you can actually dump in a decanted 5l starter.

You could move a small one but I wouldn't even try to move this when full. With the cip Spay ball I don't ever move it, just connect supply and return hoses and pump from a 5 gallon bucket with a 1/3 hp sump pump.

The guys at SS are great at responding to questions. Shoot them an email and Michael will get back to you in a day.

 

[augiedoggy]

I wanted the 20 gallon model, it was $753 but shipping was an additional $270. So just over $1000. I got the ss for $595 with no tax and free shipping plus a ranco for $150 and a used commercial fridge for $300. So basically, I got temp control and the conical for the price of the stout. My lovely wife has been great but I dint want to push her to far toward the edge

Didnt realize SS made a 20 gallon sized one.. thought the biggest one was a half barrel.stout does have a 15.5 gallon for 550 which is really a 16 gallon model but for some reason they give odd measurement amounts (moonshine distillers sell the identical sized conical as my stout 12.5 as a 13 gallon.) But anyway.. back on topic sorry

 

[Dcpcooks]

The Ss is a half barrel which is 18.3 gallons including the 1.3 gallon domed lid , I wanted a little additional head space which is why I was looking at the 20 gallon stout.

We brew a monster stout with Nottingham and it really needs 30% or more head space.

If I could snap my fingers and make the Ss better I'd increase the head space and improve or replace the clamps on the lids.

I'm in Chicago and FEW spirits and Koval both have lots of 15 and 30 gallon freshly dumped bourbon barrels for sale. So I scaled everything up to accommodate that. In hind site I would have kept it at 10 gallon batch sizes.

Cheers

 

[homemaltster]

It's a Half barrel. I'd be happy to open it up and look at it again[emoji481] for your measurements.

13" from the bottom tri clamp to the start of the cylinder, 16" for the cylinder. 43.5" top to bottom. You would probably want another 5-6" minimum of clearance to dry hop, add the CIP set up and get access. To pitch yeast you'd want 10" so you can actually dump in a decanted 5l starter.

You could move a small one but I wouldn't even try to move this when full. With the cip Spay ball I don't ever move it, just connect supply and return hoses and pump from a 5 gallon bucket with a 1/3 hp sump pump.

The guys at SS are great at responding to questions. Shoot them an email and Michael will get back to you in a day.

Thanks a million!

 

[wmubronco]

Thinking of going with the SS brewtech 1/2 bbl chronical. Got a line on a stand-up Bison BGM-15 cooler. Temps can get down to 32 degrees F. Dumb question, would the simple paint can heater be sufficient enough, or would I want something a bit more powerful?

For the time being, I cannot really justify price for the FTSS cooling system.

 

[Dcpcooks]

Thinking of going with the SS brewtech 1/2 bbl chronical. Got a line on a stand-up Bison BGM-15 cooler. Temps can get down to 32 degrees F. Dumb question, would the simple paint can heater be sufficient enough, or would I want something a bit more powerful?

For the time being, I cannot really justify price for the FTSS cooling system.

I use a 200watt personal ceramic heater and it's plenty. It cost $30 bucks. Works great

 

[wmubronco]

I use a 200watt personal ceramic heater and it's plenty. It cost $30 bucks. Works great

Sounds reasonable and probably for efficient than the paint can used for my 5 gallon batches.

Hopefully I get a steal on the Bison standup cooler, thinking $250 or less is way more cost effective than going FTSS + aquarium cooler setup...

 

[wmubronco]

@Dcpcooks

Your 1/2 bbl looks to have way more than enough room in your stand-up freezer, mind taking a look at these measurements, should work right?

http://www.bisonrefrigeration.com/assets/BGM-15.pdf


edit: interior dimensions 24.2" x 19.7" x 61.5" love answering my own ?'s, but to confirm your actual setup.... hmmm, the 19.7" is cutting it real close the the 18" width the chronical has.

 

[Dcpcooks]

Yep plenty of room in your unit. The conical is 43.5" tall. You have 61" which leaves you room to dry hop and clean in place.

