Glycol Reservoir System - please help explaine

[BeeBrew]

Good Evening All, I am looking for a little explanation if someone could help out. We are expanding our meadery and this will be my first time working with chillers. I've spent some time reading on how the systems work, how to calculate BTU/HR, but one thing I did not see was how to size the glycol reservoir (or why they are even necassary?) It seems some smaller units don't have or need them?

We will have 4x 20bbl fermenters, a 15 hp chiller and the supplier has recommended a 40bbl reservoir which seems huge to me. We want to leave capacity to expand but if we could get away with a smaller reservoir that would be preferred.


If anyone could explain why the reservoir is necessary and how to calculate its size that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[GDChillers]

Happy New Year!

Most package chillers manufactured by chiller companies familiar with or that have designed their chillers based on a fermentation application would include an on board and oversized glycol reservoir. The reservoir is not there to provide any capacity at all. The capacity for a packaged glycol chiller comes from the refrigeration circuit that includes the compressor motor and usually an air-cooled condenser among other components. A packaged chiller would include the compressor, air-cooled condenser, heat exchanger, oversized glycol reservoir, an internal recirc pump and an on board process pump.
An oversized glycol reservoir is used because it provides a buffer against the hot glycol that comes back to the chiller. Acting like a flywheel, a big reservoir absorbs the spike in temperature making it easier for the refrigeration portion of your chiller to maintain and supply cold glycol right back out to your process.
In a meadery there is typically no real crash to the product in the tanks but rather maintaining temperature and fighting the heat that is caused by the fermentation process itself. For your 4 tanks we would recommend a reservoir size of 50 to 60 gallons. That would give you plenty of buffer even if you plan to add some tanks.
Feel free to give us a call if you have more questions. We are happy to help any way we can. We are also happy to provide you more information on our packaged chillers designed specifically for your application. Have a great day!

Thank you,
G&D Chillers, Inc

[BeeBrew]

Happy New Year!

Most package chillers manufactured by chiller companies familiar with or that have designed their chillers based on a fermentation application would include an on board and oversized glycol reservoir. The reservoir is not there to provide any capacity at all. The capacity for a packaged glycol chiller comes from the refrigeration circuit that includes the compressor motor and usually an air-cooled condenser among other components. A packaged chiller would include the compressor, air-cooled condenser, heat exchanger, oversized glycol reservoir, an internal recirc pump and an on board process pump.
An oversized glycol reservoir is used because it provides a buffer against the hot glycol that comes back to the chiller. Acting like a flywheel, a big reservoir absorbs the spike in temperature making it easier for the refrigeration portion of your chiller to maintain and supply cold glycol right back out to your process.
In a meadery there is typically no real crash to the product in the tanks but rather maintaining temperature and fighting the heat that is caused by the fermentation process itself. For your 4 tanks we would recommend a reservoir size of 50 to 60 gallons. That would give you plenty of buffer even if you plan to add some tanks.
Feel free to give us a call if you have more questions. We are happy to help any way we can. We are also happy to provide you more information on our packaged chillers designed specifically for your application. Have a great day!

Thank you,
G&D Chillers, Inc

Happy new years to you as well!
And thank you for the detailed response, this clarifies things a lot. We will downsize the reservoir and save ourselves a lot of brewery space. On that note is the 15hp chiller also overkill?

I will give you guys a call tomorrow, is there someone I should ask to speak to reference this thread?

[GDChillers]

Happy to help you further! Please call us at 1-800-555-0973 and ask for Andy.

[idylldon]

Just want to jump in here to put in a good word for G&D Chillers. I have one of their units and it's been running over 5 years. When I've needed support, even on a Sunday morning, they were there to help. One of the best companies I've ever dealt with by far.

Cheers,
--
Don
Idyllwild Brewpub

[Brewman]

Good Evening All, I am looking for a little explanation if someone could help out. We are expanding our meadery and this will be my first time working with chillers. I've spent some time reading on how the systems work, how to calculate BTU/HR, but one thing I did not see was how to size the glycol reservoir (or why they are even necassary?) It seems some smaller units don't have or need them?

