Rhode Island Bright Tanks for Carbonating

[Brewmaster1]

We just purchased a 1BBL set up from a microbrewery that upgraded to a 10BBL. We were forced to buy the equipment as a package, so we had to take the bright tanks with us even though we knew we weren't going to be able to use them. Wondering if anyone out there was looking, or if anyone knew of a brewpub who might be looking, for 3 bright tanks. They are 75 gallon and rated to 65 PSI. We have 3 all together, but it looks like the previous owners used one as a fermenter, and the other 2 for carbonation. I just put them up on craigslist :

http://providence.craigslist.org/for/4246050205.html

 

[res291que]

You might have better luck on probrewer.com

 

[Brewmaster1]

ok, will do, thank you for the tip!

 

[Brewmaster1]

In the event I am unable to sell these tanks, does anyone have any suggestions on how I might make use of these tanks in my small 1BBL brewery? I have no experience with bright tanks, and have been doing research on how they are used, and from what I am finding, they are used mainly as storage tanks, and for carbonation. I don't plan on serving from these bright tanks since we are not a brewpub, and I've already got unitank conicals for fermenting and conditioning. Any ideas? I've only got 375 sq. ft. to work with, so I'm really trying to maximize space. We are not bottling or canning our product, at least not for the immediate forseeable future. We plan to only distribute 5 gallon corny kegs until we establish ourselves in the market. We can't accommodate large groups for tastings, but we do plan on small group tastings of no more than 5 people at a time. Our plan is to force carbonate inside the kegs themselves by placing the kegs inside of a chest freezer and hooking them up to a CO2 distributor. Since I'm not familliar with the bright tanks, I can't see how they would fit in to the equation....any thoughts or ideas?? Since the brewery is not yet operational, I'm open to any and all ideas you fine folks may have. Thank you so much!

 

[dkennedy]

Because I'm a pack-rat, I'd hang on to them in the name of "I might use those someday" (and having a bit of extra stainless around could help you react to exponential growth faster). I would look at how they might fit into your growth plan- if your brewery takes off, could you use the extra conditioning space to increase cycle time of the unitanks as fermentors only? Thinking of a flagship product especially (most likely to be first to package/need the scale)- double batch, ferment, blend+condition, carb, then package from the bright.
Space sounds tight, is offsite storage an option until you figure out where they fit into your equation?

Pro-Brewer can get you answers on the how-to-use question as well, I'm just throwing out random ideas to your (good) problem.

 

[LosBarbonesBrewingCo]

I have six of these that I plan on using as serving tanks in a tasting room. I'm at the opposite end, I plan on very, very little distribution initially and mainly do beer sales in a tasting room.

I've seen a user on here use one to what appears to be a holding tank for on demand StarSan (I assume because he has a StarSan sticker on it). I had PM'ed him about how he actually uses it, but he never replied. Here's a picture: http://s238.photobucket.com/user/ClaudiusB/media/Brewery/Sanitizer_StarSan.jpg.html?sort=6&o=52

Good luck!

 

[Brewmaster1]

dkennedy: question for you....I've never moved product after it's been carbed. I was always under the impression that was a "no-no". Just to make sure I'm following you, you're suggesting carbing in the bright tanks, then packaging in to kegs AFTER carbing? Would that work?? Again, I've got no experience with these tanks at all, so I really appreciate all the help and advice I can get! We do have them stored now until we can figure out how they might fit in to the equation.

 

[marcb]

dkennedy: question for you....I've never moved product after it's been carbed. I was always under the impression that was a "no-no". Just to make sure I'm following you, you're suggesting carbing in the bright tanks, then packaging in to kegs AFTER carbing? Would that work?? Again, I've got no experience with these tanks at all, so I really appreciate all the help and advice I can get! We do have them stored now until we can figure out how they might fit in to the equation.

That's how breweries do it! If your fermenter will hold pressure you carb directly in it as well.

 

[Mashinations]

dkennedy: question for you....I've never moved product after it's been carbed. I was always under the impression that was a "no-no". Just to make sure I'm following you, you're suggesting carbing in the bright tanks, then packaging in to kegs AFTER carbing? Would that work?? Again, I've got no experience with these tanks at all, so I really appreciate all the help and advice I can get! We do have them stored now until we can figure out how they might fit in to the equation.

