Where's the emoticon for drooling???
So sexy!!!
Whats the tall cylander in the back? Heater i assume? What kind?
What are you using for temp control? Inkbird?
Spike Conical- observations and best practices
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So sexy!!!
Whats the tall cylander in the back? Heater i assume? What kind?
What are you using for temp control? Inkbird?
The cylinder is a dryer duct with some holes drilled at base and a computer fan blowing up on top. It is covering up a ceramic bulb base (think attic ceiling) holding a ceramic reptile bulb.
Temp control is Auber dual probe controller for beer fermentation. You can see a white cable going into thermowell and a second one tucked into that upper bent. The second prob sets chamber high and low limits to prevent over shooting.
fatnhappy
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I thought of that, but my freezer has all the lines going through the shelves so they are not removable. Also, I may get a second, so I think I’m going to build a small walk in style with a big window unit and a heater. I have a dual inkbird already
Hit the big box stores and look for scratch and dents! I got two brand new fridgiairs (18 cu and like 21 cu) each for under $300. Negotiate with them too.
Uglier it is, the cheaper you can get it!!
I think that was my problem before... i used an inkbird (probe in the cf5) and always WAY overshot the temp- too cold.
Needed a two-probe controller and maybe a heater.
Nice set up! Looks great! (As mentioned above i look for beat up scrath and dent but cheap new freezers)
fatnhappy
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Ill give it a shot. I am cheap.....and kinda ugly too so perfect fit
Yah dual probe is not same as dual control. I reached out to inkbird before pulling trigger on the Auber since they seem to be very supportive of HBT but did not have a dual probe offering.
Not sure that is as much of an issue with a SS fermenter but made a huge difference with my plastic Spiedel tank I’m replacing.
Not sure that is as much of an issue with a SS fermenter but made a huge difference with my plastic Spiedel tank I’m replacing.
fatnhappy
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Yeah, I have a a dual control. That’s why I’m looking into building a small walk in with a big window unit and heater. That way I can do 2 fermenters and set it and forget it
The Auber is dual probe and dual control
So with bubbling slowing down and a grav sample showing estimated 8-10 points of gravity left I added my second load of dry hops and sealed my CF15 up today planning to let the PRV act as the spunding valve and partially carb the beer. If not under pressure this beer would be within a couple points of final gravity by tomorrow.
I expected the pressure gage to fairly quickly increase to close to 15 PSI based on the amount of headspace (not much) and number of gravity points (plenty) to go. Insead after 3-4 hours it is only at 3 PSI. Is this normal?
For those that partially carb their beers this way how long does it take to get to 14-15 PSI after sealing the fermentor?
I expected the pressure gage to fairly quickly increase to close to 15 PSI based on the amount of headspace (not much) and number of gravity points (plenty) to go. Insead after 3-4 hours it is only at 3 PSI. Is this normal?
For those that partially carb their beers this way how long does it take to get to 14-15 PSI after sealing the fermentor?
For me it depends on the yeast... they always seem to have a mind of their own.
But usually 36 hours? As a rough guess
Blazinlow86
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I purposely try to avoid letting the psi reach 15psi to avoid releasing the dryhops aroma. I use the carb stone so getting that small amount of carb naturally doesn't help my process. Cheers
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Eric, what's the depth of your ferm fridge?
I notice your conical is slightly sideways.
Trying to figure out if mine is deep enough.
Blazinlow86
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His looks larger than mine. If it helps my freezer is just big enough for the cf15 and it has to be turned to the side also. I can take a measurement when I get home. Cheers
I’d call it 16.5” to that edge and 20.25” if you are willing to risk a slightly uneven surface.
I took off the door shelves so up above the feet I’ve got the full 20.25” to work with and even more up above the rear hump. That guy rises 18” off the floor, above it I’ve got 23.75 up to the ceiling. Interior height floor to ceiling is 57” and interior width is 27”.
