Fermentation control for SS Brewtech 14

[BlueHemlock]

I have a 14 gallon chronical on the way. I'd like to get something to control fermentation temps. However, I'd like to avoid building my own chamber. It will be in my garage, so I'd like the ability to switch from heat to cool with no intervention. i.e. STC1000.

My problem is I'm not sure what I will need to fit the chronical in. Well it fit in a regular fridge? Do I need to find an upright freezer? I guess I'm looking for real life examples of what people are using for this size conical.

Thanks.

 

[augiedoggy]

I use one of these with my 12.5 gallon stout conical...I have a glycol chiller but you can make a redneck chiller with a bucket of water in a fridge or cooler full of ice water and a cheap aquarium pump being controlled by an stc 1000 or better yet an stc 1000+
http://www.gotta-brew.com/products/cool-zone-cooling-jacket.html
the cooling jacket is very effective... I was skeptical until I used it. they make extensions for wider fermenters.

 

[BlueHemlock]

I use one of these with my 12.5 gallon stout conical...I have a glycol chiller but you can make a redneck chiller with a bucket of water in a fridge or cooler full of ice water and a cheap aquarium pump being controlled by an stc 1000 or better yet an stc 1000+

the cooling jacket is very effective... I was skeptical until I used it. they make extensions for wider fermenters.

One of "these"? Is there a missing picture or link?

 

[BlueHemlock]

Curious what everyone else is using to control fermentation with a conical?

 

[FlyDoctor]

The thing about temp control discussions is that the focus is always on cooling. In MN, by far the bigger issue for 3/4 of the year is heating. But as far as I can see the brew belt and fermwrap are the only real devices for heating. A big reason I avoid conical a is (aside from cost) is it not being clear how one heats these things. Take the fast ferment conical as an example. Designed to hang on the wall...? How would you heat that.

Rant over, key apologies

 

[augiedoggy]

One of "these"? Is there a missing picture or link?

http://www.gotta-brew.com/products/cool-zone-cooling-jacket.html

 

[augiedoggy]

The thing about temp control discussions is that the focus is always on cooling. In MN, by far the bigger issue for 3/4 of the year is heating. But as far as I can see the brew belt and fermwrap are the only real devices for heating. A big reason I avoid conical a is (aside from cost) is it not being clear how one heats these things. Take the fast ferment conical as an example. Designed to hang on the wall...? How would you heat that.

Rant over, key apologies

a simple silicone coated heat belt works fine for this... low heat is all thats needed.. I actually just bought 40FT of thinwalled latex tubing I plan on coiling around the lower part of the conical for cooling the fast fermentor. I plan on using it with my glycol chiller.

its also possible that the same cooling jacket that works on my stout and carboys will make enough contact to work on the fast fermentor.

I use a 12v flexable heating strip for my stout conical and it does the job just fine actually... but a lot of sellers sell the heating belts includng the one linked above... the small thin one would eork for the F ferment one.

 

[nicolas_james]

I have a 14 gallon chronical on the way. I'd like to get something to control fermentation temps. However, I'd like to avoid building my own chamber. It will be in my garage, so I'd like the ability to switch from heat to cool with no intervention. i.e. STC1000.

My problem is I'm not sure what I will need to fit the chronical in. Well it fit in a regular fridge? Do I need to find an upright freezer? I guess I'm looking for real life examples of what people are using for this size conical.

Thanks.

Have you checked out there temperature control solution? The FTSs.

http://www.ssbrewtech.com/collectio...ftss-temperature-control-for-14-gal-chronical

 

[BlueHemlock]

Have you checked out there temperature control solution? The FTSs.

http://www.ssbrewtech.com/collectio...ftss-temperature-control-for-14-gal-chronical

Yes, I was reading up on that this afternoon. I'm interested to see how they implement the heat blanket they are coming out with this summer. If they incorporate it so that I can have the heat and the cool available at all times, then I'd be interested. There will be days that I will need both heating and cooling to maintain temps. I don't want to have to monitor and switch over manually. It will be interesting to see how they implement that solution.

 

[augiedoggy]

here is a picture of the $60 cooling jacket which is installed and removed in seconds with no permanent modifications or internal coil to clean...
I have been able to lager with no problems in a 65 degree room and I have yet to add any additional insulation yet... I plan on purchasing 3 more as soon as I complete my 4 stc1000+ control panel build.

 

[BlueHemlock]

here is a picture of the $60 cooling jacket which is installed and removed in seconds with no permanent modifications or internal coil to clean...
I have been able to lager with no problems in a 65 degree room and I have yet to add any additional insulation yet... I plan on purchasing 3 more as soon as I complete my 4 stc1000+ control panel build.

Thanks for the pic and the link. That looks like a cheaper and easier solution than the ftss. The only part I would really like it's the neoprene jacket. Other than that I like your solution.

Have you incorporated a heating pad at all in your set-up?

 

[augiedoggy]

Thanks for the pic and the link. That looks like a cheaper and easier solution than the ftss. The only part I would really like it's the neoprene jacket. Other than that I like your solution.

Have you incorporated a heating pad at all in your set-up?

I have a 30" x 2" 12v dc low wattage heat strip that dose a good job although the most I have asked it to increase temps has been about 4 degrees...
I do think I will want to come up with an insulation solution by this summer to prevent overworking my chiller.

 

[bcrawfo2]

Thanks for the pic and the link. That looks like a cheaper and easier solution than the ftss. The only part I would really like it's the neoprene jacket. Other than that I like your solution.

