The Stasis - A glycol system designed for homebrewers - Pre-Order now for $599

[ShaLaH]

And so far... happy with my Stasis. Made a custom fitting to seal the thermowell to the supplied thermocouple. 1/2" NPT Male to 1/4" MFL Male Flare Adapter. Had to open all the holes to .203 to get the tc through. Modified this coupling to add an internal taper so an o-ring will close up on the wire when compressed with a 1/4" female flare cap. Modified the flare cap by drilling a .203 hole through it. I had to use two nylon flare gaskets stacked to get the spacing right. This is for a Spike Brewing Flex fermenter.

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Really Nice work! I'm looking to get a Spike Flex + but I brew 3 - 3.5 gallon batches, not sure if the chiller coil submerges deep enough into the wort though.

I did a water test with my Stasis. I put 5 gallons of 112F water in a bucket and connected the Stasis to a copper immersion chiller and dropped it in the bucket. It chilled 5 gallons from 112 - 60F in about 1:20. It's definitely louder than my dehumidifier but didn't seem any louder than comparable units I've been around.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'm assuming these can chill only? No way to raise the temp if ambient temps + exothermic activity of fermentation won't get to desired temp? I'm thinking kveik yeasts and the potential desire to ferment at something like 90 degrees F......

 

[ShaLaH]

I'm assuming these can chill only? No way to raise the temp if ambient temps + exothermic activity of fermentation won't get to desired temp? I'm thinking kveik yeasts and the potential desire to ferment at something like 90 degrees F......

That's correct, chilling only. I ferment in corny kegs so when I'm using kveik yeast I use a brew belt attached to an inkbird. I cover the keg & belt with a neoprene keg jacket. For my last kveik batch, I was aiming for 83F and had no problem maintaining that temp for about 10 days. Not sure how much higher I could've gone but I rarely, if ever, need to go beyond low to mid-80's.

 

[birzzz]

Do you guys think something like could help soundproofing the Stasis? This will obviously won't do any difference for the fan noise, but still, if it helps for the compressor noise it generates that could be an option. I'm not sur about the dimension though.

https://www.amazon.com/Brinmar-SBUHD-Universal-Fit-Conditioner-Compressor/dp/B008J5H6I2

 

[4TBBUCS]

What’s everyone thinking about doing for their heating on their fermenter with the stasis connected? Heat belt / band, FTSs, or ....Sitting here brainstorming ha.

 

[deuc224]

^^^^^^ Do you already have a fermenter?

 

[4TBBUCS]

^^^^^^ Do you already have a fermenter?

Yes, my apologies. I have a couple SSBT BME 7ga conical fermenters.

 

[4TBBUCS]

I was just brainstorming to see which route I’d travel down. The fact that the Primary thermowell Is home to the Stasis temp probe, I was just seeing what some would suggest / recommend if I wanted to run a dual stage chill/ heat system.

 

[WesBrew]

I was close on this one. looks like they didn't deliver on the promise of quiet. this was designed, built, tested, then tested again post manufacturing. they sent it out with that issue. sounds like design problem. hopefully they do it right and take care of everyone that backed it. fix vibration and provide insulation to dampen noise

 

[deuc224]

I was just brainstorming to see which route I’d travel down. The fact that the Primary thermowell Is home to the Stasis temp probe, I was just seeing what some would suggest / recommend if I wanted to run a dual stage chill/ heat system.

I mean they have the wrap warmers , I think thats the only solution.

 

[Nate R]

I was close on this one. looks like they didn't deliver on the promise of quiet. this was designed, built, tested, then tested again post manufacturing. they sent it out with that issue. sounds like design problem. hopefully they do it right and take care of everyone that backed it. fix vibration and provide insulation to dampen noise

I guess a few Brewie folks went to work for Craft-A-Brew?

(Off topic, out of bounds, etc. etc. I am a happy Brewie owner however, so I can make jokes!!)
The Stasis came out on Kickstarter right when I was looking for a glycol chiller. I loved the price, hated the kickstarter idea, and I wanted it NOW!
I hope they sort it all out!

 

[birzzz]

Hi guys,

I have to share something positive about the stasis. When I first did my initial testing to see how cold my fermenter could go, I din't take into account the volume of glycol mixture used in the coil. I was able to achieve roughly 40 ishh farenheit. Since then, I brew 2 batches and one ale one lager that still fermenting. I topped up several time the glycol mixture into the process. I can tell you now that my lager is being cooled at: 36.5f in the final stage. this level of cooling is really acceptable. Again, as a reminder, the glycol mixture is supposedly being cooled at 28f inside the unit. The minimum cooling temperature you can setup your fermenter is 36f.

