Initial Setup & Testing
G20 Glycol Chiller | Initial Setup & Testing
If Glycol Chiller has been moved/delivered do not turn it on unless it has been standing upright for at least 24 hours. Failure to do this will void warranty and may damage the unit. Leave the Glycol Chiller upright for at least 24 hours before plugging in mains power after receiving and unboxing
Ensure there is at least 100mm of clearance on each side of the Glycol Chiller to allow adequate airflow. Faailure to allow adequate ventilation will reduce performance, increase power consumption and void warranty
This Glycol Chiller is not intended for cooling wort from boiling or temperqawtures above 50°C. Using the chiller to cool liquids above 50°C can overload the compressor and will void warranty
Do not run the pumps dry or allow the reservoir to ice over. Ensure the pumps are always submerged when in operation. Running the pumps dry or incresed resistance due to ice formation can damge the pumps.
Whenever the glycol chiller is operating and cooling the reservoir the pumps should be operating
to keep the liquid in the reservoir agitated and avoid ice formation
Replace propylene glycol solution every 12 months to avoid potential damage to pumps, lines or reservoir
Before Installation
Let the glycol chiller sit for at least 24 hours after delivery or after sitting on its side before turning the unit on
Ensure there is adequate ventilation (at least 100mm on each side of the glycol chiller)
Check for any signs of damage which may have occurred during shipping
Assembly
First, attach the Sight Glass to the G20 by firmly pushing the included 9.5mm duotight Tee Pieces onto the push fit tubing on the front of the unit as shown.
Check that there are 9.5mm duotight plugs in the opposite end. Install the EVABarrier Sight Glass bewteen the two fittings as shown. Pull firmly on the duotight fittings ensuring they are locked in place.
Next install two lengths of 10mm ID silicone tubing to the OUT barbs. Connect each of these to the adjacent IN barbs as shown.
With the G20 unplugged fill the reservoir with water until the water level reaches the top of the sight glass
Install the temeprature probes - push the male connector of the temperature probe into the female socket by each temeprature controller.
Testing the system
Perform a leak test and cooling test on your system to ensure that all connections are water tight, the pumps are operational and the glycol chiller is chilling the reservoir correctly
With the G20 unplugged fill the reservoir with water until it reaches the top of the sight glass
Check for any signs of leaks around the exterior of the G20
Ensure 10mm ID silicone tubing is attached as shown above
Plug the G20 in using the provided IEC cable and turn the red power switch on
Set the temperature on each temperature controller on the front of the G20 to 2°C
Hold the ‘Up’ button for 3 seconds until the number is flashing (this flashing number is your set temperature)
Press the ‘Down’ button to decrease the set temperature and press the ‘Up’ button to increase the set temperature
Check that each pump is operating correctly
This can be determined by looking for water flow through the silicone tubes or by placing the outlet hose into a jug and ensuring that liquid is being pumped out of the hose into the jug
Set the temperature on the STC-1000 controller on the rear of the G20 above the IEC plug to 2°C
Hold the ‘S’ button until F1 is displayed
Press ‘S’ again which will enter temperature adjustment mode
Then hold ‘S’ and up or down buttons simultaneously to adjust the set point temperature of the reservoir
Once the desired temperature has been entered, press and release the
power key to
save the parameter
NOTE: Refer here for the full STC-1000 Instruction manual
Performing this test you can get a rough guide of the cooling factor of the glycol chiller when not under load. To determine this note the starting temperature of the water in the reservoir and then measure how long it takes to drop the temperature to 2°C
Leak Testing
Prior to putting any beer into the fermenter for cooling you should leak test your whole system. This can be done by connecting the silicone tubing from the OUT barb to the cooling coil of the fermenter and then connect the silicone tube from the fermenter to the IN barb on the G20.
Set the temperature on the temperature controller to 2C and test that there are no leaks in the system including into the fermenter itself.
After all testing is complete, empty the reservoir by removing the plug on the bottom 3/8” duotight fitting on the nylon sight tube. This can be achieved by removing the blue retaining clip on the duotight fitting and pushing in on the collar as you pull on the plug. After you have drained the reservoir put the plug retaining clip back in place.
The system has now been tested for cooling and leaks and is ready to be used to cool a fermenter.
Filling the Reservoir
The G20 can be operated with either just water in the reservoir or both water and glycol to reduce the freezing point of water.
For fermentation control, a glycol mix is greatly preferred as the cooling power of the G20 will be much higher than if used wit water alone. This is because the glycol lowers the freezing point so the reservoir can be set to -5°C or lower (depending on ambient, the water/glycol mix and other factors)
IMPORTANT: If you are only using water in the reservoir and not glycol then do not set the temperature of the reservoir below 2°C
Fill the reservoir to the top of the sight galss with water or a water/glycol mix
if the reservoir is filled with water set the reservoir temperature controller to 2°C. If using glycol solution the reservoir temperature can be set below 2°C according to the table below.
Ensure the cooling coils are submerged. The amount of glycol required to be added to the reservoir depends on the desired set temperature of the reservoir which is dependent on a number of factors including how many fermenters are being cooled, the ambient temperature the fermenters are in and heat ingress etc. Use the table below to determine what percentage of glycol you require.
Glycol Percentage Chart
0
0.0°C
1.000
10
-3.3°C
1.006
20
-7.8°C
1.015
30
-13.3°C
1.024
You can measure the glycol percentage using a calibrated refractometer and comparing to the specific gravity at 21°C in the above table.
We would advise running a 20% glycol solution. However, if you do not have a jacketed fermenter or have the fermenter in a very warm environment you can run it at a higher glycol concentration. The pumps are not designed to be run with a glycol concentration higher than 30% hence it is not advised to exceed this glycol concentration. Doing so may damage the pumps.
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