We will have 4x 20bbl fermenters, a 15 hp chiller and the supplier has recommended a 40bbl reservoir which seems huge to me. We want to leave capacity to expand but if we could get away with a smaller reservoir that would be preferred.


If anyone could explain why the reservoir is necessary and how to calculate its size that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi,

Normally the bigger glycol reservoir is suggested according to the capacity of brewhouse.
It is often double size of brewhouse capacity. Double capacity glycol reservior can allow wort fast cooling in 40mins.
If you just have fermenters, we would suggest a 10bbl glycol reservoir for 4 sets 20bbl fermenter with a 15HP chiller.
Contact with us if you need any assitance from us.

Cheers,
Brewman Machinery Equipment Co.

[Derrick]

Good Evening All, I am looking for a little explanation if someone could help out. We are expanding our meadery and this will be my first time working with chillers. I've spent some time reading on how the systems work, how to calculate BTU/HR, but one thing I did not see was how to size the glycol reservoir (or why they are even necassary?) It seems some smaller units don't have or need them?

We will have 4x 20bbl fermenters, a 15 hp chiller and the supplier has recommended a 40bbl reservoir which seems huge to me. We want to leave capacity to expand but if we could get away with a smaller reservoir that would be preferred.


If anyone could explain why the reservoir is necessary and how to calculate its size that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

It mainly depends on the glycol purpose and if the chiller has built-in glycol water tank.

1. If the chiller without built-in glycol water tank
1) If you use the glycol to cool hot wort from brewhouse, and fermentation tanks, it is necessary to have an independent glycol water tank. The glycol water tank normally is two times bigger of brewhouse.
2) If you only use the glycol to cool fermentation tanks. It is OK to add a smaller glycol water tank. For example 5BBL.

2. If the chiler with built-in glycol water tank
1) If the hot wort and fermentation tanks both need to be cooled, we can add another cold water tank into design. The cold water tank capacity is same with brewhouse capacity.The cold water only be used to cool hot wort, the chiller will be used to cool fermentation tanks and cold water tank.
2) If the chiller has built-in glycol water tank, and you will use it to cool fermentation tanks only. It is OK without extra glycol water tank.

Feel free to contact me if you need more information.

[BeeBrew]

Thank you all for your replies!

We will have 4x 20bbl fermenters to keep cool during fermentation and we will also need to cool wort down once in a while but we don't have a CLT in the plans for the moment although i see how this could be something to look into. Eventually we will also have some products that will be canned and need to be chilled for carbonation.

I would feel confident having a larger hp chiller and a 10bbl resevoir, am I wrong?

[Brewman]

Hi,

Is your brewhouse in 20bbl or 10bbl capacity please?
We often calculate the capacity of resevoir according to the brewhouse size:-)

Cheers,
Brewman Machinery Equipment Co.

[Derrick]

Thank you all for your replies!

We will have 4x 20bbl fermenters to keep cool during fermentation and we will also need to cool wort down once in a while but we don't have a CLT in the plans for the moment although i see how this could be something to look into. Eventually we will also have some products that will be canned and need to be chilled for carbonation.

I would feel confident having a larger hp chiller and a 10bbl resevoir, am I wrong?

If you plan to use glycol water tank to cool hot wort and fermentation tank, the glycol water tank would better 2 times bigger of brewhouse. And you can keep the chiller at 15hp. Of course, if the chiller power is larger further, we can choose a smaller glycol water tank. We provide turnkey solution on brewery equipment, contact me if you need more information.

[BeeBrew]

If you plan to use glycol water tank to cool hot wort and fermentation tank, the glycol water tank would better 2 times bigger of brewhouse. And you can keep the chiller at 15hp. Of course, if the chiller power is larger further, we can choose a smaller glycol water tank. We provide turnkey solution on brewery equipment, contact me if you need more information.

understood!

Thank you very much!