phone(866) 826-2993
shopping_cart

North Slope Chillers

Industrial Water Chiller Systems

Blog

Fermentation Cooling Jackets

· ·

Wrap Up To Stay Cool

Whether you are wine making, distilling, or brewing, temperature control during the fermentation stage is crucial. Keeping fermentation chambers within specified temperature zones ensures ideal flavors, colors, aromas and alcohol levels in your drinks.

download OUr brewing guide

Fermentation containers come in all shapes and sizes: from massive steel chambers, to medium conical fermenters, all the way down to small car-boy fermenters for small batches and home brewing.

The methods of cooling these chambers are as varied as the fermentation containers themselves. These chilling methods can be approached from two directions: inside or outside.

Cooling From The Inside

Some fermentation chillers involve inserting a cooling rod or coil down into your fermenting liquid. These devices then cool the liquid through direct contact. Cooling a fermentation container from the inside comes with added risks. Anytime a tool or device is inserted into your fermenting liquid, you risk exposure to unwanted microorganisms (such as wild yeasts) that can alter flavors, as well as bacteria, potentially tainting your drink. Opening a fermentation chamber to insert cooling devices also increases the change of oxidization spoilage.

Using this cooling method also greatly decreases the chilling efficiency. Fermentation liquid is exposed to a much smaller cooling surface area, leading it to not cool as effectively, especially for medium to large batches. This also increases the risk of hot and cool spots in the fermenting liquid, making it harder for the yeast to finish the fermentation process.

North Slope Chillers infographic showing the benefits of using a fermentation cooling jacket

Cooling From The Outside

Chilling fermentation chambers from the outside is the most effective method. No matter the diameter of your fermenting container, the outside surface area will always be greater than cooling from the inside. Putting the chilling source in direct contact with the fermentation container will produce the best results due to uniform thermal flow from the container to the chiller. As fermenters come in all shapes and sizes, cooling sources should be as flexible as possible to ensure complete contact with the container.

North Slope Chilling Solutions

Fermentation cooling jackets that completely wrap around your fermenter will give you the most direct cooling contact. Insulated Fluxwrap jackets from North Slope Chillers have multiple channels of cooling liquid evenly distributed around your fermentation chamber. Their adjustable temperature range will eliminate hot or cold spots and keep your yeast happy and fermenting. Fluxwrap is easy to install without opening your fermenting container and flexibly fits a wide variety of container shapes and sizes.

Contact us to find the right fermentation cooling solution for your needs:

(866) 826-2993 [email protected]

Chilling Beer

· ·

Keep it Cold

Successful craft breweries have one thing in common: they stay in control of their creation. What’s the best way to keep beer cold?

download our brewing guide

Beer: Stay in Command

Flavor, color and texture are all dependent on how beer is made. Temperature control during the brewing process directly impacts each of those three elements. It’s always been that way, and always will be.

Using Ice and Snow

Ever since mankind discovered how to make beer, keeping it chilled has been critical to allowing the fermentation process to work its magic. Fermentation generates heat, so beer makers have had to pay strict attention to temperature control. In the past, most beer producers stored beer in cellars to keep it protected from external heat, while using water and ice to reduce fermentation heat. 

Monk makes beer
A monk brewing beer

Beer chilling methods have changed over time. During the reign of Roman Emperor Nero, distilled water was invented, allowing for colder drinks to be served. In medieval times, ice houses dug into the ground were all the rage in Europe and Asia. Snow was also a commodity used in keeping beer and wine cold. Once the New World was discovered, Spain imposed a tax on snow imported from Mexico that lasted 300 years due to its value in cooling.

In the early colonization of North America, ice caves were essential to keeping beer at a stable temperature. Brewers would layer huge blocks of ice along cave walls, creating a freezer that lowered the air temperature of the cave. It’s said that the success of breweries in Wisconsin was only possible due to the nearby lakes that freeze over during the winter, providing breweries with a massive supply of ice to help with fermenting and storing. To this day, you can still tour the ice caves that used to house barrels of Miller beer. 

Beer Spoils

george washington
A recipe for beer written by George Washington

When beer isn’t chilled correctly, it often spoils. George Washington had a recipe he used to reclaim spoiled beer due to the difficulty of maintaining a stable temperature. Beer production in Germany from the 16th century to the 19th century was banned during the hot summer months. Overheated beer provides “ideal habitats for noxious airborne bacteria to proliferate and caused yeasts to produce undesirable fermentation flavors.” With few exceptions, most spoiled beer is deemed unusable and simply thrown out. 

