Fermentation with new uni-tank

[Helltown]

Our new uni-tanks have a single pipe coming from the top where the spray ball is connected, should we remove the sprayball for the fermentation or should we leave it in place and let whatever is blown out come through the sprayball?

Thanks

[brewmaster 2011]

leave them in no need to take the out just to put them back in to cip the tank

[schmogger]

I completely agree brewmaster 2011.

[sbradt]

vent pipe

Hopefully there is also a vent pipe? CIP balls get clogged up with kreusen pretty quickly and are not reliable vents during fermentation.

[Helltown]

Hopefully there is also a vent pipe? CIP balls get clogged up with kreusen pretty quickly and are not reliable vents during fermentation.

That's why I ask. This tank does not have one.

[porter]

Leave it in!

In my experience, there isn't anything produced by fermentation that can't be pushed through the holes in a spray ball and thus vented out of the FV.

Obviously, having a larger and separate blow off pipe is advantageous but, I have never had a problem with our fermentors which only have a CIP arm w/ spray ball for cleaning and venting.

That said, every once in a while, I have to climb in and remove a spray ball after a caustic cycle to physically remove the caked on leftovers that stick to the spray ball itself.

Otherwise, I say leave it in.

[BrewinLou]

I am with Porter. I have to use a lot of older equipment, and have never had a problem with a spray ball getting clogged. Almost every batch we make blows off some Krausen. We do not dry hop during fermentation. That is the only thing I can think that might clog our spray balls. All things being equal I would love to have a blow off arm on every tank.

[HinduKush]

All things being equal I would love to have a blow off arm on every tank.

AKA something else to clean...

I've been using uni's for almost twenty years with never a clogged spray ball, except that one time the green scrubby fell into the cone unnoticed, got sucked threw the pump and the chewed up remains deposited in the sprayball. That was operator, not design error.

[BrewinLou]

Just one more hose on the CIP pump, it makes it much easier to clean and monitor your PRVs.

AKA something else to clean...

I've been using uni's for almost twenty years with never a clogged spray ball, except that one time the green scrubby fell into the cone unnoticed, got sucked threw the pump and the chewed up remains deposited in the sprayball. That was operator, not design error.

[BrewinLou]

Just one more hose on the CIP pump, it makes it much easier to clean and monitor your PRVs when they are four feet from the floor.

AKA something else to clean...

I've been using uni's for almost twenty years with never a clogged spray ball, except that one time the green scrubby fell into the cone unnoticed, got sucked threw the pump and the chewed up remains deposited in the sprayball. That was operator, not design error.