KegLand KL25898 27L Gen3 FermZilla Tri Conical Instruction Manual

: June 3, 2024
: KegLand

Table of Contents

KL25898 27L Gen3 FermZilla Tri Conical
WARNINGS
FermZilla Lid Assembly
FermZilla Butterfly (Dump) Valve Assembly
FermZilla Butterfly (Dump) Valve Disassembly
FermZilla Collection Container Assembly
FermZilla Collection Container Removal
Yeast Harvesting and Trub Dumping
Low Oxygen Dry Hopping
Cleaning the FermZilla:
Using the FermZilla under pressure:
GREAT TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

KL25898 27L Gen3 FermZilla Tri Conical
Instruction Manual KegLand KL25898 27L Gen3 FermZilla Tri
Conical

KL25898 27L Gen3 FermZilla Tri Conical

This instruction sheet contains vital information that is related to the safe usage and handling of the FermZilla Uni Tank. It is vital that you read this instruction sheet from front to back before using the product! THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY
Ferment, Clarify, Dispense. The uni tank does it all with ease.

WARNINGS

Do not loosen the tri-clover clamps when the FermZilla is under pressure. Purge all pressure in the FermZilla and the collection container before loosening the tri-clover clamps.
When not under pressure do not expose to liquids above 55°C (131°F). Only clean, wash or sanitize the fermenter with cold water.
When under pressure do not expose to any temperatures above 35°C (95°F).
Keep the fermenter out of direct sun or heat. Do not expose to UV rays of any sort.
If you are using a heat belt to warm the fermenter then only have the heat belt sitting below the liquid level. Do not use an unregulated heat source, only use heat sources that are plugged into a temperature controller.
Under no circumstances apply more than 2.5bar (35PSI) to the fermenter tank and do not connect an unregulated pressure source. If you connect an external pressure source ensure it has an independent PRV pre-set to 35psi or below.
A spending valve set below 35psi must always be connected to the FermZilla when fermenting under pressure or connected to the recipient keg when performing a closed transfer.
Do not tamper with the pressure relief valve. Only use the red or yellow colored pressure relief valve supplied by England.
If a vigorous fermentation is experienced and krausen or wort has contacted the PRV, ensure to remove the PRV and clean it before putting the FermZilla under pressure.
If the fermenter is scratched, damaged or has been under any physical duress; do not use the fermenter under pressure.
If you use the fermenter under pressure hydro-test the fermenter every 24 months to ensure it is safe to use.
Only use chemical cleaners and sanitizers that are approved by England. These include: a) Super Kill Ethyl Sanitiser Spray (effective for sanitizing the exterior of the FermZilla) (Ethyl Sanitiser Spray 1000mL (Ethanol, Alcohol) – (also can be used as hand sanitiser) (kegland.com.au)) b) StellarSan (mixed to the correct specification) (StellarSan Sanitiser 500mL | Phophoric Acid Based Sanitiser (kegland.com.au)) c) StellarClean (not to be left in the FermZilla for more than 30 minutes) (KL05494) … Or contact https://www.kegland.com.au/ for more information regarding other compatible chemical cleaning products.
Keep the butterfly valve always open during fermentation. Only close the butterfly valve once fermentation has ceased and hydrometer readings are stable for 3 consecutive days.
Open the butterfly valve and ensure the system (including the collection container) is depressurized prior to removing the collection container.
Do not over-tighten carbonation caps onto the threads of the lid or collection container, doing so could result in the thread being stripped. We recommend using the plastic carbonation and line cleaning caps (Red Ball Lock Plastic Carbonation Cap x 6.35mm duotight (kegland.com.au)).
Do not over-tighten the stainless-steel handles onto the neck of the FermZilla.
Avoid lifting the FermZilla while full. If filled with wort avoid moving the FermZilla to prevent sticky wort from preventing the PRV from operating.
Always conduct a leak test prior to beginning fermentation.

