Doubling Down: SS Brewtech Conical + FTSS + Glycol Power Pack

[conan71]

Well, with unbelievable luck, I found a Perlick 4404 chiller on eBay for $549 plus $164 shipping. I was about to pull the trigger on the system from Rapids when I found this.

I uncrated it last night and started a test run with it. It’s 2300 BTU and claims 4000+ BTU heat rejection according to their literature. It will cool the glycol to 20F. It cools 12 gal of H2O which is right at 100# approx. 20 degrees per hour. Unfortunately the hysteresis is set at 4 degrees from the factory or I could use the built in pump with their temperature control. I’m sure there is a way to reprogram the hysteresis in the controller, but Perlick advises against this. 4 degree drift would defeat the purpose of using a chiller in the first place.

I have no idea if the way the Perlick works is germane to other manufacturers, but this sucks the glycol through a plate & frame HX with refrigerant on the other side of the plates then discharges off the pump. The return goes through the John Guest fittings near the pump. For proper (i.e. rapid) cooling, it would appear that the circulation pump needs to stay running to draw the glycol over the chiller.

Therefore, I’m debating whether or not to manage the pump flow with my Kegco temp controller, or to install my FTSS pump in the reservoir to run the SSBT fermenter, and use the main pump to recirc the coolant through a loop and use the Kegco temp controller I use for my 7 gal fermenter to open a 115V solenoid when it calls for cooling. The second thought has been to run the main pump constantly as a recirc loop and see if I can find a solenoid to run off the FTSS module.

 

[mfabe]

That's a great deal on that chiller, and it also looks like a good install! Cheers!

 

[TheSnair]

Dcpcooks what is the ambient temp in you garage? I live in Louisiana and my garage temps can reach the mid to high 90's.

 

[Rivenin]

that is just fantastic!

 

[dmcman73]

Looks awesome! You might want to put some foam pipe insulation on the vinyl tubes to keep it efficient and prevent the tubes from sweating during humid days as well.

 

[Dcpcooks]

Dcpcooks what is the ambient temp in you garage? I live in Louisiana and my garage temps can reach the mid to high 90's.

About 8o-85 in August. It can get hotter if I'm brewing. Mid 90's are kinda tough on compressors.

 

[conan71]

Thanks for the comments! Once I figure out the final configuration, I’ll insulate everything and pretty it up a little. I’m thinking about adding a 1/2 bbl fermenter in the future, so I need to set it up to cool and crash three units. I figure in the dead of winter, I’ll add a heating element to the sump when I’ll need heat support rather than cooling until cold crashing.

I’ve still got some additional work to do. After waking up and finding my pumpkin ale barely chugging along at 56 degrees, I thought perhaps the FTSS controller had malfunctioned.

After some deductive sleuthing, I figured out what was going on. There’s a block with John Guest fittings on the return line which will accept up to three 1/2” return lines. To ensure proper heat transfer, the main glycol pump pumps back through this block through a short line.

For the first fermentation, I put the FTSS submersible pump in the glycol sump, and ran it’s discharge out the sump overflow tube using silicone tubing. It then goes through the coil in the fermenter and returns to the sump via the block.

The problem, it seemed, is the on-board Perlick pump has a 150 psi discharge. It created back pressure on the return line from the coil in the fermenter. Simple solution: a 3/8” barbed check valve.

I’ve found some good illustrations on line for how breweries set up glycol, the only issue I’m still running around in my head is a bypass valve for when none of the fermenters are calling for cooling. Any suggestions would be great.

I did find a vendor who sells 3/8” barbed solenoids in 12 VDC and 120 VAC. The 12 volt only takes 500 ma, so the FTSS controller will power it up just fine.

 

[helterscelter]

I’ve found some good illustrations on line for how breweries set up glycol, the only issue I’m still running around in my head is a bypass valve for when none of the fermenters are calling for cooling. Any suggestions would be great.

