Fermzilla

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

For those that have Fermzillas - when it was new out the box, what did you clean it with before first use?

 

[chillipickle]

All i done was a quick chemsan clean.Worked ok on both mine from new.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

That's exactly what I've bought - chemsan that is. But the ingredients say it has sodium metabisulphite in it and Fermzilla state in the warnings not to use it. Seems a bit over the top to be honest. I'm assuming your Fermzilla survived the chemsan then (lol) and I don't need to buy the Stellarsan stuff?

Stellar Clean even... We're assuming they just want us to buy their product.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Just rinsed it with water and sanitised it with StarSan.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Ok I've gotten all mixed up with these blinking names! What I meant was, Chem CLEAN has metabisulphite in it and can't be used (apparently). So I daren't use it. I will just have to use tepid water to clean and then sanitise I think with the Chem SAN lol

 

[Consett26]

I've used it every time I've cleaned mine without a problem, although I'm now wondering if perhaps I shouldn't. But what makes you think Chemclean has sodium metabisulphite in it? According to the data sheet here it contains four sodium compounds but not metabisulphite:
Sodium metasilicate pentahydrate,
Disodium carbonate, compound with hydrogen peroxide,
Sodium carbonate
Sodium dodecylbenzenesulphonate

 

[DocAnna]

The concentration of metabilisulfite/metabisulphite in most solutions used at a home brew scale is not feasibly going to impact the seals. This page gives a summary of the impact of the various chemicals on different rubbers. If the O seals on a fermzilla are silicone then it would have very little impact, so it's not a case of metabisulfite/metabisulphite being something that is wholly prohibited.
https://mykin.com/rubber-chemical-resistance-chart-5

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

what makes you think Chemclean has sodium metabisulphite in it?

Because the husband read the packaging and told me so - but looks like he clearly can't read. I really should read things myself! Looks like I can use it after all! Thanks for this!

 

[stripeyjoe]

Sodium metabisulphite is the primary ingredient in Campden tablets:

Campden tablets (potassium or sodium metabisulfite)[1] are a sulfur-based product that is used primarily to sterilize wine, cider and in beer making to kill bacteria and to inhibit the growth of most wild yeast: this product is also used to eliminate both free chlorine and the more stable form, chloramine, from water solutions (e.g., drinking water from municipal sources). Campden tablets allow the amateur brewer to easily measure small quantities of sodium metabisulfite, so it can be used to protect against wild yeast and bacteria without affecting flavour. Untreated cider must frequently suffers from acetobacter contamination causing vinegar spoilage. Yeasts are resistant to the tablets but the acetobacter are easily killed off, hence treatment is important in cider production.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Ok this Fermzilla is getting thrown through the chuffing window! It's so frustrating trying to get the bottom bottle off, and that's with nothing in it! Don't want to have to ask my husband to help me every time I wanna use it! Is anyone else struggling? Anyone with arthritis - forget it!

What's it gonna be like when there's liquid in it? It just wobbles everywhere and you can't put any pressure on it for fear of denting the plastic! Yes I have got vaseline on all the bits I should have (lol) but it makes no difference. The red tool thing is useless as well for me as I have the world's smallest hands! Wish I'd got the all-rounder now instead. I've got monk on!

Someone say something nice please!

 

[hoppyscotty]

I just gave it a good clean with washing up liquid, warm water and a soft sponge before first use. But after use use the proper Kegland stuff which I believe is just re-branded PBW. But I always give it a good clean with warm soapy water and a soft sponge before hand to get off the stuck on solid matter anyway. Once cleansed I just put 10 ltrrs of water and chemsan in it until the next use.

For the bottom bottle I recommend using the included tool. Also make sure it is fully depressurised before trying to undo things. Also don't be tempted to overtighten things. I gave the left hand thread bit a really good tighten up when I first assembled it, but everything else just gets a bit of a nip up and I've had no issues whatsoever with it leaking liquid or gas. There is no need to really tighten things up that much. I think alot of people probably over tighten these things and that causes problems and can damage seals.

You can use some of that food grade vasoline stuff to lubricate threads and seals and I started out using it, but it just became too much of a faff and no longer bother.

Its a pretty well thought out bit of kit the Fermzilla, but not particularly well executed. I think with a bit of patience and a bit of technique its not a problem and a really good bit of kit!

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thank you, feel better now ha ha!

 

[hoppyscotty]

To be fair I’m only on my third brew in it so still might be in the honeymoon period. Come back and check in a few months time!

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

dodecylbenzenesulphonate

Gesundheit

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

To be fair I’m only on my third brew in it so still might be in the honeymoon period. Come back and check in a few months time!

I haven’t even done one in mine yet!

 

[DocAnna]

Don't shoot me - but I assume you are trying to release the bottom container and know that the thread on it is a bit counterintuitive and needs the bottle to turn clockwise to undo it as looking down from the top?

 

[hoppyscotty]

I think she's referring to the jar on the bottom. that is a normal thread - righty tighty, lefty loosy. the bit in the middle that connects the butterfly valve section to the actual fermenter body is a left hand threat. I personally don't dismantle that bit between brews so have really cranked the torque up on that bit, But remove the jar at the bottom after every brew to clean it out. But I find its hard to get enough leverage on it to undo it and I don't want to use the threaded bosses the the caps are screwed to in order to get the leverage as the jar is made of brittle plastic so easy to potentially cause stress fractures. So I just use the included strap wrench that comes with the fermsilla to remove. I suspect most of the failures that have been reported with these are due to people over tightening the jar and causing stress fractures or damage when they try to unscrew it. A bit of mechanical sympathy in this case is probably wise.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Don't shoot me - but I assume you are trying to release the bottom container and know that the thread on it is a bit counterintuitive and needs the bottle to turn clockwise to undo it as looking down from the top?

Yes I’m aware of this, I’ve read the instructions umpteen times and watched the YouTube videos in my usual OCD fashion.

I can see why they made the threads go two different ways and it’s a good idea, but I still can’t get it off!

I think I will call rent-a-sledgehammer

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Before Brewday (Saturday) we are going to fill it with water and apply some pressure, in the hope that the pressure will make it more stable and may make the bottle removal easier.

Worth a go.

@hoppyscotty If the thing was well built and universally easy to use then you wouldn’t need to put Vaseline on it or need a strap wrench. Just saying.

 

[chillipickle]

Some great info in some of his videos, think he mainly uses the bottom bottle just for yeast harvesting these days, just dry hops through the top.
I use the snubnose fv's with no bottom cup, as i dont collect any yeast.A lot more straight forward.