FermZilla Tri-Conical 27L and 55L Instruction Manual

1x FermZilla Tri-Conical Tank with Metal Neck Ring
1 x Stainless Steel Stand with Swing Handles
1 xFermZilla – Replacement 304 Grade Stainless Steel Handle (kegland.com.au)
1 x Lid assembly including FermZilla – Replacement Lid Ring (kegland.com.au), FermZilla Replacement Lid – Made from glass reinforced engineering plastics (kegland.com.au) with Cornelius Keg Lid Pressure Relief Valve (PRV) | KegLand – 35psi (2.5Bar) Red and FermZilla Conical – Seal Kit (Lid, Collection Container and Cone O-Ring) (kegland.com.au)
1 x Grommet PCO1881 Black Cap + 1 x Blank PCO1881 Black Cap for Lid
1 x 3 Piece Airlock | KegLand
1 x Strip Stick On Thermometer (kegland.com.au)
1 x Level Indicator Sticker (Litres and Gallons)
1 x 3 Inch tri-clover to 2 Inch tri-clover Butterfly Valve
1 x 3 Inch tri-clover 3 Piece Clamp
1 x 3 3 Inch Tri Clover Silicone Beaded Seal – For Sanitary Tri-Clamp Brewery Hardware (3″) (kegland.com.au)
1 x FermZilla Collection Container 1000ml (1 Liter) (kegland.com.au) with 2 x Blank PCO1881 Black Caps
1 x 2 FermZilla Collection Container 2 Inch Tri Clover lid adaptor – Harvest Container for Brewbuilt Fermenters (kegland.com.au)for Collection Container
1 x 2 Inch Tri Clover silicone Beaded Seal (2″) – For Sanitary Tri-Clamp Brewery Hardware (kegland.com.au)
1 x 2 Inch Tri Clover Clamp (used for Alcoengine reflux stills) (kegland.com.au)
1 x FermZilla Conical – Seal Kit (Lid, Collection Container and Cone O-Ring) (kegland.com.au)
1 x FermZilla Conical – Seal Kit (Lid, Collection Container and Cone O-Ring) (kegland.com.au)

FermZilla Lid Assembly

Ensure the lid assembly has the o-ring attached.
Apply some food-grade lubricant to the o-ring to extend the life of this o-ring and threads. Adding lubricant will also improve the sealing ability of the o-ring.
Place the lid onto the neck of the tank and screw down the threaded lid ring.
Use one of the bottle caps to close one of the holes in the lid.
Ensure the Red PRV is placed into the pressure relief valve.
Push the three-piece air-lock into the silicone bung then push both parts into the remaining hole in the lid.

FermZilla 304 Stainless Steel Handles Assembly

Insert a bolt into a hole in each of the handles.
Screw a nut onto the bolt. Don’t tighten this nut yet.
Place the handles around the collar of the FermZilla as shown in the image below.
Insert the second bolt into the remaining holes on the handle and screw the remaining nut onto this bolt.
Tighten the two nuts while holding the bolts to prevent them from spinning. Do not overtighten as it can warp the opening of the FermZilla. The handles should be able to freely rotate around the neck of the FermZilla. If they cannot rotate then it is too tight.

NOTE: It is suggested to orientate the handle during assembly such that the exposed thread of the bolt furthest away from you is oriented to the left so that when undoing the collar of the FermZilla it reduces the risk of hitting your hand on this exposed thread of the bolt. This orientation is shown to the right.

FermZilla Butterfly (Dump) Valve Assembly

Place the 3″ tri-clover seal and butterfly valve onto the 3″ tri-clover ferrule on the tank. Fasten the butterfly valve in place onto the vessel using the 3″ tri-clover 3-Piece clamp, ensuring that the seal is seated in the groove on the butterfly valve and tank.
Note: It is a good idea to lubricate tri-clover seals using food-grade lubricant to help form a hermetic seal.