I've been thinking about this exact problem for my setup. I came up with two options:

1) rather that use a standard STC for per-fermentor control, use a PLC to control the pump and solenoids to allow switching the pump on/off and valves open/closed based on who is calling for cooling or if the system is just idling keeping the glycol cold. this is a somewhat involved (expensive) option. (this could also be done using analog logic gates instead of a PLC, but seems a bit fragile to me.. probably not too bad since that is essentially how all automation was done for the first half of the last century)

2) use a restrictor on the return bypass. this means that the manifold loop is essentially an open pipe with flow restrictions. when a solenoid opens due to a fermentor calling for cooling, the natural tendency would be for the glycol to flow through the solenoid as it is a path of least resistance. when no solenoids are open, the manifold would just recirculate through the restrictor -- there would be some back-pressure, but it should be manageable.

eventually I'll get some time to work on my system so I can actually try this stuff out and meaningfully contribute.

 

[conan71]

Very similar to my thought. The on-board glycol pump has a 3/8” hose barb on it. My thinking was using reinforced hose to a manifold mounted on the wall behind the fermenters.

The manifold would be 3/4” to 1” PVC and capped at the end with a 3/8 barb to or other smaller orifice to return to the glycol unit. Each fermenter would have it’s own solenoid, and their return would go to a common header to return to the glycol unit.

If I run into problems with not having enough pressure through he coils, especially after adding a third fermenter, I figure I can always put a series of normally-open solenoids to close when the NC ones are energized to introduce glycol through a fermenter.

This is where a PLC could come in handy- you could set it up to energize one NO solenoid to close off the glycol bypass on the main header when any or all of the NC solenoids are energized.

 

[mfabe]

For multiple fermenters, I would just put each FTSS pump in the glycol bath so each unit has its own dedicated loop, especially since that Perlick chiller has a relatively large bath. Adding a larger return manifold for stacking multiple return feeds would be the next logical step, since you will have to get all of the glycol back efficiently under load.

Going with a full "first-in, last-out" loop means you have to have a glycol pump running non-stop to feed each fermenter once their individual solenoid opens up. Plus you will have to double or triple the size of the main loop lines and the pump to insure the fermenters don't starve under full load. Lastly, if you get some sort of malfunction, the entire loop goes down, not just a single fermenter. It doesn't seem as efficient to me, but I could be overlooking something.

I can see why commercial brewing operations typically use this arrangement because its designed for maximum expandability and the shear size of their equipment prevents them from crowding all their fermenters around a single chiller in dedicated loops.

However, I actually think most commercial breweries would prefer dedicated loops, so if an aforementioned breakage does occur, they can limit their losses. Many even have alarms and/or notifications so they can rush down at midnight and troubleshoot before a catastrophe occurs! But on a home brewing scale I don't think it makes as much sense. But if its for the shear challenge, then I completely understand! Cheers guys, this is all good stuff!

 

[conan71]

For multiple fermenters, I would just put each FTSS pump in the glycol bath so each unit has its own dedicated loop, especially since that Perlick chiller has a relatively large bath. Adding a larger return manifold for stacking multiple return feeds would be the next logical step, since you will have to get all of the glycol back efficiently under load.

Going with a full "first-in, last-out" loop means you have to have a glycol pump running non-stop to feed each fermenter once their individual solenoid opens up. Plus you will have to double or triple the size of the main loop lines and the pump to insure the fermenters don't starve under full load. Lastly, if you get some sort of malfunction, the entire loop goes down, not just a single fermenter. It doesn't seem as efficient to me, but I could be overlooking something.

I can see why commercial brewing operations typically use this arrangement because its designed for maximum expandability and the shear size of their equipment prevents them from crowding all their fermenters around a single chiller in dedicated loops.

However, I actually think most commercial breweries would prefer dedicated loops, so if an aforementioned breakage does occur, they can limit their losses. Many even have alarms and/or notifications so they can rush down at midnight and troubleshoot before a catastrophe occurs! But on a home brewing scale I don't think it makes as much sense. But if its for the shear challenge, then I completely understand! Cheers guys, this is all good stuff!

Actually, the sump is smaller than the one you have. I think the spec on yours was 3 gal. this is 1.75. My main issue would be drilling additional holes through the stainless and installing fittings. The size of the FTSS pumps are small enough though, I could accommodate three of them and you are quite correct, that simplifies the system a good deal.

Therein lies my hesitation, I hate to modify the Perlick too much. If I ever decide to sell it, I’m afraid extra holes might be a negative to a buyer who was going to use it for a beer line cooler. Naturally, you can always cap them off.

