Keeping Temp Control Water Clean?

[jbschuyler]

Hi all,

I ferment with a Flex+ Fermentor with the temp control coil, to which I have tubing attached that connects to a cooler and submersible pump. I switch out the ice packs to keep it cool, but now at about a week into the ferment, my cooling water is getting a bit murky.

Anyone with experience with this set up have any suggestions to keep the water clean(er)? I of course can dump it out and refill with clean water, but wondered if a bit of Starsan (or something else) in the water would help to avoid a full clean out mid-ferment.

 

[Golddiggie]

Depends on what is making it cloudy.

I picked up the BB IceMaster Max2 to connect to the chill coils in my Spike CF10's. I'm using a glycol solution in that (about 30-35% give or take) which makes it work even better. It barely has to work to keep my batches fermenting at 70F right now (room is between 75-80F).

BTW, did you reference the doc from Spike on which connection to feed the chill coil depending on your target temp?? I missed that initially, but found it a week or so ago. Really helped when the room was about 85F and I was looking to chill to carbonate in CF10.

 

[Mr. Vern]

FWIW.. Glycol is for more than freeze protection:

glycol reduces system capacity by a small percentage. Say 30% Dowfrost P.G. will reduce capacity by 6-7% total (5 degrees Fahrenheit freeze protection). nothing to be alarmed over, I would recommend glycol to help prevent corrosion and bacterial growth. Over 25% of Dowfrost in water helps to conserve water without letting it get nasty. Also a "breather" lid would be handy to help prevent evaporation and allow thermal expansion to either burp or suck air back into the holding tank.

 

[hotbeer]

Your cooling water is in an open to the air system? Might try some Oxyclean or just a tad of chlorine bleach if there isn't any metal finish you are worried about. If you only mix by the amounts on the label for water sanitation you'll probably be okay though.

Otherwise any of the other normal beer brewing sanitizers or even some of the cleaners. You are certain it's not filth coming from somewhere or that there is a small leak and somehow it's your beer?

 

[jbschuyler]

I picked up the BB IceMaster Max2 to connect to the chill coils in my Spike CF10's. I'm using a glycol solution in that (about 30-35% give or take) which makes it work even better. It barely has to work to keep my batches fermenting at 70F right now (room is between 75-80F).

BTW, did you reference the doc from Spike on which connection to feed the chill coil depending on your target temp?? I missed that initially, but found it a week or so ago. Really helped when the room was about 85F and I was looking to chill to carbonate in CF10.

What you're doing is my next planned major upgrade for set and forget cooling and to be done with the twice daily ice bottle changes for the cooler.

As for the Spike article- I will look it up as I also recall hearing something about that at some point. Thanks!

 

[Golddiggie]

it's the PDF I attached... Page 2 has the info you want.

 

[jbschuyler]

Your cooling water is in an open to the air system? Might try some Oxyclean or just a tad of chlorine bleach if there isn't any metal finish you are worried about. If you only mix by the amounts on the label for water sanitation you'll probably be okay though.

Otherwise any of the other normal beer brewing sanitizers or even some of the cleaners. You are certain it's not filth coming from somewhere or that there is a small leak and somehow it's your beer?

The water and frozen bottles are just sitting in a Coleman cooler. There might have been some leak from a re-freezable ice pack possibly. No danger at all from it coming into contact with the precious liquid in the fermentor though.

The only concern about using Starsan or a cleaner might be if my submersible pump would not like sitting in that for up to 3 weeks at a time.

 

[Golddiggie]

Is the water just cloudy, or is it discolored? Cloudy could be from the pump moving the water. If it's discolored, then it could be something leaking from the ice packs (as you mentioned). Maybe get some new freezer packs (ones with the hard plastic shells) and see if the issue remains or not.

Assuming you've tested to make sure the inner wall of the cooler is 100% intact already. If this was either a low use, or virgin, cooler before this, then that shouldn't be an issue. If it was previously used as a MT, then who knows.

You could also try adding a small amount of glycol to the water and see if that helps. Since you're not using an actual glycol chiller, you won't get all the benefits.

BTW, Amazon has decent prices on the gallon jugs of glycol, just sift through the search results. Free shipping and better price than MoreBeer.

 

[jbschuyler]

Is the water just cloudy, or is it discolored? Cloudy could be from the pump moving the water. If it's discolored, then it could be something leaking from the ice packs (as you mentioned). Maybe get some new freezer packs (ones with the hard plastic shells) and see if the issue remains or not.

Assuming you've tested to make sure the inner wall of the cooler is 100% intact already. If this was either a low use, or virgin, cooler before this, then that shouldn't be an issue. If it was previously used as a MT, then who knows.

You could also try adding a small amount of glycol to the water and see if that helps. Since you're not using an actual glycol chiller, you won't get all the benefits.

BTW, Amazon has decent prices on the gallon jugs of glycol, just sift through the search results. Free shipping and better price than MoreBeer.

Yeah, it's just a bit cloudy, and not turning green or anything. It is (was) also a brand new cooler that went into service for this purpose. You're right too that it might be time to replace some of my older ice packs.

Thanks!

 

[Jako]

i have the same issue more or less. tired of running water bottles. i have tried a few things even dropping campton tablets in

 

[JDWebb]

I use a hydroponics water chiller that will chill water down to 37F. A lot less expensive than a glycol system. I can chill my fermenter down to a consistent 55F. Simple hook up, all you need is a small Coleman ice chest for a water reservoir, submersible pumps to circulate the water to your fermenter, and some tubing to hook up your chiller in your fermenter.