Thoughts on best glycol chiller: SS Brewtech vs. Penguin vs. Any others? (Not diy)

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Im curious how the penguin has been performing for you. Im in the same boat, I have no qualms about going DIY but something tells me I will eventually upgrade to a penguin anyway so why not skip a step.

thanks
 
Wag Bag said:
Im curious how the penguin has been performing for you. Im in the same boat, I have no qualms about going DIY but something tells me I will eventually upgrade to a penguin anyway so why not skip a step.

thanks
Click to expand...

Reviving this thread...Just got an email from Ss Brewtech, they have a Black Friday sale on their chillers. The 1/5 is now $809, that’s a good $90 off. Not sure how well it works though?
 
elgee said:
Reviving this thread...Just got an email from Ss Brewtech, they have a Black Friday sale on their chillers. The 1/5 is now $809, that’s a good $90 off. Not sure how well it works though?
Click to expand...

I'm sure it works fine ,there seems to be a lot of people who use their chillers. I couldnt afford one so I went diy route . Been very very happy with it .
 
elgee said:
Reviving this thread...Just got an email from Ss Brewtech, they have a Black Friday sale on their chillers. The 1/5 is now $809, that’s a good $90 off. Not sure how well it works though?
Click to expand...

Hey there. There is some great chiller info stuck in this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...nd-best-practices.645440/page-29#post-8725838

I have the Penguin. Love that they are a local usa company. But the resovoir is smaller- which may mean a bigger challange to get to really cold- aka below 36. Read that thread for some thoughts.
 
Nate R said:
I am sure you will be happy!!
I was so happy to not have to change frozen water jugs... and can you say Lager?!?!
Congrats!
Click to expand...

That is my motivation. My freezer will appreciate the extra space it will get back.
 
Is the Stasis shipping yet? Their website says fulfillment was supposed to start in November. I decided today to get a chiller so now I need to decide between the Penguin, Icemaster, Ss and the Stasis. Anyone have experience with the Ss yet?
 
hezagenius said:
Is the Stasis shipping yet? Their website says fulfillment was supposed to start in November. I decided today to get a chiller so now I need to decide between the Penguin, Icemaster, Ss and the Stasis. Anyone have experience with the Ss yet?
Click to expand...

My 0.02 would be stay away fron the Stasis. I have not used it, but when i was shopping it seemed limited compared to the other options, but not that much cheaper.
But do your research- especially since i have only used penguin.
I like the ss/icemaster is on wheels and bigger reservoir. Penguin works SO fast for me tho- it is barely on unless i am crashing. Since it is in the house i needed quiet and small. Ymmv
 
hezagenius said:
Is the Stasis shipping yet? Their website says fulfillment was supposed to start in November. I decided today to get a chiller so now I need to decide between the Penguin, Icemaster, Ss and the Stasis. Anyone have experience with the Ss yet?
Click to expand...

I went with the Penguin because for basically the same price as the Ss, it’s more powerful (1/3 vs 1/5 hp) and the BTU output is significantly higher (1450 vs 2200). I will be using mine for a lot of cold conditioning in a Ss brite tank. The other thing is the Ss unit is quite large and has almost a 5 gallon bath, compared to 1.75 gallon on Penguin. The Stasis is not really designed to use for prolonged cold crashing or serving temp usage from what they told me, so I took that out of the running. Finally, the Icemaster has an even larger bath and a lot of negative issues. I got my Penguin last week haven’t used it yet, but it’s pretty small so it’s good for small spaces.
 
elgee said:
....Finally, the Icemaster has an even larger bath and a lot of negative issues. I got my Penguin last week haven’t used it yet, but it’s pretty small so it’s good for small spaces.
Click to expand...

Please expand on the negative issues. Have you been reading anything recent as in the last 4-5 months?

Look, I get it when people like suggesting what the bought or recently bought. Not too many people admit they may have made a mistake. That happens with practically everything people buy, not just brew equipment. We all do it to some degree. I like to be specific rather than making a way too general statement.