That’s why I love this forum, it really helps getting the feedback of others.

 

[mfabe]

Ahhhh I must have missed that the bath is that small, since the unit looks like its a good size. Yet, judging from the cooling "tonnage" it would have no problem with three fermenters. It would just run more often, because of less thermal mass in the bath to offset the compressor cycling frequency.

All in all I don't think you can go wrong either way, I just wanted to point out that sometimes extra complexity can turn against you.... Let us know what you decide, I'm very interested to see how it performs!

 

[conan71]

Ahhhh I must have missed that the bath is that small, since the unit looks like its a good size. Yet, judging from the cooling "tonnage" it would have no problem with three fermenters. It would just run more often, because of less thermal mass in the bath to offset the compressor cycling frequency.

All in all I don't think you can go wrong either way, I just wanted to point out that sometimes extra complexity can turn against you.... Let us know what you decide, I'm very interested to see how it performs!

Have you had any issues with the FTSS coil freezing on the fermenter side?

If I drop the glycol temp to 20F for rapid chilling for a cold crash, I get anywhere from an iced coil with 1/4” or more ice on the coil or a large block of ice.

I’m presently trying to cold crash a pumpkin ale and the best I’ve managed to get to is 39F with the bath temp set at 28F (with 4 degree hysteresis, it varies from 28 to 32 in the glycol). I’m afraid to go much lower on the glycol temp for fear of ending up with the large ice block on the coil again which is something which happened while experimenting with plain water in the fermenter before I started this batch.

I can tell when I’m forming ice on the coil as the thermowell temp on the side of the fermenter settles at about 41F.

I’m thinking the flow rate of the FTSS pump might be too high and restricting the flow by about 25 to 33% might yield the results I’m looking for. I just don’t think I’m getting effective heat absorption.

I’m also considering regardless of batch size using the 7 gallon extension kit to move the coil more into the middle of the beer for more uniform cooling as I get about 1 to 1.5 F stratification between the reading from the FTSS unit and the thermometer on the side of the fermenter.

What are anyone else’s thoughts about slowing down the flow of glycol for better heat absorption through the FTSS coil?

 

[BrewinSoldier]

I am thinking of doing a 7gallon SS fermenter along with the FTSs sometime down the road. I am in northern California but I keep the chest freezer in my bedroom. I was going to run the same setup you originally posted running water inside of a 5 gallon keg(filled with ice if need be). Do you mind posting a link to the custom fittings you ordered? Also, when not using the fittings for the temp controller, how do you plug them up so the cold air from the chest freezer doesn't escape?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Dcpcooks]

Have you had any issues with the FTSS coil freezing on the fermenter side?



If I drop the glycol temp to 20F for rapid chilling for a cold crash, I get anywhere from an iced coil with 1/4” or more ice on the coil or a large block of ice.



I’m presently trying to cold crash a pumpkin ale and the best I’ve managed to get to is 39F with the bath temp set at 28F (with 4 degree hysteresis, it varies from 28 to 32 in the glycol). I’m afraid to go much lower on the glycol temp for fear of ending up with the large ice block on the coil again which is something which happened while experimenting with plain water in the fermenter before I started this batch.



I can tell when I’m forming ice on the coil as the thermowell temp on the side of the fermenter settles at about 41F.



I’m thinking the flow rate of the FTSS pump might be too high and restricting the flow by about 25 to 33% might yield the results I’m looking for. I just don’t think I’m getting effective heat absorption.



I’m also considering regardless of batch size using the 7 gallon extension kit to move the coil more into the middle of the beer for more uniform cooling as I get about 1 to 1.5 F stratification between the reading from the FTSS unit and the thermometer on the side of the fermenter.



What are anyone else’s thoughts about slowing down the flow of glycol for better heat absorption through the FTSS coil?

