Sanitation Process New Brew Set up

[laughingboysbrew]

I moved my brewery from outside on the patio to the garage (e-herms set up). My fermenter is in the basement, so I can now no longer easily run between the two rooms ). I have a CFC and two pumps. I have a hole in my floor joist so I can gravity feed wort down into my fermenter via ~20ft of 1/2" silicone tubing.

Thought is to connect a 3-way SS ball valve to the ouput of my pump. That allows me to either recirculate back into the BK or send wort down the line to the fermenter.

Here's what I'm thinking:
1. With 10 minutes left in the boil, recirculate wort through CFC back into BK
2a. At flameout, let some hot wort down the line (a ballvalve at the end will stop it from going into the ferm and allow the line to fill). 2 minutes of 200+ wort should sanitize the tubing
2b. While the tubing is sanitizing, recirculate back into the BK for whirlpool
3. Chill with CFC sending wort down the line

There will initially be a little hot wort that makes it into the fermenter, but that should even out in the end. When i am chilling, I can control my flow with just the 3-way since gravity will be in my favor.

Anything I'm missing?

(this is saving me hauling hoses through the house, recirculating star san and purging that and reconnecting to the fermenter. this way, i'm 100% closed loop)

 

[Braufessor]

I would be more inclined to fill the tubing with starsan and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then drain it (assuming the tubing is clean to start with) . You are not going to have 200 degree wort in that tubing. It is going to be 160-180 degree wort in a hurry as that heat will dissipate rapidly. I don't know that a couple minutes of "hot" wort would make me feel very secure as far as sanitizing the inside of plastic tubing..... at least not over the long hall.

 

[laughingboysbrew]

my original process was filling with star san and then pumping it out. with the ball valve at the bottom, I could probably do this much easier now. let the star san sit for 10-15 min, drain into the fermenter and then dump out of the bottom. I could just let the top end of my hose sit in a bucket of star san until the whirlpool is done.

 

[LordUlrich]

How are you sanitizing the fermenter? I would think that running starsan from your brew system through the tubing in question and using that to sanitize your fermenter would be easiest.

 

[laughingboysbrew]

Wanted to update on my set up.

How are you sanitizing the fermenter? I would think that running starsan from your brew system through the tubing in question and using that to sanitize your fermenter would be easiest.

I used to mix up a 5gal pail with starsan and pour it in. Then, I would spray down the side walls and lid, and seal it up until ready. All fittings, etc. get a 5 min soak before attaching.

I brewed this past weekend and pumped about 1 gallon of starsan through the CFC and line and then let it sit for 10-15min...then let it drain out into the fermenter.

When I get my new setup all finalized, I'll be running Oxy/PBW through the whole Mash Tun / HEX and then into the BK and through the CFC (whole tubing system) to really clean it well.

 

[LordUlrich]

I'd consider using your boil kettle to mixup your stars an, has the added benefit of removing beerstone, pump it through the chiller and into the fermenter. You could even use the hose to spray down the sides of the fermenter and be done with sanitation. That is how I did it I was brewing on a pro setup, except I used a spray ball.

 

[laughingboysbrew]

That is how I did it I was brewing on a pro setup, except I used a spray ball.

Good call. Any thoughts on how I can build up enough pressure for a CIP sprayer mounted to the top of my conical? I wouldn't think a 7.5gpm March pump would work. I'd prefer this method anyway since I can seal it up before sanitizing. However, I've also heard that starsan foams like crazy when using a spray ball. Iodophor instead?

 

[grathan]

Idophor might be poisonous.

I would consider a second pump (1/3hp submersible) and a return line from the fermenter. Throw the pump in a bucket under the conical. Have a valve to either run spray ball or run loop back to kettle.

The submersible can also double duty as a keg wash.

 

[laughingboysbrew]

Idophor might be poisonous.

You mean if not properly mixed with water? The FDA has approved it 12.5-25PPM (you can test it with strips) and most commercial brewers I've asked use it. It's 1/3 the cost of starsan and I believe foams considerably less.

Thanks for the suggestion on the submersible pump. I haven't had an issue so far, just a bit more manual work to spray down the conical. The CIP sprayer is on the back burner for awhile.

 

[grathan]

Not sure what I meant. I watched a video recently and some guy testing starch conversion was adamant about making sure not to put the test liquid back in the mash due to it being poisonous, but I guess he was wrong or perhaps I am simply mistaken because i cant find any info about that now. Please disregard my comment.