Spinning Tank process

[Josh@HiddenSpgs]

For a little background we are a relatively new brewery (opened for 6 months). Me and my business partner are both homebrewers that went pro. Our biggest learning curve has been fermentation in conical stainless. We are still fine tuning our fermentation regiments. Recently we have been given a few tips involving "spinning" tanks during certain processes. I was wondering if any one knows if there is a thread here or some where I can read on these kind of tips and process improvements that I might not be aware of yet. Such as when and why to spin or other processes that are new to me.

Any help or tips and process improvements would be much appreciated.

Josh

[dick murton]

"spinning" tanks ???????????????

If you care to share some of these tips with us, then perhaps someone can point you in the right direction. I know of no spinning tank operation, so unless they are referring to whirlpool operations or centrifuges. I, for one, haven't a clue. I strongly suspect they don't understand what they are talking about, but am happy to have my ignorance of this process / processes corrected.

[bcofresi]

Winemakers have "rotating fermenters" available. They seem to be popular in Australia. They are good for extracting color and such from the cap during primary fermentation. I don't see the benefit in beer brewing.

[Todd Hicks]

Spunding tanks maybe? That is how you naturally carbonate beer using a spundvalve or bunging device. The process is to ferment under pressure with a precise pressure release valve in addition to a safety pressure relief valve.

[OG727]

Seem to remember hearing about a German company that made something like this. Couldn't find anything on it though.

All I could dig up:

http://discussions.probrewer.com/showthread.php?47018-2-day-Dry-Hop-with-with-8-hour-Recirc

[dick murton]

Thanks guys for informing me. Very interesting.

I did a little internet searching, and it appears that the idea of rotary tanks is to keep the grape skins and pulp (and where applicable, the stalks) wetted, allowing extraction of flavours, colour and nutrients. This is in place of rousing / recirculation or plunger systems. One extract is as follows

A slightly controversial technique is to use rotary fermenters, which have agitators in them that mix up the cap and juice when the whole tank is rotated mechanically. These have been accused of producing wines that have a slight bitterness to them; advocates suggest that this is because not enough oxygen has been provided to the fermenting juice and the bitterness is a problem of ‘reduction’.

Now, in brewing we don't have, or don't normally have (exceptions perhaps in the case of some sorghum or similar beers produced in Africa for example) large amounts of solids - the major exception being yeast. All the sugars and nutrients are normally extracted in the mash & wort separation system. So there isn't the need for this sort of system. However, rousing systems in various forms have been used for years, sometimes to help highly flocculent yeast back into suspension, such as traditional Yorkshire squares, or for oxygen addition, sometimes (often??) a combination of both reasons.

So back to the original question - would there be any advantage in the use of rotating vessels for fermentation? Not as a specific design, but you may find there are benefits to rousing, either during fermentation, or as has been commented on, for recirculation of beer post fermentation for improved hop oil (aroma) extraction.

You don't normally need to rouse during fermentation if using fresh dried yeast. There are quite a few discussions about rousing, aeration during fermentation and dry hopping on this site which may be useful.

Thanks again for this interesting aside, and hope my thoughts are helpful.

Cheers

[Josh@HiddenSpgs]

Seem to remember hearing about a German company that made something like this. Couldn't find anything on it though.

All I could dig up:
http://discussions.probrewer.com/sho...-8-hour-Recirc

this is more of what I was asking about. Not actual "Spinning" tanks but the process of recirculating the beer through a pump and back up and in the fermenter. I have heard of people doing it during the fining process and yes like this post says during dry hop or fruit addition. I have even heard a local say they do it during carbonation with the c02 inline and carbing in a very short time period. Just wanted confirmation that this was a "thing" and not just a one off situation.

Josh

[grnis]

Yes, that method have been used in various ways.

See this video for an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MGvgudiw4E


The idea is that the yeast has more contact with the beer, resulting in faster fermentation and there is less risk of co2 saturation.
Also, you can use the method to dose yeast, clarification agent, oxygen, co2 and clean the tank.
You can also connect the pump to a heat exchanger, eliminating the need for cooling jackets.

Our next generation of tanks may be equipped with such a device, but mostly for better cleaning.