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Squidmanoo7

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I’m currently looking into a new glycol chiller I’m looking at the statsis and ice maker 100 was wondering if anyone can help me with pros n cons on them
Cheers!
 
There's a ton of threads on this but to save time: your main options are Penguin, Ss Brewtech, Icemaster, and the Stasis. Realistically for 5 gallon batches, they'll all work.
  • Penguin has a smaller reservoir and footprint. It has great recovery time, and their reps are pretty active online. It'll be a little louder than the Icemaster.
  • Ss seemed to be the most expensive of the bunch. I believe it has the smallest footprint since the reservoir is stacked over the compressor.
  • Icemaster came in as the quietest model at around 57dB. They just released the Max 2, which has the same compressor as the Icemaster 100 but also 2 recirc pumps built in. The Icemaster line is is a re-branded KegLand chiller, which I believe Blichmann also uses. I just bought it and literally finished leak testing it right before this post.
  • The Stasis was the cheapest of the bunch and really, the only one I wouldn't recommend based on a combination of performance and reviews. It has a small reservoir (and footprint), but can't cold crash very effectively since the unit doesn't get as cold as the others. They've had noise issues that they said would be fixed but never were. Several people mentioned rattling and reported it was 69dB from 3 feet (significantly louder than the others on the list).
 
I ordered a 1/2hp Penguin through Spikes website. Shows up today. Can't give my personal pro's/con's yet, but based on my research this fit the bill perfectly for me.
 
I took a window A/C pulled the evaporator out and stuck it in a cooler full of glycol mix and a re-circulation pump. Works great for (3) 14 gallon conicals, including cold crashing and costs less than $500 including temperature controls.
 
Ill give you the pros and cons of the icemaster max4, here we go:

Pros: Tank reservoir is 8 gallons
Not too loud when kicking on
comes with 4 pumps and controllers

Cons: controllers: they swing and overshoot every single time
Size: it is rather large
instructions: absolutely an abomination.

Overall im kind of happy with it, the grainfather helps with some things like overshooting the temps and turning the heater on in the cone. I really want to rip out the controllers and put all ITC-308 controllers in it, i think that would help overshooting so much and keep the temp in check better.
 
Ill give you the pros and cons of the icemaster max4, here we go:

Pros: Tank reservoir is 8 gallons
Not too loud when kicking on
comes with 4 pumps and controllers

Cons: controllers: they swing and overshoot every single time
Size: it is rather large
instructions: absolutely an abomination.

Overall im kind of happy with it, the grainfather helps with some things like overshooting the temps and turning the heater on in the cone. I really want to rip out the controllers and put all ITC-308 controllers in it, i think that would help overshooting so much and keep the temp in check better.

How are you connecting the icemaster's pump controllers to your grainfather conical? I'm assuming you have the controller on the grainfather and not just the simple/basic lcd temp display that they ship with it. I had overshoot problems with my grainfather conicals when I first used them with a glycol chiller (icemaster 100). The problem occurs because the cooling sleeve is near the top of the fermenter and the temperature probe is near the bottom. There seems to be a delayed effect during a cooling cycle, in which the effects of cooling are not realized by the probe immediately. I fixed this issue by installing some programmable cycle timers that allow me to set a duty cycle for the pumps when cooling is called for. Check out my posts in this thread for more information:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/brewbuilt-icemaster-max-4.680883/
 
Here's the pros and cons of the SS 1/5 HP:

Pros: small footprint, the 4.75 gal reservoir is above the chiller so it's 14" W x 11" D x 27.5" H
The compressor is fairly quiet, but I haven't measured it.
Rock solid construction. Has enough barbs to connect three fermenters.
The interface for the chiller is straightforward and the instructions are decent.
Sight glass to monitor glycol level.

Cons: Doesn't come with fermenter temp controller or pumps, they are expecting you to get the FTSs kit for your fermenter that includes these. (But also a pro for me. Since it doesn't come with pumps, I used Penguin XL pumps which have better head pressure than the SS pumps).
 
So far I'm really liking my Max 2. Haven't noticed overshoots, but also really only used it to cold crash and didn't do a good job monitoring. I'm lucky enough to be working from home right now and can barely notice it running from the other side of the basement - 1 wall in between the brew room and my "office".