I don't think slowing the flow will help but I could be dead wrong. I think your set point of 20 is to cold. I run my chiller constantly when I'm actively fermenting, my set up is different in that my chiller can be set to any temp not just between 26-32. As far as freezing have you tried it with beer yet? I am able to hold wort at 32 for days on end without trouble or icing towards the end of fermentation, the alcohol content helps to prevent freezing. The FTS pump will run as long as needed to cool the wort. I would try to raise the glycol temp to 26- 30 if possible and see how it goes after 24 hours. If your too cold (20) I can see how it could freeze up. I believe SS recommends 28-32 as your glycol temp on the FAQ section of the site. My bath temp is only a few degrees below the set point once it's stabilized.
You will see a few degrees separation between the glycol bath temp and the wort temp, which you can tweak after your closer to 32 for crashing.

You will want to use the extensions for heating the fermentation or for smaller batches. I use them when I'm fermenting 10-12 gall on batches in a half barrel fermenter and you want the coils down in the wort for that application. I hope that helps!

Regarding stratification, that should not be a problem with an active fermentation as the wort will be rising and falling as the yeast is active. Your goal here is to limit the temps to a set point during the first few days of active fermentation to control off flavor development. Use the top thermowell for cooling unless your using the extensions, then you will want to use the side thermowell for a more accurate temp. Remember the cone temp will contain a lot of yeast and my be warmer than the rest of the conical. But that heat will rise, cool then fall back down to control your overall temps. I usually shoot for a few degrees above the midpoint temp recommended by the yeast manufacturers. So with a yeast with a range of 64-72 I'll set my temp at. 67-68.

 

[mfabe]

I keep my glycol bath at 28 and have no problem reaching 33-34 degrees. Its all about ambient temps, humidity (for icing), etc. Once you reach your temp, holding it should be no problem, yet I have never had issues with icing while cold crashing.

In your situation I wouldn't go below 26-28 degrees, and this is where a larger glycol bath can help because it keeps temps a bit more stable (more thermal mass). This may just be a hunch, but when the compressor is cycling to chill the glycol the evaporator coils are getting extremely cold (don't know the exact number, and its probably different for each unit), but some of the super chilled glycol could be making its way into your FTSS feed and icing your lines.

Envision it this way; with only 1.75 gallons of glycol in the system, there isn't much room to play with for the glycol to settle and reach the desired set temp before the FTSS sweeps it back into the loop. It could be passing over the evaporator coils, getting colder than your current set temp and then make its way back into your system before the entire bath can stabilize.

How frequently is your compressor cycling under a cold crash load?

I also agree with Dcp that icing shouldn't be a problem when there is beer in the fermenter, but I could see how you experienced exactly that with just water. Try this, set our bath temp to 26 and run some tests to see how often the unit cycles, and how often the FTSS is kicking on by lowering it a few degrees at a time to walk the temp down to your desired levels. When you really start to see the FTSS and compressor frequently cycling together in tandem, the system may be maxing out with your ambient temps. I have gone to the edge of freezing my beer before my system maxes out with the BVL Controls unit at about 80 degrees ambient temp, but I'm interested to see your results.

 

[conan71]

Well, the immutable laws of physics have won out.

I adjusted flow rate, took incoming and outgoing temps from the coils and I still was not getting the cooling I thought I should. I finally opened the fermenter and discovered the coil is only about 2/3 submerged.

Usually, my 10 gal batches have 10.5 to 11 gal going into the fermenter. This was a pumpkin ale mashed with pumpkin puree that I knew was going to be a huge trub mess. At any rate, 10 gal made it into the fermenter. After dumping around 1/2 gal of thick trub the coil is no longer completely submerged.

In other words, there’s not enough surface area in contact with the wort for proper heat exchange. I’ve got enough BTU available, but if you don’t have enough surface area, it’s irrelevant.

I work in the boiler business so heat exchangers are not a foreign concept to me and this all now makes perfect sense.

As previously mentioned, I think I’ll put the extension kit on prior to the next batch so the coils will be way down in the middle of the wort no matter what. I usually don’t have such messy beers but this one sure was!

 

[mfabe]

Yup-that makes sense, you shouldn't ever have a problem again if you get the extensions. Glad to hear you got it sorted out! Cheers!

 

[Dcpcooks]

Right on! That a $40 fix, and your perlick will work like a champ.

 

[conan71]

I forgot to post the first photo when I added the extensions. I’d already purchased them with the FTSS. Success!!!

