43 replies to this topic

[Stains_not_here_man]

Buckets, conicals, better bottles, big mouth bubblers, etc.

I posted a thread awhile back but it seems like there are even more options now and I am finally ready to get back into the game.

What do you like and what do you avoid and why?

[SchwanzBrewer]

Stainless buckets like drez has (i think). That's what I'd do if I were starting again.

 

Avoid: not brewing.

Also get some fermentation control to start. Should be your biggest concern.

[MtnBrewer]

The only ones I would tell you to avoid are glass carboys.

 

Buckets

Pros - Easy to clean, cheap, good for adding fruit to beers, meads, etc.

Cons - Soft and scratch easily, must be replaced fairly often, oxygen permeable

 

Better bottles

Pros - Lighter than carboys, unbreakable

Cons - Also soft but not as bad as buckets, also oxygen permeable to a lesser degree.

 

Conicals

Pros - The ultimate in fermentation, can dump trub if that matters to you, easy to clean.

Cons - Very spendy, difficult to control temperature unless built-in heating & cooling is included, can't see inside.

[Bklmt2000]

I've used plastic Ale Pail fermenters for the last 12 years; never had a problem with them.  Easy to clean/sanitize, and when they get nasty/beyond use, they're cheap to replace.

 

I also agree with Schwanz re: controlling ferm temps, whether it's a fridge/chest freezer, or a simple swamp cooler (like I use, cuz i'm frugal that way).

[shaggaroo]

I love my Big Mouth Bubbler.

[Steve Urquell]

I've been using 3 transluscent 8gal plastic buckets since 2010 and recently replaced them with these similar ones due to cracking around the top lip.
https://www.brews-br...s-10-w-lid-aih/

I really like them and expect to get another 6+yrs out of them. I believe the "unsanitizable bucket" theory is pretty much BS.

[djinkc]

Think about how you want to go from kettle to serving vessels.  Stainless is great for fermenting and will last a long time.  Nothing wrong with buckets except they can be scratched easy.  Carboys can break and hurt you. BB flex and can suck stuff in when you move them.

 

And SB had good advice.  Figure out temp control and how that fits in going from kettle to whatever you serve from.

[HVB]

Stainless buckets like drez has (i think). That's what I'd do if I were starting again.

Avoid: not brewing.

Also get some fermentation control to start. Should be your biggest concern.

Yup, I have 3 of the Chapman fermenters, two 6 gallon and one 14 and so far I really like them. They are so much easier to clean than carboys IMO.

Eta- I have had plastic and SS conicals and still like these better.

Edited by drez77, 24 May 2016 - 06:02 PM.

[ChicagoWaterGuy]

I primarily use glass carboys. They can be dangerous if they break but prefer them to any plastic product.

[TAPPER]

Stainless steel quarter and half barrels.  Won't break like glass, don't allow any sunlight, can be bunged, and allow for fermenter to keg transfers without any oxygen pick up.  Cheaper than conicals.  Yeast harvesting is as simple as dumping yeast into jar.  Cut the bottom inch or so off the spear for clear transfers.  Boil a couple gallons in keg to sanitize before filling.

Edited by TAPPER, 25 May 2016 - 06:05 AM.

[HVB]

Stainless steel quarter and half barrels.  Won't break like glass, don't allow any sunlight, can be bunged, and allow for fermenter to keg transfers without any oxygen pick up.  Cheaper than conicals.  Yeast harvesting is as simple as dumping yeast into jar.  Cut the bottom inch or so off the spear for clear transfers.

Similar to how mine work now after some modifications.  It was easier for me to buy and modify than look for legal kegs.

 

Also worth mentioning is you can ferment in a corny if you are OK with a batch smaller than 5g.

[neddles]

I primarily use glass carboys. They can be dangerous if they break but prefer them to any plastic product.

This. Occasionally use buckets or better bottle types if my glass is in use.

[positiveContact]

Buckets, conicals, better bottles, big mouth bubblers, etc.

I posted a thread awhile back but it seems like there are even more options now and I am finally ready to get back into the game.

What do you like and what do you avoid and why?

 

what size batches are you thinking of making?  are you going to really get back into this game or are you going to just make a few batches a year?

