Who knows what temperatures really lurk in the depths of your tanks? Only those who probe each fraction of the depth of the interior of each tank or apply strong, overwhelming external influences.

Stratification

It's not a question of “if a tank will develop temperature differences at various levels,” but “when, how, and how much.” Any tank which is not perfectly and 100% insulated will, in time, develop temperature differences at various locations, depending on chaotic external influences of the particular environment and internal reactions in time spans of even minutes.It is not a matter of “WILL it be different?”, but “HOW different?”, and “What will it be hours from now?”

Old technology

Inadequate cooling systems are a problem many have been forced into by economic decisions of the past. At the time the tanks were purchase and designed, the knowledge base concerning uniform tank temperatures was not up to where we at PolyVin have advanced it today.

Why tank temperatures are so unpredictable:  Chaos 

The following notes on Chaos in the real world of tank temperatures are not just to impress the reader with pretty pictures and impressive names but is the real world of weather systems in tanks. To help explain the magnitude and existence of the tank temperature problem I beg your patience for just a moment to introduce “chaos” in more of a scientific context.

Chaos helps establish the non-predictability of temperatures at various locations in the liquid inside a tank. “Chaos” is not just a another modern day buzz word. Chaos and fractals are part of the most complicated type of real mathematics known today. It does refer to what appears to be, in the classic sense of the word, “utter Chaos.” But in fact these formulas include so many variables that any small change in any of them can completely alter the final picture.

In the excellent book on chaos James Gleick tells of Edward Lorenz, a father of Chaos and fractals and of his study of the temperatures in a container on top of a cook stove. He described the total unpredictability of the temperatures in various location in the container, and how they helped him form his theory.

Whether storing, or fermenting long-term or short-term, temperature is unknown and very unpredictable in most tanks not fully jacketed.

In studying the temperatures inside tanks, I discovered the likeness of the flow in tanks due to outside temp influences, to weather systems. It genuinely is a chaotic picture inside that mass because of the many influences from outside each individual tank.

Fermentation differences at different levels in the tank?

As temperatures rise at the walls and top of the tank, the less dense hot liquid rises to the top with a strong tendency to build a hot strata there. Any yeast in this hot strata reproduces rapidly and builds heat at the top without causing agitation in the lower part. This leaves the lower part undisturbed and cool, while that yeast in the warmer upper strata begins heating and generating, what I believe to be, geometric heating rates and high gradients in that area resisting control by our slower monitoring and control measures.

I truly believe that, from the temperatures I have seen at top of tanks, there are times that fermentation can run away in the top part of the tank and die, even in between two jackets, and have very little or no fermentation in the lower parts below the upper jacket.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email at sales@pascopoly.com or for more detailed information including a quote, use our quote form.