Cleaning and sanitizing Ss Chronical BME

[duncan.brown]

I’ve just upgraded to a 7 gal Ss Brewtech Chromical BME and I was wondering how people handle cleaning and sanitizing. I have the mini CIP ball and a blast with warm PBW gets it nice and clean, but do people break down all the weldless fittings between every brew? With my brew bucket, I’d remove the thermowell and the sample port every brew because it’s easy, but removing the chiller coil in the BME is more of a pain. How prone are the weldless fittings to infection?

Thanks for any advice! Cheers.

 

[couchsending]

I’ve put 300 or so brews through some 7g chronicals. 2 weren’t BME to begin with but I modified them eventually. Other 2 are BME.

I don’t CIP them. They’re so easy to lift into my large laundry sink I don’t worry about it.

I lift into the sink. Dump all remaining trub down the drain. Spray all the loose yeast and hop debris off then start scrubbing the krausen ring with a brush until it’s pretty much gone. Take the Chronical out of the sink and fill it with hot water from the tap (bout 124) and PBW. Leave for minimum of 30 or overnight. Dump PBW, rinse thoroughly, let air dry.

I’ll remove all TC fittings and the weldless sample valve. Soak them in PBW for 30. Rinse. Soak them in Star San, reassemble everything then fill the Chronical with Star San. Soak for 10-30 then empty through all valves and fill.

I maybe remove the other weldless fittings once a quarter. Never seen any residue build up. Never had an “infection” with any beer spoilers at least that I know of.

If I was to use a diastaticus strain or Brett I’d definitely pull all the weldless fittings apart but I have other fermenters for those ferments.

 

[duncan.brown]

Thanks, that’s very helpful. I’ll CIP the fermenter for 30+ minutes while the triclamp fittings are soaking, but not worry about taking the cooling coil out after every brew.

I was planning on doing the same thing as you do with my brew bucket: I now have a home for anything with Brett or diastaticus yeasts that’s easy to clean.