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Glycol / cooling system


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So I see a lot of talk about glycol / cooling systems to maintain their mash temps.  Presumably for cooling them down.  My question is what are people doing if they want to keep it warmer? Does a glycol unit have the ability to raise the temp as well?  Say up to 75 or 80 degrees for a rum wash? 

 

What are some common fermenting temperatures for 

Whiskey / Grain mash

Rum / Cane / Molasses 

Vodka / potato / Grain / Other? 

 

 

 

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Whiskeytango,

I always have to preface everything I say on here that we are still under construction, I only have ethanol plant experience.  I am not aware of a chiller that will warm up a fermenter.  When I had issues with a fermenter turning "cold" at the ethanol plant I would use the plate and frame heat exchanger to warm the ferm back up.  I would valve off the cooling water and plumb a condensate return line from our boiler into the cold water side of the exchanger.  I called this technique "reverse heat exchange", until it was pointed out that I was still exchanging heat, I had only reversed the hot and cold side.  We then referred to the technique as ferm warming.....reverse heat exchange sounds a lot better to me....

Adam

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"heating" is a stretch. We have 2500 liter fermenters. It maintains heat to about 85 degrees  when ambient is in the low 70s.  It's just shy of 3000 BTUs / hour.

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  • 1 month later...

Our ambient temp is 80+F out here and we cool to 80-82F for a agricole-style rum (fresh juice).  If the fermenter is jacketed for cooling, it probably has enough insulation to keep the heat from an active ferment.  

The chiller will not heat the glycol but the piping could be controlled in the same manner and heated with a separate heat source like a solar array or water heater.  

 "reverse heatEx" does sound cooler btw lol

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I can supply you with a heat reclaim chiller, making 170F hot glycol off the chiller and use the heat on various heat heat exchange devices needing heat, but then that would be an overkill.  Rube Goldberg the heck out of it:):)

 

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