The chiller was absolutely able to maintain cold crashing temperatures but even with insulated lines, the fermenter (7gal unitank) wouldn't drop into the low 30s because all the stainless fittings picked up ambient heat. I was a little worried about freezing the coils, so I maintained temp in the upper 30s.

I do wish that it were easier to use with my FTSs since my heating pad just sits there uselessly now. Never really needed it anyways but kinda wish it were usable just in case. The max 2 has a "shield" over the reservoir with a 2" access hole. I could remove it to put a pump in, or I could use the sight glass ports, though that's a little tough now that the reservoir is filled.
 
How are you connecting the icemaster's pump controllers to your grainfather conical? I'm assuming you have the controller on the grainfather and not just the simple/basic lcd temp display that they ship with it. I had overshoot problems with my grainfather conicals when I first used them with a glycol chiller (icemaster 100). The problem occurs because the cooling sleeve is near the top of the fermenter and the temperature probe is near the bottom. There seems to be a delayed effect during a cooling cycle, in which the effects of cooling are not realized by the probe immediately. I fixed this issue by installing some programmable cycle timers that allow me to set a duty cycle for the pumps when cooling is called for. Check out my posts in this thread for more information:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/brewbuilt-icemaster-max-4.680883/
Hi there, I use the blowoff/thermowell from nor cal brewing. So I have the heaters set to where they come on at the lowest temp im ok with, then the pumps set to the desired temp, which always overshoot. Is there anyway you have that wiring schematic anywhere or you could send it? That is smart because i do think the pumps dont need to push all the time and could cycle off to avoid the overshooting im dealing with. Damn good idea man.
 
That sounds like a pretty weird setup. It seems like the max4 is not really suited for the grainfather conicals because there is no thermowell to stick a probe. The wiring on the grainfather is fairly simple. The cable that plugs into the back of the fermenter has three wires: +12 VDC, GND, and a signal wire. The signal wire is +12 VDC when the controller calls for cooling. This wire is used to directly power the pump that is included with the basic cooling kit. The cycle timer inputs consist of: VCC, GND, S0, and S1. I think the simplest way to wire one of the cycle timers to use with your grainfather and max4 would be as such:

1597981733912.png


The blue wire in the above diagram is the signal wire comming off the grainfather. I think the actual color of this wire in the cable is white. This configuration would bypass the controller on the max4 and allow you to use the grainfathers controller for both heating and cooling operations. Simply set the max4 controller for a low temperature (30F) and keep its probe connected but not inserted into the thermowell (have it read room temp instead). This will make the max4 controller constantly call for cooling, however the pump will not run until the normally open relay in the cycle timer is closed by the grainfather controller. Once the cycle timer is powered by the grainfather, you will be able to control the duty cycle for the pump. If you wish to program the cycle timer without running the pump, simply setup the max4 thermostat for a idle cooling condition and the grainfather for a active cooling condition. This might be as simple as unplugging the probe on the max4 controller and reducing the temp and the grainfather controller.
 
That sounds like a pretty weird setup. It seems like the max4 is not really suited for the grainfather conicals because there is no thermowell to stick a probe. The wiring on the grainfather is fairly simple. The cable that plugs into the back of the fermenter has three wires: +12 VDC, GND, and a signal wire. The signal wire is +12 VDC when the controller calls for cooling. This wire is used to directly power the pump that is included with the basic cooling kit. The cycle timer inputs consist of: VCC, GND, S0, and S1. I think the simplest way to wire one of the cycle timers to use with your grainfather and max4 would be as such:

View attachment 694809

The blue wire in the above diagram is the signal wire comming off the grainfather. I think the actual color of this wire in the cable is white. This configuration would bypass the controller on the max4 and allow you to use the grainfathers controller for both heating and cooling operations. Simply set the max4 controller for a low temperature (30F) and keep its probe connected but not inserted into the thermowell (have it read room temp instead). This will make the max4 controller constantly call for cooling, however the pump will not run until the normally open relay in the cycle timer is closed by the grainfather controller. Once the cycle timer is powered by the grainfather, you will be able to control the duty cycle for the pump. If you wish to program the cycle timer without running the pump, simply setup the max4 thermostat for a idle cooling condition and the grainfather for a active cooling condition. This might be as simple as unplugging the probe on the max4 controller and reducing the temp and the grainfather controller.
Advance, thank you so much for this diagram. Im gonna print this out tomorrow at work and study it so i can at least wire 2 controllers up. Weird thing is i put on a NEIPA this weekend into the second grainfather and the controller keeps temps perfectly! Its a 1/2 degree higher from the GF thermometer to the thermowell of the norcal blowoff tube. i still want the controllers wired the way you have them for pump longevity and effectiveness.
 
