I'm not sure what I thought actually chilled the wort, but I sure didn't think it was a separate unit until I saw your video. Looks like I'll have to save some more coin. Thanks for the thorough walk through.
Great intro video! Thanks for showing us your awesome setup. I'm looking forward to your video on the Russian Imperial Stout that you mention in this video.
I'm thinking of getting this setup but have two questions. First, does the BME Chronical still have weldless fittings like the Blichmann? Second, from the video it looks like the glycol chamber lid isn't insulated, is that true? If so, wouldn't that take a lot of electricity to maintain the glycol at the correct temp?
It has welded tc fittings on the bottom dump port and racking port. The thermowell and sample port are weldless fittings. The glycol chiller is not insulated but it maintains temp very well. I keep mine at 28 and it only kicks on once every 1-2 hours for about 2 minutes if it's not being used. In use it will kick on more due to heat pickup from the fermentor.
Hi Jason, thanks for going to the trouble of sharing this with us. Have you tried to chill the beer to drop out the yeast ? I always drop to 32 Fahrenheit for a few days and I was wondering if this system would be able to do this ?
Great video. I am looking at Brewtech brewbucket with FTS chilling and heating. It is a lot less money. What is the main difference between yours and brewbucket. Thanks
Biggest difference is the bottom of the fermentors. The conicals have a deeper cone with a port at the bottom to allow you to harvest yeast and dump trub while fermenting. It also has a separate racking port that is positioned in the cone then the sample port. On the brew buckets there is only one sample/racking port that is positioned right above the cone. If you do not plan on dumping trub or harvesting yeast while fermenting the bucket is plenty.
Luis Mendieta you need 3/8 if your going to be connecting a disconnect to your keg but if your just using it as a transfer tube 1/2 is fine and will give u faster flow
You can get it down to 26 degrees F which is as low as the glycol chiller will allow you to go. If you could bypass the thermostat on the glycol chiller you could probably go lower. Only takes about 30 mins to go from 68 to 32.
SS brewtech tells you not to use it to cool wort at high temps because you will blow the glycol chillers compressor due to heat transfer. If you want to cool wort with it you would basically have to run a counter flow chiller where one side is glycol the other is the water cooling the wort. What I will end up doing is cooling to below 100 then using the chiller to cool it to pitch temps.
I just purchased the Chronical and FTSs. Do you think I could cool the wort with the pump and a cooler full of ice water. Great video too, your not lying nobody has any good videos of this bad boy in action. Cheers
How have you liked the glycol chiller? I'm thinking about getting one but only if it's worth the money. What's the warranty on it? Are you happy with it?
I absolutely love the glycol chiller. It makes temp control insanely easy and quick. I can cold crash down to 32 degrees in 30 minutes. I was using a freezer and prefer this way now. I cant wait to get more fermentors to utilize the chiller more. SS Brewtech has a one year limited warranty that you can see on their website. I have yet to hear anyone actually need to use it though.
Hey Jason, Now that Ss brewtech has the Unitank. Whats your thoughts on that one compared to the BME?? Looking to purchase one of the 2. Just have to save a little more for the glycol chiller. Just didn't know if the Uniting was an overkill
The unitank on paper looks great. I personally have no experience on it but everything that it is capable of definitely makes it worth it. The only bad review I heard was clogging in the bottom port but you can get that in the conical too. Id say if you have it to spend on it and plan to do pressurized transfers and carbonating in the unit get it.
It doesn't appear to have a need to be covered. It almost looks to me like an overflow port similar to what you would see in a bathroom sink. It doesn't go anywhere except to like a little pan that doesn't seem to have a purpose.
its about the same as an airconditioner compressor kicking on just much smaller. If your in the same room you can hear it but its not unbearable to the point where your yelling over it.
Can you use the SS brew tech glycol chiller and FTS controllers to maintain a fermentation temperature above the ambient temp of the fermentation room?
can we run the system constantly for like 24 hours and take the same results? we are planning to cool down a liquid to 20 celsius which works in 60 celsius.
