Apollo 60L Unitank Pressure Fermenter Instruction Manual

Instruction Manual

The Apollo 60L is the big brother to the Apollo unitank. It offers more brewing capacity and boasts a larger hole for ergonomic handling and cleaning. Much like its little brother, the new centralized plunger valve offers more sanitary yeast harvesting and more accurate temperature control due to also being a centralized thermowell. Furthermore, the floating dip tube can be hooked onto the plunger valve, allowing for cleaner and clearer beer transfer.
Compared to the previous Butterfly Dump Valve, the plunger valve is and to dissemble and clean. It is an overall more sanitary dump valve and we believe that it will help brewers brew even better beer than before since sanitation is key to brewing great beer in the first place.
Much like a bung or sink plug, the Plunger Valve closes off the bottom of the fermenter by being pushed in from the top. The seal is airtight, ensuring nothing enters or leaves the bottom hole of the tank. Pulling the Plunger Valve up opens the bottom of the tank, allowing yeast slurry and vegetal matter to fall through. It’s that easy!
Made from BPA-free, bottle-grade PET plastic, the unitank itself is pressure- rated at 5 bar, making it to the safest vessel of its size for pressure fermentation. Fermenting under pressure has its benefits in spades; these include low ester formation, less dependence on temperature control, oxygen- free transfer and beer that is near-carbonated after fermentation. For homebrewers and pilot brewers, this one should be a no-brainer.

Safety Protocols

The Apollo is made of bottle-grade PET plastic that is highly crystalline and pressurisable. The following protocols must be addressed to ensure your own safety when handling the tank under pressure.

• Do not expose the tank to temperatures above 50°C (122°F) or below -2°C (28.5°F)
• Do not apply more than 2.4 bar (35 psi) to the tank under any circumstance
• Never connect to an unregulated pressure source
• If you connect to an external pressure source; ensure it has an independent pressure release valve (PRV)
• Use only the RED PRV supplied by MCH Australia Pty Ltd on the pressure lid
• Do not use the tank under pressure if it has been physically damaged i.e. dropped on the ground
• The tank is pressure tested at production and is marked with a date for retesting. Past the marked date, ensure that the tank undergoes a hydrostatic pressure test before further usage under pressure.

Installation Guidelines

Bottom Section

1. The first part to install on the Apollo is the bottom spigot as this is the foundation for holding every succeeding part in place.
2.  Start by securing the Conical Seal onto the bottom face of the spigot.
3. Allow the spigot to fall in from the top of the tank to the bottom hole.
4. Seat the conical seal between the spigot and the conical surface of the tank.
5. Firmly lock in the spigot to the tank base by screwing on the Spigot Nut.
6. Seat the Collection Bottle Adaptor O-ring.
7. Attach the Collection Bottle Adaptor.
8. Screw in the Collection Bottle to the Collection Bottle Adaptor.
9. Fit the Plunger Valve O-ring inside the recess at the bottom end of the plunger valve.
10. The bottom end of the Plunger Valve sits inside the spigot through the tank with the centre rod and top end standing stable and upright.

Middle Section

1. With the Plunger Valve in place in the bottom assembly, attach one end of the Silicone Dip Tube onto the Pickup Float then slide the ring of the Pickup Float down the Plunger Valve Rod.
2. Snap the C-clip into place on the recess of the Plunger Valve Rod beneath the two black O-rings to limit how high the Plunger Valve can be lifted during fermentation.

Top Section
Out of the box, the Apollo lid has 4 ports available for use for:

• 2x ball lock posts
• The PRV/dryhop port
• The Central Plunger Valve
  1. Seat the PRV Housing into the PRV port along with the PRV.
  2. Place the SS dip tubes with O-rings through the ball lock post ports on the lid.
  3. Insert a Universal Poppet into each ball lock post.
  4. Tighten down the liquid and gas posts to the thread ball lock post ports on the lid (it does not matter which side you choose to place the liquid or gas).
  5. Slide the top end of the Silicone Dip Tube onto the SS dip tube under the Liquid Ball Lock Post.
  6. Align the central port of the lid with the Plunger Valve Rod and push the lid through until it is seated firmly onto the top mouth of the tank.
  7. Screw on the neck ring to firmly hold down the lid assembly.
  8. Place the Plunger Valve Handle on top of the Plunger Valve Rod.
  9. Use the Allen Key provided to tighten the grub screw in the handle to the Plunger Valve Rod.

Operation Guidelines

Leak Test
It is important to check for leaks to ensure that all of the parts are securely in place so that no beer is lost and the vessel can operate safely during fermentation. To do this:

1. Remove the collection bottle and push down on the plunger valve so that it is firmly settled inside the spigot.
2. Pressurise the tank to no higher than 20 psi.
3.  Disconnect the gas line and detect for leaks using a spray bottle filled with foaming sanitiseror soapy water around the seals and joins of the top and bottom assemblies.
4. To fix a leak, DEPRESSURISE the tank first before readjusting the fittings.