The First Chiller

Mechanized temperature control wasn’t a thing until 1873, when German engineer Carl von Linde invented the first chiller machine. According to the Oxford Companion to Beer, von Linde saw a need for artificial refrigeration and found a solution using the basic principles of thermodynamics. 

Because cold is merely the absence of heat, to make things cold, one must withdraw heat. Compressing a medium generates heat; subsequently decompressing or evaporating it quickly absorbs heat from its environment. Devices based on this principle are now generally known as vapor-compression refrigeration systems; apply this to a fermenting or lagering vessel, and it becomes a beer-cooling system. 

-Oxford Companion to Beer
Carl von Linde, 1868

Dubbing his creation the “ammonia cold machine” due to the use of ammonia as a refrigerant, von Linde’s invention changed the world forever, allowing breweries to ditch the ice caves and produce beer year round. Today, von Linde’s ammonia cold machine has evolved into modern equipment. Commercial beer chillers allow yeast strains to be kept at their optimum temperature and reduce risk of overheating. They also provide beer with a stable storage temperature that works in nearly any environment. 

Keg Coolers

keg cooler

North Slope Chillers offers the best beer chilling equipment on the market. Our Keg Coolers bring peace of mind to large breweries and home brewers alike. With a white vinyl finish to repel heat from sunlight and insulated layering, Keg Coolers draw heat away from the container to ensure beer stays at a set temperature. Portable and easy to use, Keg Coolers are essential for every brewer. 

Temperature control in beer making is just as important in 2019 as it was in 3000 B.C. By using North Slope Chillers Keg Coolers, craft brewers can carry on the age-old tradition of using the best temperature control solution available. 

Cooling from North Slope Chillers

North Slope Chillers offers easy to install, portable chillers that won’t disrupt your current setup. If you would like to know more about our product offerings, give us a call at (866) 826-2993 .

Cooling in the Biotech Industry

· ·

Process cooling can be used almost anywhere, even in the biotech industry! There are many pieces of biotech laboratory equipment that need stable temperatures in order to perform necessary experiments or processes. Additionally, specific materials and samples must be carefully kept at ideal temperatures. Fortunately, there are many options when it comes to process cooling equipment that perfectly meet the needs of biotech applications.

What is Process Cooling?

First, let’s take a look at the basic idea of process cooling. In most process cooling systems, a water chiller is used. In a water chiller, a pump circulates cold water from the chiller, to the process (process: machine/system being cooled). The cool water pumped through the system removes heat from the process. Warm fluid returns back to the chiller and is cooled to start the process over again. This basic concept has been applied in laboratories everywhere to cool, heat, or keep stable temperatures for various products. Now let’s get into the details of specific process cooling systems used in the biotech industry. 

Types of Chillers Used in the Biotech Industry

Recirculating Chillers

One type of process cooling used in the biotech industry is recirculating chillers. Recirculating chillers pump water through their systems in order to regulate temperature. The only difference from a basic closed loop system is that recirculating chillers don’t have an internal bath but rather continuously pump water or other fluids through their system. Recirculating chillers are used ideally to cool laboratory equipment -10 to 30°C in 5L. Many recirculating chillers are specifically designed for specific types of laboratory equipment like rotary evaporators, parallel evaporators and extraction products. This is beneficial because these pieces of equipment all must maintain stable temperatures in order to perform correctly. Recirculating chillers allow laboratory equipment to work safely, accuracy, and precisely, and safely.

Immersion Coolers

laboratory immersion chiller
labsociety.com

Another cooling system used in the biotech industry is referred to as immersion coolers. Immersion coolers are used primarily for counter-cooling when connected to a heating circulator. Immersion coolers are also used to rapidly cool fluids down to low temperatures. For laboratories that work with low temperature substances, immersion coolers are perfect. They allow experiements and processess to be carried out at a stable low temperature. 

Laboratory Water Bath

laboratory water bath
fishersci.com

Perhaps the most interesting use of process cooling in the biotech industry comes in the form of the laboratory water bath. In this system, a container is filled with heated water. This is used to incubate samples in water at a constant temperature over time. All laboratory water baths have a digital or analog temperature control that allows users to set and maintain their desired temperature. Laboratory water baths are used to warm reagents (reactors in chemical reactions), melt substrates and other substances, or they can be used to incubate cell cultures. Laboratory water baths also allow certain chemical reactions to be more controlled, as they can occur at highly regulated temperatures. Different types of water baths are used for different types of experiments or reactions. For any process occuring in water, the temperature can reach up to 99.9 °C. Anything above 100 °C, would require an alternative fluid to be used like oil, silicone or even sand. 