Thats essentially what the controller does. Once you set it to your desired temp the controller will kick the glycol and heat pad on and off to maintain that temp. Same as when your lagering. If the glycol ran for 24 hours straight you would have a giant block of ice
hi there, you never menioned how your are managing the piping system for the glycol. Do you have to disconnect the whole system for cleaning or do you have locking ends?
Sean Mathews I use the screw clamps ss brewtech provides with the tubing. It's not the most convenient to disconnect every time you need to clean but it's not really hard to do either.
Andrew Limb I Plan to just toss them in. It's basically the same thing I did with my carboys but now I will be able to pull them out through the bottom port before racking
Being a commercial reefer tech I would not make a habit of setting a vibrating pump inside my cooling coil, rub leaks will cause a loss of 134a freon into your chilling medium. Just my two cents. Very nice system but seems like a bit of overkill. However it would be great for a larger system if expanding. Good video on item though , Thanks.
I'm not sure what I thought actually chilled the wort, but I sure didn't think it was a separate unit until I saw your video. Looks like I'll have to save some more coin. Thanks for the thorough walk through.
Great intro video! Thanks for showing us your awesome setup. I'm looking forward to your video on the Russian Imperial Stout that you mention in this video.
Check out my channel the RIS video is already posted.
What did you consider and make you choose the BrewTech Chronical over Blichmann and Grainfather Pro? I'm upgrading and weighing all the options.
Hello, I have the same set up. I’m trying to set up a closed transfer any tips?
I'm thinking of getting this setup but have two questions. First, does the BME Chronical still have weldless fittings like the Blichmann? Second, from the video it looks like the glycol chamber lid isn't insulated, is that true? If so, wouldn't that take a lot of electricity to maintain the glycol at the correct temp?
It has welded tc fittings on the bottom dump port and racking port. The thermowell and sample port are weldless fittings. The glycol chiller is not insulated but it maintains temp very well. I keep mine at 28 and it only kicks on once every 1-2 hours for about 2 minutes if it's not being used. In use it will kick on more due to heat pickup from the fermentor.
Hi Jason, thanks for going to the trouble of sharing this with us. Have you tried to chill the beer to drop out the yeast ? I always drop to 32 Fahrenheit for a few days and I was wondering if this system would be able to do this ?
Geoff Munday yes it brings all the way down to 32 In about 50 minutes
Thank you for the video. This was just what I needed!
Great video. I am looking at Brewtech brewbucket with FTS chilling and heating. It is a lot less money. What is the main difference between yours and brewbucket. Thanks
Biggest difference is the bottom of the fermentors. The conicals have a deeper cone with a port at the bottom to allow you to harvest yeast and dump trub while fermenting. It also has a separate racking port that is positioned in the cone then the sample port. On the brew buckets there is only one sample/racking port that is positioned right above the cone. If you do not plan on dumping trub or harvesting yeast while fermenting the bucket is plenty.
Hi man, cheers for the video... Helping me a lot... 3/8" hose barb is better than 1/2"?
Luis Mendieta you need 3/8 if your going to be connecting a disconnect to your keg but if your just using it as a transfer tube 1/2 is fine and will give u faster flow
Great run through, thanks for sharing. How cold can you get the chronical down with the FTSS and Glycol setup? Rock bottom?
You can get it down to 26 degrees F which is as low as the glycol chiller will allow you to go. If you could bypass the thermostat on the glycol chiller you could probably go lower. Only takes about 30 mins to go from 68 to 32.
nice piece of kit. Great vid. Would you use it for cooling wort? Cheers
SS brewtech tells you not to use it to cool wort at high temps because you will blow the glycol chillers compressor due to heat transfer. If you want to cool wort with it you would basically have to run a counter flow chiller where one side is glycol the other is the water cooling the wort. What I will end up doing is cooling to below 100 then using the chiller to cool it to pitch temps.
I just purchased the Chronical and FTSs. Do you think I could cool the wort with the pump and a cooler full of ice water. Great video too, your not lying nobody has any good videos of this bad boy in action. Cheers
Did you try this? What about just running tap water through the coil to cool the wort from boil temp? I am curious if it could be used for this too?
