Fermentor Cooling (Snakes, Jackets, HERMS coils)

[jbrace1]

I have 2 14.5 gallon stout tanks fermentors. I have two 90w Peltier cooling chips on one fermentor and four 90w Peltier cooling chips on the other using Stout's aluminum cooling blocks.

I can get to 4 chip FV down to 50F in a 70F room (used it at that temp for a Kolsch). I've only used the 2 chip FV for ales at 67F but works fine. I have 2 layers of metalized bubble wrap around the barrels and 1 layer around the cone of each fermentor.

However, I want to be able to ferment in both FVs at lager temps and I want to be able to cold crash in the FVs as well. I would like to assemble/create the most space efficient, easily cleanable, low maintenance system possible. I'm tired of the bulky size and wiring added by each Peltier unit.

I plan to get a glycol chiller or aquarium chiller and use my current Fermostat to control submersible pumps to circulate cooled glycol through something (cooling snake, cooling jacket, small HERMS coil?) that is attached to the FV.

So. My specific question is: has anyone tried the 'Cooling Snake' as listed on MoreWine or the cooling jackets like those on CoolZone? Any other ideas? I'm not really interested in building my own glycol chiller but am more than happy to plumb things together.

Thanks

 

[dmcman73]

Hmm. those cooling snakes look like it would take a while to cool down 10 gallon batches and keep them at fermentation temps. I have a SS Brewtech conical with the FTSS chiller and it is a "HERMS like" coil that mounts under the lid and is submerged. That runs a bit to keep everything chilled and it has more surface area to keep the fermenting wort at a stable temp. Not sure how those snakes would do as it is not spread out like a coil is to get the maximum amount of contact.

 

[jbrace1]

Hmm. those cooling snakes look like it would take a while to cool down 10 gallon batches and keep them at fermentation temps. I have a SS Brewtech conical with the FTSS chiller and it is a "HERMS like" coil that mounts under the lid and is submerged. That runs a bit to keep everything chilled and it has more surface area to keep the fermenting wort at a stable temp. Not sure how those snakes would do as it is not spread out like a coil is to get the maximum amount of contact.

Yeah, the surface area issue is one of my concerns. I also thought about getting rid of my Stout setups and going to BrewTech and FTSS with a glycol chiller but I would miss the 3" triclamp in the lid of my Stouts which I can drop a twistcap dryhopper thru.

On the topic of the FTSS, how easy is the coolng coil to clean after fermentation?

 

[dmcman73]

Yeah, the surface area issue is one of my concerns. I also thought about getting rid of my Stout setups and going to BrewTech and FTSS with a glycol chiller but I would miss the 3" triclamp in the lid of my Stouts which I can drop a twistcap dryhopper thru.

On the topic of the FTSS, how easy is the coolng coil to clean after fermentation?

In all honesty, not bad at all. I soak it in hot PBW while I clean the conical. By the time I get to the coils, I rinse with hot water and hit it with a plastic non abrasive brush if needed and it's spotless. Then to sanitize, I pop it ontop of a bucket full of sanitizer so it's submerged while I sanitize the conical.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I use a brewhemoth fermenter with the dual immersion coil. Cleaning the coil isn't bad at all. I have a DIY glycol chiller that I made with a 6kbtu AC unit. I keep my glycol bath at 25 degrees and it works great. I have 12 gallons of beer at 52 degrees in my 105 degree garage as we speak. That is with 20' of 3/8" SS coil in contact with the beer. I use a mh1210 to control the glycol bath and a gen1 blackbox to control the glycol. I use a heat wrap to heat the conical when the weather cools off or when I'm doing a saison or other belgian out of season.