Fermentors.

[Knuckles]

 

[dcbrookes]

I've never been convinced by this business about scratches. My plastic buckets are decades old, scratched to buggery and area are coated with a fine film of beer stone, which Five Star B S Remover (aptly named) has failed to touch. I don't get infected beer. I clean with dilute bleach, which removes any biofilm as well, and then store with MBS solution. Not that they're empty for very long. Are we supposed to believe that SS doesn't scratch? That the interior surface, which isn't polished, can't harbour microbes, too? I don't buy it. Moreover, I understand that we shouldn't use bleach on SS anyway. Nope, on a commercial scale, where the fermenters are steam cleaned, maybe, but in the meantime I'll stick to plastic or maybe go back to slate squares.

You are right about Five Star BS Remover - a complete waste of time and money. Over the years I have had more contamination from stainless steel fermentation equipment than from plastic. The worst offenders were SS full bore ball valves on some GF SS fermenters I had. I am happy with my KL All rounders which I clean with Oxyclean in a bucket blaster - nothing to cause scratches and no hiding places for nasties.

 

[DCBC]

FWIW I had the same initial reaction to Five Star BS Remover. I was really excited about what it could do but its first application did almost nothing even with lots of scrubbing.

So I went back to the internet to research and came across this piece.

What it recommends in short is to still use a blend of phosphoric and nitric acid first. BS remover is, as I understand it, a blend of nitric, phosphoric, and sulphuric acids, so it fits the bill. But it may not be effective on its own - it helps to soften, break down and separate the organic and inorganic components of the beer stone. You then drain and dump the BS remover without rinsing and then do a PBW step (up to 50g for every 4 litres). The idea is that the PBW then removes the organic component of the scale, the bit that helps make the scale so stubborn as part of an organic/inorganic matrix, leaving the hard inorganic part of the scale detached and loose - easy to wipe or wash away.

I tried the above approach on my BK and it really did work. I needed to do a bit of gentle scrubbing on the heating elements but the scale came off in chunks using this approach. It was really surprising considering how little BS remover did on its own the first time I tried it.

If anyone gives this a go, I'd be really interested to know if it changes your opinion on BS Remover as a product. What I would say is that it seems to be marketed as being an all-in-one product, and from my experience and those of some other people on this forum it simply doesn't work in that way. But coupled with a cleaner that most of us have in the brewery anyway, I think it can be very effective.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

FWIW I had the same initial reaction to Five Star BS Remover. I was really excited about what it could do but its first application did almost nothing even with lots of scrubbing.

So I went back to the internet to research and came across this piece.

What it recommends in short is to still use a blend of phosphoric and nitric acid first. BS remover is, as I understand it, a blend of nitric, phosphoric, and sulphuric acids, so it fits the bill. But it may not be effective on its own - it helps to soften, break down and separate the organic and inorganic components of the beer stone. You then drain and dump the BS remover without rinsing and then do a PBW step (up to 50g for every 4 litres). The idea is that the PBW then removes the organic component of the scale, the bit that helps make the scale so stubborn as part of an organic/inorganic matrix, leaving the hard inorganic part of the scale detached and loose - easy to wipe or wash away.

I tried the above approach on my BK and it really did work. I needed to do a bit of gentle scrubbing on the heating elements but the scale came off in chunks using this approach. It was really surprising considering how little BS remover did on its own the first time I tried it.

If anyone gives this a go, I'd be really interested to know if it changes your opinion on BS Remover as a product. What I would say is that it seems to be marketed as being an all-in-one product, and from my experience and those of some other people on this forum it simply doesn't work in that way. But coupled with a cleaner that most of us have in the brewery anyway, I think it can be very effective.

Very helpful - thanks for sharing that

 

[lancon]

If beerstone is what was on the inside of my plastic fermenting buckets, then it seems AMS/CRS removes it. Tried loads of things over the years, put about 100ml? wiped it around to make sure it had gone on all sides. , left for few hours, filled with water, left again, rinsed out next day. Timings were purely due to other things I were doing, could be much quicker.

 

[White Rose Al]

Did anyone ever take the plunge and order a bucket buddy?

Thoughts and reviews of it

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Did anyone ever take the plunge and order a bucket buddy?

Thoughts and reviews of it

I was looking at these yesterday again. In two minds whether to get one or not just yet. It's probably unnecessary for me personally in this mild weather we're still having. Will definitely get one in the winter though, and would be fab for kveik.