But what is painfully obvious by reading the recent posts in the last 4-5 months: 1) the Icemaster 100 "negative" issue with the drain plug has been addressed and fixed and 2) three very, very recent purchasers of Penguins have posted they could not get it to chill below 40F. I have not read one post from a Penguin owner where they said they could get the unit down to 32F. On the other hand, several Icemaster 100 owners easily achieve that feat.

I believe the small reservoir on the Penguin has some contributing factor of why it is so hard to get to a low temp. Many Penguin owners have cited the reasons are too many that could affect why they could not get down to 32F. I haven't read one post from an Icemaster 100 owner making the same statements. Maybe because the Icemaster 100 is 3/8 HP with 3200 btus.

Rather than merely throwing out general information loosely, it would be more beneficial to the reader if you cited specific "negatives" so as they can make an informed decision themselves. Parroting simply does not help.

I have not read any true experiences from owners of Stasis. The only thing I know is that it can only handle one fermenter at a time. So, expansion opportunities in using with multiple fermenters is not an option. Since there is no real price advantage, the only benefit that people may like is its small footprint size.
 
One of my hang-ups with the Penguin is that it's essentially a repurposed window AC unit, correct? Does the Icemaster have a more dedicated design, or are the guts of the Penguin and Icemaster essentially the same?
 
hezagenius said:
One of my hang-ups with the Penguin is that it's essentially a repurposed window AC unit, correct? Does the Icemaster have a more dedicated design, or are the guts of the Penguin and Icemaster essentially the same?
Click to expand...

I think the original Ss was also similar, wonder if that’s why they changed the design?
 
hezagenius said:
One of my hang-ups with the Penguin is that it's essentially a repurposed window AC unit, correct? Does the Icemaster have a more dedicated design, or are the guts of the Penguin and Icemaster essentially the same?
Click to expand...

There was a thread by HBT members that showed the Penguin as a repurposed ac unit. Pictures of the ac unit were posted in that thread that clearly showed it.

The Icemaster is not a repurposed window a/c unit. The guts of the Icemaster are not even close to the Penguin. It is a total different design than the Penguin....larger reservoir, larger 3/8 HP, more SS bulkheads, larger btus 3200. It was designed to be a glycol chiller first and not an after thought.
 
@hezagenius, I'm not sure if you saw this. The Icemaster 100 had previously sold out and was on back order. It is now available at MoreBeer. With MoreBeer's 15% off, that reduces the Icemaster 100 from $799.99 to $679.99.....a $120 savings.
 
@CodeSection
Thanks. I've been periodically checking their site. I was debating between buying now and waiting until a sale closer to spring. My garage should be plenty cool for the winter so I should only need a heating option for now
 
@CodeSection ...
Generally, how long does it take you to chill to crash from say 65ish to 36ish? With the Icemaster
And what size batch?

I can get my 5 gal from 70 to 40 in about an hour or two... then from 40 to 35 it takes longer. Science of some kind i am sure.
 
Nate R said:
@CodeSection ...
Generally, how long does it take you to chill to crash from say 65ish to 36ish? With the Icemaster
And what size batch?

I can get my 5 gal from 70 to 40 in about an hour or two... then from 40 to 35 it takes longer. Science of some kind i am sure.
Click to expand...

I brew twice the amount you do ~ 10 gallon batches and have roughly 10.93 gallons in the fermenter. Therefore, it will take longer to lower the temperature.

I never paid much attention to the exact timing it took to cool. However, here is a recent picture of my Tilt's reading when using Brewfather that gives good information. I am able to go along the data lines to get the time and temperatures.

Here are some points on the chart:
Started crashing 11/25 17:00 71.7F
11/25 23:00 48.2F
11/26 05:00 39.5F
11/26 06:00 31.2F
11/26 08:00 28.9F

If you would like more data points, just let me know.

Pocahontas Pumpkin Ale.PNG
 
CodeSection said:
I brew twice the amount you do ~ 10 gallon batches and have roughly 10.93 gallons in the fermenter. Therefore, it will take longer to lower the temperature.

