SS Brewtech Chronicle 7 US Gal Conical Fermenter

[TartanSpecial]

How do you regulate temp in it?

Overnight in the kitchen (20.5C) the brew got up to 22c, so have brought it into a cooler room (19C) and on the right you can see a fan which is currently running. This has brought the temp down to 21.8 in the last 20 minutes and hope to have it down below 21 by this afternoon. I may need to keep the fan on and off until later tomorrow when the fermentation will be slowing and it will start moving toward room temp itself. When its down to 20 naturally I'll move it back to the kitchen. All very low tech but....
Yeast is saf 05 so I wo'nt have done any damage. Last brew was wlp002 so I brought it through to the cool room earlier to keep it well below 21, and that seemed to work resulting in a nice clean tasting brew.

 

[TartanSpecial]

oops forgot photo

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

Does the digital temp thing come with it?

 

[TartanSpecial]

you need to buy that seperately (you did when I bought it anyway). Originally I used my M& S digital thermometer stuck in the thermowell and it did the job OK, but didn't look as neat.

 

[stevej]

Excellent bit of kit... only downside is the cost, though at just over �£300 its a lot cheaper than some other stainless conicals...overall 6 out of 5

Good Things:
-Adjustable racking arm
-Thermowell - surprise yourselve to see temp it's actually fermenting at..probably 3-4 deg c higher than room temp in first couple of days
- Takes full 5 UK gallon brews with enough headspace for krausen
- clear electronically etched volume markers (luckily 6 US gal = 5 UK gal)
- lifting handles so you can lift onto work surface when draining after fermentation to bottle bucket (ie no syphoning hassle) and possible to move from room to room for rudimentary temp management.
- proper ball valves (if you're into that sort of thing :whistle: )
- Bottom valve to dump trub / harvest yeast /or take yeast away and keep the beer in there for a secondary fermentation/conditioning. Even if you don't dump the yeast, it settles into that tube at the bottom and the narrow part of the fermenter..so the surface area of yeast exposed to the beer is pretty small.
- For whatever reasons, it gives me quick reliable fermentations...even on a batch of mead.
- easy to clean (I use sodium percarbonate, then sterilise on brewday with starsan- dumping it out the bottom just before the wort goes in).
- its nice to look at and enjoyable to use.

Bad Things
- cost (though it should last a long time)
- need to strip down ball valves after each brew... but I find that enjoyable.

Pics:
1) general pic
2) etched volume markings
3) looking down...thermowell and racking arm
4) basin of ball valve bits cleaned and ready to reassemble for next brew.e

I need one of these:lol: may i ask where you bought it from

 

[TartanSpecial]

The Malt Miller.....think he's out of stock but new delivery expected Jan or Feb.

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

Is that the smaller of the models? Just looked at those jackets for them too. Crikey. Not cheap.

 

[MyQul]

Is that the smaller of the models? Just looked at those jackets for them too. Crikey. Not cheap.

Thats what I thought too, so I might go for the SS Brewbucket which can fit inside my Cool Brewing Fermentation bag. The brew bucket hasn't got as many 'bells & whistles' as the Chronical but I want to go all SS by the end of next year if I can

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

If I get enough cash for xmas and when I've bought my new kit if I've pennies left I may try get one of these rascals. Look very impressive.

 

[TartanSpecial]

I might go for the SS Brewbucket which can fit inside my Cool Brewing Fermentation bag. The brew bucket hasn't got as many 'bells & whistles' as the Chronical but I want to go all SS by the end of next year if I can

if you go for the brewbucket I'd recommend you go for the brewmaster version which has a thermowell. Costs �£20 more but worth it. edit: and it includes the digital thermometer.

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

Think I'd be trying to get something like you have. Think would even look good stood in the kitchen. My Mrs may not see it that way.

 

[TartanSpecial]

T Think would even look good stood in the kitchen. My Mrs may not see it that way.

Industrial sculpture is how I see it.......but yeah...the Mrs doesn't see it that way.

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

Currently have a brew fridge. I think this would look far more impressive than current fridge sat in the corner.

 

[MyQul]

if you go for the brewbucket I'd recommend you go for the brewmaster version which has a thermowell. Costs ���£20 more but worth it. edit: and it includes the digital thermometer.

The thermowell is one of the things I like on the Chronical so the brewmaster bucket sounds even better. Who are selling those brewmaster ones?

Edit: Just realized. malt miller

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

I'm currently drooling perusing the malt Miller website. Looking at doing bigger volumes when I get new kit. If I bought the next size up I take it there would be no harm still in doing my current size brews in it if I wanted? Having a bigger one would just give me the option to be able to ferment more is all.

 

[MyQul]

I'm currently drooling perusing the malt Miller website. Looking at doing bigger volumes when I get new kit. If I bought the next size up I take it there would be no harm still in doing my current size brews in it if I wanted? Having a bigger one would just give me the option to be able to ferment more is all.

Yeah. Would be fine. Like doing a 10L batch in a normal size FV.

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

Sorted. I'll add one to my ever growing want list. Just been reading up on them in malt Miller site. The brew jacket system seems quite fancy too.

 

[MyQul]

Sorted. I'll add one to my ever growing want list. Just been reading up on them in malt Miller site. The brew jacket system seems quite fancy too.

Really expensive though. I haven't quite worked out how it works though.

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

It looks like the temp thing is wired to a pump. Which circulates water through the coils fitted to the lid. So if you get a small batch of water set at the desired temp. The pump activates to circulate the water through the coil until desired temp is achieved. Looking on line it's suggested a fish tank heater in a bucket of water so temp is content and then the pump circulates it as and when.

 

[ManseMasher]

That looks to be exactly how it works to me - like a herms coil but for fermentation instead. Home made one wouldn't cost anything like that....