Second photo shows something quite useful with these systems as you are either going to chew up a lot of tubing on the barbs connecting and disconnecting or get frustrated trying to pull it loose from the barbs on the lid. They are quick Disconnects from US Plastics on eBay. 3/8” barb and they are pretty much a “dry break” fitting with only a drip when you disconnect. Especially helpful if you are running a glycol system to minimize loss. Keep in mind the internal check valves are 1/4” so you will get a pressure drop, but it’s not sacrificed the cooling ability of my unit.

 

[Dcpcooks]

I use those on my co2 tank for service lines. Nice Idea for glycol, thanks for sharing it!

 

[akthor]

The OP's original chiller in the post would that have worked with a 1 bbl fermenter?

 

[augiedoggy]

Very similar to my thought. The on-board glycol pump has a 3/8” hose barb on it. My thinking was using reinforced hose to a manifold mounted on the wall behind the fermenters.

The manifold would be 3/4” to 1” PVC and capped at the end with a 3/8 barb to or other smaller orifice to return to the glycol unit. Each fermenter would have it’s own solenoid, and their return would go to a common header to return to the glycol unit.

If I run into problems with not having enough pressure through he coils, especially after adding a third fermenter, I figure I can always put a series of normally-open solenoids to close when the NC ones are energized to introduce glycol through a fermenter.

This is where a PLC could come in handy- you could set it up to energize one NO solenoid to close off the glycol bypass on the main header when any or all of the NC solenoids are energized.

You are describing my setup.

I use my chillers pump to cool 4 fermenters with dual relays each controlled by an stc1000+ once the stc turns on the dual contact relay it supplies 24v to a solenoid valve for that cooling jacket and 240v to the pump in my chiller to pump through the main manifold feeding all the fermenters.
I does work well and I have it controlling 3 fermenters at this moment with no issues. its cheap too since each solenoid valve is only $2.19 on ebay.

I used the guide below for my plumbing for equal pressure to all conicals... another member here supplied it in a diy build.

View attachment GLYCOLGUIDE.pdf

 

[mfabe]

The OP's original chiller in the post would that have worked with a 1 bbl fermenter?

Looking at the BTU/Hr calculations, my chiller would work with roughly (2) 1 BBL fermenters. Just keep in mind that with high ambient temps, crash cool cycles will just take a little bit longer, but still way under the 24hr window preferred by most.

I think you'll be pleased with the performance, the ECO 33 chiller has become a key piece of equipment for me. I'm extremely satisfied with the purchase.

Cheers!
Michael

 

[conan71]

As soon as I got the email about the new Brewmaster edition conicals, I pulled the trigger on a 1/2 bbl model. Beers I brew for parties and holidays seem to go too quick, so brewing 15 gal. batches makes sense.

I like the standard features a whole lot better on this series. I also like the placement of the cooling coil in the vessel better.

 

[BrewinSoldier]

So a few questions,

1. Would this be too much to control 2 of the 7 gallon SS chronicals?

2. Maybe I missed it somewhere, but if I had two of the FTSS setups for my chronicals, how hard is it to control them individually from the glycol chiller? What all would I need to do it?

I am highly considering this. I currently only have one 7 gallon chronical being cooled with the FTSs and a 5 gallon Keg filled with water(same setup as in your original post) it works really well so far for ales, but I don't know about lagers(which is coming up quick on my list), and cold crashing so I can get clearer beer. Plus I don't like that it ties up 1 of the 3 spots for a 5 gallon Keg of beer.

3. Have you calculated how much electricity this thing is using?

This will be going in my room next to my chest freezer. Not sure exactly how loud it is, but I currently have the chest freezer noise, a mini monster fridge right next to my bed, and a ground fan running.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Vesteroid]

Its answered above, that its easily enough room in the reservoir to handle two ftss pumps, so yes, you can control two conicals with the glycol system he mentioned.

I cant speak to the noise level, but I bet somewhere on the specs it has a DB rating.

 

[conan71]

So a few questions,

1. Would this be too much to control 2 of the 7 gallon SS chronicals?

2. Maybe I missed it somewhere, but if I had two of the FTSS setups for my chronicals, how hard is it to control them individually from the glycol chiller? What all would I need to do it?