 

[wmubronco]

Was more concerned with the width dimensions... only 1.7" of freeplay from side of chronical to interior wall of cooler.

Is the 18" the true size of the chronical?

The 1 door Bison cooler is going for $185 right now, and there's a 2 door one only at $46, which spec sheet says 21.5" for the depth.... hmmmm

 

[Dcpcooks]

The lid is 17" across plus the clamps puts you at 18". If I'm reading your specs correctly you have 20.2 accord and 19+ deep so you have room on all sides.

My only concern is the very front of your fridge. There is usually a frame around the front for the gasket to seal against. That lip may be narrower than the actual interior width. It would be really dumb to list width and it account for the restriction but you may want to shoot them an email to confirm.

At your price point I say jump all over it and don't wait to long. Those units sell for more

 

[wmubronco]

Good deal, hopefully there is no "extra" restriction on the actual measurement and it's truly 19.7" at its minimum opening.

 

[Dcpcooks]

Good deal, hopefully there is no "extra" restriction on the actual measurement and it's truly 19.7" at its minimum opening.

So I got home and took a measurement for you. I think you may have a problem releasing the clamps that hold the lid in place.

The lid is 17" but the clamps spring up when released which will add to the width of the unit. I can't pop off the lid because I've got a beer in the conical but it looks like it's about 20" overall with both the left and right clip opened.

It may mean you can't open the lid to the unit without moving the fermentor. You can slide it left to pop the right one and Vice versa but I'm not sure that will be enough. So you may have to move it slightly from side to side to pop the lid.. I'd consider adding the wheels to the unit so if can move easily from side to side.

I have not checked what the additional height is but I'm pretty sure your ok with the extra height with the fridge your looking for.

Cheers

 

[Dcpcooks]

Good deal, hopefully there is no "extra" restriction on the actual measurement and it's truly 19.7" at its minimum opening.

I thought of another challenge when I got home and looked at it.

The clamps that hold the lid on need to open horizontally on the sides. It looks like you need about 20" to have them both open.

I'd suggest you look at adding the casters so you can slide it side to side to open or close it. You will probably need to wiggle it around a bit to pop off the top.

 

[wmubronco]

I will take your findings into consideration on the next search for a stand-up cooler or freezer. Checked prices on each of those guys when I got home, and the 2-door was up over 800, the 1 door was at 750....

yikes!

 

[Dcpcooks]

Bummer. Keep an eye on craigslist. That's where I found mine

 

[dmenace86]

I know a lot of some of this is old, but if you're having trouble with the ftss systems flat lid, and lack of features, SS Brewtech has a drill bit lot available on their website that allows you to mount the coil to the side of your conical. It's carbide, and made exactly for this application.

 

[akthor]

Not on the 1 bbl. I know not of this lid you speak of. The coils are mounted on the side.

The lack of a 1-1.5" TC fitting on the FTSS is a detractor on all models. On my 10 gallon setup I end up sanitizing the domed lid and gasket and swapping it out when it's time to transfer so I can push with CO2. Definitely not ideal. I may have to consider silver soldering a TC fitting on. Let us know how it works out.

I was also thinking you could potentially attach the end of the CO2 hose to the barb for the blowoff and use that to push instead of the TC fitting. Haven't given that a try yet though.

 

[dmenace86]

Not on the 1 bbl. I know not of this lid you speak of. The coils are mounted on the side.

The lid I'm referring to comes with the heating/cooling ftss package. It's meant to replace the domed lid so that the coil, and other hardware can be mounted directly to the flat lid provided in the kit. I don't know about the 1bbl model, but I know the smaller ones don't come with the coil already mounted inside, unless you get the bme (brew master edition). I'm guessing the ftss wasn't originally available, so they came out with the bit so you can easily install it into your existing chronical. Obviously there are advantages to keeping the dome lid in place. Having the existing TC opening being among them, plus the extra headspace.

 

[dmenace86]

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