Unitank/ CIP cleaning issue

[trevelynzx]

Hey all.

Recently I posted a thread on the one of the forums about a second batch in a row of beer that I had to dump. Same recipe, same yeast (though I split the starter, didn't harvest from the fermenter), same hops. Couldn't figure out what the issue was.

So... dumped the second batch today and started to give the Unitank a good clean. It's an SS Brewtech, and I also have the micro CIP ball.

First, I went through TWO PBW (home made from the other thread here) washes with the CIP ball for minimum 40 minutes each. At the end I pulled the chiller coil out for a visual inspection and there was still gunk on the top sides of the fermenter and on the coil itself. I was livid. This is what prompted the whole disassembly/ cleaning.

Second, during the break down, I found that almost every 1.5" TC add-on device (sample valve, carb stone, even the butterfly valve dumpers) had black gunk on them, between where the two flat SS plates meet up with each other. That was really disappointing...

So now I know where my infection came from, but I'm at a loss with this unitank/ CIP system. I am expecting not to have to break the whole thing down every time (all the pieces) and be able to CIP to the point where there is only metal & silicon left.

1) Am I expecting to much of the Unitank in terms of being able to CIP effectively?
2) Is my PBW solution crap? I followed the recipe from the PBW thread but after over an hour of CIP it didn't remove some of the krausen gunk (that was subsequently removed by hand with little effort).
3) Did I not tighten down the TC clamps enough to prevent gunk building up between the metal faces of the TC attachments?
4) Something else?

I'm looking for anybody else's experience/ feedback with a Unitank and/ or a CIP solution. I'm at a loss, makes me want to go back to the Speidel...

Help?!?

 

[czmkid]

Man I hat to break this to you but every time you gotta tear down the tanks tc fittings. I’m not sure what pump your using but I used a chugger pump at first then Switched to a 1/5hp sump-pump with a full sized cip ball. After the switch I have spotless coils and a shiner inside.

Here is what I do:

Use a hose as a pre wash to blow out any hops and leftover yeast out of the bottom dump valve.

Fill up a 5 gal bucket with 3 gal 130 deg water and PWB

Put sump in bucket and run a silicone hose to the top cip tc and turn on

Place bucket under the bottom butterfly so that the PWB solution will come out of the tank and go into the bucket to get picked back up by the sump pump. 20 min of this.

Hook the hose to the blowoff cane and turn on for another 10.

New bucket with Clean 130 degree water and run this through the top cip for another 20. Then the blowoff cane.

Take ALL of the tc’s apart as well as gaskets and place them in a 130 degree PWB bath for 20...then was in the same temp clean water for another 20.

Boil the carb stone for 10 min...then blow it out using co2.

Spray all flat sides of the tcs with starsans and put it all back together again.

On brew day I will fill the tank with starsans..drain out of all openings then fill with iadaphore to drain right before I go to transfer wort from the kettle to the unitank. I have also been boiling the carb stone a second time pre fill.

Truth be told. This is a ton more work than my old ssbrew buckets. But being able to ferment under 18psi. Transfer under pressure with zero risk of oxidation. Cold crash and ferment at ANY temperature with glycol. Annnnnd carbonate while in the tank to any volume of co2 is worth the cleaning.

The CIP ball isn’t like a dishwasher....disassembly is required

Czmkid

 

[dmcman73]

As czmkid states, you still need to take the valves off and I would CIP clean without the coil inserted, it’s just blocking the stream of water from the ball from efficiently hitting the conical walls.

What I do with my Spike CF10: 1. Do a one pass clean with everything assembled to knock most of the gunk off the coils. 2.pull the coil and do a thorough CIP clean of the conical with the valves still attached for 20 min or more (I usually have them open with fittings on them to run a hose into the bucket with the CIP pump / solution, this cleans the valves a bit). 3. Once the Fermenter is clean (I do a visual inspection to verify), I will do a thorough rinse. 4. After the conical rinse, I pull the valves, put them in the PBW solution and clean them by hand as well as clean the chilling coil.

Done. Never had a cleaning issue or missed “spot” doing it that way. I know breweries that pretty much clean their large scale fermenters (minus the chilling coils) and will open the manway ports to do a visual inspection inside the conical.

 

[augiedoggy]

The cip is only to clean the tank. Which on this scale and size for most setup, is just as easy to just wipe out while in place with a sponge or rag like I do rather than do the whole cip thing really but to each his (or her) own.
as mentioned all the fitting still have to be torn down and any ball valves need to be pulled apart (butterfly valves are best). Also any threaded fittings ideally should be torn apart and cleaned too although most times this is not really needed if they are cleaned and sanitized immediately after use.

I clean all four of my conicals in place with just warm water and a sponge and find as long as I clean them right after draining they come clean pretty quickly and easily. The one SS brewtech conical with the coil inside rather than the jackets I have on my other conicals is the biggest PITA to clean. The brushed stainless surface is also the hardest to wipe clean which makes me wonder why they built it this way... (lower cost I assume) I have two different conicals with the brushed look and 2 with polished stainless and the polished interior is much easier to clean.