I looked all over for this info before buying and couldn’t find it. I ended up measuring a nearly identical Kenmore model...both are made by Electrolux in a show room but got a better deal on the Frigidaire from Best Buy. But turns out the Kenmore doesn’t have as much hump in back so if you can find it, it is a bit bigger at least at the floor.
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Thanks!
I've got 18" from the back hump to the edge, plus I took out the door shelves.
Looks like it's tight but should work.
I've got 18" from the back hump to the edge, plus I took out the door shelves.
Looks like it's tight but should work.
I took out my shelves too. Probably unnecessary but the freezer got here before the Spike and I couldn’t wait. On my freezer you can see a line on the floor at a bit over 16”. The floor is level to that point and then starts to slope downward. I believe with the leveling legs I could have a leg resting out there but happy it all fits on the level section.
So I let it go overnight and no movement on the needle. I considered maybe a leak. I cranked the lid band a bit more and the two lid tri clamps. Figured the tri clamps below the beer line likely not leaking.
Then I hooked up gas to the manifold and pressurized headspace to 10 psi. Heard a bit of a hiss and then found the leak with star San. Was the 4” tri clamp and I actually grew a golf ball sized star San bubble on it. Released pressure with PRV, re-seated the seal, tightened the clamp and checked with 10 psi again. Pressure held for a couple min so I vented the PRV and let it go. Steady pressure increasing today and after 8 hours I’m at 9 PSI...
Yeah... that sounds about right.
I forgot to mention above to an earlier poster about the magic of StarSan for finding leaks. That is such an easy way to locate leaks!!
Glad you found the leak.
Blazinlow86
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That's mine sitting as far back and left as possible. The floor is 20" deep 26"wide and 47" tall. Cheers
Nice shelf- you build that?
Also- question- i see your carb stone is hooked up and maybe the butterfly valve is open. I see a drip tray.
Do you leave the carb stone hooked up the whole time- from oxygenation to carbing?
I always pull it and clean it between the uses.
Blazinlow86
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The shelf was built by the previous owner. He was a member of my homebrew club and coincidentally used it with his cf10. I do leave the carb stone attached the whole time with the valve open. I just added the valve incase I needed to switch the carb stone with the sample port or there was a leak etc. Cheers
Stand
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I recently started spunding at the end of fermentation with my CF10, and when I cold-crash I am losing pressure (down to zero).
It has happened twice and the last time it created a vacuum which really freaked me out.
I guess it is the seal on the top. Anybody else had this issue? Ideas on a fix?
It has happened twice and the last time it created a vacuum which really freaked me out.
I guess it is the seal on the top. Anybody else had this issue? Ideas on a fix?
I'm still on my first batch but I did seal it up (swap the blow off elbow for the manifold) to partially carbonate with the last few gravity points before cold crashing. Lucky for me I probably did this too early because first try it leaked.
What I saw was that pressure increased pretty fast...maybe in an hour or less...to about 3 PSI and then didn't increase any more. I waited 12 hours and still nothing more, maybe even a little less... 2.5 PSI. I also suspected the top gasket.
I pressurized the headspace to 10 PSI and looked for leaks. I found one on the 4" Tri Clamp seal. It was not hard to find. At 10 PSI I could hear a hiss, see the pressure slowly dropping on the gage, and with Star-San I located it easily. I reseated that seal and checked pressure and pressure seemed to hold. I then vented the headspace with the PRV and let it go. 12 hours later I was at 10 PSI and 12 hours after that I was at 15.5. It stayed at 15.5 for a couple days and I took a sample. Looked like FG to me and I let it go one more day and started cold crashing.
I've been cold crashing 24 hours now and temp is down to 34F. Pressure is at 9 PSI. I think that is about right for behavior I would expect with no leaks.
So yes I think you have a leak. It may be the lid gasket but it could also be one of the tri clamps on the lid that is leaking. My plan for next batch is I will check for leaks the same way when I swap out the blow off elbow for the manifold.
