137 gallon fermenter IDEA

**Cold_Steel** · 04-17-2009, 02:33 PM

So here it is, I am building a nano brewery. I have my kettle and its good to go. Now I working on my fermenters.

I am going to convert 2 55 gallon stainless steel drums. I will stack them on top of one another and weld them together with a food grade weld. I will remove the tops and bottoms of the drums. I will purchase the legs and concical and attach them as well. I am fine with this part i think.

However, heating and cooling has become a major concern because it will be in an unregulated temp environment. The plan is build a large copper wort chiller around the outside of it and use a 55 gallon reservoir with a heating element and cooling compressor to maintain the 68 degree temp desired. The liquid will be recirculated with a pump. I say liquid because I am not sure if I will use water or another unknown coolent that I am unaware of at this point in time.
Please let me know what you think.

**Cape Brewing** · 04-17-2009, 02:40 PM

How are you gonna clean it?

**Cold_Steel** · 04-17-2009, 02:48 PM

It will have a removable lid.

**Cape Brewing** · 04-17-2009, 02:53 PM

That's one longazz scrub brush.

**Cold_Steel** · 04-17-2009, 02:54 PM

I have a pressure washer with a heating element on it. Its the commercial version.

**Cape Brewing** · 04-17-2009, 02:55 PM

a 55 gallon drum is 35 inches tall, times two is six feet... plus... what?? gotta be another 2-3 feet of conical...

... then put that sucker on legs...

So you'll have to get on a ladder and reach down into a 8-9 foot tall tube that's top is about ten feet off the floor and scrub the bottom of the conical??

**Cold_Steel** · 04-17-2009, 03:02 PM

The pressure washer has the gun on it which is 4' long + my arm which is 3 feet. The gun will be at the bottom but you are right I will be on a ladder. I will not have a lot physcial "scrub" motion but I will not need it becuase of the pressure of the nozel. Its strong. I use it to peel off grease from heavy equipment and it does the job perfect.

**conpewter** · 04-17-2009, 03:10 PM

If you have the room you could always lay it down on it's side to clean it, then put it back up (block and tackle setup). I think it would be easier to clean that way.

Otherwise sounds like a good idea. You may end up wrapping it in copper tubing and then surrounding that with insulation. Also make sure your cooling unit can handle the heat it will put out.

**Cold_Steel** · 04-17-2009, 03:15 PM

I am of unsure about the cooling compressor the most. I have looked into a thermoelectic but I am unsure of the size i will need or which model i should use. I tend to get the biggest just because it will do the job the fastest and shut off. I was planning on wrapping the entire fermenter with insulation (which kind im not sure whats best) and then the lines coming and going with that black foam type thats like a sleeve.

freddyb · 04-17-2009, 03:51 PM

For your temp control, I would suggest going with your idea of wrapping a copper coil around the outside, plus doing a stainless steel coil on the inside. Then connect the two by doing a through-wall SS bulkhead like the one sold at Homebrew Heaven for $26.