I am highly considering this. I currently only have one 7 gallon chronical being cooled with the FTSs and a 5 gallon Keg filled with water(same setup as in your original post) it works really well so far for ales, but I don't know about lagers(which is coming up quick on my list), and cold crashing so I can get clearer beer. Plus I don't like that it ties up 1 of the 3 spots for a 5 gallon Keg of beer.

3. Have you calculated how much electricity this thing is using?

This will be going in my room next to my chest freezer. Not sure exactly how loud it is, but I currently have the chest freezer noise, a mini monster fridge right next to my bed, and a ground fan running.

Thanks for any input.

You will have BTU’s to spare with a pair of 7gal. chronicals. Just put your FTS pumps in your sump and recirculate from there for a very simplified way of doing it. My Perlick chiller utilizes a plate type heat exchanger to cool the glycol, so running a pump constantly is necessary to ensure flow through the heat exchanger. Looking at Mfabe’s chiller, I believe it’s more of an immersion coil for an evaporator so it does not require having the on-board pump running constantly to keep your glycol chilled. The pump is what generates all the noise on mine.

As far as electricity used, I suspect these will use about the same amount as a good sized chest freezer, maybe slightly more.

 

[mfabe]

You will have BTU’s to spare with a pair of 7gal. chronicals. Just put your FTS pumps in your sump and recirculate from there for a very simplified way of doing it. My Perlick chiller utilizes a plate type heat exchanger to cool the glycol, so running a pump constantly is necessary to ensure flow through the heat exchanger. Looking at Mfabe’s chiller, I believe it’s more of an immersion coil for an evaporator so it does not require having the on-board pump running constantly to keep your glycol chilled. The pump is what generates all the noise on mine.

As far as electricity used, I suspect these will use about the same amount as a good sized chest freezer, maybe slightly more.

+1 on all of this, plus I haven't noticed much of a spike in electricity, its all very efficient.

 

[BrewinSoldier]

Thanks for the responses guys. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the setup mfabe has. I like that not only will I be able to keep stable ale fermentation temps, but I can do lager temps as well as cold crashing with this. Those together make it worth the money to me.

Conan, do you mind posting the part numbers to those quick disconnects? Those will sure make disconnecting the lines from the back of my fermenters a whole lot easier when I go to clean them.

So just to make sure I got this straight, I just use the stock FTSs pumps and drop them in the glycol sump tank.

So say I had two fermentations going on. One is an IPA fermenting at say 67 degrees, and the other is a wheat beer that I is done fermenting and I want to cold crash.

So basically I program the controller on the glycol tank to 5-10 degrees below my lowest desired temp of the two, which in this case would be the cold crashing at say 32-34 degrees. So i set that controller to 28 degrees for the glycol. Then i set one of the stock ftss controllers to 67 degrees, and the other ftss controller to 32-34 degrees. That would be that and i could do the two separate temps at the same time?

Am I understanding this all correctly?

Thanks again guys.

 

[Vesteroid]

I bought the fermenter, but not the glycol pack, but yes, that's my understanding of things. I am wres5ling with the heating currently. I bought a heat wire for pipes from hd, but did not think about the fact it has a built in thermostat on it, so I could not get it to turn on. I took that back. I (just yesterday) found a website that would custom make heat tape so I got a 4' long by 6" wide one made that I believe will fit in between all the fitting sand handles and go around the fermenter.

I just want my heating and cooling separated ....I have days (not many) where I think at night I need heating and during the day I need cooling. Living in the mountains I can get 40 degree swings in a day in outside temp.

Anyone have any suggestions about this?

 

[conan71]

Thanks for the responses guys. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the setup mfabe has. I like that not only will I be able to keep stable ale fermentation temps, but I can do lager temps as well as cold crashing with this. Those together make it worth the money to me.

Conan, do you mind posting the part numbers to those quick disconnects? Those will sure make disconnecting the lines from the back of my fermenters a whole lot easier when I go to clean them.

So just to make sure I got this straight, I just use the stock FTSs pumps and drop them in the glycol sump tank.

So say I had two fermentations going on. One is an IPA fermenting at say 67 degrees, and the other is a wheat beer that I is done fermenting and I want to cold crash.

