Square IBC totes as Serving Vessels

[KenMcMullen]

Has anyone ever heard of using an IBC square tote tank as a serving tank? Cost on these are very low so the question has come up - "Why don't we just use these as serving tanks?"

Has anyone done this? Everything I have found online says these are transport tanks and used for all kinds of liquids. So, all I need is a sprayball, racking arm, sight glass and carb stone port and I've got a serving tank, right?

My intuition tells me this won't work. Anybody have some facts to back up or disprove my intuition?

BTW, my biggest concern is PSI - these are certified to 15 PSI where most Serving Tanks are at 30 PSI.

Thanks,

Ken

[zachjenny]

square tanks

Ken,
I'm not so sure that "most" serving tanks are rated at 30 psi. Most i've seen and used are rated at 15 psi. I think this is mainly due to tank manufacturers having to pay more to have a tank certified to hold more than atmospheric pressure(14.7 psi). The only issue I could see would be the ability to clean a square tank, mainly the corners. It seems that the corners would be a vulnerable area for beer stone build up and i'm not so sure how well a spray ball would be able to thoroughly clean a tank of that shape. Other than that, if it has a co2 stone port (if you carbonate that way), I don't know any reason it wouldn't work. Just my $.0254(rounding up for inflation)

[Element Brewing]

Pressure

Ken

I have not found a IBC tank that holds more than a couple of pounds of pressure. I think that is the reason ICB tanks are not used for beer. If you know of a source that sells pressure tanks please share.

Dan

[Guest]

Well, the shape per se shouldn't be a problem - I've seen plenty of CIP-able squares.

Are we talking about mild steel, plastic, stainless or what - most of the IBCs over here (UK) are the plas ones - lots of people use them for cheap&cheerful cold liquor tanks (hooky-up some cooling pipes using cellar remote coolers).

There's a UK brewery builder that sells plastic "round" fermenters (as well as SS ones), he says with no problem - http://www.pbcbreweryinstallations.c...yethelene.html

His arch-rival says they're a no-no though - http://www.mossbrew.pwp.blueyonder.c...ex.htm#plastic

I personally wouldn't go for plastic for either fermenter or CT/serving tank - SS just seems to be the right material. (he says having just bought 60 2nd-hand plastic Cypherco firkins! - the price was right, OK!? )
Cheers,
MikeMcG

[Guest]

Do you know what temperature ranges they are rated for?

[Guest]

Hi Ken,
with you mentioning pressure, etc, I later realised you must have meant something different than the ordinary plastic-box-with-steel-cage IBC's that we mostly see over here.

I guess you're talking about ones like this -

http://tinyurl.com/Ebay-IBC-Tote-Tank

(links to current Ebay listing - 300gal $1395)

However this one does have big signs on it saying "Caution do not pressurise this tank" & "This tank must be vented prior to discharge"
cheers,
MikeMcG.
PS - have you heard of these British guys? - http://www.lymestonebrewery.co.uk/ They set up last year in "Stone", a Staffordshire town that has a very proud brewing heritage, including the wonderfully named Bent's & Joule's breweries.