Can anyone with a Spike 5gal Unitank share the dimensions?

[hezagenius]

Website says 14" x 29". Are those rounded or pretty close?

Is it actually 29", or something else? Is the height to the top of the TC fitting with or without the TC lid? Or is it to the top of the 90 degree blowoff barb? Or something else?

And does the 14" width include the legs and the sample valve? Is the 14" the minimum diameter or some other measurement?

I'm trying to figure out a fridge to fit this in without going to a full size fridge if I can avoid it. If anyone has an upright freezer or a freezerless fridge model they use for this that isn't a full size unit, that info would be helpful, too.

 

[Nokt]

Assembled it is 31.5 inches high at the highest point (blowoff barb) and 17.25 inches at the widest point (thermometer). Hope this helps.

 

[hezagenius]

Assembled it is 31.5 inches high at the highest point (blowoff barb) and 17.25 inches at the widest point (thermometer). Hope this helps.

Thanks. And to confirm, you have the CF5 model, not the CF10 model, correct?

 

[Nokt]

Thanks. And to confirm, you have the CF5 model, not the CF10 model, correct?

Confirmed. I have the CF5.

 

[hezagenius]

Thanks. Glad I didn't pull the trigger on a fridge I was looking at! It seems the 14x29 measurements are off by quite a bit then.

 

[mongoose33]

Thanks. Glad I didn't pull the trigger on a fridge I was looking at! It seems the 14x29 measurements are off by quite a bit then.

I don't know that the dimensions are off at all--if they're describing the actual tank and not the stuff sticking out of it.

I have a CF10 but the issue is the same: I use the racking arm, and then attach the butterfly valve to that racking arm...and then another fitting to the valve from which I can rack into a keg. That protrudes a fair amount from the edge of the fermenter, but I don't know how Spike could account, in terms of dimensions, for whatever I might choose to add to the sides.

You may simply need to turn your fermenter sideways in the refrigerator to account for things sticking out of it. The pic on this page gives a fair idea of how far out from the sides that things like the sampling port and valves protrude: https://spikebrewing.com/collections/fermenters/products/cf5 But look at all the pics--I think the racking valve is installed without the racking arm, which would cause it to stick out another 2 inches or so.

FWIW: I have the temp control kit for mine, and to be honest, I kind of wish I had a refrigerator large enough to hold it.

 

[hezagenius]

I definitely don't want to mess with the temp control kit. Too much work. I want to be able to set it and forget it. A fridge for cooling and a light bulb or brew belt to heat.

I was hoping to get by with this one:
https://www.frigidaire.com/Kitchen-Appliances/Freezers/Upright-Freezer/FFFU06M1TW/

@Nokt or @mongoose33
Without the thermometer and sample valve, do all the other attachments stay within the radius created by the legs?

 

[philly224]

I definitely don't want to mess with the temp control kit. Too much work. I want to be able to set it and forget it. A fridge for cooling and a light bulb or brew belt to heat.

I was hoping to get by with this one:
https://www.frigidaire.com/Kitchen-Appliances/Freezers/Upright-Freezer/FFFU06M1TW/

@Nokt or @mongoose33
Without the thermometer and sample valve, do all the other attachments stay within the radius created by the legs?

You can build a DIY glycol chiller for about 200 bucks and it's pretty much just set and forget.

 

[mongoose33]

Below is a pic of mine. Remember it's a CF10, and also, the racking valve does not have the racking arm installed. If it did, it would stick out another, oh, 2" or so.

If you turn the fermenter sideways in a refrigerator, obviously it wouldn't matter as much.

EDITED TO ADD: I realized that I took that pic with the racking valve attached to the sampling port fitting, not the racking port, so it's sticking out more than it would otherwise. I was doing CIP and used that to close off the sampling port while I cleaned that fitting separatedly. If I get a chance I'll configure it correctly and take another photo.

 

[Nokt]

I'm glad that you posted this. It made me think.....How high is the internal height of my craigslist fridge find? 28 inches.

 

[hezagenius]

@Nokt
Yeah, my fermentation fridge is about 28" high. It's designed to hold a full size keg so the width is fine but the height is not. It works fine for corny kegs. I ferment in a pony keg and I love it, but I wanted to see what happens if I fermented and served all from the same vessel. I will still try it with the pony keg but I wanted to find a way to dump the trub if possible prior to serving. Seems like the most feasible way to do that is with a unitank. So this experiment is going to cost 500+ for the unitank plus whatever the fridge cost is plus whatever grief I get from SWMBO.

Also, and this is just a side rant, does a fridge or upright freezer exist that has no shelving on the door?

 

[Nokt]

UPDATE: So I took the bottom crisper shelf and drawers out and found that if I turned the CF5 so that there were two legs in the back, I could close the fridge door. The bottom of the door did bump the CF5 a bit. I cut off the bottom lip o the door and it closes fine. I'm back in business.

 

[mongoose33]

UPDATE: So I took the bottom crisper shelf and drawers out and found that if I turned the CF5 so that there were two legs in the back, I could close the fridge door. The bottom of the door did bump the CF5 a bit. I cut off the bottom lip o the door and it closes fine. I'm back in business.

Pics or it didn't happen.

 

[Nokt]