FTSs extensions

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Razorback_Jack

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Does anyone have experience using the SS Brewtech Chronical and FTSs coil extensions?

https://www.ssbrewtech.com/products...-extensions-7-gal?_pos=6&_sid=64e431407&_ss=r
I’m fermenting in the garage, using the FTSs and an ice chest. I’ve got the temp probe in the thermowell on the side of the Chronical. The Chronical is 7 gallons, and I usually end up with 4.5 gallons of beer after my boil... I do leave some proteins behind in the kettle. I don’t think the FTSs coils are fully submerged, and the ice cold water doesn’t seem to be dropping my ferm temp below 69. With absolutely ice cold water in the cooler, ferm temp is still at 72 right now. So, I’m curious about the extensions. But will they put the coils too close to my thermowell? If so, I’m thinking false readings will occur.

Any advice or experience is appreciated.
 
I know this may be a dead thread, but I actually had no idea about these coil extensions, until very recently.

I wanted to share my experience just incase OP @Razorback_Jack (or others) are still looking to get these extensions.

Background:
I have had the SS Brewtech BME 7gal Brew Bucket for almost 2 years now, and being in a small apartment, I have exclusively only brewed half-sized batches (2.5-3 gallons). I dont have experience with the Chronical so not sure if the following helps at all.

I never really used the FTS at all either, besides using the pump to cool down the wort using a wort chiller. Anyways, just found out about these extensions and bought them immediately a few weeks ago (was getting tired of using my sink/ice packs to cool down the fermenter).

So far its worked out really well!

The coils do get pretty close to the thermowell on the side of the fermentor — but, you can pull the temp probe a bit further out of the well to get a reading closer to the outside of the fermentor — or — like I do, use another device, like the Tilt hydrometer, to get a second temperature reading.

In any case, the coils do their job and overall I can get my beer at a constant cool temperature way faster than I had previously been using the sink/ice pack method. I still use a small cooler/chest with ice cold water and/or some ice packs for the recirculating cooling water (also am experimenting running the tubes down into my kegerator where the cooler/chest is constantly chilled)

Just FYI the thermowell on the lid of the brewbucket does not even come close to the wort for a 2.5-3 gallon batch, so forget using that to get readings (perhaps SS had a simple cap for that to avoid a bunch of things on the lid).

Overall, Im glad Ive finally started to use all the gear that came with my BME kit, and Im pretty happy with my set up so far for small 2.5/3 gallon batches.

Cheers 🍻
 
I know this may be a dead thread, but I actually had no idea about these coil extensions, until very recently.

I wanted to share my experience just incase OP @Razorback_Jack (or others) are still looking to get these extensions.

Background:
I have had the SS Brewtech BME 7gal Brew Bucket for almost 2 years now, and being in a small apartment, I have exclusively only brewed half-sized batches (2.5-3 gallons). I dont have experience with the Chronical so not sure if the following helps at all.

I never really used the FTS at all either, besides using the pump to cool down the wort using a wort chiller. Anyways, just found out about these extensions and bought them immediately a few weeks ago (was getting tired of using my sink/ice packs to cool down the fermenter).

So far its worked out really well!

The coils do get pretty close to the thermowell on the side of the fermentor — but, you can pull the temp probe a bit further out of the well to get a reading closer to the outside of the fermentor — or — like I do, use another device, like the Tilt hydrometer, to get a second temperature reading.

In any case, the coils do their job and overall I can get my beer at a constant cool temperature way faster than I had previously been using the sink/ice pack method. I still use a small cooler/chest with ice cold water and/or some ice packs for the recirculating cooling water (also am experimenting running the tubes down into my kegerator where the cooler/chest is constantly chilled)

Just FYI the thermowell on the lid of the brewbucket does not even come close to the wort for a 2.5-3 gallon batch, so forget using that to get readings (perhaps SS had a simple cap for that to avoid a bunch of things on the lid).

Overall, Im glad Ive finally started to use all the gear that came with my BME kit, and Im pretty happy with my set up so far for small 2.5/3 gallon batches.

Cheers 🍻
Hey there! I probably should have followed up on this thread. I bought the extensions, and they work great for me. As you said, they cause the sidewall thermowell to be very close to the coils, but I also have a Tilt hydrometer. It’s sending data to a Raspberry pi that I keep on my brew stand, which sends data to google sheets for me. Working very well actually!

Happy brewing!
 
Glad to hear that!

Yeah the Tilt is pretty great too, I have it connected over bluetooth to an old iPad I have which sends to Google Sheets, but I can monitor the temp on the iPad and the FTS temp probe together, and get a reading between the two within 1-3⁰F at most, which works out just as well for me.

Most of the time I just want to make sure it stays within the range I want it to ferment at and not to get too warm during the summer months, and I love how the FTS can kick in once it hits a certain temp and cool the fermenter back down in a few minutes without having to keep too much of an eye on it.
 
Glad to hear that!