I ordered a 1/2hp Penguin through Spikes website. Shows up today. Can't give my personal pro's/con's yet, but based on my research this fit the bill perfectly for me.
Just curious on your results of the Penguin. I too am looking for a good chiller solution and seems like so many brands are out of stock right now. The one thing I noticed about the Penguin is that the 1/2 hp model only has a 2 gal reservoir, and their 1 hp model a 3 gal. That seems a good bit lower than many of the other chillers out on the market. Thanks in advance.
 
I have a 1/2 hp Penguin glycol chiller. It works great. The reservoir size seems fine. I run 2 pumps at the same time and it does not cycle that often. I am sure there are advantages to a larger reservoir but the 2 gallon works for me.
 
Just curious on your results of the Penguin. I too am looking for a good chiller solution and seems like so many brands are out of stock right now. The one thing I noticed about the Penguin is that the 1/2 hp model only has a 2 gal reservoir, and their 1 hp model a 3 gal. That seems a good bit lower than many of the other chillers out on the market. Thanks in advance.

I have had an Octoberfest fermenting 2 weeks roughly now. In the garage at 80 degrees, it doesn't cycle too often and temps are withing a degree. As it is cooling off outside and the garage temps are a little lower its cycling even less of course. So far it has been great. I am only using it on 1 fermenter, but the 2 gallons I think will be fine either way. I went up to the 1/2 just knowing I was going to be in the garage.
 
Thanks for your review, I appreciate all the input. I emailed Eric at Penguin and am planning to get the 1/2 hp model very soon, it's just that we've got an out of town trip this weekend for a few weeks and I don't want to have something sitting at my door while we're away.

Interestingly enough the Ssbrewtech 3/8 hp model was a model I was looking hard at before I learned about Penguin, but that model was sold out for the last few months. Then yesterday I get an email that they're back in stock. So it doesn't appear to be a clear "apples to apples" comparison, but to my eye the number to look at in these products is the BTU rating as opposed to HP. Without getting too deep I think the Penguin is plenty of BTUs for my application and most likely will be my final choice, but here's a quick comparison...

Penguin 1/2 HP model:
BTUs - 2850 @ 28F, can run up to four (4) fermenters
Reservoir size - 2 Gal
Price - $999.99 to $1,169.98, depending on extended warrantee

SsBrewtech 3/8 HP model
BTU's - 3576/hour, can run up to six (6) fermenters
Reservoir size - 10 Gal
Price - $1295 (not sure the warrantee period, I did send them and inquiry)

Again for my application I'm thinking I'll be hard pressed to exceed the capacity of the Penguin, and given the roughly $300 difference I'm not sure why I'm considering the Ssbrewtech option. Thanks again for everyones input, I will update once I've got it in place and begin using it.
 
Sorry to continually beat this dead horse, but...

The one question that keeps rolling around in my head is why is the reservoir only 2 gal on the Penguin and 10 gal on the Ssbrewtech 3/8HP? And what exactly does that mean for efficiency and ability to cold crash while holding temps on another fermenter? Is this all a moot point, that provided there's enough coolant any extra volume is superfluous, or does the extra volume actually lead to less cycles for the chiller?

I'm going to email Eric at Penguin, this could sway me one direction or another in this purchase. I'll report back if I get an answer.
 
Curious why you didn't list the 1/5 hp Ss Brewtech model chiller. I can run a 7 gallon unitank, Chronical and BrewBucket simultaneously. The reservoir is ~ 4 gallons. I run a 3:1 ratio of water to glycol set to 26F, ambient area varies temperature between 66-72F year-round. As long as I'm not crashing one fermenter, there's no problem maintaining temperatures in the FVs in the low 50s to low 60s for each one, but extended lagering I do in a keg in a beer fridge. Had it for a year now, no burps or hiccups. The on/off cycling has not been an issue, nor have extended runtimes. Very pleased so far.

As long as you're not trying to crash two 14 gallon conicals or lager three 7 gallon vessels, you'll have more than enough cooling power and won't go broke buying glycol to fill a 10 gallon reservoir.