Cheers!

 

[hootowl]

I was close on this one. looks like they didn't deliver on the promise of quiet. this was designed, built, tested, then tested again post manufacturing. they sent it out with that issue. sounds like design problem. hopefully they do it right and take care of everyone that backed it. fix vibration and provide insulation to dampen noise

Maybe the one someone said had a rattle but no I don't see a design issue with it. It is what it is. Fans are inherently noisy. The compressor itself is not. Mine sounds pretty much as expected. For those who think it should be quiet like your kitchen refrigerator you will probably need to spend another $500 to $1000. If your fermenting area is in a place where you need quiet I guess you should pass. Mine is in my hobby room and my commercial soda retail beermeister is twice as loud when the compressor kicks in so I'm a happy boy.

 

[hootowl]

BTW Craft a Brew got back to me about the tube size. It's 5/16" That's why my quick disconnects are good for this size.
The fittings I made to seal the TC worked out good. Mods are done. Just brewing now. Probably will get a heating setup in the future.

 

[brewpharm Hill]

I'm seeing a lot about rattling with the stasis. I'm only two brews deep and it began rattling while fermenting the first. Before the rattle is was more of a peaceful, quiet-ish hum. Now its a louder rattle on top of all of it. Its quite sad.

 

[Thorrak]

Maybe the one someone said had a rattle but no I don't see a design issue with it. It is what it is. Fans are inherently noisy. The compressor itself is not. Mine sounds pretty much as expected. For those who think it should be quiet like your kitchen refrigerator you will probably need to spend another $500 to $1000.

To be fair, I literally just did that & bought the Blichmann. Assuming they ship the Glycol, I'll post noise levels next week.

 

[hootowl]

If it happens to me I'll open it up and fix it. Don't care about voiding warranty. A rattle is just something loose.

 

[jjjjfrench]

I have no issues with rattling on my Stasis. Yes, the fans are loud, which I'm not crazy about, but it is what it is. When you have such a small glycol reservoir you are going to need to be more proactive in dumping the heat. The other option is to get something bigger and more obtrusive (and more expensive). Pick your poison.

I am having another issue with my Stasis, but I am working with Craft-a-Brew to get it resolved. Once the issue is resolved I'll post explaining the issue and how they handled it. So far the experience has been reasonably positive.

-J

 

[CodeSection]

..... It is what it is. ...

.... Yes, the fans are loud, which I'm not crazy about, but it is what it is. .....I am having another issue with my Stasis, .....

So, it appears there is no solution after all this time to the high noise level some Stasis owners are experiencing other than "it is what it is" as two individuals have posted. I guess you are saying "buyers be aware, it is what it is"......

 

[hootowl]

Does Craft a Brew advertise a db level?

 

[CodeSection]

Does Craft a Brew advertise a db level?

You might want to read Post#210 again....."See July 16, 2019 review Gear Test: Small-Scale Chillers."

Important information in that article.... "CONS: The Stasis is purpose-built to chill one or two smaller vessels (less than 10 gallons) at a time. With its compact design and built-in controllers/pumps, it doesn’t offer the flexibility or the power of the chillers with 10-gallon-plus glycol reservoirs. The unit tested was a pre-production sample, and we’ve been assured that the final will be quieter, but this chiller was significantly louder than the others tested. "

If you want to defend your purchase as "it is what it is", I understand. I seriously doubt the author of the above article was exaggerating and would have not listed that con unless it was truly evident.

So, I guess your endorsement to potential buyers is "it is what it is" and now you have added afterall "Does Carft a Brew advertise a db level?" As if it is the buyer's fault.....amazing......

 

[Thorrak]

Does Craft a Brew advertise a db level?

No, they advertised it as "quiet", which 70dB is objectively not.

Then, they refused to stand behind those claims for kickstarter backers, effectively saying "caveat emptor"

Then, they deleted the reviews that had been posted citing the noise level as a drawback.

 

[jjjjfrench]

So, it appears there is no solution after all this time to the high noise level some Stasis owners are experiencing other than "it is what it is" as two individuals have posted. I guess you are saying "buyers be aware, it is what it is"......

Yes and no.
Regarding the fan noise, I don't think there is any effective way to reduce that given the design of the system. They are trying to push a lot of air through the system. I suppose if the entire system were not enclosed and therefore exposed to the open air, they could get by with fewer and less powerful fans.
Regarding the rattle (which I have not experienced, but clearly others have), I can't judge. I also am not in a position to judge how much of the 'excessive' noise that some report is due to rattling versus the fans.