So basically I program the controller on the glycol tank to 5-10 degrees below my lowest desired temp of the two, which in this case would be the cold crashing at say 32-34 degrees. So i set that controller to 28 degrees for the glycol. Then i set one of the stock ftss controllers to 67 degrees, and the other ftss controller to 32-34 degrees. That would be that and i could do the two separate temps at the same time?

Am I understanding this all correctly?

Thanks again guys.

I bought them from US Plastics eBay site:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4-Flow-X-...178643?hash=item35e64e9e13:g:4MQAAOSwPYZU-EuW

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4-Flow-X-...178616?hash=item35e64e9df8:g:Cj8AAOSwZjJU-EuX

You have to purchase the couplers and nipples separate. I like the valved ones because they act as a dry-break so loss of your glycol is minimal.

And, yes, you have got the idea of how to operate perfect! I can’t believe what a difference it makes in the finished product. I’d say temp control is the one major issue that keeps home brewers from consistently turning out commercial-quality beer.

 

[augiedoggy]

I bought them from US Plastics eBay site:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4-Flow-X-...178643?hash=item35e64e9e13:g:4MQAAOSwPYZU-EuW

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4-Flow-X-...178616?hash=item35e64e9df8:g:Cj8AAOSwZjJU-EuX

You have to purchase the couplers and nipples separate. I like the valved ones because they act as a dry-break so loss of your glycol is minimal.

And, yes, you have got the idea of how to operate perfect! I can’t believe what a difference it makes in the finished product. I’d say temp control is the one major issue that keeps home brewers from consistently turning out commercial-quality beer.

these along with the pinch clamp are a good economical alternative...
http://www.gotta-brew.com/categories/accessories/fittings-and-tubing.html

the ones you linked are $5 but $10 for shipping? do they charge shipping for each one? that could add up fast.

If I did it again I would just use water and skip the glycol... Totally not needed in my setup. I can lager 30 gallons of beer fine with my chiller water at 36-38 degrees.

 

[conan71]

these along with the pinch clamp are a good economical alternative...
http://www.gotta-brew.com/categories/accessories/fittings-and-tubing.html

the ones you linked are $5 but $10 for shipping? do they charge shipping for each one? that could add up fast.

If I did it again I would just use water and skip the glycol... Totally not needed in my setup. I can lager 30 gallons of beer fine with my chiller water at 36-38 degrees.

US Plastic ships exclusively via UPS so the minimum is $10 and change to get anything shipped from them. When I buy from them I try to purchase multiple items and up to a pound it’s still that $10+ rate. If you buy one fitting you will get raked. If you need six or eight fittings it’s a good deal and cheaper than a first class parcel per piece.

You might also see if there are other Parker Hannifin dealers out there who will ship first class if shipping cost is an issue. You need four fittings for one fermenter for your supply and return lines.

Trust me though, whether or not you use water or glycol you’d appreciate having valved couplings. It’s one less thing to run all over the place when you disconnect your fittings.

As far as whether or not to use glycol, at least use either alcohol or a non oxidizing biocide in your water mix to prevent it from getting slimy and skanky. Glycol does help retard microbial growth.

And one more tip: in my experience, non-reinforced vinyl tubing is not up to the task of fermentation cooling. After chasing leaks here and there at fittings with the vinyl tubing most HBS sell, I’m done screwing with it. It’s great for siphoning and very low pressure applications, but for pushing with a pump and wide temp swings, not good.

 

[BrewinSoldier]

Thanks for the input guys. I ordered the 1 gallon jug of glycol from duda diesel that mfabe got. I will probably also get the same tubing.

I figured this machine came with the tubing insulated in the black foam, but it looks like that is something mfabe did on his own.

And just for anyone else thinking about ordering this cooler from the link mfabe listed, if you don't have a business address to send it to, it goes from free shipping to $100 shipping charge. I just got the phone call today and luckily I had a business address to send it to.

 

[akthor]

Can you post a link to where you are getting the glycol chiller from and do you mind disclosing what they are currently charging for a price? Its been awhile since the OP first posted this so I'm sure pricing has changed.

