SS Brewtech Unitank Issues

[gluepot]

I need your help and advice. I just bought a new 7 gallon unitank from SS Brewtech. I really like the design and triclamp accessories. The problem is that inside the conical is what appears to be cracking and corrosion where the cone attaches to the cylinder. I'm concerned that this will cause problems with sanitation. I've spent several hours so far cleaning and polishing with micro-mesh with no effect. See pictures.

I sent these pictures to customer service, which has been rather dismissive so far. I was first told that it was "manufacturing residues, oils, grease, polishing waxes, etc" that I should clean. After I reported that it would not clean off, I was told that "These spots can be cleaned very nicely using Bar Keeper's Friend." This did not work since there are defects in the steel itself. After getting no real help, I told them I wanted to return the tank. They gave me instructions for returning a product in perfect condition which means I pay shipping and a 10% restocking fee.

My question for you, based on the pictures, am I crazy? Am I being OCD about a minor problem?

If SS Brewtech won't resolve my problem, (so far I doubt they will) is there anything I can do to fix this problem myself? I'm not sure how deep the defects go into the steel given that surface polishing with micro-mesh has not removed them.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[Bobby_M]

It's not the rust spots that are issues as they are right, BKF paste and a scrub will remove that. That first picture is showing poor welds between the cylinder and cone. I would not pay for the return shipping or restock fee.

 

[phendog]

This is very sad to hear. I have two of their Conicals w/FTS and love them. Considering getting a Uni, but your experience has me reconsidering /looking at alternatives. Everything brew related commands a PREMIUM prices. If I'm gonna drop that kind of coin I demand great customer service and reasonable requests should be honored. If that is manufacture defect, Ss should get a new one to you ASAP w/free shipping on the return.

 

[Lefou]

It's obviously a structural fault in the steel weld.
It also looks as if the steel was bent and the holes were badly punched. From my perspective, it's as if the tapered bottom cone section is misaligned, too. If you look at a pic of a chronical on the website the openings for the racking arm and thermometer are vertically aligned and not offset.
Personally, I'd be pissed.

Oh, wait. You said "unitank".
Now I see why it seems misaligned. Never mind ... but the welds are definitely not acceptable and the bending still stands out.

 

[gluepot]

It's not the rust spots that are issues as they are right, BKF paste and a scrub will remove that. That first picture is showing poor welds between the cylinder and cone. I would not pay for the return shipping or restock fee.

Yes, thanks for the comment. It's the first picture that really shows my concern. The rust marks distract from the real issue in the other pictures. In the second picture, you can see the hairline cracking in the joint that continues around the entire perimeter of the tank. Most of my energy with micro-mesh, BKF, etc. has been spent on the spot in the first picture.

 

[Horseflesh]

That doesn’t look right at all. I hope they take care of you.

 

[Vale71]

I sent these pictures to customer service, which has been rather dismissive so far. I was first told that it was "manufacturing residues, oils, grease, polishing waxes, etc" that I should clean. After I reported that it would not clean off, I was told that "These spots can be cleaned very nicely using Bar Keeper's Friend."

Sounds like you were talking to someone who was just quoting the Reference Guide and the FAQ at you, without any real understanding whatsover of the subject matter. In my experience this is unfortunately almost always the case when talking to customer service, regardless of whether it's a small company or a huge multi-national. Outsourcing at its best.
I would try and escalate this to a higher level if possible before forking out the money for a "voluntary restocking" which is obviously anything but.

 

[Punjom]

I purchased a 1/2 bbl Unitank from SS Brewtech and the cooling coil had a significant divot/chip at the end which I would never trust to be fully sanitized (as well as a major grind mark on the bottom plate). SS was also dismissave so I sent it back. I instead purchased a 20 gal jacket from Brewers Hardware and a penguin chiller. I planned to go all SS Brewtech, but I will NEVER purchase from SS again. Very disappointed on their customer service. Sorry to hear you had the same experience.

*edit* not sure why words are being underlined....not trying to convey anything different in my message.

 

[augiedoggy]

I agree here that the weld joint is not a clean one. Hopefully someone from SS will see this and will take care of you.

 

[mongoose33]

That first pictures looks almost like the steel is delaminating a bit. Either way, what you have is unacceptable.

Call them back. When you get the flunky, ask to speak to their supervisor. That usually will do it.

You can tell them you posted this to HBT and nobody who responded thought it was acceptable. It's a manufacturing defect.

 

[gluepot]

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. It has been really helpful. SS Brewtech has come around and is shipping a replacement unitank body. With any luck, the new unit wont have any problems. I'll post again once I get the replacement with the outcome. Again, thanks for all the comments.

 

[bigdood]

Glad to hear! For the price they charge for this stuff they should stand behind it as otherwise we may as well go Alibaba direct for the same crap. Hopefully it's not like mine and your FTSS controller won't go out after 3 uses, and the valve scratched/pitted from their milling, etc.

 

[Rev2010]

SS Brewtech has come around and is shipping a replacement unitank body.