Cooling Chambers

lab cooling chambers
www.biotechserv.com

Cooling chambers are used, as you might have guessed it, to cool samples and other substances. Cooling chambers can be used in bakeries to cool entire rooms of bread, and they can be used in chemical storage rooms to ensure safe storage. Cooling chambers allow laboratories to freeze samples, store samples, work with various liquids, and more! This is done through creating a tightly sealed area and using a process cooler to regulate the temperature, as well as using some other chemicals. Cooling chambers use chemicals like nitrogen to allow substances to maintain a colder temperature. 

Benchtop Coolers

lab benchtop chiller
thermofisher.com

Benchtop coolers are compact enough to fit on most countertops. Benchtop coolers are used primarily to preserve biological samples. Benchtop coolers can maintain freezing conditions longer which allows these containers to stop reactions, store, and transport temperature sensitive materials. Laboratories use benchtop coolers to minimize enzyme, cell, or reagent loss. Benchtop coolers hold standard tube, and vial sizes. Some feature labelled grids or plates to allow users quick identification. Benchtop coolers use ideas from process cooling to regulate temperature. In many cases, benchtop coolers feature some form of insulation that is able to keep the temperature inside very controlled and very stable. 

Cooling from North Slope Chillers

North Slope Chillers offers easy to install, portable chillers that won’t disrupt your current setup. If you would like to know more about our product offerings, give us a call at (866) 826-2993 .

Home Brewing: Son of a Fermentation Chiller

· ·

Son of a…what?

Home brewing has become a very popular practice in recent years. Quick digital access to brewing methodology, online ordering of high quality grains/hops/yeasts, and a growing nationwide appreciation for craft brewing have all fed into a renaissance movement of brewing as an artistic science. With all these ingredients and instructions at our fingertips, finding the right method for you can be a process of trial and error. Let’s examine one of these DIY methods in greater detail…the “son of a fermentation chiller.”

download our brewing guide

Fermentation Stage

So you have carefully selected your grains, mashed them, malted them, turned them into wort, and cooled your liquid wort so it is ready to be pitched to your yeast. The most crucial part of the brewing process is about to begin…fermentation. The fermentation stage is a tricky one, in that it can ruin all your hard work leading up to this point if your brew’s environment is not carefully protected.

The most important environmental factor in fermentation is temperature.  Under the right conditions, yeast will wake up, consume the sugars in your wort, and turn them into alcohol and carbon dioxide.  Under the wrong conditions yeast that is too cold will go dormant and not finish fermenting; yeast that is too hot will produce off flavors and aromas or even die off completely.

Enter Fermentation Chambers

Fermentation chambers are specially designed containers to protect the environmental conditions while your brew ferments.  They not only protect your brew’s temperature, but reduce exposure to excess oxygen and unwanted pathogens.

There are many different fermentation chambers used by home brewers. They vary widely depending upon batch size, cost, how much brewing space you have, and how much of your time and energy they consume. Since fermentation is an exothermic process, your brew will continuously generate heat as it ferments.  So how do you keep your fermentation temperatures in the ideal zone without babysitting your brew around the clock? The solution is a fermentation chiller.

Son of a Fermentation Chiller

Home brewers use many methods to chill their fermentation chambers and one of the more popular DIY methods is to construct a “son of a fermentation chiller.”

First designed by home brewer Ken Schwartz in 1995, the whimsically named son of a fermentation chiller has become a common creation among American home brewers. The plans have been redesigned through the help of feedback from other home brewers, but the basic concept is the same.

This fermentation chiller involves building a chamber made of thick insulation foam boards. The brew is housed inside next to rotating jugs of ice, a fan, and thermometer.

Weighing Pros and Cons

North Slope Chillers infographic on selecting a fermentation chiller

Cost

One of the most appealing aspects of the son of a fermentation chiller is the cost. Low cost materials can be easily purchased and if you possess basic construction skills, it can be easily assembled. 

There may be additional costs in the future such as purchase of a second thermometer to make sure you are not just measuring the air temperature inside, but the temperature of your brew itself.

However, cost is only 1 of the factors to consider when looking at your home brew fermentation options.

Batch Size

The larger your brew batch, the more heat will be generated by the fermentation process. The son of a fermentation chiller can be adapted to accommodate up to 7 gallons, but for larger batches, fans and ice will not be sufficient to protect your brew from thermal stress.

Cooling Power

The appeal of buying a small fan to save upfront costs can cause problems in the future. Make sure you have enough cooling power to handle a large, constantly self-heating container of wort.

Time and Energy Consumption

Before home brewing, you need to carefully look at how much time and energy you have available to switch out frozen jugs as they melt and need to be replaced.

Using the son of a fermentation chiller also means spending time carefully monitoring your thermometer.