 

[BrewinSoldier]

Can you post a link to where you are getting the glycol chiller from and do you mind disclosing what they are currently charging for a price? Its been awhile since the OP first posted this so I'm sure pricing has changed.

Yeah no problem.. It's the same place the OP got his at in the link he posted.

http://rapidswholesale.com/3-gal-glycol-unit-1-3-hp-120v.html

It's $869 with no tax and free shipping if it's shipped to a business address. If you ship it to a residential, the price after shipping is $969. Not sure what the OP paid for it at the time he bought it.

Speaking of which, the last thing I need is the tubing.

Mfabe,
Do you mind disclosing where you bought that 3/8ID silicone tubing at with the 3/16 thick wall? The thickest I can find is 1/8" wall. Im also not sure where you got the black insulation tubing from or what size fit, but I did find some trunk line insulation on micromatics website.

 

[augiedoggy]

if your just controlling 1 conical somthing like this should work fine too....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Active-Aqua...574403?hash=item1ea0aae9c3:g:7CgAAOSwNSxVaPsT

this one should work for a couple conicals http://www.ebay.com/itm/Active-Aqua...soffType=SaleAndClearence&_trksid=p5731.m3795

I am using a larger chiller but I am cooling 4 conicals with it and it has no problems keeping up at all...

 

[augiedoggy]

US Plastic ships exclusively via UPS so the minimum is $10 and change to get anything shipped from them. When I buy from them I try to purchase multiple items and up to a pound it’s still that $10+ rate. If you buy one fitting you will get raked. If you need six or eight fittings it’s a good deal and cheaper than a first class parcel per piece.

You might also see if there are other Parker Hannifin dealers out there who will ship first class if shipping cost is an issue. You need four fittings for one fermenter for your supply and return lines.

Trust me though, whether or not you use water or glycol you’d appreciate having valved couplings. It’s one less thing to run all over the place when you disconnect your fittings.

As far as whether or not to use glycol, at least use either alcohol or a non oxidizing biocide in your water mix to prevent it from getting slimy and skanky. Glycol does help retard microbial growth.

And one more tip: in my experience, non-reinforced vinyl tubing is not up to the task of fermentation cooling. After chasing leaks here and there at fittings with the vinyl tubing most HBS sell, I’m done screwing with it. It’s great for siphoning and very low pressure applications, but for pushing with a pump and wide temp swings, not good.

I have been cleaning in place so far and its worked well enough but have been considering adding quick disconnects to my cooling lines...

I did notice after posting that the shipping does not really go up on larger orders from us plastics..

I also had read about the glycol helping to keep the coolant from getting nasty. which is the only benefit in my configuration since it actually decreases the cooling ability of the water a bit. Again in my cases it doesnt really matter since its all working fine. I discovered farming stores carry the glycol too however I bought a gallon on ebay myself. I wasnt shocked to learn its used as an ingredient in making the juice for E cigarettes...

 

[BrewinSoldier]

Just a quick update. I went and picked up my chiller today from FedEx freight because I didn't want to wait until Monday for them to deliver it.

Didnt get home until pretty late and got it set up temporarily (tubing wise). I added 1 gallon of glycol, and a little over 2 gallons of distilled water. I turned it on and it went from 70F inside the chiller to 28F(set temp on chiller) in about 2 hours with around 70F ambient temp in my room. Once it got to 43F, I turned on my FTSs set at 34F. The cooler has been on for a total of maybe 3.5 hours now and the temp inside my 7gallon Brewmaster Edition chronical is at 36.3F(from 68-69F). Time to go to sleep so I won't see when it actually gets to 34F, but I will update if it is there when I wake up.

Two things I can say so far, is the fan on the chiller is a little noisy, but it is definitely doing its job. It kicks on maybe every 10-15 mins for about 3-4 mins to get the glycol bath from 30-31 back to 27-28. To be fair, it is still trying to cool the fermenter to my set temp of 34F, so im wondering how much it will kick on once it gets it there. The other thing I noticed so far is that it gets so cold, I am noticing little condensation drops on the connectors(QD connectors, and at the barbs for the FTSs coils on the outside of the fermenter) which hopefully doesn't start getting my carpet wet. I may have to just wrap some cloths on it for now.

BTW, I am cold crashing a Chimay Red clone.