I'll never understand this crap. Why give you a hassle in the first place? We all know these companies are watching the forums and the vast majority of people these days are on the internet. Why only do the right thing *after* someone complains publicly on a forum? No matter what they still look bad. Cause what I see from this is SS didn't want to exchange or accept a return on a defective product without you footing some of the bill, but then decided to do the right thing once this went public. Not a good customer service model. I've been a customer of theirs for years now and luckily have never needed to return anything, but I definitely wouldn't have stood for that and had I experienced that kind of treatment it very well could have caused me to switch brands.

I'm glad you got taken care of and I hope the replacement works out perfectly.


Rev.

 

[bigdood]

Good post Rev. He could post this question here and on /r/homebrewing and basically drive customers to Spike given SS Brewtech's BS they tried with him.

 

[gluepot]

I'm not sure what ultimately made the customer service rep come around. After hearing that he wanted me to pay shipping and restocking, I replied that I was willing to work with him to resolve my problem despite my frustration. This was the same time I started this thread. I received his reply without needing to point him to the thread. I think I had a particularly inept rep. I was put in touch with a member of the shipping team and she was great. She actually apologized for the inconvenience (imagine that).

I am particularly ticked off that I sold my Spike CF5 (on this forum) to buy this. The CF5 was a great fermenter with a beautiful finish (inside and out) and great build quality. Better than the unitank, even without considering the defect in the unit I received. However, I liked (and still like) the design of the SS Brewtech unitank better. Particularly the 6" triclamp lid in place of the full diameter seal that the CF5 uses. However, this is the last purchase I'll make from SS Brewtech. I own their mashtun and their chronical BME, both of which have had QC issues that I was able to resolve on my own. I love their designs, but if it can't be executed well, I'm no longer interested.

Hopefully the new body will be free from defects, and I will be content enough. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Rev2010]

I own their mashtun and their chronical BME, both of which have had QC issues that I was able to resolve on my own.

I got their mash tun just recently, going to use it for the first time next weekend. Were the issues you had design-wise or just QC with the one you received? If there's design issues I'm all ears to hear them and what your solutions were to help me avoid any issues you might have encountered. For me the only QC issue was a sharp burr sticking up from an edge of the false bottom from when it must've been factory punched/cut. I just used a sharpening stone to buff it down and it's good now. Design-wise my only gripe is the rubber feet suck ass. I emailed them to tell them it's been years, fix it already. Plastic feet with a center push-pin to expand the mounting internally would work better (like the feet on many modern applicances.)


Rev.

 

[gluepot]

I got their mash tun just recently, going to use it for the first time next weekend. Were the issues you had design-wise or just QC with the one you received? If there's design issues I'm all ears to hear them and what your solutions were to help me avoid any issues you might have encountered. For me the only QC issue was a sharp burr sticking up from an edge of the false bottom from when it must've been factory punched/cut. I just used a sharpening stone to buff it down and it's good now. Design-wise my only gripe is the rubber feet suck ass. I emailed them to tell them it's been years, fix it already. Plastic feet with a center push-pin to expand the mounting internally would work better (like the feet on many modern applicances.)


Rev.

The main problem I had was a strange fracture in the steel part of the handle that put a gash in my finger. I filed it down and it is at least safe now. I totally agree about the rubber feet. I removed them and use it without them. I also removed the silicone seal from the false bottom which was a pain to use. If the false bottom is carefully flattened (which is easy enough), it does not need the seal. Other than those correctable issues, it works great.

 

[Ridenour64]

I’ve been sitting on the idea of buying a SS Unitank but the more I read about people’s experiences with QC the more I want to buy from spike. I have a spike kettle and the quality is top notch. Their customer service has been top notch as well. However, I do not like the lid design on the spike either.

 

[gluepot]

I’ve been sitting on the idea of buying a SS Unitank but the more I read about people’s experiences with QC the more I want to buy from spike. I have a spike kettle and the quality is top notch. Their customer service has been top notch as well. However, I do not like the lid design on the spike either.

I received my new unitank body on Wednesday. I've cleaned it thoroughly and it is much better than the previous. However, there is still some minor issues with the weld in the exact same spots as the previous, but much less pronounced. It is minor enough that I don't think there will be any problems with using and cleaning the conical. The fact that I have had two unitank bodies now with the same problem (one being very minor) to me points to more than just quality control, but manufacturing problems.

Anyways, if you can live with the lid design of the Spike conical, I would highly recommend it. Maybe Spike will come out with another version of the conical someday that uses a 6" triclamp lid? I would buy that immediately, as I really liked the quality of the CF5 I owned.

 

[Ridenour64]

After hearing that you’ve received a second one with an issue, even if minor, is enough for me not to order one anytime soon. With how much they cost it’s just not worth it. I was thinking too that spike may come out with something new soon.

 

[Jag75]

Crazy because I've been eyeballing the ss chronical . But reading this gives me hesitation. Maybe I'll look into spike. Imo when you pay a pretty penny for something it should be flawless .