I guess if I was being critical, a negative is that as there's no cooling, it's not really proper temperature control. It'll heat up the wort to whatever you want, but then the fermentation will probably make it hotter than you want. Not ideal.

 

[White Rose Al]

I was looking at these yesterday again. In two minds whether to get one or not just yet. It's probably unnecessary for me personally in this mild weather we're still having. Will definitely get one in the winter though, and would be fab for kveik.

I guess if I was being critical, a negative is that as there's no cooling, it's not really proper temperature control. It'll heat up the wort to whatever you want, but then the fermentation will probably make it hotter than you want. Not ideal.

In the same position.

Issue being I ferment in the house in plastic buckets and need a mobile unit, no room for a fermentation fridge.

I have some space in a outhouse floor, I just need the heat through winter months so this should do the trick.

BKT have this on sale at present and includes a free heating jacket.

Not too worried about heat around the trub as it sits just above and runs around the frame not under it unlike my KL digiboil. Temp probe dead centre is poor but not much you can do on that front.

My main concern is at 35L head space on batches that I do (21/23L) for corny kegs is large. I have had Issues in the past with small batch brewing in large FVs producing too little Co2 in the headspace, this reduces protection to the wort

 

[Agentgonzo]

My main concern is at 35L head space on batches that I do (21/23L) for corny kegs is large. I have had Issues in the past with small batch brewing in large FVs producing too little Co2 in the headspace, this reduces protection to the wort

Just a thought, but could you put a (sanitised) large vessel like another demijohn or one of these 5L plastic water bottles inside it, along with the wort? That would eliminate some of the headspace (but maybe be awkward)

 

[White Rose Al]

Good shout, yes something to think about

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Why not put the ferment in the demijohn/ brewvessel and adjust temp of water around that.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I am after one of these when they come out - Bucket Buddy. Reasonably priced stainless steel basic fermenter but with temperature control (just heating though), and a rotating racking arm too. We only have one brew fridge and we both can't use it at once lol.

@White Rose Al

I have finally got round to ordering one of these and am looking forward to trying it.

And you get an insulation jacket now as well.

 

[White Rose Al]

Really happy with it, yes I have the jacket.

Few tips, if using in a garage/shed set temp a degree above the required due to heating element near to bottom and distance to top fermenting yeast (if used)

Don't use the rotating arm, weight of liquor forces it downward. The tap sits just above the trub and you will not see it run through the tap, I rack directly from the tap.

Very easy to clean, far better than plastic. It keeps temperature brilliantly

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I'd forgotten you'd already got one! Thanks for the tips!

When you mention the racking arm, do you think it'd work to dump the trub out so I can make a fruit beer?

Also do you find it overshoots your desired temps in active fermentation?

 

[White Rose Al]

Hi Tess

You will struggle with trub removal as it will block unless you have slight pressure, issue being its not pressure rated.

If the trub is quite lightweight it will move out of the racking arm, I know this from trying to rack finished product and the arm dropping .

Not at all on activitie fermentation, it heats and then waits a period of time 1 degree below set temp before reheating. It balances out really well

Had US04/05, Kveik and bottom fermenting lager yeasts and zero issues

Happy Brewing

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Cheers mate!

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

@White Rose Al

Sorry to bother you but I have a question for you, or anyone else who has a bucket buddy.

We are using it for the first time today, and after sanitising the lid, the seal underneath has dropped off and won't go back on. Have you had the same trouble, and if so is there a fix? We hope it wasn't just glued on (especially for that price) and the starsan has loosened it. Pretty useless without the seal.

 

[White Rose Al]

@White Rose Al

Sorry to bother you but I have a question for you, or anyone else who has a bucket buddy.

We are using it for the first time today, and after sanitising the lid, the seal underneath has dropped off and won't go back on. Have you had the same trouble, and if so is there a fix? We hope it wasn't just glued on (especially for that price) and the starsan has loosened it. Pretty useless without the seal.

Hi, it's not glued on, it should be a snug fit.

I use both Oxiclean and then starsan with some vigour, had no issues at all. If you place the seal in warm water does it fit back in, then spray with starsan?

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Don't need to place it in warm water by the looks of it. It fits in the hole without having to stretch it, and then when you turn it over it falls out

Trying to get you a picture.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]