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Brite Tank Icing

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  • Brite Tank Icing

    We've got a 2,100 liter tank that's jacketed which we use to blend and carbonate our cider in. We bottle from it using home built four head filler. We've got a 3500 BTU chiller attached to the tank. The chiller is set to cycle between 28 and 31 degrees and does so reliably. It chills the cider to 33-34 degrees. In the process, however, condensation that accumulates on the tank eventually turns to ice. I think I'm realizing we should have gotten both dimpled AND jacketed but wonder if there's a shorti term fix or if there's any issues with just using it as is. We can turn it in after our short term lease expires or keep it for fermentation in the fall, for which it may be ideal. In the meantime.... Thoughts? And thanks to all who read the forum and post here. It's been so helpful as we get our cider operation going.

  • #2
    A cooling jacket that's frosting up from condensation is a jacket that's poorly located. The jacket should be completely covered when the vessel is full. If you're only partially filling the tank, consider a tank with two jackets, and use the highest one that's covered.

    A dimpled jacket is much stronger than a plain one, as the dimples are welded to the tank interior. We've had two plain jackets fail from flexing in use. The welds along the edges eventually tear and leak--in one case, the tear was into the inside of the fermenter, and we had to dump the entire batch.
    Timm Turrentine

    Brewerywright,
    Terminal Gravity Brewing,
    Enterprise. Oregon.

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    • #3
      It is frosting on the outside? I would think this would be normal if you did not have any insulation, which it sounds like your tanks are single walled with a glycol jacket, no shell or insulation over it. If it bothers you, why not get some neoprene sheet insulation and wrap the tank. You're just wasting energy letting it freeze up on the outside, but I doubt it will hurt anything. If your frosting on the inside, you may be hurting your cider.

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      • #4
        What Jebzter said....

        It's normal. If you don't like wasting the cooling capacity, then you should buy jacketed, insulated, and clad tanks. More expensive to buy, but less to operate.
        Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

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