 

I use 13 gal big red lid fermenters.  they were pretty cheap and I can make 10 gals in them.  if I were to get a little more spendy I would prefer a SS option.

[MakeMeHoppy]

I really like the Speidel fermenters that I got from morebeer. Big opening makes them easy to clean, plastic for light weight and safety, and the spigot eliminates the need for an autosiphon for transfer to kegs (or bottles). I think the better bottles also have a spigot option.

[denny]

PLastic buckets for me.  Unlike the "conventional wisdom", I haven't found them to scratch all that easily and seldom need replacement.

[realbeerguy]

Plastic buckets like Denny said.  Take care when cleaning not to use a scrubby, just the soft part of the sponge.  Clean with PBW, sanitize with Star-San.  The Spiedels are nice.  I have two I use for meads.  Temp control is paramount.  If you are using a dorm type fridge, a bucket may be the only one that will fit inside.

[positiveContact]

PLastic buckets for me.  Unlike the "conventional wisdom", I haven't found them to scratch all that easily and seldom need replacement.

 

for 5 gals I like the buckets.

[Steve Urquell]

I really like the Speidel fermenters that I got from morebeer. Big opening makes them easy to clean, plastic for light weight and safety, and the spigot eliminates the need for an autosiphon for transfer to kegs (or bottles). I think the better bottles also have a spigot option.

I use bottling spigots on my primaries for ease of sampling for gravity measurements. I treat them carefully when off the fermenter. I pop the colored(red or blue) part out of the body and soak/clean then store them in starsan torn apart. There are some crevices in the body that are impossible to get at to clean properly.

Been using the same spigots for 8.5 yrs w/o problems.

[gnef]

From Drez77's experience and posts before, I purchased a 14 gallon portless chapman stainless fermenter.

 

The lid that came with it didn't seat all the way around, so they sent me a new one which seated and sealed well. I am just now using it for the first time, and it is working well enough so far. I haven't transfered from it yet, but I don't see how it would be any more difficult than a regular bucket.

 

A couple things I like so far:

It is stainless, so I can scrub harder and not worry about it, plus I should never have to replace it as long as I don't drop it and completely abuse it. I also don't need to worry about oxygen permeability.

The lid is held on by the four latches, so removing the lid is simple and doesn't disturb the beer to be racked - with regular buckets, removing the lid always disturbed the yeast cake somewhat and roused things up.

 

I am thinking about doing like Drez77 did and silver solder a tri clamp on. This will allow me to use the silicone waterless airlocks so I don't have to worry about keeping them filled with water, which will allow me to possibly use these for long term storage for a multi vessel solera that I am thinking of doing (Only thing is it would require three of these vessels, so it will be an expensive investment), and then I can also use a brewhardware racking tri clamp adapter to make transfers simple and pushed with CO2. Before I go this route, I'll probably get a spare lid (they quoted me $40 just for the lid), so that I can do the modification, and still have a spare unadulterated lid that I can use if I completely destroy the lid or decide it wasn't a good idea.

 

I want to have at least two of these 14 gallon portless stainless fermenters so that I can have a good rotation of fermenting beers when I am able to find the time to brew. I've thought about getting a set of their 7 gallon fermenters as well, but I don't like having to worry about using a blow off tube, so I may just stick with the 14 gallon ones, and buy them as I have the money saved (I would want to have the two for regular fermentation rotation, and then would need three more eventually for the traditional solera, but would only need to get one a year which should be fairly easy to save for as needed).

Edited by gnef, 25 May 2016 - 06:24 PM.

[bigdaddyale]

I use pin lock corney kegs in a mini fridge controlled with an STC1000+ and a spunding valve. I'm in the process of setting up a DIY BrewPi  with bluetooth and LCD screen. I ordered 11 arduino shields that make adding the bluetooth and LCD screen clean and simple.It's been a fun project so far with a few hiccups along the way. If you can get the pi zero the rest of the stuff is dirt cheap. Ardunio Uno R3 clones are around 4 bucks and the parts to populate the shield is under 18 bucks.sensors,relay boards ,LCD screen ,Hc05  Bluetooth module and stuff might set you back another 25.00.If you're interested in a shield let me know.