 

[Punjom]

I received my 20 gal jacketed conical from Brewers Hardware today. It arrived with zero issues. I spent a little more but I am very happy. They make incredible products (Three years ago I purchased a RIMS system). The Spike kettles are also amazing! Ss lost me as a customer for not standing behind their product in a previous purchase.

 

[Ridenour64]

Those conical look heavy duty. 2.0 mm for the standard and even thicker for jacketed (3.0 mm plus the jacket). It doesn’t look like it’s rated for pressure though.

I thinking I’m gonna hold another month or two to see if spike announces anything.

 

[SpikeBrewing]

I thinking I’m gonna hold another month or two to see if spike announces anything.

FYI at this time we have no design changes for our conical fermenter line planned or in the works.

 

[Ridenour64]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Ridenour64]

I went with the SS 7 gal uni. No issues with mine.

 

[Ridenour64]

Hey guys. I may actually have issues with my unitank. Yesterday I realized there was a line of rust circling the unitank. I cleaned up the rust and thought it was fine. Took a closer look today and there is a line there. Appears to be minor cracking? Anyways. I wanted to get some opinions. I’ll post 2 photos and a link to a video

 

[crooow]

I'm looking at both SS and spike unitanks, but this thread may have scared me off of the SS brewtech for good. My only hesitation with Spike is that gasket. If they go out of business, replacements would be hard to find.

 

[Ridenour64]

They are sending me a new shell. Hopefully this one is good.

 

[SpikeBrewing]

I'm looking at both SS and spike unitanks, but this thread may have scared me off of the SS brewtech for good. My only hesitation with Spike is that gasket. If they go out of business, replacements would be hard to find.

We don’t plan on going anywhere [emoji6]

 

[Pintabone]

I seem to have an issue with my unitank's coil. I just received it this week and was going through the recommended TSP wash and noticed this on the bottom ring of the coil. It would not wash away and there is what looks and feels like a small hole in it. Any thoughts? I did also reach out to SS support.

 

[Vale71]

Looks like somebody's hand slipped while doing welding work on this part. I'd definitely ask for and expect a replacement as this can become a problem for sanitation and corrosion too, as since it's an involuntary weld it probably hasn't been treated properly to prevent corrosion.

 

[Pintabone]

Looks like somebody's hand slipped while doing welding work on this part. I'd definitely ask for and expect a replacement as this can become a problem for sanitation and corrosion too, as since it's an involuntary weld it probably hasn't been treated properly to prevent corrosion.

Thanks. I did send them a note so hoping they’ll replace it. It’s literally a hole. I don’t think it’s quite all the way through but it’s more than just cosmetic.

 

[dipa2]

I received my new unitank body on Wednesday. I've cleaned it thoroughly and it is much better than the previous. However, there is still some minor issues with the weld in the exact same spots as the previous, but much less pronounced. It is minor enough that I don't think there will be any problems with using and cleaning the conical. The fact that I have had two unitank bodies now with the same problem (one being very minor) to me points to more than just quality control, but manufacturing problems.

Anyways, if you can live with the lid design of the Spike conical, I would highly recommend it. Maybe Spike will come out with another version of the conical someday that uses a 6" triclamp lid? I would buy that immediately, as I really liked the quality of the CF5 I owned.

Any update on how brews have turned out? I've been fighting infections for three months and am at my wits end. Stumbled upon this thread and now looking at my tank it has a similar flaw and was purchased around the same time as yours. It's not as pronounced as yours (photos below), but the same flaw is there. Is barkeeper's friend sufficient or replacement/refund??

 

[Bobby_M]

That finish is sanitary as it is not rough or pitted.

 

[dipa2]

Thanks. We'll find out. I did three iterations with BKF and it removed nothing. Then did CIP with alkaline brewery wash at 140 F for 25 minutes followed by a 10 minute rinse at 165 F. Then disassembled everything including butterfly valves and cleaned with TSP, rinsed, boiled everything for 5 minutes, soaked in alkaline brewery wash for 20 minutes, let dry, then sanitized everything with StarSan. If I get an infection on this batch I have no clue where it is coming from.

I have two tanks, only this one has a persistent infection so it's not my general process. Hopefully I got it with all the above cleaning.

 

[BarleyPopBrewer]

That finish is sanitary as it is not rough or pitted.

I'm seeing a weld seam that was not properly finished. I'm also seeing a pretty good pit mark which could be the source of the issue.

I've been watching a thread in Ss Facebook user group about some rust/welding issues as well. It seems like they might be dealing with some big quality issues with their Chinese supplier. I was looking at their e-kettles but I'm nervous now after seeing all the issues. I posted a thread about it a week or so ago.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/ss-brewtech-ekettle-line-rusting.666930/#post-8614951

 

[dipa2]

Dang! You got some good zoom and eye balls! So....... I didn't realize the sanitary sample valve needed to be fully disassembled. While CIPing I opened and closed it several times and gunk came out. On the last batch, everything was disassembled, cleaned, boiled, cleaned again, and sanitized. Its fermenting away, I'll update if the infection continues or not.