Yeah the Tilt is pretty great too, I have it connected over bluetooth to an old iPad I have which sends to Google Sheets, but I can monitor the temp on the iPad and the FTS temp probe together, and get a reading between the two within 1-3⁰F at most, which works out just as well for me.

Most of the time I just want to make sure it stays within the range I want it to ferment at and not to get too warm during the summer months, and I love how the FTS can kick in once it hits a certain temp and cool the fermenter back down in a few minutes without having to keep too much of an eye on it.
Yeah, the FTSs is great. I have a small, old ice chest I use as a reservoir, with the pump down in it. It pumps from the reservoir through an Active Aqua 1/10 HP aquarium chiller, then through the under-lid coils, then back into the reservoir. The aquarium chiller must always have water going through it in order to function properly, so I simply set the FTSs pump for 40 degrees. The Active Aqua chiller, on the other hand, is set to 65. So, since the FTSs pump is never going to reach 40 degrees, it just keeps pumping through the entire fermentation. The Active Aqua kicks in when the temp needs to come down. Everything is working divinely! In the winter, when it’s colder in the garage, the reservoir is sometimes too cold. I bought a cheap aquarium heating stick, and attached it to the sidewall of the reservoir. I think 68 is the lowest it goes, but in conjunction with the chiller it works great too. No problems keeping a nice, even temp between 64 and 66 degrees, whether it’s below freezing outside or the dead of summer.
 
I bought the extensions years ago to use when I needed to warm the wort up (as opposed to cool it down). Then SS Brewtech came up with the new FTS system that uses a heating pad and cooling coils, so I no longer needed or used the extensions. I have been debating whether to try using the extensions again for cooling to see if they work better because they are deeper in the wort.
 
I've got the extensions, used them with the brew bucket. They also have a longer thermowell that goes through the lid, to be used in conjunction with the extensions.

Ah nice, I didn't know there were extensions for the thermowell as well, I should have asked Ss (don't think I see em on the site)

I bought the extensions years ago to use when I needed to warm the wort up (as opposed to cool it down). Then SS Brewtech came up with the new FTS system that uses a heating pad and cooling coils, so I no longer needed or used the extensions. I have been debating whether to try using the extensions again for cooling to see if they work better because they are deeper in the wort.

Are the cooling coils different from the ones in this kit?
https://www.ssbrewtech.com/products...-7-gal-fermenter?_pos=20&_sid=0a163353f&_ss=r
 
They are the same cooling cools as shown. While the coils are submerged in wort when the fermenter has at least 5 gallons in it (I usually end up with 5 1/2 - 6 gallons), I have been wondering if the extensions would help cool the wort faster initially because they would be submerged deeper in the wort. Since I have a glycol chiller, it probably doesn't make a difference. However, since I already own the extensions, I might give it a try.
 
I have been wondering if the extensions would help cool the wort faster initially because they would be submerged deeper in the wort.

There are some thermodynamics control aspects to consider as well. You want to heat the wort at the bottom, since thermal currents will send that warmed wort toward the top and sink your cold wort down to get heated. The opposite is true with cooling. Cool the wort at the top, it sinks, and you get the warm wort moved up to where the coils are. This helps minimize temperature stratification from top to bottom, keeping things more balanced. This also comes into play with control, and where you have your thermocouple.

So I think cooling coil extensions would not necessarily be a good thing for 5 gallon batches.
 
Ah nice, I didn't know there were extensions for the thermowell as well, I should have asked Ss (don't think I see em on the site)

Below is the link to the hands on review I did with them on the Brew Bucket a few years ago. Within that you can see the both the cooling coil extensions and long thermowell. But you are right, as I just looked at the Brewtech site, I didn't see the long thermowell either. Maybe you could ask. Maybe they're thinking you just use one of the cooling coil extensions and screw that on to the regular/short thermowell?

https://www.homebrewfinds.com/2018/...rewtech-ftss2-heating-and-cooling-system.html
 
Mecraftbeer, you reminded me why I bought the extensions for warming sort in the first place: because running warm water through the shorter coils led to different temperature layers in the fermenter. The lid thermowell would give my one temperature and the thermowell mid way down on the side of the fermenter would give me a significantly cooler temp. So I was using the coils without the extensions when cooling the wort and using the extensions when I wanted to warm the wort.

I guess I should sell my extensions now that I have the FTS2 system that both warms and cools.
 
There are some thermodynamics control aspects to consider as well. You want to heat the wort at the bottom, since thermal currents will send that warmed wort toward the top and sink your cold wort down to get heated. The opposite is true with cooling. Cool the wort at the top, it sinks, and you get the warm wort moved up to where the coils are. This helps minimize temperature stratification from top to bottom, keeping things more balanced. This also comes into play with control, and where you have your thermocouple.

So I think cooling coil extensions would not necessarily be a good thing for 5 gallon batches.
This is something I had considered at one point, and then forgot about it. However, I’m glad of this reminder! Gonna take that into consideration now.
 
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