Cleaning and Sanitation

1. For cleaning, we recommend non-caustic products such as sodium percarbonate or our Atomic 15 ABC (Alkaline Brewery Cleaner product code 9006) and To make cleaning easier, we recommend our CIP Cleaning Kit that attaches to the inside of your Lid!
2.  For sanitising your Apollo , it is best to go with non-rinse phosphoric acid. type sanitisers  such as Atomic 15 Foaming Sanitiser (product code 9001) or anything similar.
3.  Do not use caustic soda or strong acids as they will deteriorate the plastic material of the tank.
4. Do not exceed temperatures above 30°C. PET is a soft plastic and will deform at higher temperatures.
5. For scrubbing protein residuals, soft sponges are highly recommended. Do not use steel wools.

Fermentation
Wort should be chilled to below 30°C prior to transfer to the Apollo tank.
After pitching in the yeast, close up the tank and ferment with the plunger valve OPEN and the collection bottle ATTACHED. Leaving the Plunge Valve closed during fermentation could create a pressure differential between the collection bottle and tank potentially causing the collection bottle to rupture.
To control Apollo ’s internal pressure, we recommend attaching the Keg King spunding valve (9161) to an MFL gas ball lock disconnect (8282 for plastic, 7797 for stainless steel) and affixing the spunding valve set up to the gas ball lock post on the Apollo G3 lid.
Temperature can be monitored through the thermowell built into the Plunge Valve. Simply insert a temperature control device probe 6mm or under into the thermowell to gauge liquid temperature readings at any height within the fermenting beverage.
During and after fermentation, hops can be added to the fermenter by de- pressurising and utilising the dryhop port for pellet hops. Once added, the tank can be purged and re-pressured with a regulated CO2 source.
Sampling from the fermenter can be easily done with the liquid to liquid transfer line (9183). Simply connect one end to the liquid post and move the liquid out by pushing down on the internal pin of the opposite disconnect. No additional CO2 is required as the fermenter is already pressurised. When fermentation is complete, bring the temperature of the beverage down to cold crash the yeast and increase beverage clarity. You can remove the spunding valve and attach a gas line to hold your desired carbonation pressure when the liquid is cold.
To collect the yeast, push down on the plunger valve to seal the tank’s bottom port assembly and remove the collection bottle.
If the internal gas pressure of the tank after fermentation was not enough to carbonate your beverage entirely after cold crashing, attach a regulated CO2 source to the gas post to allow the beverage to finish carbonating to your desired carbonation level.
Storage
After each fermentation, it is a best practice to clean and sanitise fermenter, then store dry. We recommend pressurising the tank to 10 psi and storing in a cool room away from sunlight. This ensures that your tank stays free from oxygen and bacteria for up to 2 weeks.
2 Inch Tri Clover Adaptor
Apollo G3 includes a 2inch tri clover adaptor. The adaptor can be used in place of the collection bottle. Simply screw the threaded end of the adaptor into the bottom assembly of the fermenter.
Brewers can choose to attach 2 inch tri clover equipment that utilises 2 inch tri clover seals and clamps. *Be aware, heavy 2 inch tri clover equipment could damage the fermenter and plastic adaptor.
Cooling Coils
Inserting the Cooling Coil Kit is optional and for this reason, the ports for the Cooling Coil will need to be manually drilled into the lid. To insert the cooling coils:

1. Drill two 13mm diameter holes through the indentations marked on the lid.
2. Protrude the Cooling Coil Posts from the bottom of the Apollo G3 lid so that the male threads are facing upward with the O-rings on the underside.
3. Secure each post by screwing the Cooling Coil Nut onto the male thread.
4. The Cooling Coil connects to the Lid by pushing the ends through the Cooling Coil Posts. Adjust the seating level of the Cooling Coil to finish.

CIP Cleaning Kit
CIP stands for Clean In Place. Our optional Apollo Cleaning Kit includes the following parts to provide brewers with a powerful CIP system for getting their tanks sparkling clean without scrubbing. The required parts are:

• ½ BSP Female Hose Barb (5717)
• ½ BSP Stainless Steel Sprayball (9162-2)
• 2 meters of Silicone Tube Hose 12.5mm x 18.5 mm (5496)
• 70W submersible pump (8051-1)
• 15L bucket (8051-5)

Cleaning Kit Operation

1. Remove all fittings from the tank except the lid and neck ring and place them in the 15L bucket.
2. The pump comes pre-packed with a black hose barb. This is to be screwed onto the outlet of the submersible pump. Place the pump in the middle of the bucket.
3. Attach the CIP Sprayball to the underside of the lid.
4.  Attach the ½ BSP female hose barb to the top side of the lid.
5. Link the silicone tubing from the barbed pump outlet to the barb at the top of the fermenter lid.
6. Fill the tank with 5 litres of warm water at no higher than 50°C and Atomic 15 ABC (9006) or other recommended cleaner mixed to the recommended dosage.
7. Seat the bucket right underneath the tank.
8. Run the pump to drive the cleaning solution through the sprayball until no fermentation residue is noticeable on the interior surfaces of the tank.
9. Rinse with clean water.

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