Brooo Brother
 
I just got a max 4 the unit itself works great. I liked the simple, elegant solution of having an all in one unit. the problem is the instructions are now obsolete as they have changed the controllers. I have a separate thread for that which I am updating. I still haven't figured out how to go from C to F
 
Sorry to continually beat this dead horse, but...

The one question that keeps rolling around in my head is why is the reservoir only 2 gal on the Penguin and 10 gal on the Ssbrewtech 3/8HP? And what exactly does that mean for efficiency and ability to cold crash while holding temps on another fermenter? Is this all a moot point, that provided there's enough coolant any extra volume is superfluous, or does the extra volume actually lead to less cycles for the chiller?

I'm going to email Eric at Penguin, this could sway me one direction or another in this purchase. I'll report back if I get an answer.

It would depend on how you define efficiency. I think the larger reservoir helps if you are cooling a large vessel like a 1 BBL brite tank. In my setup, I am cooling a 7 gal and a 14 gallon fermenter and I have never had an issue (I also have cooling on 2 - 4 gallon Anvils) but I never run more than 2 fermenters at a time. I doubt the tubing and coil hold more than a cup of coolant. With a large reservoir, it may not cycle as often but it will run longer to cool.

Penguins chillers have been around awhile and I am sure Spike would not recommend them if there were problems.

What size vessel are you trying to cool?
 
Curious why you didn't list the 1/5 hp Ss Brewtech model chiller. I can run a 7 gallon unitank, Chronical and BrewBucket simultaneously. The reservoir is ~ 4 gallons. I run a 3:1 ratio of water to glycol set to 26F, ambient area varies temperature between 66-72F year-round. As long as I'm not crashing one fermenter, there's no problem maintaining temperatures in the FVs in the low 50s to low 60s for each one, but extended lagering I do in a keg in a beer fridge. Had it for a year now, no burps or hiccups. The on/off cycling has not been an issue, nor have extended runtimes. Very pleased so far.

As long as you're not trying to crash two 14 gallon conicals or lager three 7 gallon vessels, you'll have more than enough cooling power and won't go broke buying glycol to fill a 10 gallon reservoir.

Brooo Brother
I didn't select the 1/5HP because I didn't feel this was a good comparison to the 1/2HP penguin in both horsepower and BTUs, however that is certainly up for debate. I heard from Eric and he left me a very detailed and thoughtful reply that not only showed me how I wasn't comparing apples to apples (the SSBT 3/8 HP to the Penguin 1/2 HP) but also explained the difference in reservoir sizes. I'm going to seek his permission prior to posting his reply word for word, but suffice to say that the differences in reservoir are less than meets the eye in both actual numbers as well as impact on the chiller. Furthermore the it seems there is a significant difference in motor configuration. Eric reports that the motors on the Penguin are of a rotary configuration, whereas the SSBT motors are reciprocal. He believes their motors are more reliable in the long run; less moving parts.

In the end I was left feeling like Penguin not only stands behind their products but also are available to discuss/debate the pros and cons of those products. I will say he won me over, I will be ordering a Penguin soon.
 
It would depend on how you define efficiency. I think the larger reservoir helps if you are cooling a large vessel like a 1 BBL brite tank. In my setup, I am cooling a 7 gal and a 14 gallon fermenter and I have never had an issue (I also have cooling on 2 - 4 gallon Anvils) but I never run more than 2 fermenters at a time. I doubt the tubing and coil hold more than a cup of coolant. With a large reservoir, it may not cycle as often but it will run longer to cool.

Penguins chillers have been around awhile and I am sure Spike would not recommend them if there were problems.

What size vessel are you trying to cool?
Just to answer your questions, I was thinking that chiller efficiency has less to do with what I want to cool verses how the chiller itself operates. Obviously if I am trying to cool a 3BBl fermenter it would be important for me to select a chiller that was up for that job, but in this case I'm just looking at 7 - 15 gal fermenters; maybe even a unitank someday soon.

Given that these are both products aimed at the home brew market I saw a significant difference in the reservoir size and felt that was a question that should be posed. As it turns out the answer is not so simple, and Eric gave me actual math behind the BTUs necessary to chiller a particular volume of coolant. Bottom line, a larger amount of coolant (bigger reservoir) will require more BTUs/hour to chill, however the smaller the coolant reservoir will require require less BTUs/hour but the motor to cycle more often. In the case of their 1/2HP chiller it appears the reservoir size is most likely appropriately matched to their motor configuration and chiller BTU/hour rating. Bottom line, after my interaction with Eric I do believe they stand behind their products and customer support is a huge part of their business profile. I'll be choosing Penguin.