Have you incorporated a heating pad at all in your set-up?

The problem I see with that jacket and the ssbrewtech 14g is the legs interrupt the cylinder. Think about how you get good contact between the wrap and the conical

 

[augiedoggy]

The problem I see with that jacket and the ssbrewtech 14g is the legs interrupt the cylinder. Think about how you get good contact between the wrap and the conical

what is the length of the conical above the legs? the cooling jacket is only 13" tall...

 

[BlueHemlock]

what is the length of the conical above the legs? the cooling jacket is only 13" tall...

Not sure. I don't actually have the conical yet. Hopefully about 14".

 

[bcrawfo2]

Not sure. I don't actually have the conical yet. Hopefully about 14".

I just measured from the top of the legs to the lid and it's 11". The lid latches are there too, but those are pretty close fitting, so might not be an issue. The top of the legs are slanted, so you might be able to call it 12". But much more than that and you'll be cooling the air space between the jacket and the conical, or the space above the lid.

 

[BlueHemlock]

I just measured from the top of the legs to the lid and it's 11". The lid latches are there too, but those are pretty close fitting, so might not be an issue. The top of the legs are slanted, so you might be able to call it 12". But much more than that and you'll be cooling the air space between the jacket and the conical, or the space above the lid.

Shoot! Might be back to the drawing board.

What do you do for temp control?

 

[bcrawfo2]

Shoot! Might be back to the drawing board.

What do you do for temp control?

I've only done a few batches in mine (I bought a pair of 14g). I do two or so weeks in a large ferm chamber and then wheel it out and move next batch in. I've been toying with the idea of wrapping copper around it for cooling and some kind of pipe thawer for heat...all covered in reflectix.
The FTSS just doesn't make sense to me (I'm not knocking those that have the FTSS). We buy these fermenters with no threads or nooks and crannies...then people put a coil with lots of surface area and edges in our wort

 

[BlueHemlock]

I've only done a few batches in mine (I bought a pair of 14g). I do two or so weeks in a large ferm chamber and then wheel it out and move next batch in. I've been toying with the idea of wrapping copper around it for cooling and some kind of pipe thawer for heat...all covered in reflectix.
The FTSS just doesn't make sense to me (I'm not knocking those that have the FTSS). We buy these fermenters with no threads or nooks and crannies...then people put a coil with lots of surface area and edges in our wort

Yep, exact same issue I have with the FTSS. I'm considering building some sort of ferm chamber if I can't find one that works. I don't know....we'll see what happens. As I don't even have the conical yet, I have time.

 

[bcrawfo2]

Yep, exact same issue I have with the FTSS. I'm considering building some sort of ferm chamber if I can't find one that works. I don't know....we'll see what happens. As I don't even have the conical yet, I have time.

I built my chamber out of two sheets of 2" rigid foam insulation from home depot. I cut with circular saw and just taped the joints with foil tape. I cut a hole in one side and butted a mini/dorm fridge (with door removed) against it. I started out with no bottom, so I could roll my fermenter in and out...but I had cooling loss to concrete floor and couldn't get much lower than 40. I added a 2" foam floor and can get to about 35, but I think that's a struggle. Think I'm asking too much from my fridge.
I was hoping to be able to cold crash and/or lager in there. I think I need more cooling for that.

 

[Assoc]

Can you cold crash with this system?
Thanks

here is a picture of the $60 cooling jacket which is installed and removed in seconds with no permanent modifications or internal coil to clean...
I have been able to lager with no problems in a 65 degree room and I have yet to add any additional insulation yet... I plan on purchasing 3 more as soon as I complete my 4 stc1000+ control panel build.

 

[augiedoggy]

Can you cold crash with this system?
Thanks

with some sort of insulation wrapped around the outside yes. other wise i think the chiller would be cycling constantly to hold the temps.

 

[augiedoggy]

I just wanted to add I do now cold crash in my conicals with the jacket insulated with 2 layers of foil faced bubble wrap. I also wanted to mention I use the blue 1 1/2" discharge hose wrapped around my other conicals as well as surgical tubing I used on my smaller 8 gallon conical and the blue discharge hose works much better than both the cool zone jacket and the surgical tubing. I actually get frost on the inside walls of my conical if I test it with the conical empty. the best part is you can buy 25Ft of the blue discharge hose for $10 shipped from ebay or even get it at lowes or home depot. you just have to make reducer ends to hook up whatever coolant lines your using.

 

[Diver111]

I know that it has been awhile since this post but I have used the FTSS for awhile now and it is a quality device and it works as advertised.
The only problem I had was constantly changing ice out trying to keep my temp down.So I went out and got a used upright freezer that it will fit into and ran it with an ink bird controller and it works perfectly. I even kept using the FTSS with a cold water reservoir in the freezer, it turns on when the freezer does and circulates cooler water through the coils to help the beer chill more quickly which saves a bit of electricity and keep the beer evenly cooled.

 

[heckels]

The thing about temp control discussions is that the focus is always on cooling. In MN, by far the bigger issue for 3/4 of the year is heating. But as far as I can see the brew belt and fermwrap are the only real devices for heating. A big reason I avoid conical a is (aside from cost) is it not being clear how one heats these things. Take the fast ferment conical as an example. Designed to hang on the wall...? How would you heat that.

Rant over, key apologies

I use a cooler with an aquarium heater and the FTSS. I can cool in the summer using the glycol chiller and heat in the winter using the heater/cooler combo.