If your bright tank already has a carbonation stone, you may not need a new one to move to automated carbonation.
The Stone Modification Kit
Every carbonation stone has to be modified before it can be used with FizzWizz. The Stone Modification Kit does that, and adds safety features that protect your product and the FizzWizz from spills and backflow. It contains:
- a quarter-inch 90-degree NPT fitting
- a zero crack pressure check valve
- an isolation valve
- a quick-connect coupler plug
The same kit is part of the Basic and Alternative Tank Fittings Kits, which BrewWizz offers for tanks that will keep their existing stones.
What changes, and what doesn’t
The stone stays the same. What changes is how gas reaches it. Instead of a fixed regulator pressure, FizzWizz feeds the stone through its own solenoid and flow controller, calculating the finish pressure from product temperature and tank pressure and holding it (How It Works).
A check valve still belongs on the stone circuit (Check Valves). You’ll also need a dedicated thermowell for the WizzTemp temperature sensor (What Is a Thermowell).
Setting the flow
Our rule of thumb is that most stones stay in efficient hydrophilic mode under about 0.8 CFH per inch: roughly 19 CFH for a 24-inch stone, for example (Hydrophilic vs. Hydrophobic). BrewWizz’s Stone Flow Rate Calculator will estimate a flow rate and carbonation time for your tank and stone. Start lower and use your plots and the sight glass to dial it in.
Clean it first
An existing stone may have years of use behind it. Clean it properly before the first FizzWizz run so you’re judging the controller, not a plugged stone (How to Properly Clean Your Carbonation Stone).
Want to check your stone is compatible? Send us the details, or order the kit at brewwizz.com.
Sources
- brewwizz.com, Stone Modification Kit and Basic/Alternative Tank Fittings Kit pages.
- FizzWizz How It Works (stone circuit).
- Hydrophilic vs. Hydrophobic (0.8 CFH per inch).