Again, thanks to all that have weighed in, this is a cool site for sure!
 
I didn't select the 1/5HP because I didn't feel this was a good comparison to the 1/2HP penguin in both horsepower and BTUs, however that is certainly up for debate. I heard from Eric and he left me a very detailed and thoughtful reply that not only showed me how I wasn't comparing apples to apples (the SSBT 3/8 HP to the Penguin 1/2 HP) but also explained the difference in reservoir sizes. I'm going to seek his permission prior to posting his reply word for word, but suffice to say that the differences in reservoir are less than meets the eye in both actual numbers as well as impact on the chiller. Furthermore the it seems there is a significant difference in motor configuration. Eric reports that the motors on the Penguin are of a rotary configuration, whereas the SSBT motors are reciprocal. He believes their motors are more reliable in the long run; less moving parts.

In the end I was left feeling like Penguin not only stands behind their products but also are available to discuss/debate the pros and cons of those products. I will say he won me over, I will be ordering a Penguin soon.

I agree, Penguin makes a solid product and appear to have superb customer support. Can't speak to the quality of the build, but have no doubt it's top notch based on the many good comments on this forum.
 
I own both a Stasis and the 1/3hp Penguin. Both work fine for controlling fermentation temps. I have a Spike Flex+ and a Spike CF5, both with neoprene jackets, BTW.

Noise:
Both are fairly loud, with the Stasis being slightly louder, but running more frequently. The Stasis is roughly half the size of the Penguin, which was one of the main reasons I bought it. The Penguin looks like a modified window AC unit and sounds like one too.

Coolant Temperature:
The Stasis cycles to maintain its glycol between 23F and 33F. This is not modifiable. The Penguin can be set to whatever range you like, but comes factory set to 28F and, IIRC, 3F histeresis. So, effectively, they both chill their glycol to an average temp of 28F.

Pumps:

The Stasis' built-in pumps lack oomph. As a result, I find it best to keep the Stasis on the same plane as my fermenter, so that it doesn't have to push the glycol too far vertically.

The Penguin doesn't come with pumps, but they sell two styles, depending on your requirements. I have the standard pumps, which are their smallest pumps. They are definitely stronger than the Stasis'and I have no concern about keeping the Penguin on the floor and my Flex+ on a table above. While the Penguin is advertised as having a 4-pump capacity, there's not much room left in the reservoir after dropping in only two small pumps. Four feels like a stretch to me. Any brand of pump can be used with the Penguin.

Control Panel:

The control panels are for two different purposes on these units. The Stasis' panel is used to control the temperature of the beer, whereas the Penguin's is used to control the temperature of the glycol.

The Stasis' control panel makes changing the temperature quite easy. The downside for me it's that since the pumps are integrated and controlled by the Stasis, I can't use a 2-stage temperature controller, like the wifi-enabled Inkbird. Instead I use the Inkbird to control the heat and the Stasis, the cooling, which feels like a kludge.

Penguin uses a 3rd party temperature controller and like so many of them, is completely unintuitive to use. It's virtually impossible to change the glycol temperature without the instructions in-hand. That said, with the Stasis, it's literally impossible to change the glycol temperature.

Unlike the Stasis, the Penguin doesn't have any controls for the pumps. It only controls the temperature of the glycol. It's up to you to provide a way to turn there pumps on and off. While this seems comparatively crude, the flip side is that with the Penguin, I can use that WiFi-controlled 2-stage Inkbird temperature controller for both chilling and heating, plus I can change temperatures from anywhere using the Inkbird app on my phone.

Performance:

The Penguin is a larger, more powerful chiller and, by dropping the glycol temperature, it's possible to chill to near freezing. The Stasis' minimum temperature is 36F in theory, but in practice, the minimum is a degree or two higher. There's just too little temperature differential between 36F and the 23-33F glycol (8F differential, on average) to get all the way to 36F. The question is, do you need to chill to less than 38F? If so, then you will be disappointed in the Stasis. For many, this is a non-issue.