Is anyone else using the clear 4" end cap? I tried using it but it ended up getting so much condensation forming on it that I couldn't very well see through it. Any tips on getting it to work?
The atmosphere inside a closed vessel filled with (mostly) water is saturated with vapor and condensation is unavoidable. The only way to get rid of it without opening up the fermenter would be to somehow warm up the glass untill all condensation evaporates again. I have never tried it myself as I don't find this to be such a critical issue but I'm guessing you could manage this with a hair drier.
CodeSection
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@eric19312, since you are cold crashing and if you are using the 4" clear end cap as well, it sounds like you are using the 4" clear end cap and then are removing it that near the end of fermentation and dropping in the temp control coil. I do not even use the clear 4" end cap as I install the temp control coil as soon as I pitch the yeast.
I do not really see the point of using the clear end cap and I do not see the need to unnecessarily open up the fermenter. Is there a reason why you are doing this?
EDIT: Is it possible you are cold crashing in a keezer/freezer rather than using Spike's temp control coil?
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Yes this.
Eric, don't you follow LODO as much as possible? Is the cap a permeable plastic?
Edit- spike website calls it polycarbonate (same as bullet proof glass per website).
Is that oxygen safe?
Anyone have experience with their conical heater and neoprene jacket in cold temps? Wondering what kind of temp I can expect in a 50F garage with the jacket and heater wrap. Would that be enough to get me to say 72F with nothing else? Any idea on the differential I can expect without a ferm chamber?
I'm not LODO but working on getting there on cold side. Doing my last dry hop additions while active fermentation is going on and closed transfers into purged kegs. Planning to try purging kegs with fermentation gas in near future. Not planning to go full LODO on hot side but I have started using some BrewTan B in mash and kettle.
Not sure long term if I will be using the window but for $20 I was willing to give it a try. Always liked seeing into my fermentors back when I used carboys. I did take it off when I got the leak and when I resealed swapped it for the 4" stainless plug. I'll try it again next batch and see if I can get that hair dryer idea to work.
Do you find any difference with Brewtan B? Seems the jury is kinda out on that one...
I've not done any kind of experiment that would allow me to test side by side. But it is cheap and easy to use and doesn't seem to do any harm and given my copper immersion chiller...
Have not used it at less than mid 50's, but at that range, I have no problem with keeping it at 70. Keep in mind it is a fairly low wattage unit, which will not necessarily get hot to the touch, but gets the job done in a slow, consistent fashion. In a cold snap, you could always throw a blanket on the lid to keep the heat loss down.
Cheers
I think you will like ditching your blow off elbow and starting with your manifold at pitch. I have been doing this for some time now and works great. I saw someone doing this several pages back and thought it was was a great and simple idea reducing cold side oxidation and saving a decent amount of CO2.
The only thing to be aware of with this--and it was me that showed that--is if you have a runaway fermentation with blowoff krausen. I do mostly 5-gallon batches in my CF10 so I'm rarely in a position where that's an issue, but with a 10-gallon batch that might be. It's possible krausen could clog things up. I suspect the PRV would release if that became an issue, but just be aware. I know some yeasts/fermentations produce more krausen than others. I think there's enough headspace to accommodate most krausens, but YMMV.
I think you might have trouble getting it up to the low 70s if ambient is 50--there are a lot of heat sinks on that fermenter.
If I want to give it some extra help, I use a moving blanket wrapped around it and held in place with a couple spring clamps. You can get a moving blanket at a home store like Menards. And of course you may have something lying around that would also serve.
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Are you keeping pressure on top during cold crash (with a CO2 bottle)? Just curious of your process. If not, when you cold crash you will likely stop producing CO2 from fermentation and you’re also causing shrink of the wort. In a closed system, the shrinkage of the liquid causes the headspace to get bigger, without gas makeup it will cause pressure to go down.
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