The only problem is that you need to change the ice frequently, particularly during active fermentation. In practice the system worked very well keeping my fermentation temperature within a degree (F) of my set point. When the temperature rises more than a degree above the temperature you set it starts the pump up which recirculates cold water from the cooler through the coil in the fermenter and chills it.
In operation, the control unit monitors temperature of the fermenter using a thermocouple in the thermowell. I did not test the heating pad as my basement remains warm year round. There is also an optional unit with a heating pad if you need both heating and chilling. You also need to change the ice out every 12-24 hours. I used my old Igloo (Gott) cooler that was once a mash tun. You need a separate picnic or igloo (Gott) cooler with ice in it to provide a cold water source. The optional FTSS system for the Brewmaster series consists of just a submersible pump and a temperature control unit with a thermcouple, plus a short length of vinyl hose. The last step was sealing the top tri-clamp and fitting a 1/2″ hose running down to a small container of water acting as an air lock. The 3″ tri-clamp on the top of the fermenter makes it easy to add spices or dry hops, and the entire lid is removable if you really need to get in and remove a large additive like a bag of fruit. I aerated the wort using a Blichmann oxygen wand and pure oxygen (which I’ll cover in a separate review) and pitched the yeast in the top.
The conical has volume markings on the inside of the fermenter which make it easy to manage your target volume. I filled the fermenter directly from my kettle by pumping it through the Therminator wort chiller and into the bottom of the conical. Near the end of my brew day I emptied it out and prepared for transfer. To sanitize the conical I filled it with Starsan after first soaking the various fittings, valves and clamps in Starsan and assembling them. To fully use the Brewtech Chronicals you do need a few accessories – which I’ve covered later in this article.
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