Final Thoughts:

The Penguin is really crude in a lot of ways. It chills a surprisingly small container of glycol into which you drop your pumps. There's what appears to be a modified food service lid with eight plastic barbs covering the container. You attach the pumps to the cheap plastic barbs on the underside of the lid with tubing and the lines to the barbs on the topside of the lid. So, if you pick up the lid, the pumps dangle like a weird brewer's mobile. The pump power cords exit the lid through simple holes in the lid. It doesn't have temperature controllers for the pumps. The case of the Penguin doesn't even have feet and the base isn't flat. I have mine sitting on a furniture dolly. They need to do better with that part of the design.
Yet, somehow in its simplicity, it provides the flexibility I seek.

The Stasis does most of what you need at a relatively low price when you compare the total package cost. It integrates the solution into one smallish user friendly box. It can certainly provide convenient and effective temperature control for fermentation of any style of beer and can kind of cold-crash, too. It's a nice solution for many homebrewers.

So, both are solid choices, depending on your needs.
 
I own both a Stasis and the 1/3hp Penguin. Both work fine for controlling fermentation temps. I have a Spike Flex+ and a Spike CF5, both with neoprene jackets, BTW.

Excellent summation. Your situation sounds very similar to mine, with the exception that I didn't purchase a Stasis, though I came very close to doing so. I had outgrown the limited performance of the BrewJacket I'd been using for several years and had modified an Igloo cooler to be a source of cold water for chilling an Ss Brewtech 7 gallon Chronical and 7 gallon Unitank. After a few months of continually having to replace frozen water jugs in the Igloo I was ready to spring a few bucks and go glycol, just about the same time Stasis was being offered for early adopters at half the cost of the least expensive glycol systems. I hemmed and hawed for a few months getting frustrated by the delays and increasingly worried about its ability to perform in real life. Plus, the frustration level of cycling frozen ice water jugs had reached critical mass.

I didn't need (want, really) much more power than Stasis was advertising, though more is always better than less, as long as it met my minimum acceptable capacity. But delays in the pipeline and subsequent slippage of delivery dates finally brought me to look at existing alternatives. I went with Ss Brewtech as much for the 'bling factor' but also for consistency in branding with my fermenters. It's fundamentally no different in capacity than the Spike system. Each have their strengths and their shortcomings, and both have more capacity and fewer issues than the Stasis, plus they were both available as opposed to "promised".

Looking back I'm glad I didn't wait for Stasis. Based on the comments from early adopters I know I would have been unhappy with the initial quality control issues (and the additional delays due to Covid), and I know it would only have been an incremental step along the way to upgrading to a bigger system. I'm very satisfied with the 1/5 HP Ss Brewtech chiller but acknowledge I'd probably be equally happy with a Penguin ⅓ HP. Your detailed (and balanced) writeup matched my impressions of the Penguin chiller, some of which I looked at as positives, others negatives. Same as I've experienced with the Ss system.

Thanks for taking the time and effort in writing your impressions.
 
I own both a Stasis and the 1/3hp Penguin. Both work fine for controlling fermentation temps. I have a Spike Flex+ and a Spike CF5, both with neoprene jackets, BTW.

definitely glad I went with the max 4 after reading this. Though the temperature controllers were frustrating on day 1, I have conquered that beast and are simple to understand and remember now that I've figured them out

for the cost involved, I see no comparison between any of these models and the Max 4.
 
Forgive me for being slightly off topic, but I have a question about recovering glycol. I am chilling with an FTSs and a cooler and am looking at the Icemaster. I'm wondering how to neatly recover the glycol from the FTSs coils once fermentation and crashing are done.
 
Push it out either with CO2 or compressed air? The real question is, why do you want to recover it at all?
 
For those dealing with overshoots you will avoid those issues by setting your glycol temp to within 15 of ferm temp. Unless actively crashing there’s no need to be at 28f glycol temp.

if you ferment at 68, the glycol doesn’t need to be lower than 50. Less work for compressor, less heat loss to ambient, less chance for overshoot.
 
Why would you need to dump anything? I assume you're referring to the glycol in the cooling coil, right? That normally stays in the coil until the fermenter goes back into service again. Self-sealing quick disconnects in the glycol lines help avoid residual leakage in case you do need to disconnect the fermenter from the chiller for example for cleaning between batches.
 
Why would you need to dump anything? I assume you're referring to the glycol in the cooling coil, right? That normally stays in the coil until the fermenter goes back into service again. Self-sealing quick disconnects in the glycol lines help avoid residual leakage in case you do need to disconnect the fermenter from the chiller for example for cleaning between batches.
Thanks for the replies. Cleaning between batches is exactly what I'm talking about. The FTSs coils can get pretty nasty. A quick blowout with CO2 is probably what I will try.
 