 

[birzzz]

I'll repeat myself again, they advertised the unit as "quiet during operation" in the kickstarter campain. No matter what your definition of quiet is, this unit doesn't fall into the "quiet" category. It just can't be marketed as such.

 

[jjjjfrench]

No disagreement from me.

But if someone tries to sell you a chiller that has a ~2 qt reservoir all encased in a neat, tidy little package, you probably shouldn't be surprised that it will either be (a) totally ineffective or (b) rely on loud/power-consuming methods to balance the tradeoff. After all, its not like there is some new type of physics out there that wasn't available a couple of years ago...

OK, sorry for the snarky remark.
Marketing is a game, and no-one should really be surprised by that. That is why a person should always look for quantifiable specifications when they have specific needs. 'Quiet' in a 3400 sq ft home is different than 'quiet' in a 700 sq ft apartment.

 

[CodeSection]

....OK, sorry for the snarky remark.
Marketing is a game, and no-one should really be surprised by that. That is why a person should always look for quantifiable specifications when they have specific needs. 'Quiet' in a 3400 sq ft home is different than 'quiet' in a 700 sq ft apartment.

Wow. Blaming the consumer isn't going to win over potential buyers. I can't believe you are suggesting the buyer is to blame because they believed the marketing hype. Oh well, every now and then I get surprised by people.

That mumbo jumbo thinking as a benchmark is worthless as it could be applied to practically anything. Maybe consumer advocates and State attorney general consumer affairs divisions could learn something from you. So when a person or company tries to defend their position by exclaiming "marketing is a game and no-one should be surprised about whatever doesn't work, yada, yada, etc" no action is taken against them.

"You expect the car to run?", Nah, that's marketing hype." "Remember marketing is a game."

"You expect the A/C to actually cool? Nah, that's marketing hype." "Remember marketing is a game."

 

[jjjjfrench]

Well done on the cherry picking!

I will try the same thing..."You expect the car to run" that is definitely quantifiable!
"You expect the A/C to actually cool...." also quantifiable and as it turns out, that bit seems to work.

The point I'm trying to make is 'quiet' is NOT quantifiable. If that is an important specification to a consumer, he/she should spend effort researching. Ask the manufacturer. If they are unable/unwilling to provide a reasonable answer then pass. For God's sake, do you homework!

 

[birzzz]

Well done on the cherry picking!

I will try the same thing..."You expect the car to run" that is definitely quantifiable!
"You expect the A/C to actually cool...." also quantifiable and as it turns out, that bit seems to work.

The point I'm trying to make is 'quiet' is NOT quantifiable. If that is an important specification to a consumer, he/she should spend effort researching. Ask the manufacturer. If they are unable/unwilling to provide a reasonable answer then pass. For God's sake, do you homework!

are you saying that "cool" is quantifiable?

 

[CodeSection]

......The point I'm trying to make is 'quiet' is NOT quantifiable. If that is an important specification to a consumer, he/she should spend effort researching. Ask the manufacturer. If they are unable/unwilling to provide a reasonable answer then pass. For God's sake, do you homework!

You seem rattled and confused.

Companies are responsible for sales hype and untrue statements. At least this company was documented with their promises to a reporter, promises on their website and promises on this thread. They knew about the loud noise level before production and decided to do nothing. Their "engineers" have not found a solution.

I can tell you haven't read this entire thread or other threads involving glycol chillers. Otherwise, you would not have made the comment "For God's sake, do you (sic) homework!" Why do I say that you ask? Because as been posted in many threads, I did my homework and bought an Icemaster 100 glycol chiller!

Maybe you did read that in a post somewhere, but in your rush to reply, you forgot. Personally, I think for some reason you were rattled. It happens to all of us.

 

[Nate R]

My question is...
Has ANYONE had a successful crowd funded home brew dohickey yet?
Man can (not sure if that was crowd funded)
Brewie
U-Keg (great product but was selling for months across various retail outlets before backers got theirs.)
Now Staysis?? (Maybe?)

I must be missing a few successful runs right??
I ask only because i am offering an all-in-one brewing system that recycles its' own CO2, re-uses yeast, and perfectly chills and heats the wort during fermenting.
It will be on Kickstarter soon, BUT if you PM me in the next 48 hours i will provide you instructions to wire me only HALF the initial kickstarter price!!
It will have a LIFETIME warranty, as well as UNLIMITED Next Day FedEx Air 55# sacks of grain!!!
Only 20 people are allowed to get in on this special price! First come first served!!

 

[jjjjfrench]

are you saying that "cool" is quantifiable?

Actually yes, to 'cool' is to lower the temperature from ambient....