Space Available

When using a son of a fermentation chiller, the footprint of the chiller may be small, but you will need ample freezer space to store your rotating frozen jugs.

Ease and Peace of Mind

Picture how you would like your home brewing experience to pan out. Balancing work and effort with the enjoyment of sharing your batch with your family and friends is an important aspect of home brewing. Investing in a home brew system can provide long term enjoyment if you carefully weigh your chilling options before hand.

North Slope Chillers Solutions

Be sure to look at the whole picture when embarking upon your home brewing journey.  Low cost options seem convenient at first, but can lead to frustrations in the future. Using a reliable fermentation chamber chilling jacket, and fermentation chillers can save you time, energy, and provide more consistent brewing results.  North Slope Chillers Fluxwrap jackets and fermentation chillers can transform you from home brew babysitter, to home brew master.

Contact us to find the right fermentation chilling solution for your needs:

(866) 826-2993 [email protected]

A Beginners Guide To Cannabis Extraction

· ·

What are cannabis extracts and what are they used for?
The goal of cannabis extraction is to create a product with a high concentration of cannabinoids. Cannabis extracts come in different forms including powders, rosins, and oils and are believed to have powerful medicinal properties. 

dOWNLOAD OUR COMPLETE CBD GUIDE

Cannabis Extraction

 The goal of cannabis extraction is to generate a high-concentrate cannabinoid (the active ingredients in cannabis)  product for potential beneficial use.

Timothy Welty, chair of the department of clinical sciences at Drake University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, in Des Moines, Iowa, explains that “CBD (a cannabinoid found in cannabis plants) is kind of a tricky drug because it’s not very well absorbed orally. Less than 20 percent of the drug is absorbed orally. If it isn’t made in the right way, you may not be getting much drug into your systemic circulation.”

Common Cannabis Extraction Methods

There a few different methods employed when extracting active ingredients from cannabis plants. Here are a few of the more common methods:

Solvent Extraction

For this method, cannabis trimmings are steeped in ethanol. The ethanol is evaporated, leaving the plant extracts behind.

CO2 Extraction

This method is extremely technical but yields the most potent results. Supercritical CO2 passes through plant trimmings, dissolving the extracts. The extracts are then separated from the CO2.

Ice Water Extraction

This method results in what’s most commonly referred to as “Bubble Hash”. Cannabis trimmings are mixed with ice. Water is added and the mixture is strained through several layers of mesh. 

(For more details on cannabis extraction methods, check out this blog article. )

THC vs CBD

Quality cannabis extracts contain a high concentration of cannabinoids. The two main players when it comes to cannabinoids are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)  and cannabidiol (CBD). Put simply, THC is what gets you “high” while CBD is often sought after for its claimed medicinal properties.

THC

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most potent psychotic found in cannabis plants. As mentioned above, it’s found in higher percentages in marijuana. Besides giving you  a “high,” THC can cause feelings of lethargy and dysphoria and may even make anxiety and seizures worse.

CBD

Cannabidiol (CBD) does not have intoxicating effects like THC. CBD oil is often used to treat epilepsy and pain. Some claim that CBD relives sleep issues, depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. It may even counteract the psychoactive effects of THC. CBD usage has been linked with side effects like decreased appetite, fatigue, weakness and sleeping problems.

Hemp vs Marijuana

All cannabis extracts start with a cannabis plant. While the terms cannabis, marijuana and hemp are often used interchangeably (i.e., CBD oil is often referred to as marijuana oil) , if you want to understand cannabis extracts, it’s important to know the difference between the three.

Cannabis is a family of plants. Marijuana and hemp are two different types of plants that fall under the umbrella of cannabis. While marijuana typically has a higher percentage of THC, hemp usually has a higher percentage of CBD

Common Uses for Cannabis Extracts

Research on the benefits of cannabis extracts is limited. Studies, however, have indicated that extracts, specifically CBD oil, can help with the following symptoms and diseases:

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is the only condition with significant scientific evidence that supports CBD as a viable treatment option. Three separate clinical trials have indicated that pharmaceutical-grade CBD reduces seizures with minimal side effects. The CBD-based medication Epidiolex is currently used to treat two rare forms of epilepsy: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.


Pain/Inflammation

While there hasn’t been enough human trials to confirm CBD’s effect on pain and inflammation, animal trials indicate it could be a successful treatment. Some research has found that CBD reduced levels of chronic inflammation in rats and mice.


Anxiety

Some human clinical trials suggest that CBD could be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Cancer

An article published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology that CBD can prevent cancer cells from spreading. While more research is needed to further support this claim, CBD’s anti-cancer properties are currently being researched throughout the United States.