FermZilla Butterfly (Dump) Valve Disassembly

IMPORTANT: Depressurise the vessel prior to disassembling the butterfly dump valve. To release the pressure in the vessel, pull the ring on the PRV on the lid until there is no audible hissing heard.
Once the vessel is depressurized the butterfly valve can be removed by loosening the 3″ tri-clover clamp which holds the butterfly valve in place.
FermZilla Collection Container
The collection bottle has several uses. Its primary function is to collect and harvest yeast however it can also be used for other purposes such as:

Reagent Bottle
Dry Hopping Bottle
Beer Sampling Bottle
Collection and disposal of unwanted trub or hop material
Carbonation of small samples of product
Yeast culturing container

The FermZilla collection container has also conveniently manufactured with heat-resistant Tritan plastic meaning it’s not only robust and chemical resistant, but also heat resistant and will handle extended contact in hot water 100°C (212°F)

FermZilla Collection Container Assembly

It is suggested to first apply food-grade lubricant to the o-ring on the collection container. Suitable lubricant can be sourced on our website (KL07221).
Screw the lubricated collection container into the thread on the bottom of the 2-inch tri-clover lid and tighten it with a collection container removal tool (KL14250). Make sure to not overtighten, tighten just enough to form a leak-proof seal.
Install a 2″ tri-clover onto 2″ tri-clover lid and secure to the butterfly valve using a 2″ tri-clover clamp, ensuring that the seal is seated in the groove on the collection container lid and butterfly valve.

Collection Container Correct Tightness

FermZilla Collection Container Removal

It is extremely important that if you have wort in the collection container attached that you keep the butterfly valve open during the entirety of the fermentation process. The butterfly valve should only be closed once fermentation has ceased which is to be determined by three consecutive days of the same Specific Gravity Reading.
To remove the collection container once fermentation has ceased it is important to depressurize the entire system. To release the pressure in the vessel, open the butterfly valve and pull the ring on the PRV until there is no audible hissing from the PRV. It is also a good idea to loosen one of the carbonation caps on the collection vessel to ensure the collection vessel is completely depressurized.
Once the system is depressurized the butterfly valve can then be closed if there is liquid in the FermZilla. Then the lid and collection container can be detached from the butterfly valve by loosening the tri-clover clamp which holds the 2″ tri-clover lid in place.

Yeast Harvesting and Trub Dumping

In order to harvest yeast simply screw the yeast collection bottle onto the tri-clover Butterfly Valve. You can insert this bottle right from the start of fermentation.
Fermentation is no different to any other fermenter. Once the wort is inside the fermenter pitch yeast as you would normally.
Once the collection bottle has been fitted open the butterfly valve yeast can fall down into the collection bottle. The butterfly valve is open when the handle is facing in the vertical direction and it’s off when it’s in the horizontal position.
By chilling, the fermenter will accelerate the process of the yeast falling out of suspension and it will greatly speed up the clarification process. The easiest way to chill the FermZilla is by fermenting in a dedicated fermentation fridge. Ensure that there is some pressure in the FermZilla when chilling to prevent a vacuum from forming.
Once the bottle is full of yeast you can re-cap and store it in the fridge for your next brew or discard, rinse and sanitize if you just want to dump the trub.

Low Oxygen Dry Hopping

The introduction of oxygen into the beer post-fermentation is undesirable as it results in oxidation of your beer causing what is described as cardboard off flavor to your final product. Oxidation also results in loss of hop flavor and aroma and hence low oxygen dry hopping is great for hoppy beer styles such as NEIPAs, CPAs, Pale Ales, and IPAs where you want a punchy hop aroma and flavor.
The FermZilla Tri-conical offers low oxygen dry hopping capability with very few extra required parts and is quite easy and quick to introduce into your normal fermentation schedule.
To perform a low-oxygen dry hop you will need to replace at least one of the PCO1881 Black Caps on the collection container with a Red Ball Lock Plastic Carbonation Cap x 6.35mm duotight (kegland.com.au). This will allow you to connect a CO2 cylinder, Kegland Regulators and parts for refillable tanks, 5mm ID Beer and Gas Line with 8mm OD, Valpar flexmaster, kegerator, draft system (kegland.com.au), and Ball Lock Disconnect (Grey/Gas) – duotight 8mm (5/16″) – Home Brew Corny Keg Disconnect for Ball Lock Kegs (kegland.com.au) to your collection vessel allowing you to pressurize it and purge the oxygen from the collection container.

