glycol system sizing help

[jimvgjr]

Hello Defenestrate, I ran the load estimate based on the following:

2 EA 3 Bbl FV
1 EA 6 Bbl FV (the Double you'll be adding in the future)
1 EA 3 Bbl CT

For a "load condition" I estimated the following:

1 EA 3 Bbl FV Active Fermentation
1 EA 6 Bbl FV Crash cooling from 70 F to 34 F in 24 hours
1 EA 3 Bbl FV Holding at 34 F
1 EA 3 Bbl CT Holding at 34 F

Estimated Cooling Load for the above Brewery Load is less than 6,000 BTU/HR

If you are wanting to use glycol to pre-chill a tank of water down to 35 F and then use this chilled water for Wort Cooling, the cooling load would be:

3 BBL Cooling from 75 F to 35 F in 6 hours will require an additional 6,000 BTU/HR. Please confirm your summertime well water temperature and the time period you will use to pre-chill this tank down.

Based on the above scenarios, you would need a chiller system with a Cooling capacity in the 12,000 BTU/HR Range.

We manufacture a 2 HP System (same model that is used by the guys at Enegren Brewing) that is rated at 16,800 BTU/HR @ 28 F Glycol and 90 F Ambient.

the 2 HP Model is our smallest system, if you'd like a quotation, please contact us.

Good Luck,

Jim

sales@prorefrigeration.com

[defenestrate]

thank you Jim!

i'm still working through the scenarios that i want to go with, i may end up going with 2 7bbl fermenters and 1 7bbl brite to start and run double batches on the 3 bbl system. it looks like the 2 HP model may still be enough to handle this.

[defenestrate]

looks like this might be a score?

http://www.nabrewing.com/refrigeration/081110prorefrigerationchiller.shtml

[jimvgjr]

That looks like the system that was at Triangle Brewing in Durham, NC. They purchased used from a brewery and upgraded to a larger system earlier this year. As far as I know it's in good operating condition and I agree it'd be a great unit to start with.

Good luck,

Jim

[defenestrate]

That looks like the system that was at Triangle Brewing in Durham, NC. They purchased used from a brewery and upgraded to a larger system earlier this year. As far as I know it's in good operating condition and I agree it'd be a great unit to start with.

Good luck,

Jim

thanks! i see it says "recommended outdoor unit". what makes the difference in indoor/outdoor? and does it need to be outside? will be a challenge if so.

[yap]

Nabs

Might want to double check that that system is still available. I believe the guy who ran NABS (Ian Day) died earlier this year and the website doesn't appear to have been updated in a while. Not sure what the company's status is.....

[DueSouth]

I'm pretty sure Yap is right. I tried to call them a few months ago and it's all disconnected.

Also, talk to Brian at Duda Diesel about the heat exchanger. He'll size it for you. Ours was delivered this week.

[defenestrate]

I'm pretty sure Yap is right. I tried to call them a few months ago and it's all disconnected.

Also, talk to Brian at Duda Diesel about the heat exchanger. He'll size it for you. Ours was delivered this week.

i actually have a duda exchanger, although its "homebrew style". 50 plates though... with cold enough water should work (slowly) for 3 bbl

[brewman21]

I'm pretty sure Yap is right. I tried to call them a few months ago and it's all disconnected.

Also, talk to Brian at Duda Diesel about the heat exchanger. He'll size it for you. Ours was delivered this week.

Unfortunately Ian Day passed away Sept. of 2010 following a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a great guy and will greatly be missed by us all. R.I.P geat friend of this brewing community!!!

[rtockstein]

Who would I talk to to find out if this line chiller unit http://probrewer.com/vbulletin/showt...5877#post75877 would work for my setup? We've got (2) 3BBL fermenters, (1) 2BBL fermenter, and (2) 1.5BBL fermenters. With a cooling load of crash cooling maybe 1 of them at a time, and maintaining fermenter temps between 35F and 70F for the others?

[defenestrate]

Who would I talk to to find out if this line chiller unit http://probrewer.com/vbulletin/showt...5877#post75877 would work for my setup? We've got (2) 3BBL fermenters, (1) 2BBL fermenter, and (2) 1.5BBL fermenters. With a cooling load of crash cooling maybe 1 of them at a time, and maintaining fermenter temps between 35F and 70F for the others?

i think you're pushing the limits of that one, i would look bigger.

[Emian]

Build Your Own Option

For a small system like 3bbl - you can build your own.

Take a window air conditioner, cut away the body around the evaporator, and drop the evaporator coils into a 48QT cooler box. Remove the electronics, leave the fan wired permanently, and have the compressor turned on and off by a ranco unit with the sensor in the cooler - set to -5C (22F). Fill with 33% glycol - and you'll be good to go.

Ours is a fairly small unit, and it will simultaneous hold 3C (38F) in two 3bbl tanks while crashing a 3rd to the same in 24 hours, and hold it there.

Also, our "jackets" are home made, with 5/8 copper coils, so probably less efficient than your manufactured jackets.

Cost was - Air conditioner: Free; Glycol $100; Ranco $60 - plus a bit of hosing and hose insulation.

Also - we use a water cooled Duda Diesel plate chiller with just water. On full bore, we can push 400L wort into the tank in 40 minutes. We pre-chill the tank to 5C. and at the end of the transfer, wort is at 27C - which we pitch at, and then chill down to 19-20C over 12 hours to ferment.

Ian
Salem, OR