How have you liked the glycol chiller? I'm thinking about getting one but only if it's worth the money. What's the warranty on it? Are you happy with it?
I absolutely love the glycol chiller. It makes temp control insanely easy and quick. I can cold crash down to 32 degrees in 30 minutes. I was using a freezer and prefer this way now. I cant wait to get more fermentors to utilize the chiller more. SS Brewtech has a one year limited warranty that you can see on their website. I have yet to hear anyone actually need to use it though.
Hi Jason,
How much did you spend on the Ss brewtech chronical bme and the glycol chiller?
Thanks,
Anudeep
Chiller was 1k. The BME with ftss was 700 I believe
Hey Jason,
Now that Ss brewtech has the Unitank. Whats your thoughts on that one compared to the BME?? Looking to purchase one of the 2. Just have to save a little more for the glycol chiller. Just didn't know if the Uniting was an overkill
The unitank on paper looks great. I personally have no experience on it but everything that it is capable of definitely makes it worth it. The only bad review I heard was clogging in the bottom port but you can get that in the conical too. Id say if you have it to spend on it and plan to do pressurized transfers and carbonating in the unit get it.
Jason Zambriczki Thanks!
at 9:20 in the video, you mentioned and showed that little hole in the resevoir. Did you find out if it should be submerged or not? Cheers!
It doesn't appear to have a need to be covered. It almost looks to me like an overflow port similar to what you would see in a bathroom sink. It doesn't go anywhere except to like a little pan that doesn't seem to have a purpose.
I have a very small barn-based 1bbl system and am wondering if you can comment on the noise level of the glycol chiller?
its about the same as an airconditioner compressor kicking on just much smaller. If your in the same room you can hear it but its not unbearable to the point where your yelling over it.
Can you use the SS brew tech glycol chiller and FTS controllers to maintain a fermentation temperature above the ambient temp of the fermentation room?
Tym McDowell yes there's a heating pad that is under the jacket that wraps around the cone
1:3 ratio should be 1 gallon of glycol and 3 gallons of water for a total of 4 gallons
Cameron Watt thanks for catching that it is 1:2 for 3 gallons
How as everything held up over the past few months?
everything is holding up well. The Fermentor is extremely easy to clean and the chiller is very low maintenance.
can we run the system constantly for like 24 hours and take the same results? we are planning to cool down a liquid to 20 celsius which works in 60 celsius.
Thats essentially what the controller does. Once you set it to your desired temp the controller will kick the glycol and heat pad on and off to maintain that temp. Same as when your lagering. If the glycol ran for 24 hours straight you would have a giant block of ice
Did the heating pad come with the chiller? I have the BME chonical and it did not come with one.
George Handlin it comes with the ftss if you get the right package. I got the ftss cold and hot so it came with heating pad and the immersion pump.
hi there, you never menioned how your are managing the piping system for the glycol. Do you have to disconnect the whole system for cleaning or do you have locking ends?
Sean Mathews I use the screw clamps ss brewtech provides with the tubing. It's not the most convenient to disconnect every time you need to clean but it's not really hard to do either.
Do you plan to dry hop with the chonical? If so would you add them in a bag or let them float free?
Andrew Limb I Plan to just toss them in. It's basically the same thing I did with my carboys but now I will be able to pull them out through the bottom port before racking
You need insulated lines for better efficiency
Which size fermenter is this?
this is the 7 gallon
great video can you make a video about the menu of the ffts
robox12 klop I sure can. I'll try to get it up by this weekend
thanks alot
If you go in the bottom port of the chiller you will insure the heat exchanger is full of liquid.
Loved the video.... just a nit to pick, could you edit your title and description to say "chronical" and not chonical? ;P
Bob Oki haha yeah I can
Being a commercial reefer tech I would not make a habit of setting a vibrating pump inside my cooling coil, rub leaks will cause a loss of 134a freon into your chilling medium. Just my two cents. Very nice system but seems like a bit of overkill. However it would be great for a larger system if expanding. Good video on item though , Thanks.
Should have spent the cash on some home cleaning equipment and a vacuum cleaner.
maybe u should spend some time getting laid instead of creeping on people with your drone
Vacuum your floors!