For those dealing with overshoots you will avoid those issues by setting your glycol temp to within 15 of ferm temp. Unless actively crashing there’s no need to be at 28f glycol temp.

if you ferment at 68, the glycol doesn’t need to be lower than 50. Less work for compressor, less heat loss to ambient, less chance for overshoot.

Very good point, but I think the 'delta' of 15F is also dependent on the capacity of both the fermenter and especially the glycol tank (i.e., small fermenter/large glycol tank = less temp delta). But the concept of setting the tank temp closer to the ferm temp is certainly valid.

Brooo Brother
 
Very good point, but I think the 'delta' of 15F is also dependent on the capacity of both the fermenter and especially the glycol tank (i.e., small fermenter/large glycol tank = less temp delta). But the concept of setting the tank temp closer to the ferm temp is certainly valid.

Brooo Brother

If you’re overshooting i.e. over-cooling the problem is too much differential.

reservoir size and compressor capacity are issues for under-cooling.
 
If you’re overshooting i.e. over-cooling the problem is too much differential.

reservoir size and compressor capacity are issues for under-cooling.

That actually makes a lot of sense and explains something I saw on my most recent fermentation. The average delta I've observed in my setup is ~8F. When I crash I'll set the glycol temp to 26F which is about as low as I'm comfortable with to avoid freeze-ups. Plus 34F is as low as I really feel I need the crashing beer to go. In my last batch, the fermenter was consistently overshooting 2-3° past the 62F set temp. When I went to crash I noticed that the glycol tank was still set to maintain 26F from the previous batch's crash. Mystery solved!

Thanks for the explanation.

Brooo Brother
 
Thanks for the replies. Cleaning between batches is exactly what I'm talking about. The FTSs coils can get pretty nasty. A quick blowout with CO2 is probably what I will try.
Are they getting nasty from the inside? You can clean the outside without emptying the glycol mix inside (provided you have self-sealing disconnects).
 
If you’re overshooting i.e. over-cooling the problem is too much differential.

reservoir size and compressor capacity are issues for under-cooling.

How do you handle cold crashing one fermenter (~32) and fermentation (~64) at the same time? I typically run 2-3 fermenters at the same time.
 
How do you handle cold crashing one fermenter (~32) and fermentation (~64) at the same time? I typically run 2-3 fermenters at the same time.

I'd assume you'd have to set glycol tank temperature to reflect the desired fermenter temperature. If the cold crash fermenter wants 34F and your delta is +8F, you'll need to set tank temperature to 26F regardless of the 'fermenting' fermenter's set temp. It'll take however much 26F glycol as necessary to maintain it's higher temperature, but the crashing fermenter will need 26F to maintain its colder temperature.

Brooo Brother
 
I'd assume you'd have to set glycol tank temperature to reflect the desired fermenter temperature. If the cold crash fermenter wants 34F and your delta is +8F, you'll need to set tank temperature to 26F regardless of the 'fermenting' fermenter's set temp. It'll take however much 26F glycol as necessary to maintain it's higher temperature, but the crashing fermenter will need 26F to maintain its colder temperature.

Brooo Brother

I’ll clarify what I was asking 😊

I do set the chiller at 27-28, which will get me down to the temps I need.

It’s the (~64) fermentation that overshoots.

1/3 Penguin chiller in use.
 
I’ll clarify what I was asking 😊

I do set the chiller at 27-28, which will get me down to the temps I need.

It’s the (~64) fermentation that overshoots.

1/3 Penguin chiller in use.

OK. See it now. Never noticed it before since I usually don't crash and ferment both at the same time, though I do run parallel fermentations.
 
How do you handle cold crashing one fermenter (~32) and fermentation (~64) at the same time? I typically run 2-3 fermenters at the same time.

Your situation (crashing one vessel, while fermenting in another) can easily be solved by controlling the duty cycle of each pump in you glycol chiller. The effects of a cooling cycle are not immediately realized by the thermostats controlling your fermenters. Therefore the energy transfer, in the form of heat, continues past your targets, resulting in the overshoots. Please refer to this post for more information about using cycle timers to control the duty cycle of your chillers pumps:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/brewbuilt-icemaster-max-4.680883/post-8903173
 
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