How's this for a jacketed fermenter?

[harpo]

Well there's the rub now isn't it. In my preparations for going pro, I attempted to simulate the same procedures as if I was at the scale as I intend to start. However, a 7bbl conical won't fit in my garage, nor is that a productive and cost effective way to end up gathering the information I was looking for.

I understand that some of the Procedures I was doing were pushing the envelope for what typical home brewing is. But becoming a great homebrewer was not my ultimate goal. Becoming a proficient brewer using equipment and methods used in typical (and sometimes not so typical) production breweries was my purpose. I believe I have been accomplishing that.

This forum is a wealth of knowledge. It has been helpfully in many aspects. I also know that the camaraderie shown by fellow brewers in the professional world is the best I've ever experience during my short 25 years in the workforce. In my own small way I intend to embrace that effort and hopefully spread it as best I can.

No, I am not using sankes in my endeavors. That was my practice for living my dream which I do every day now. I hope you do(will) too.

Cheers!

 

[ClaudiusB]

So I searched for tanks similar to these and realized that the jacket is not all 360° around the tank. It is separated, having the inlet on one side at the bottom and the outlet on the top of the other side.

I am currently putting at divider plate between the inlet and outlet on the prototype. It won't be a complete seal, but close enough to make the outlet port the path of least resistance. The next one will have the split between the inlet and outlet and we will have the divider welded completely.

Thanks for the questioning of the separator!

Look at my post #2 from 2006 and you can clearly see how the in port is separated from the out port.
The cooling belt has an upper and lower half and the cooling fluid has to go around the belt before it can exit, like a loop.
Welded shut on one side and open on the other end.

http://hobbybrauer.de/modules.php?name=eBoard&file=viewthread&tid=3032#pid143551

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[BrewBeer74]

I love this!!Very nice work.to answer the question above your not going to have a problem because your batch size is much smaller so your thermal mass is not as much of a factor.and plus if your in a northern envirnment your going to be ok.

 

[BrewBeer74]

opps.didnt realise there were more pages to this.still i love this idea.i am currently using 1bbl stout fermenters and wish they were jacketed for glycol.

 

[TriangleIL]

This is a really cool idea. Good luck going pro. I think a lot of us here have the same dream.

If you are going to be creating your own glycol chillers on larger (1BBL+) fermenters, why not wrap them with multiple layers? You could have 2-3-4 of these wraps connected top down. In port on the top wrap, goes 97% around the fermenter (assuming you are using the most of the way around the fermenter method to ensure you get complete utilization of the glycol around the keg), then has an out port that is either directly hooked into the in port of another ring just below it, or even better, just weld a connection piece that flows down and into the next level jacket.

I could probably mock something up if I'm not really being clear. Good luck!

 

[tomroeder]

For everyone who is suggesting a fridge instead of the jackets, have you ever wrestled a snake with 11+ gallons of wort? My guess is no. The jackets are the way to go! The only concern I would have is the vessel sweating, but that should be easily overcome.

 

[Mellman]

For everyone who is suggesting a fridge instead of the jackets, have you ever wrestled a snake with 11+ gallons of wort? My guess is no. The jackets are the way to go! The only concern I would have is the vessel sweating, but that should be easily overcome.

that was a humorous typo

 

[Supurb]

This is an impressive project !

 

[Phunhog]

Another easier and cheaper option for controlling temperatures in a Sanke keg is a modified water bath set up. I put my Sanke in a large rolling plastic tub and fill it with water. I use a dual stage temp controller. The Heat side has an aquarium heater. The Cold side controls a cheap submerisible pump. The pump pumps the water bath through an immersion chiller in an iced down cooler. I am able to maintain temps within .5 degree. The best part is that it is much cheaper and easier than a glycol system and it could be easily expanded for multiple fermentors.

 

[Islandboy85]

I got this idea after looking at some wine tanks. They only had a center section jacketed with glycol. I have heard they can keep the contents at fermentation temps relatively easily, as well as crash cool.

I basically started with two sections of 20GA 304 stainless steel 25.250" long and 7" wide. After putting the holes and dimple features into the pieces, and adding a 5° bend on the 25" sides both top and bottom, we pre-bent them around a 5 gal bucket to start the form. One side has the holes for the 1/2" couplings for goes-inta and goes-outa for glycol. Goes-inta is on the bottom with a directional flow. It basically is a coupling with an end on it, like a cap, but in the end which is inside the jacket it has a .125" slot milled into the side, thus allowing sideways flow of the glycol. The goes-outa is just an open coupler.

Each dimple is .225" high, inside to outside and has a .250" hole in it where the dimple is rosette welded to the wall of the keg. The 5° bends allow for the edge to be fused to the rib of the keg. It was pressure tested at over 25PSI with no deformation or leaks! I plan to run the glycol at about 5PSI to start, and the solenoid valve will be on the goes-outa (output) to avoid any lack of glycol in the jacket. The idea behind the staggered dimples is to induce turbulence and increse contact with all parts of the jacket before the glycol leaves and goes back to the reservoir.

Now I gotta hook it up and see if it works!

Can you explain more about the dimpling process?