Perhaps your wort was too hot when you transferred from the kettle, or while cleaning you dropped the FermZilla against something sharp that punched a hole, or maybe it's just time to replace the tank after acquiring too many scratches from normal wear-and-tear. Whatever the reason, no need to go buy a whole new FermZilla! Just pick up one of these fresh replacement tanks and your conical fermenter will be good as new!
Pressure Stress
If you use the FermZilla to ferment under pressure, or you use CO2 to pressure transfer or force carbonate your finished beer, it is very important that you conduct semi-annual inspections of your tank. Even with perfect care, the FermZilla tank may show signs of wear from pressure stress over time. We recommend visually inspecting your tank for stress creases or other signs of wear once or twice a year. A hydro test should be conducted every two years, even if no signs of wear are found. The process is simple:
- Fill the tank to the brim with water
- Replace the Red PRV with a Green PRV rated to 4.5 BAR or higher
- Pressurize the tank to 4 BAR (58 psi)
- Check for leaks, then replace the Red PRV when finished
If leaks or potential points of failure are found, replace the tank before you continue using pressure with your FermZilla.
Taking good care of your FermZilla begins with cleaning and sanitizing the unit before and after use. The tank is made from food-grade PET, which is beautifully clear, but can be sensitive to long soaks in cleaners and acid-based sanitizers. In general, we do not recommend leaving products like PBW or StarSan soaking in the tank for more than an hour. Extended soaks have the potential to degrade the PET material and shorten the lifespan of the tank.
