Conical Fermentors

[Alex Daniel]

Does anybody know if there is someone who makes conical fermentors on the homebrewer scale in nz? or does anyone have expereince with ordering these from overseas? what sort of prices etc

[Dougal]

There's a Brew Strong podcast on metals which mentions reactivity and aluminium (Palmer is a metallurgist). I think they basically came down on the side that it's fine for boil kettles etc if you maintain an oxidised layer, but that long term contact with beer wasn't desirable. I vaguely remember they also said that you should avoid soaking with PBW, and other oxi cleaners as they could etch into the surface.

[Smiffy]

I love caustic soda for cleaning S/S. Its the only way to clean kegs. But I know that if you put aluminium in it, it takes off some of the ally along with the muck. The problem then is that the surface is no longer polished, and will be harder to sterilise.

As for beer being in contact with ally, I think it would pick up some taste after a while.

But there used to be aluminium kegs. Were they used for beer that tasted so bad already, or did they have a coating on them, or maybe beer on aluminium is no problem at all.

[Dougal]

What rate are you using the caustic at Smiffy?

[Smiffy]

To clean a keg or fermenter that has been recently used and washed, 25g per litre.

When I got the kegs that had been standing around for years un-washed, I used 100g/litre, that got all the dried on mouldy growth off.

I only make up one litre and slosh that around, leave for ten minutes, then rinse out.

You should wear skin and eye protection when using caustic.

I sometimes use the used solution as weed-killer on the drive but I'm not sure if it is bad for the concrete.

It must be safe in the drains as it is sold as drain cleaner. I wouldn't put it down the drain if you have a septic tank etc. without checking first.

[Tilt]

I use caustic every now and then with my fermentors to keep any resistant bugs from getting too comfortable.  Do you use hot caustic Smiffy or is cold OK?

[Smiffy]

I make it with cold water. Dissolving the caustic makes it get quite warm. I think if you used hot water it might boil when the caustic is dissolved.

[Chris Mills]

Do not use boiling water. Anything over 60°C is going to be creating a potentially hazardous solution. I use PBW/Napisan (my own mix) at 55-60°C and mix it at a rate of ~25g (quarter cup) per 20L and sometimes double that in small volumes when I have something very stubborn to clean.

I wear gloves, eye-protection and a respirator (the steam can be a nasty  irritant) whenever I work with warm/hot PBW solutions.

[Tilt]

Good point - I tend to make up bigger batches of caustic wash so it doesn't generate much heat as I'm dissolving it.  I'll try a smaller, more concentrated lot next time around.

[Chuck]

If you put too much caustic into too small a volume of hot water, stand back! It's very exothermic in that case, and will come right back at you. I would stick with cold water mixtures and warm them up if you want to use hot.

[Grant R Baker]

yep, I know from my motorbikes that once you take the top skin of aluminium and expose it to air it quickly reacts and create aluminium oxide.. a fine white dust that taints everything.

 

I'm not sure Starsan would be too rough on it for that tho.

[Liam Callaghan]

I went for stainless in the end, simpler just more $$$

Looks cool though :p

[Liam Callaghan]

lids legs and fittings all ready for final testing this week!  Whoop!

Website should be up and running some time over the weekend too (bit slow after some %$#$# cut the phone line int he street again, 5-6 days with no phone twice in the same month...)

I wont have everything for sale but all the lab gear, yeast cultivation and kegging stuff.

Testing the jet engine tonight to shift its first beer too, going to be an exciting night!