There are normally at least 4 ports on the top of the brite beer tanks (some designs vary):

•  A TC port for the CIP spray ball
• A 1.5” TC port for a pressure relief valve (15psi)
• A ¼” NPT (male) fitting for a ball valve for CO2 inlet and outlet (on some tanks this is a TC fitting)
• A ¼” NPT (female) fitting for a pressure gauge (on some tanks this is on the CIP arm)

The top fitting for the CO2 inlet/outlet is for three reasons:

1. To keep pressure on the tank while you keg or bottle – so you do not lose carbonation in the beer and to provide the force to push the beer out of the tank.
2. To allow you to vent CO2 if you accidentally put too much carbonation in the beer.  You can release the CO2 and reduce the carbonation of the beer.
3. To allow you to vent CO2 if you need to carbonate the beer very fast.  You can put more CO2 in through the carbonation stone (low in the tank) and slowly vent CO2 off of the top of the tank.  This helps keep CO2 flowing into the beer and will speed up carbonation.

Direct Gas Fired, Advantages

• Can be lowest up front cost (depending on installation)
• Many brewers are accustomed to gas fired kettles
• Some brewers prefer the caramelization that can occur with gas fired systems

Direct Gas Fired, Disadvantages

• Probably the highest long term cost – it is typically 25% to 50% efficient
• If in an enclosed space, you need to provide make-up air and provide an exhaust system (your city may require a professional mechanical engineer to provide a plan for your building and installation)
• Some buildings will need fire suppression systems
• In some states (e.g, CA and TX), the emissions regulations and requirements on gas burners result in significant added costs and reduced efficiencies

Electric Heat, Advantages

• Highest efficiency:  100% of heat generated is transferred to the water or wort
• Predictable cost
• No concerns about carbon monoxide or open flames or explosive gases
• Cost effective at 2 to 7 bbls
• Can be highly automated if desired

Electric Heat, Disadvantages

• Cost of electricity is typically higher than gas, but it is often offset by much better efficiency
• Up front cost is usually higher than gas fired, but lower than steam boilers and steam piping
• Your building needs to have enough amperage available to heat the kettles and operate everything else (varies according to the system size)

Steam Heat, Advantages

• When combined with gas fired boiler, you get good (but not best) efficiency and low energy cost

Steam Heat, Disadvantages

• Highest cost of brew kettles and heat source (boiler system)
• Generally not very cost effective at a small scale
• In some states (e.g, CA and TX), the emissions regulations and requirements on gas boilers result in significant added costs and reduced efficiencies

Scorching

We often get asked about scorching, especially when discussing electric systems.  As long as you use low density or ultra-low density elements, scorching will not be a problem.  On a gas fired system, you only need to ensure that the gas burners to not directly heat an outlet pipe or some other feature that has "trapped" wort in it.  Steam isn't hot enough to cause scorching. 

Summary

Every customer and installation is unique.  In general, I think the gas fired systems are more likely to be optimal for home brewers and small commercial operations.  Electric is most likely to be optimal for small commercial systems (2 to 7 or 10 bbls), and steam heat is most likely to be optimal for larger systems.  All that said, we sell equipment with all kinds of heat source capability for all sizes, because of individual circumstances and brewer preferences.

Using low cost peltier chips, a heating blanket, temperature controller, insulation, 2 blocks of aluminum, and other sundry parts, he now has a fully automated temperature controlled fermenter for a great cost. 

On top of that, he was generous enough to document his project with step by step photos and put it all into a document for all to use.  Thanks Rob!

Download the Project Details

For example, if you have a party and put down a deposit on the keg, that doesn't pay for the keg.  It's just a deposit so you'll bring it back.  The fact is that new kegs typically cost breweries $100 or more, and the deposits don't nearly cover the cost.  In fact, many breweries are stuck with deposits of $12 a keg because that's what it always has been and there isn't an easy way for them to increase it.   So, if you decide to keep the keg after your party and convert it to a brew kettle, you have not only taken that keg without paying for it, but you also just cost that brewery $100.  They have to sell a lot of kegs of beer to make back that $100 – and they shouldn't have to do that at all.

If you go to a scrap yard and buy a keg there, chances are also high that the keg was stolen by someone and turned in for a few dollars of scrap value.  Again, the brewery just lost close to $100, maybe more.

The only legitimate way to buy a keg is directly from a keg supplier or from the brewery itself.  Kegs can fail beyond repair, although it isn't that common, and you might find your local brewery is happy to sell you their cast offs. 

Support your brewery – don't steal their kegs!

Answer:  Absolutely.  The CO2 created during fermentation provides a protective blanket.  Many breweries put 1/2 batches in their fermenters with no problems.  The only risk would be if you were to open it too much or for too long after fermentation has died down (and you lose your CO2 blanket).

1. Don't ever use chlorine bleach on or in your stainless items.  Chlorine breaks down the protective chromium oxides on the surface and will cause rust.
2. Don't ever use steel wool scouring pads (or stainless steel pads either, for that matter).  The scratching will break the protective surface and cause rust.  In addition, the steel wool will leave deposits that will rust.
3. Do passivate your stainless steel from time to time.  There are several ways to passivate  your stainless steel:
   1. Use cleansers with oxalic acid in them (Bar Keeper's Friend, among others).  You need to dry the kettle with a towel and let it remain dry in air for about a week.  The dry exposure to oxygen will create a passivation layer on the stainless.
   2. Apply a 4 to 10% citric acid solution (by weight) at 70F to 120F for 20 minutes, rinse, dry.  (Citric acid may be available at your local home brew shop).  Lemon juice typically has a 5% to 6% citric acid concentration.
   3. Nitric acid solution.  Our recommendation:  don't try this at home (the other two methods work well and are much safer).

1. Rack beer from side outlet into a bottling bucket, then add your sugar, then bottle.
2. Add priming sugar or sugar solution to each bottle, and rack into bottles using the side outlet.
3. Add priming sugar to the fermenter, and rack into bottles using the side outlet. You might get more yeast than you care for in the bottles this way.

You don't have to have a PayPal account to shop on our website.  All you need to do is select the items you want using our "Add to Cart" or "Place Deposit" buttons.  When you are ready to complete your transaction, click the "Pay Now" button in your shopping cart and you will be taken to a PayPal payment page.  Underneath the PayPal log-in area, there is an option that says, "Don't Have A PayPal Account?"  Just click this and you can pay directly with your credit or debit card.  It's that easy!