I never paid much attention to the exact timing it took to cool. However, here is a recent picture of my Tilt's reading when using Brewfather that gives good information. I am able to go along the data lines to get the time and temperatures.

Here are some points on the chart:
Started crashing 11/25 17:00 71.7F
11/25 23:00 48.2F
11/26 05:00 39.5F
11/26 06:00 31.2F
11/26 08:00 28.9F

If you would like more data points, just let me know.

View attachment 656429
Click to expand...

Nah thats great, ty!! I figured you were 10 gal... not really apples to apples.

Thanks!
 
... And Now Blichmann is getting into the game! As if there weren't already enough choices!
~~~~~~~
Description
$899.99
At least we know this never goes on sale... lol
Not sure what the BTU are
Please note this product is not yet released but is available for pre-order. It will begin shipping directly from the supplier the week of December 16th.

The Blichmann Engineering™ Glycol Chiller - 3/8HP pairs perfectly with their cooling kits. This will allow you to cool up to 6 fermenters.

  • Multi-vessel crashing and fermentation temperature control.
  • Convenient plug and play temperature controller dock.
  • Compatible with up to 6 Pump & Controller Kits (optional).
  • Tidy cable and hose management.
  • Small footprint.
  • Quiet operation.
  • Optional concentrated propylene glycol offered in convenient 2.5 gallon jug. Add one jug to your reservoir, top up the reservoir with water and you’re ready to chill!
Specifications:
  • 8 Gallon Glycol Reservoir
  • Compressor: 3/8 HP
  • Glycol reservoir temperature controlling range: 23˚F ~ 50˚F
  • Power supply: 120VAC
  • Power consumption: < 500W
  • Dimensions: 16” x 17” x 29”
Cold Crashing Capability:
  • 2 x 1 BBL Fermenters
  • 4 x 1/2 BBL Fermenters
  • 6 x 7 Gal and 14 Gal Fermenters
Fermentation Temperature Control Capability:
  • 4 x 1 BBL Fermenters
  • 6 x 7 Gal, 14 Gal, and 1/2 BBL Fermenters
 
Nate R said:
... And Now Blichmann is getting into the game! As if there weren't already enough choices!
~~~~~~~
Description
$899.99
At least we know this never goes on sale... lol
Not sure what the BTU are
Please note this product is not yet released but is available for pre-order. It will begin shipping directly from the supplier the week of December 16th.

The Blichmann Engineering™ Glycol Chiller - 3/8HP pairs perfectly with their cooling kits. This will allow you to cool up to 6 fermenters.

  • Multi-vessel crashing and fermentation temperature control.
  • Convenient plug and play temperature controller dock.
  • Compatible with up to 6 Pump & Controller Kits (optional).
  • Tidy cable and hose management.
  • Small footprint.
  • Quiet operation.
  • Optional concentrated propylene glycol offered in convenient 2.5 gallon jug. Add one jug to your reservoir, top up the reservoir with water and you’re ready to chill!
Specifications:
  • 8 Gallon Glycol Reservoir
  • Compressor: 3/8 HP
  • Glycol reservoir temperature controlling range: 23˚F ~ 50˚F
  • Power supply: 120VAC
  • Power consumption: < 500W
  • Dimensions: 16” x 17” x 29”
Cold Crashing Capability:
  • 2 x 1 BBL Fermenters
  • 4 x 1/2 BBL Fermenters
  • 6 x 7 Gal and 14 Gal Fermenters
Fermentation Temperature Control Capability:
  • 4 x 1 BBL Fermenters
  • 6 x 7 Gal, 14 Gal, and 1/2 BBL Fermenters
Click to expand...

Just realized you were talking about Blichmann and not SS Brewtech....

Their manual states 3400 BTUs. https://www.blichmannengineering.com/pub/media/wysiwyg/pdf/Glycol_Chiller_V1.pdf
 
Last edited:
The tube management looks weird on that Blichmann. Where are the connectors for the hoses? Looks like the tubes just go into the reservoir through a slit?
 
