1/2 BBL Fermenters

CMK_BREWER · 02-04-2007, 05:45 AM

I am in the process of building a 1/2 bbl brewery and I was hoping to get some input on the use of 1/2 bbls for primary fermenters...I'm specifically interested in racking valve placement and cleaning techniques.
Anyone got any ideas or experience?

wildbill · 02-07-2007, 11:10 PM

What if you made two, one for a primary and one for a secondary?

brewman ! · 02-07-2007, 11:29 PM

I'm thinking of using 1/2 barrel kegs as fermentors too. I too want to cut a hole in the top of mine so that it can be manually cleaned out. I don't think I would trust cleaning out yeast sediment with stock Sanke keg hardware.

I also want to be able to carbonate the beer in my Sanke.

I think I am going to cut a 4" round hole in top of my kegs and machine a plate to fit over the hole that has a dip tube and CO2 in fittings. I'll hold it down with a bar that goes across the keg top, through the handle holes.

Anyone have a better idea ?

Now if I could just find the time to work on some of this stuff.

**Orfy** · 02-08-2007, 06:54 AM

Brew man, why not cut the top off a corny keg and use that?
The other thing I'd look at is turning the thing upside down and fit to the bottom.

brewman ! · 02-08-2007, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Brew man, why not cut the top off a corny keg and use that?
The other thing I'd look at is turning the thing upside down and fit to the bottom.

Because the corny costs $20 and a welding shop wants about 1 hour ($75) to pressure weld a Corny top to a Sanke. I don't have tig welder.

I think I can accomplish the same thing by cutting a hole and putting a plate over it. And if I can't, I can always get a corny welded in place.

And, the corny hole is ok for a corny, but it would be nice to have something just a bit larger, at least for my forearms.

Boston · 02-08-2007, 08:07 AM

Brewman,
This might be helpful:
http://users.adelphia.net/~aken75/Fermenter%20Lid/Fermenter%20Lid.html

dcbrewmeister · 02-08-2007, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boston

Brewman,
This might be helpful:
http://users.adelphia.net/~aken75/Fermenter%20Lid/Fermenter%20Lid.html

Yeah, I'm basing my stuff on the pictures in the link, unless I come up with something I like better. In process of building the Brew Shack even though it's going a tad slow (got a contract for a computer rollout) and I haven't cut anything in/off/around the kegs until I have a definate plan in place.

I want to brew 12 gallon batches. I'll fill two 6.5 gallon carboys as secondaries. After conditioning for a time (depending on style) I'm going to fill two cornies and bottle the remaining for longer term bottle conditioning.

A friend of mine in town has one of the very few houses with a basement. I want to put a fridge in it (with lock and key, or long term conditioning will never happen) so the fridge won't have to work hard in the basement.

**kladue** · 02-08-2007, 01:57 PM

Has anyone considered cutting a hole in top of the 1/2 bbl keg for a corny lid and replace the spike with a 2" tri clover blind flange drilled for an airlock. Have converted a couple 1/2 bbl kegs for others with this approach, all that is needed for tools is a 3" hole saw and file.

abracadabra · 02-08-2007, 01:58 PM

If you could wield a coupler flush or nearly flush with the bottom and had some kind of stand to access the attached valve you wouldn't need a secondary. You could just dump the trub. Like with a conical.

**runhard** · 02-08-2007, 04:34 PM

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/49-95-stainless-fermenter-18630/

This has worked well for me so far. To add in transfer I remove the trap and plug with a stopper. I added a ball-lock on the top so that I can add a little C02 to assist in racking and harvesting yeast.
Jeffrey