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Beer flows into CIP arm

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  • Beer flows into CIP arm

    I have strange problem when transferring from FV to BBT: as BBT has sigh glass connected to CIP arm, beer crosses from sparge arm to CIP arm and fills it.
    This is pretty PITA since when I connect CO2 hose on BBT, beer from CIP arm flows into the hose.

    Method of FV-BBT transfer I use:
    CO2 (11 psi) is connected to FV head; BBT is purged and pressurized at 11 psi; connect hose from FV racking arm to bottom of BBT; open valves and slowly open BBT CIP arm valve to release CO2.

    After transfer is almost over, I closed BBT CIP arm valve (CO2 release) and suddenly beer flows in CIP arm. I pressurized BBT with CO2 and beer returned to sight glass, but now it keeps flowing into CIP arm when I open valve to release CO2.

    I tried to figure out what causes this, it has to do something with low pressure in arm which then pulls beer from sigh glass, but I'm not sure how to prevent it..

    Click image for larger version

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  • #2
    The sight glass should return to the tank not the arm, too late for that. You need to shut the sight tube off during transfer.
    I Like Chinese...(sing to the tune of Monty Python with sarcasm)
    Brewmaster, Minocqua Brewing Company
    tbriggs@minocquabrewingcompany.com
    "Your results may vary"

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    • #3
      I worked with a tank like this for several years, except my sightglass connected to the pipe at the bottom of the tank, not the side like yours. Ideally, there would be a valve to shut off the sightglass during transfer, but I didn't have one. So during transfer, and whenever I released head pressure, I had to be careful not to open the CIP valve enough for the Bernoulli effect to draw beer up through the sightglass and out the CIP arm. I don't know why, at the end of transfer, when you close the CIP valve, you're getting beer backing up in the CIP arm, unless you're filling the tank enough for the sprayball to be submerged in beer. Even then, closing the valve shouldn't cause beer in the sightglass or at the sprayball to shoot into the CIP arm. Good luck.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by dark_s View Post
        suddenly beer flows in CIP arm
        From sight glass, spray ball, or both? And the beer flowing in is necessarily replacing a gas, which is flowing ... where?

        During transfer the sight glass level is rising slowly (as expected)?

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        • #5
          Originally posted by gbMusDvc View Post
          From sight glass, spray ball, or both? And the beer flowing in is necessarily replacing a gas, which is flowing ... where?

          During transfer the sight glass level is rising slowly (as expected)?
          Beer flows from sight glass to CIP arm.
          This happened when I closed CIP arm valve (for releasing CO2 from head space), until then beer slowly raised in sight glass.

          Originally posted by Ted Briggs View Post
          The sight glass should return to the tank not the arm, too late for that. You need to shut the sight tube off during transfer.
          I Like Chinese...(sing to the tune of Monty Python with sarcasm)
          This way it is easier to CIP sigh glass. Although other issues are present.. and this is not sarcasm

          @spetrovits

          Luckily I have both bottom and top valves on sight glass so I'll shut them next time.
          Strange is that this issue is not present every time I transfer...

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          • #6
            My guess is that when that happens your CIP ball is submerged or about to be submerged.

            To test this theory you could use 1.5” to 3” end cap reducer like this (assuming your piping is 1.5” and your CIP gasket is 3”):

            BVV provides effective, high-quality extraction and distillation equipment including vacuum chambers, drying ovens, pumps, and more. Shop now!


            After your regular BT CIP you replace your CIP ball in BT with this reducer.

            It is also good safety practice to swap CIP ball with this kind of reducer on tanks that do not have blow off tube (that might be more relevant with fermenters thou).

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