Fermenter Setup
KL50555 RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller | Fermenter Setup
The RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller is slightly different to many glycol chillers on the market. It is designed as a compact and powerful glycol chiller. It has built-in reservoir temperature control. However, the included pump is designed to be controlled separately by either an external Temperature Controller (such as a RAPT Temperature Controller) or ideally in conjunction with a RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Controller.
It can also be used manually using only the built in reservoir temperature control
The RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller comes as standard with Male JoinTech fittings. These are ideal for glycol setups as they are a dry break when disconnected.
To connect tubing to the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller you will need KL41102 JoinTech Female Connector with Auto Shut Off x 13mm Barb and suitable tubing.
Insulated tubing such as Red or Blue Glycol Insulation Hose - 2m Roll x 12mm ID x 16mm OD is preferred for a glycol setup as it is important to minimise thermal losses in the system.
IMPORTANT: Prior to connecting the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller to the fermenter ensure that the temperature of the liquid in the fermenter is below 50°C. The RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chilleris 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
Topping off the reservoir before first use
IMPORTANT: As the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller has a relatively small reservoir, care must be taken when setting up the system for the first time. Once the fermenter has been connected, operate the pump to fill the system with coolant. This will cause the reservoir level to drop. Ensure the reservoir is topped up with the required glycol/water ratio before turning the pump back on.
Connecting a Fermenter with RAPT Glycol Controller
This is the preferred solution for temperature control with a RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller.
For best performance, insulate the hosing between the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller(if not using pre-insulated tubing as above) and the fermenter and try to minimise the distance between the Glycol Chiller and fermenter(s)
Use insulated tubing terminated with KL41102 JoinTech Female Connector with Auto Shut Off x 13mm Barb. Connect this to the Outlet side of the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller (Marked with a blue dot). Connect the other end of the tubing to the male JoinTech fitting on the RAPT Glycol Controller. Run another length of insulated tubing terminated with KL41102 JoinTech Female Connector with Auto Shut Off x 13mm Barb from the RAPT Glycol Controller to the inlet of the fermenter jacket or coil.
Use insulated tubing terminated with KL41102 JoinTech Female Connector with Auto Shut Off x 13mm Barb. Connect this to the Return side of the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller (Marked with a red dot). Connect the other end of the tubing to the outlet of the fermenter jacket or coil.
Ensure the lead for the submersible pump has been routed correctly. When using the RAPT Glycol Controller, the pump should be powered directly from a wall socket. The flow of glycol will then be controlled intelligently by the integrated pinch valve of the RAPT Glycol Controller
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.
Note: If using a Bluetooth Bonded RAPT Pill as the control sensor, it is recommended to place the RAPT Temperature Controller or RAPT Glycol Controller probe in the fermenter thermowell or taped to the side of the fermenter. This will help prevent Sensor Differential issues overriding temperature control.
Set the reservoir temperature to an appropriate temperature 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
Connecting a Fermenter with RAPT Temperature Controller
Use insulated tubing terminated with KL41102 JoinTech Female Connector with Auto Shut Off x 13mm Barb. Connect this to the Outlet side of the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller (Marked with a blue dot). Connect the other end of the tubing to the inlet of the fermenter jacket or coil.
Use insulated tubing terminated with KL41102 JoinTech Female Connector with Auto Shut Off x 13mm Barb. Connect this to the Return side of the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller (Marked with a red dot). Connect the other end of the tubing to the outlet of the fermenter jacket or coil.
Ensure the lead for the submersible pump has been routed correctly. Connect the plug to the Cooling side (blue plug socket) of the RAPT Temperature Controller. The pump will then turn on and off in response to the RAPT Temperature Controller.
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.
Note: If using a Bluetooth Bonded RAPT Pill as the control sensor, it is recommended to place the RAPT Temperature Controller or RAPT Glycol Controller probe in the fermenter thermowell or taped to the side of the fermenter. This will help prevent Sensor Differential issues overriding temperature control.
Set the reservoir temperature to an appropriate temperature 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
Connecting a Fermenter with External Temperature Control
Use insulated tubing terminated with KL41102 JoinTech Female Connector with Auto Shut Off x 13mm Barb. Connect this to the Outlet side of the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller (Marked with a blue dot). Connect the other end of the tubing to the inlet of the fermenter jacket or coil.
Use insulated tubing terminated with KL41102 JoinTech Female Connector with Auto Shut Off x 13mm Barb. Connect this to the Return side of the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller (Marked with a red dot). Connect the other end of the tubing to the outlet of the fermenter jacket or coil.
Ensure the lead for the submersible pump has been routed correctly. Connect the plug to the Cooling side (blue plug socket) of the Temperature Controller. The pump will then turn on and off in response to the Temperature Controller.
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 reservoir temperature to an appropriate temperature 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
Connecting a Fermenter directly (Manual Control)
Use insulated tubing terminated with KL41102 JoinTech Female Connector with Auto Shut Off x 13mm Barb. Connect this to the Outlet side of the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller (Marked with a blue dot). Connect the other end of the tubing to the inlet of the fermenter jacket or coil.
Use insulated tubing terminated with KL41102 JoinTech Female Connector with Auto Shut Off x 13mm Barb. Connect this to the Return side of the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller (Marked with a red dot). Connect the other end of the tubing to the outlet of the fermenter jacket or coil.
Ensure the lead for the submersible pump has been routed correctly. When using the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller without external temperature control, the pump should be powered directly from a wall socket. This means that glycol will be constantly circulated.
Set the reservoir temperature to an appropriate temperature. When no external temperature controller is used, the reservoir temperature of the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller should be set to the desired fermentation temperature. In practice it is generally better to set a temperature slightly below the desired set point - see below. 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: Due to the inevitable thermal inefficiencies and losses in any glycol system, it is likely that the reservoir temperature will need to be set to a lower temperature than the desired temperature. A setting approx 2°C lower than the desired fermentation generally works well. In addition, when no external temperature controller is used, the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller may not easily achieve cold crash temperatures or it may take a very long time to chill.
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 length 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 RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller 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
RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller and fermenter out of direct sunlight
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