Glycol chiller problems

[kwmystra98]

my glycol chiller is taking hours to cool down. Trying to get to 70 degrees F and it just won't make it. What happens when I do a Lager?

 

[Tom R]

If you tell us about your setup and how you are using it we'll try to help you sort it out.

 

[kwmystra98]

I made many mistakes. One being that my hop holder fell in the beer and I got it out finally but pulled the filter out so I couldn't use the chiller that comes with the all in one brewing system (grainfather) Worked wonderfully with the app. I was the problem. Made many errors. So I had to use glycol chiller. I followed the videos to prime it with 2 liters of propylene and the water it asked for yesterday. When I started it today it kept beeping a red light which instructions said that the propylene was low. How can that be? I poured more and it started running. I added water. I recently put more propylene and it ran for a few minutes then stopped. The temperature is supposed to get down to 70 and right now the glycol chiller is reading 77. It seems to be going up! Help. My beer is likely ruined. I have more grains to do this again and will hopefully get it right tomorrow. But I plan on lagering and this chiller is not doing what it is supposed to be doing.

 

[kwmystra98]

Do I need to add the whole jug of propylene?

 

[Tom R]

OK, I assume you are using a Grainfather chiller. If so, did you prime the pump as shown in the manual?

The holds about 1.5 gallons, which should be a mixture of .5 gal glycol and 1 gal water.

 

[kwmystra98]

Do I need to add the whole jug of propylene?

If you tell us about your setup and how you are using it we'll try to help you sort it out.

It is a grainfather conical fermenter with the grainfather glycol chiller hooked up to it to cool down the wort and for fermentation. But the chiller has started going up in temp and I turned it off. I cannot get it to 70 so I can pitch my yeast. it is at about 76. I may just go ahead and pitch. What can I do about my chiller? I have been at this since this morning.

 

[kwmystra98]

OK, I assume you are using a Grainfather chiller. If so, did you prime the pump as shown in the manual?

The holds about 1.5 gallons, which should be a mixture of .5 gal glycol and 1 gal water.

Yes, I primed it yesterday. Followed the directions and it worked. When I turned it on today to cool down wort it kept beeping a warning which I looked up and it said propylene was low. I added some and it turned on but only for a few minutes. I added again as it started beeping, turned on a few minutes then did same thing. Finally it stopped doing that. I hear something running but nothing like when it turns on and starts cooling. First time using this. I am so disappointed that I have had so many issues today.

 

[Tom R]

OK, it looks like we need a Grainfather chiller user to help here. I'm running a DIY chiller.

Anybody able to help out?

 

[kwmystra98]

OK, it looks like we need a Grainfather chiller user to help here. I'm running a DIY chiller.

Anybody able to help out?

I truly think it was empty! Not sure what happened. It is running and cooling quickly! Strange. I went and almost overflowed the tank. I am wondering if i did the priming correctly.

 

[Deadalus]

I truly think it was empty! Not sure what happened. It is running and cooling quickly! Strange. I went and almost overflowed the tank. I am wondering if i did the priming correctly.

If there is an air pocket in my March pumps the flow stops. Sometimes it makes noise indicating that, other times I can see the flow is stopped through the clear tubing and don't feel it flowing. I looked at a picture of that setup. I think you could turn off the chiller, take off a disconnect and put it in a bowl or jug and then turn it back on briefly to see if it was flowing. I'm guessing though that the pump is pushing the liquid towards the grainfather unit then back to a reservoir so that the air you are introducing just gets pushed back to the reservoir and won't cavitate the pump. No clue what the insides look like though.

 

[kwmystra98]

If there is an air pocket in my March pumps the flow stops. Sometimes it makes noise indicating that, other times I can see the flow is stopped through the clear tubing and don't feel it flowing. I looked at a picture of that setup. I think you could turn off the chiller, take off a disconnect and put it in a bowl or jug and then turn it back on briefly to see if it was flowing. I'm guessing though that the pump is pushing the liquid towards the grainfather unit then back to a reservoir so that the air you are introducing just gets pushed back to the reservoir and won't cavitate the pump. No clue what the insides look like though.

I think it is resolved. Just got to pitch the yeast. Now I can follow online if I am not here. I love this equipment but have much to learn.
Thanks.

 

[Deadalus]

It's pretty! I'm reading the instruction manual, not sure if this is the exact unit. Did you "...overide the low glycol level warning to prime the pump."? Pg 6, step 6 https://bsgcraft.com/resources/Directions/GF-GLYCOL.pdf. Reading it because I am not sure my suggestion is useful, it may introduce air into the system. If you have clear tubing like on page 5 then you could probably be able to detect the flow. I only saw red and blue tubing in the first picture I looked at.

I'm finally getting my own brew rig under control so I know how frustrating it can be, particularly user manuals. My PID controller instructions are confusing most of the time, and worse when something is going wrong!

 

[kwmystra98]

It's pretty! I'm reading the instruction manual, not sure if this is the exact unit. Did you "...overide the low glycol level warning to prime the pump."? Pg 6, step 6 https://bsgcraft.com/resources/Directions/GF-GLYCOL.pdf. Reading it because I am not sure my suggestion is useful, it may introduce air into the system. If you have clear tubing like on page 5 then you could probably be able to detect the flow. I only saw red and blue tubing in the first picture I looked at.

I'm finally getting my own brew rig under control so I know how frustrating it can be, particularly user manuals. My PID controller instructions are confusing most of the time, and worse when something is going wrong!

I had done all that yesterday. It is running. Yeast it pitched and it is holding the temperature for the fermentation. At some point I will need to go down to 50 degrees. That will be a good test of the chiller. The lagers will get colder.