@daveerickson and @Nate R, I'm seeing $649.99 .... did you go to the link? See below, second from the bottom starting with "GLYCOL CHILLER...." and ending with "... ONLY $649.99"

Icemaster 100 Sale.PNG
 
Nate R said:
Yeah... ya gotta add to cart, then use promo code MORESANTA (its a 15% off sitewide deal)
Click to expand...

If that is the case, just call MoreBeer and they will honor that pricing since it is an advertised price that is prominently displayed on their website.
 
Well, it was good until it lasted. MoreBeer just changed the pricing on the website back up to $679.99. Therefore, they no longer have to honor the previous pricing of $649.99 unless you can show you relied upon it....

Hint: Maybe a screen shot will help....
 
I’m very happy with my penguin. Over a year old and still outstanding performance.
 
Punjom said:
I’m very happy with my penguin. Over a year old and still outstanding performance.
Click to expand...

I’m testing out my penguin with 5 gallons of water. It’s struggling to get below 40, I have the glycol set at 34, might be too high, but don’t want to freeze the coils since it’s just water in the fermenter. I assume if I bring it down to 28 it would do the trick of holding mid 30’s but not sure that’s possible with just water since it might freeze the coils.
 
elgee said:
I’m testing out my penguin with 5 gallons of water. It’s struggling to get below 40, I have the glycol set at 34, might be too high, but don’t want to freeze the coils since it’s just water in the fermenter. I assume if I bring it down to 28 it would do the trick of holding mid 30’s but not sure that’s possible with just water since it might freeze the coils.
Click to expand...

I have a jacketed conical without issue. How are your glycol/water lines configured to your fermenter?
 
Punjom said:
I have a jacketed conical without issue. How are your glycol/water lines configured to your fermenter?
Click to expand...

3 foot silicone lines covered in foam insulation. Noting too crazy. Fermentor is the Ss 7 gallon Cronical.
 
elgee said:
3 foot silicone lines covered in foam insulation. Noting too crazy. Fermentor is the Ss 7 gallon Cronical.
Click to expand...

Hoping someone can chime in with the same setup (SS Conical). Not sure how much heat the internal SS tubing can remove from the vessel. Are you looking to lager? Otherwise you should be good, it sounds like.
 
Punjom said:
Hoping someone can chime in with the same setup (SS Conical). Not sure how much heat the internal SS tubing can remove from the vessel. Are you looking to lager? Otherwise you should be good, it sounds like.
Click to expand...

My assumption is the chilling coils are not fully submerged. Had they been, it should go lower.
 
elgee said:
My assumption is the chilling coils are not fully submerged. Had they been, it should go lower.
Click to expand...

There's two different ways to mount the cooling coils in an Ss Chronical 7 gallon.
The permanent side mount is my favorite, and the coils will be at least 90-95% submerged for a 5-7 gallon batch. Mine has always been fully submerged for my average 6.6 gallon batch size.

The lid mounted coil position can end up only partially submerged for smaller batches, but there are coil extenders available that will fully submerge them in the fermenting wort for people who do smaller batches. The drawback with this installation for me was that it only works with a standard flat lid and I didn't want to loose using my domed 3" TC lid.

Both are good and effective ways of mounting the coil however.

Brooo Brother
 
Brooothru said:
There's two different ways to mount the cooling coils in an Ss Chronical 7 gallon.
The permanent side mount is my favorite, and the coils will be at least 90-95% submerged for a 5-7 gallon batch. Mine has always been fully submerged for my average 6.6 gallon batch size.

The lid mounted coil position can end up only partially submerged for smaller batches, but there are coil extenders available that will fully submerge them in the fermenting wort for people who do smaller batches. The drawback with this installation for me was that it only works with a standard flat lid and I didn't want to loose using my domed 3" TC lid.

Both are good and effective ways of mounting the coil however.

Brooo Brother
Click to expand...

I ordered the extenders last night, so we will see how that works out.
 

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