Finally Using My Half Barrel BME Chronical

[Nagorg]

Chronical and DIY CIP:
For cleaning the Chronical, I bought the CIP Spray Ball from SSBrewTech plus some other parts for attaching a sump pump to it via garden hose and a camlock fitting. I also needed to position the Chronical over the bucket of hot PBW solution so I came up with a no-frills solution; four CMU blocks! Worked great!

 

[Nagorg]

Chronical and DIY CIP Results:
I took before, during and after pics of the dirty Chronical and the results of a CIP session. There's also a video link that shows the action of the DIY CIP system.
I'll say that overall the system did a great job though there was still a light kraussen ring near the top that required some sponge action. Still, it was an easy clean up.

Video: https://youtu.be/3I-kI6bMc-Y

 

[dshepard]

So you removed the cooling coil before cleaning? Edit: I read the whole thread and noticed that you don't use the coil. I have both a standard and a BME, both 14gal. The standard takes me about 5 minutes or less to clean by hand (after removing the valves). The BME with the coil in place takes a bit longer. I use a hand brush to scrub the coil.

 

[Nagorg]

I think if I did use the coil, the CIP would probably clean it right up. I may use the coil someday but for now it's not needed.

 

[TrickyDick]

...My freezer is on casters though...

F'Ing Brilliant idea!!!


TD

 

[Nagorg]

Summary:

My first brew with my new Chronical was both a success and a learning experience. The biggest lessons learned were how I need to tune the temp control a little and that I really only need a hose barb attached to the butterfly valve(With tubing too of course...) at kegging time. Being able to ferment a larger volume in the same vessel and the perks of dumping trub and easy sampling for gravity checks were great process improvements for me. Overall it was a great experience and one I highly recommend to anyone considering a conical.

The Chronical itself works well. I cant complain about any part of it especially since it was a prize. I dont really have anything negative to say about this conical from SSBrewTech as it worked perfectly and I had no issues with it.

That said, I do think it would be nice if:
1) There were no weldless fittings. Having the main ports TC is awesome but the weldless fittings seem like they may have been an afterthought. And they were my only point of concern while using the Chronical since I worried that leaks might develop after transferring my wort. That didn't happen BTW but it was still a thought. TC fittings are far superior and I may switch to all TC for my other gear after this experience.
2) The internal chiller coil is a great feature if you can take advantage of it. While I might see if I can adapt it's use someday, it wasn't practical for me given my extreme ambient temp scenario. It would be awesome if the chiller were optional accessory. But thanks for making plugs available though! I'd "feel better" about plugging those holes with a TC end cap though.
3) Since I felt the need to use bags during the dry-hop, it would be nice to have a simple loop welded to the underside of the 3" TC cap. This would be great for tying off the hop bags to prevent them from sinking to the bottom. Just a thought...

So, all 3 of those comments above are really just feature requests. None of the scenarios were real problems. I am very happy having this awesome piece of equipment in my brewery and look forward to many future batches being made in it.

Thanks again to HBT and SSBrewTech!!! Y'all ROCK!! :rockin:

 

[Nagorg]

A year later and the Chronical BME is still rocking. I haven't had a single issue so far (knock on wood) with the weld-less fittings either. I am leery of leaks every time I fill this thing up but so far its held. I also did my first lager in it and it came out awesomely.

The big advantages I've really enjoyed are:
1) Not needing a blow off for all 10G batches and some 15G even.
2) Dumping yeast before crashing and/or dry-hopping.
3) The sample valve.
4) Easy transfers into my kegs!

I definitely dont miss my plastic carboys!

 

[jabba11]

Ive had mine (14 gallon BME) for over a year as well. probably 15 batches through it. No problems with any part of mine.

 

[BockHearder]

Just to add a little info on this. I have a upright freezer used for a ferm chamber and what I found works really well to move it about is using a moving dolly from Harbor Freight with a piece of plywood on it to support the freezer. A simple and cheap fix that works out really well. Here is a link to the dolly.

hxxps://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/dollies/movers-dolly-39757.html