Sanitize your collection vessel and place your dry hops into the collection vessel.
Attach the collection vessel and 2″ tri-clover lid to the butterfly valve on the FermZilla TriConical vessel.
Set your regulator to between 5-10psi and connect your ball lock disconnect to the carbonation cap to pressurize the collection container with CO2.
Disconnect the ball lock disconnect and purge the pressure in the collection container by slightly loosening the carbonation cap. Then retighten the carbonation cap and repeat step three at least 3 more times to purge as much oxygen as possible.
Once the collection container has been successfully purged open the butterfly valve to allow the beer to flow into the collection container.

Cleaning the FermZilla:

Release all pressure from the FermZilla vessel and collection container.
Remove the FermZilla collection container, tri-clover butterfly Valve, and lid.
Rinse the walls of the FermZilla vessel, collection container, lid, and butterfly valve (including the external face of the butterfly valve) with cold water. A garden hose is particularly useful for rinsing and dislodging yeast/hop matter.
Use a non-abrasive cloth to remove any stuck particulate matter from the walls of the FermZilla, lid, collection vessel, and butterfly valve.
Reattach the butterfly valve and close the valve, leaving the collection vessel unattached.
Rinse the collection vessel by filling it with cold water and Stellarclean according to the instructions on the tub, attach the lid and shake to dislodge any yeast/hop matter.
Then fill the FermZilla with cold water and the correct dosage of StellarClean according to the instructions on the tub. After 30 minutes of soaking with StellarClean, gently wipe away any soiling with a soft cloth. Make sure not to use harsh scrubbers that may scratch the plastic and create ideal places for batch-ruining bacteria to hide.
If there is a large number of hops or yeast coating the walls of the fermenter it is best to perform a longer overnight wash using StellarOxy. Do not leave StellarClean in the vessel for longer than 30 minutes as this can damage the tank
Remove the lid and drain the StellarClean/StellarOxy solution by opening the butterfly valve and then rinse using cold water.
Fill the FermZilla and collection vessel with cold water again and add StellarSan according to the instructions on the bottle. Reattach the lid and shake the full FermZilla to coat all surfaces.
StellarSan can be left in the vessel until the next fermentation.

Cleaning the PRV:
If Krause or sticky wort has contacted the PRV you will need to clean the PRV to ensure it still activates at 35psi.
This can be easily done by releasing the pressure in the FermZilla by pulling on the ring pull until no pressure is left in the vessel, then unscrewing the PRV.
Submerge this PRV in StellarClean solution to remove any sticky residue. Once all the residue has been removed, sanitize the PRV with StellarSan or ethyl kill solution and screw it back into the pressure lid.
Using the FermZilla without pressure:
The FermZillas were designed to be used optimally with a source of CO2 pressure. While they were not designed with gravity-only operation in mind, there is some workaround that will allow you to get most of the FermZilla’s benefits without a source of CO2.
Taking hydrometer samples and bottling:
By attaching a ball lock post to the bottom of the collection jar, you now have a variety of removable options at your fingertips. You can connect a sanitized picnic tap (KL00963) mounted to a disconnect (to allow to take hydrometer samples. Simply slip some 10mm hose over the end of this and you now have a simple bottling gun! Just make sure the FermZilla is elevated so that gravity can carry your beer down to the bottle. You may need to squirt out some of the trub and yeast sediment before getting clear beer. Crash cooling will make the trub compact faster.

Using the FermZilla under pressure:

Performing a Leak Test
If you intend to use FermZilla under pressure it is strongly advised to perform a leak test prior to commencing fermentation.
This will require access to an external pressure source such as a CO2 cylinder with a Type 30 MK4 regulator. To thoroughly pressure test the FermZilla it is best to perform a pressure decay leak test.
Pressure Decay Leak Test Procedure

Pressurize the FermZilla to a minimum of 15psi (but not more than 35psi).
Turn the CO2 cylinder off and leave it to sit for a few hours.
Check of the pressure within the vessel has decreased.

