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  • Jacketed vs Non-Jacketed

    I'm in the buildup phase of a Nano, and I'm curious how many Nanos are using non-jacketed (single wall) fermenters with cooling coils and heating pads (with neoprene covers). Are they meeting your needs? I have been piloting with a single 1 bbl version (The spike CF30), and have had no problems maintaining fermentation temp. I am thinking about using the 2 Bbl versions from MoreBeer Pro! in my Nanobrewery, but didn't know if the extra mass would make things harder to achieve. I know that crash cooling becomes difficult, but I'm not sure that is a deal breaker.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Jason.Lonon View Post
    I'm in the buildup phase of a Nano, and I'm curious how many Nanos are using non-jacketed (single wall) fermenters with cooling coils and heating pads (with neoprene covers). Are they meeting your needs? I have been piloting with a single 1 bbl version (The spike CF30), and have had no problems maintaining fermentation temp. I am thinking about using the 2 Bbl versions from MoreBeer Pro! in my Nanobrewery, but didn't know if the extra mass would make things harder to achieve. I know that crash cooling becomes difficult, but I'm not sure that is a deal breaker.
    Cooling coils will work for any size fermenter, and they will work for crash cooling, they just need to be designed right. Jacketing is preferred for obvious reasons but if your budget is tight go for it. Heating pads don't make a whole lot of sense though... Not sure what you'd want to heat up in a professional fermentation setting.

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    • #3
      Heating

      Originally posted by Foamtime View Post
      Heating pads don't make a whole lot of sense though... Not sure what you'd want to heat up in a professional fermentation setting.
      Well, for my situation, the brewhouse/taproom will only be cooled/heated on the weekends when we are open. During the week, the place is subject to wide swings in temp (Got to 50 degs this winter, and up to 80 during last summer). When brewing during this winter, I often needed the heating pads to help maintain 68 in the 1 bbl fermenter.

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      • #4
        I would go jacketed if you have the budget. If you never get a chiller, you spent a few more bucks that you will recoup when you outgrow and sell these. In my case, a 5hp glycol chiller dropped in my lap and I wish my tanks were jacketed.

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        • #5
          We use plastic 3bbl conicals now with stainless coils and gutter heat wrap around the outside (yes we do heat our fermenters for diecetal rest period or in the winter since they are in a stone basement). we control temps on four of these with a single 1/3hp chiller without an issue and can cold crash to 34 although we normally only do so to 40 and then crash further when in the brite tanks in the walk in.

          That said I have jacketed stainless conicals arriving soon and they cant come fast enough.

          I would say, if you can afford them, buy jacketed (dual zone if you need heating as we do). and thats only if you've done your business plan research correctly and your confident that you wont be trying to sell your 2bbl setup next year to buy a bigger system. If I had a nickel for every nano brewery owner that told me they underplanned with too small a system, Id.. well Id probably have 75 cents but you get the point.

          At 2bbl even most inexpensive beverage line chillers can handle temp control without an issue. many jacketed stainless fermenters are actually insulated as well so no need for wraps like neoprene (which is fairly useless anyway and more used for homebrewing bling factor.)

          you can use inexpensive homemade jackets made of blue discharge hose wrapped around a single walled stainless conical and in my opinion after using both these and coils, the discharge hose is way superior in function but it isnt pretty. The hose doesnt work with plastic and thats the only reason im now using coils.
          Last edited by augiedoggy; 02-25-2020, 07:27 AM.

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