Fermenter Setup
KL13499 Fermentation Glycol Chiller with Digital Control | 4 Pump Model | Fermenter Setup
Once the G40 has been setup and tested, and is filled with a glycol solution of the appropriate ratio, we are ready to attach the lines to the fermenter(s)
Typical Fermenter Setup
IMPORTANT: Prior to connecting the G20 to the fermenter ensure that the temperature of the liquid in the fermenter is below 50°C. The G20 is not designed to cool from boiling to 50°C and instead normal tap water should be recirculated through the cooling coils first to drop the temperature of the liquid
The Glycol Chiller has 10mm barbs as standard, suited to KL18142 10x15mm Heavy Duty Silicone Tubing
For best performance, insulate the hosing between the G40 and the fermenter and try and minimise the distance between the Glycol Chiller and fermenter(s)
Before connecting the Glycol Chiller to the fermenter ensure that the liquid in the fermenter is below 50°C. The Glycol Chiller is not designed to cool liquids above 50°C so the liquid in the fermenter must be cooled below 50°C before the Glycol Chiller is connected
Connect a suitable length of 10mm ID silicone tubing for your application to the desired outlet (OUT) port on the G40
Connect the silicone tubing to the cooling coil or jacket inlet on your fermenter
Run a length of 10mm ID silicone tubing from the coil or jacket outlet back into the inlet (IN) adjacent to the outlet chosen on the G40
Insert the temperature probe into the thermowell of the fermenter being controlled. If there is no thermowell, tape and insulate the temperature probe to the side of the fermenter
Set the temperature on the temperature controller to the set temperature of fermentation
Set the temperature on the temperature controller for the reservoir to between -2° and -6°C if using glycol. Do not set this to a temperature lower than recommended according to this table. If you are only using water in the reservoir and not glycol then do not set the temperature of the reservoir to below 2°C
NOTE: When under load such as when cooling a fermenter it can take a longer time than the cooling factor you have measured to cool the reservoir down to the set temperature This time is dependent on a number of variables including but not limited to:
Jacketing of the fermenter (jacketed or non-jacketed)
Number of fermenters being cooled
Ambient temperature
Heat ingress
Line legth and type
Insulation of the system
An ideal setup would include some or all of the following features.
Short runs of line to/from the G40 and the fermenter
Insulation of the lines
Insulation of the fermenter
Gycol rather than water (to allow the reservoir temperature to drop below 0°C)
Controlled ambient temperature
G20 and fermenter out of direct sunlight
Cooling fermenters a large distance from the G40
The G40 is capable of cooling up to four 60L jacketed fermenters. However, if your fermenter is a large distance away from the G40 then the submersible pumps may not be able to handle this increased resistance. Hence, it is suggested for fermenters at a distance that an external pump be used to transfer the glycol to the fermenter.
It is also important that thermal losses in the system are minimised as much as possible by insulation of all parts of the system.
Connect an external pump to an external temperature controller
Remove the retaining clip and 3/8” plug from the bottom duotight fitting on the nylon sight tube. Attach 9.5mm (3/8”) EVABarrier tubing (KL06248) to the duotight fitting and connect this tubing to your external pump
Attach tubing to the outlet of the external pump and attach this tube to the cooling coils or jacket on your fermenter
Run tubing from the outlet of the fermenter cooling coils back into the reservoir of the G40
Set the temperature on the temperature controller for the reservoir to between -2° and -6°C if using glycol. Do not set this to a temperature lower than recommended according to this table. If you are only using water in the reservoir and not glycol then do not set the temperature of the reservoir to below 2°C. For long runs using a glycol mixture is strongly recommended
Insert the temperature probe of the external temperature controller into the thermowell on your fermenter
Set the temperature on your external temperature controller to your desired fermentation temperature. This will cycle the pump on and off to supply cold glycol solution only when the temperature of the fermenter increases above the set fermentation temperature
Cooling Large Jacketed Fermenters
If you are planning to cool jacketed fermenters which are larger than 60L the submersible pumps may not be powerful enough to overcome the head pressure or resistance in the long cooling coils within the fermenter.
If planning to cool large jacketed fermenters we would suggest using a more powerful external pump or using an industrial glycol chiller
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