If the pressure in the FermZilla has dropped from the original set pressure then there is a leak occurring from somewhere on the FermZilla.
This could be occurring from the carbonation caps, the lid, the butterfly valve assembly or the collection container assembly.
To Identify the source of the leak it is best to spray or sponge soapy water over all potential leak sites and look for bubbles being produced.
Fermenting under pressure:
Some people believe that beer that is naturally fermented under pressure is the traditional and best way to ferment. Almost all large commercial breweries inherently ferment under some degree of pressure due to the fact that they have tall tanks and the pressure at the bottom of the tank is significant even if no pressure has been applied to the headspace of the tank. With the FermZilla it’s possible to ferment at higher temperatures, and faster speeds, and produce cleaner beers. Not all beer styles should be fermented under pressure, as some beer styles such as Saisons and Belgian ales benefit from non-pressure fermentation to produce the ester and phenolic flavors classic to these beer styles. In order to perform pressure fermentation, you will need to purchase the following additional parts:
– 2 x Carbonation caps. We would advise getting one red plastic carbonation cap (KL10788) and one yellow carbonation cap so you can differentiate which carbonation cap has the dip tube attached to it.
– 1 x Silicone dip tube with stainless float (KL09241).
– 1 x Duotight Blowtie 2 Spending Valve (KL15042) or Bowtie Spending Valve kit (KL09706).
This bowtie spunding valve should be set at your desired fermentation pressure and should not be set above 35psi. When the vessel is under pressure do not expose it to temperatures greater than 35°C (95°F).
When fermenting under pressure you must not close the butterfly valve during fermentation if you have wort in the collection vessel which has not finished fermenting. Only close the butterfly valve once fermentation has ceased and hydrometer readings are stable for 3 consecutive days.
When removing the collection container for example when dumping trub or yeast make sure to open the butterfly valve and ensure the system (including the collection container) is depressurized prior to removing the collection container.
Pressure Transfers:
Easily avoid oxygen getting into your beer and staling it prematurely by transferring it under CO2 pressure in a closed loop system straight to your kegs! Oxygen is the enemy of beer, by going straight from the floating dip tube on the FermZilla to the liquid post on your keg, you can be sure your precious beer won’t come into any contact with the outside out.
A pressure transfer will require an external CO2 source such as a CO2 cylinder(KL01489 or KL01496) and an MK4 regulator (KL07429) or a Sodastream cylinder (KL08631) and mini 360 core actuator regulator (KL15868).
It is best to attach a spending valve to the gas (IN) post of the keg and set a small pressure difference between the FermZilla and keg at the start of the pressure transfer to avoid excess foaming of the beer during the transfer. Later in the pressure transfer, you can increase the pressure difference between the keg and FermZilla by opening the spending valve further to release more pressure.

GREAT TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED

1. No need to do a whirlpool in your kettle
Due to the fact that you now have a conical fermenter, there is no need to do a whirlpool in your kettle. Once your wort has cooled you can dump all trub and hop material from your boil into your fermenter. The boiled hops and trub will settle out in the cone quickly and you can easily dump this directly from the butterfly valve. The clear tank wall will enable you to separate clear wort from trub far more easily than in your kettle and collect the trub into the collection jar.
2. Dry hop without compromise
Traditionally, most home brewers who want to dry hop are forced to remove the lid of the fermenter to insert hops. Removing the fermenter lid increases the risk of contamination and it also introduces significant amounts of oxygen to your fermented beer. You can avoid these issues by dry hopping with the collection bottle. After yeast has been collected and the butterfly valve is clear of debris, simply fill the collection bottle with your favorite hop and re-fit this to the butterfly valve. The hops will float up through the beer and introduce a fantastic hop aroma. Note: If you have a CO2 cylinder you can also purge the oxygen out of the hops before connecting to the butterfly valve.
3. Make yeast starters in the collection container
You can make up to 900ml starters in the microwave, boiled directly in the collection jar! Simply remove the collection jar o-ring (not microwaveable and needs to be removed to allow for steam to exit) and any lube, put your starter wort in there and rest the lid on top of the jar (don’t screw the lid down and make sure you’re using plastic bottle caps on the accessory ports) before microwaving on a lower power setting. After boiling for a minute in the microwave, remove, add back on the o-ring, throw in a sanitized stir bar and place some sanitized foil over the opening before allowing it to cool. Pitch yeast and place onto stir plate.

www.KegLand.com.au
Last Updated 2/03/2022 3:06 PM