Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Trying to rig my glycol headers into my python lines

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Trying to rig my glycol headers into my python lines

    So, I came into a situation I didn't setup where they kept taking space from the brewery, without making sure they had all of the lines and equipment for the brewery first. Basically I need glycol for my trunk lines and need to take the glycol from the header from the brewery chiller for the fermenters. Owners won't spring for a power pack and there is no space for a secondary chiller.

    Right now the only thing I can think of is to have two 1 1/2" ball valves welded to each header outside of the cold room, and then fitting a CO2 line splitter to each, connecting 3 glycol lines to each header, via the splitter, and then running them into the cold room and attaching them to the trunk lines. I've attached the basics of my setup below.

    -I have a 500l chiller for 8 unitanks and a CLT. The chiller tank is wedged between the CLT and 4 of the unitanks, and then the headers run one floor up to feed the other 4 tanks up there.
    -I serve out of a cold room with 6 unjacketed 10bbl brites. The serving pumps and 3 separate trunk lines are in the cold room and connect to each tank. The cold room is set to run between 2 and 4C.
    -These 18 pumps run 6 styles to 3 different floors, from the middle floor, with the bottom floor being about a 50m run. (there is a flash chiller for the bottom floor)

    Definitely not an ideal situation, but I've got to make it work. Has anyone ever split their glycol like this, or have better idea of how to do it? I'm more worried about using a gas splitter on a glycol line, but I can't think of anything else. The chiller right now is set to -4C, but if I do this I was going to change it to -2C, which I imagine by the time it travels up one floor, through a SS ball valve and splitter it'll be warm enough not to freeze the lines.

  • #2
    Originally posted by scottjk7890 View Post
    Basically I need glycol for my trunk lines and need to take the glycol from the header from the brewery chiller for the fermenters. Owners won't spring for a power pack
    I will be the first in line so that you can tell them everyone you spoke to said to Buy a Chiller for the lines! This is a textbook case of save a dime so I can spend dollars later.
    Brewmaster, Minocqua Brewing Company
    tbriggs@minocquabrewingcompany.com
    "Your results may vary"

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks for that, this whole setup is an expensive mess. One of those deals where its clear they wanted a brewery but thought once they bought the brewhouse, chiller and boiler, that was most of the total cost of it all. I came on after thinking everything was setup, and am on a contract and can't just walk away. Learned all about brewing abroad the hard way I guess. This is also all in India, so a power pack isn't easy to come by here...if there was space it might've be easier and cheaper just to buy another full chiller just for the lines. I have trouble thinking that this will work, but I've got to at least prove it to them first that it won't.

      Comment


      • #4
        Second in line...

        ...to what Ted said. Not only will this NOT work well--if at all--but you're likely to find lots of other issues that got "missed" due to awful planning. Or no planning at all. India is very challenging. If you are asked to compromise your standards, GET OUT! There are much better gigs out there than pasting a very bad system together.
        Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

        Comment


        • #5
          If I understand what you're describing, you'll need a fair amount of pressure to move glycol through the trunk (python) line. The glycol line chillers use a positive displacement vane pump with the internal relief/bypass set to whatever pressure you want the output at.

          I think I'd put a small vessel in the cooler (like a "day" tank), and use your glycol header to keep that recirculating in a loop. Then use a small vane pump to push glycol from that day tank to the trunk line(s) and back. Adjust the bypass in the vane pump to get whatever pressure you need.

          You could also hack together a separate thermostat and solenoid in the day tank loop from the header, so that it stays at the temperature you want, which is higher than what you'd want for the fermenters. That part might be a bit tricky to get working, though.

          Regards,
          Mike Sharp

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks for all the help

            Sorry it took so long to get back to the thread, you guys helped remind me to step up and we got a chiller for the 1st and 2nd floors. It took forever to get it out of customs between China and India, but its a Talos 1 pump . It isn't keeping up with both runs, so if I can't sort it I'll end up getting another power pack in there I suppose.

            I did get the hack done for the month the chiller was stuck in customs, and it did keep up with the 1st floor fine for the time it was on. Since the work is already done I might re-route that header line into the ground floor 50m run. It has a flash chiller running things but throttling a little glycol through the lines might help improve the line balancing when we aren't busy.

            Thanks again, I think I just lost my brewer's obstinance for a moment.

            Comment

            Working...
            X