You can bulk carbonate in the bright tanks and then transfer the beer over to corny kegs. You would want to pressurize the receiving keg and you would bleed off the pressure as the beer pushed to the keg. I know of several local breweries that fill corny kegs for customers and this is how they do it. I, personally, would find this far easier than transferring and then carbonating in the keg.

 

[motleybrews]

You can bulk carbonate in the bright tanks and then transfer the beer over to corny kegs. You would want to pressurize the receiving keg and you would bleed off the pressure as the beer pushed to the keg. I know of several local breweries that fill corny kegs for customers and this is how they do it. I, personally, would find this far easier than transferring and then carbonating in the keg.

This. I would use these for carbonation. If you are a 1bbl brewery distributing, you're going to need as much fermenter and keg space as possible. Tying up your fermenters or kegs for the additional time required to carbonate stifles production. Just my .02. The money you could generate by saving these far exceeds what you are selling for. Plus being larger capacity, you can double batch. Like I said, just my .02. GLWS

 

[motleybrews]

dkennedy: question for you....I've never moved product after it's been carbed. I was always under the impression that was a "no-no". Just to make sure I'm following you, you're suggesting carbing in the bright tanks, then packaging in to kegs AFTER carbing? Would that work?? Again, I've got no experience with these tanks at all, so I really appreciate all the help and advice I can get! We do have them stored now until we can figure out how they might fit in to the equation.

You fill from the brite tanks, using CO2 to push the beer. The system is sealed. Going from brite tanks to kegs or brite tank to pint glass or brite tank to packaging line is standard operating procedure in most breweries. Boil kettle or whirlpool to fermenter; fermenter to conditioning and carbonating in the brite tank; brite tank to keg,tap,or bottle/can. If you want to discuss outside of your for sale thread, PM me and we can talk through that, or I'll give you my number and we can talk on phone. Source: I'm going to school to become a master brewer and currently work in a 7bbl production brewery.

 

[Brewmaster1]

You can bulk carbonate in the bright tanks and then transfer the beer over to corny kegs. You would want to pressurize the receiving keg and you would bleed off the pressure as the beer pushed to the keg. I know of several local breweries that fill corny kegs for customers and this is how they do it. I, personally, would find this far easier than transferring and then carbonating in the keg.

Now that you explain it this way, I can see how this would save time and energy, and space for that matter! Luckily, the brewery is in the design stage, so designs can be altered to accommodate these tanks now.

I'm wondering if you might be able to give me just a bit more detail on how to transfer without having a foam issue? Have you seen it done at any of the breweries that you mention above? Am i pressing my luck with all of these questions??

 

[Brewmaster1]

You fill from the brite tanks, using CO2 to push the beer. The system is sealed. Going from brite tanks to kegs or brite tank to pint glass or brite tank to packaging line is standard operating procedure in most breweries. Boil kettle or whirlpool to fermenter; fermenter to conditioning and carbonating in the brite tank; brite tank to keg,tap,or bottle/can. If you want to discuss outside of your for sale thread, PM me and we can talk through that, or I'll give you my number and we can talk on phone. Source: I'm going to school to become a master brewer and currently work in a 7bbl production brewery.

Yes, please do PM me your number. I'd love to chat with you, thank you for the offer!

 

[Mashinations]

Now that you explain it this way, I can see how this would save time and energy, and space for that matter! Luckily, the brewery is in the design stage, so designs can be altered to accommodate these tanks now.

I'm wondering if you might be able to give me just a bit more detail on how to transfer without having a foam issue? Have you seen it done at any of the breweries that you mention above? Am i pressing my luck with all of these questions??

The foaming issue - just like when you pour a beer into a glass is caused by the beer going from being under 13 PSI of pressure to no pressure (atmospheric notwithstanding). If you pressurized a keg to 13 PSI and connected it directly to the bright tank, no beer would flow into it - then you slowly bleed off the pressure through the relief valve and the beer flows into the keg.