 

[jjjjfrench]

You seem rattled and confused.

Companies are responsible for sales hype and untrue statements. At least this company was documented with their promises to a reporter, promises on their website and promises on this thread. They knew about the loud noise level before production and decided to do nothing. Their "engineers" have not found a solution.

I can tell you haven't read this entire thread or other threads involving glycol chillers. Otherwise, you would not have made the comment "For God's sake, do you (sic) homework!" Why do I say that you ask? Because as been posted in many threads, I did my homework and bought an Icemaster 100 glycol chiller!

Maybe you did read that in a post somewhere, but in your rush to reply, you forgot. Personally, I think for some reason you were rattled. It happens to all of us.

Not rattled and confused (maybe just confused, like when you step into a rattlesnake den?)
I have followed the thread all the way through to its sad and seemingly unending conclusion.
All I'm suggesting is that consumers bear some responsibility. I'm sure I will be scolded for this. But when Jack came home with a handful of magic beans, I'm pretty sure his mom was not happy.

 

[CodeSection]

Not rattled and confused (maybe just confused, like when you step into a rattlesnake den?)
I have followed the thread all the way through to its sad and seemingly unending conclusion.
All I'm suggesting is that consumers bear some responsibility. I'm sure I will be scolded for this. But when Jack came home with a handful of magic beans, I'm pretty sure his mom was not happy.

I don't think you are going to win many friends by insinuating consumers are stupid or greedy and should bear some responsibility. It wasn't that they were being offered something soooo cheap that they should have been alerted there were problems.

I'm guessing when you write the consumers bear some responsibility you are referring to them believing the marketing hype and you are not blaming the consumers for the high amount of noise some owners are experiencing. As a reminder, the company, not the consumers, made public assurances to correct the noise/loudness problem before production.

I believe blaming the consumers is so naive. If one follows your logic, that the consumer should bear some responsibility, then the consumer should simply ignore any communication or assurances from the company. Especially those communications from the company that were reported in Posts #184 & #204 in order for the consumer to avoid being blamed from someone like you. So, going forward, as strange as it sounds, according to you and your logic, the consumer should not believe anything. Talk about killing company sales!

At the end of the day, the consumers, or buyers in this case, did not cause these problems. It is a futile attempt to try to redirect focus away from the company and of the company's communications and unacceptable actions that many have expressed frustrations with.

 

[birzzz]

Actually yes, to 'cool' is to lower the temperature from ambient....

Oh I see. So an AC that would be able to cool from 90f to 89f in summer would be perfectly fine and acceptable.

Great thinking my friend.

 

[hootowl]

I've been posting on forums literally for 25 years. Different hobbies, radio control helicopters, diesel trucks, corvette forums and such. You learn a certain etiquette when it comes to posting about vendors and products, especially early on. We usually keep our ranting to private conversations and allow the smoke to clear. Continually trashing a company in public on a very well known forum before they have a reasonable chance to take care of things was a no-no but not everyone cares. I've seen this type of behavior before and it just makes me cringe.

 

[ajbosley2015]

The real question for Craft a Brew is when they are going to design a lid with incorporated hop charge so you don't have to worry about the lid and gasket when you dryhop. Fatal flaw

 

[hootowl]

I had the Catalyst and would dry hop through the airlock.

 

[ajbosley2015]

I had the Catalyst and would dry hop through the airlock.

Yeah definitely, but that doesnt enable you to put your hops in something like a depth charge to reduce the amount of residue in the beer. We all want to increase yield, and Catalyst hasn't followed suit with any of the big guys. Hell, attach another butterfly valve to the lid and allow for minimal oxidation as well.

Instead of offering Stasis (which lets face it, doesnt tailor itself to the large market because those willing to glycol chill dont buy cheap 200 dollar plastic fermenters (I have two), how about you offer a design change that tailors to almost all brewers. Replacement lid with attached butterfly valve and enclosed sightglass, with hop charge on the bottom. Hell, maybe I'll make one now. great idea I have

 

[hootowl]

I like the way you think.

 

[Thorrak]

So, after the fiasco with the noise of the Stasis, I ended up getting a Blichmann glycol chiller based on this post:

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Not in the same range...

The chiller arrived yesterday and is sitting behind me - my glycol arrived today, but was apparently stolen from our apartment complex's lobby. If I had to choose between the two packages, I'm glad they managed to get the Glycol - but I'm certainly annoyed that I won't have a chance to test out the Blichmann noise level until tomorrow at a minimum. Fingers crossed this review measured the noise level accurately, and I won't end up having to find out if MoreBeer's return policy is better than Craft-a-brew's!