2.54 barrel S.S conical fermenter build

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Cold_Steel

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Edit 4/16/10 It is my recommendation to use a open head SS drum. I have found finding or making a custom gasket to be unreal. It saves mone for the lid cost as well. The open drum comes with a gasket so you will get an air tight seal.


Parts list:
1- 55 gallon stainless steel drum
(i used abbey drum in Baltimore Md) BUY USED http://abbeydrum.com/
it makes a huge difference in pricing. Know what past SS prices have been and where they are going. It will help with neg. the price.)
1- Hopper (conical) Toledo metal spinning (the best and lowest cost)
http://www.toledometalspinning.com/pdfs/TMS221014.pdf
(ask to speak with Dan. He is money!)
1- Lid
http://www.toledometalspinning.com/pdfs/TMSL2216.pdf
(!!!This lid will not match perfectly with the outer rim of your drum!!!)
1-57218 10 Each 0.65 0 0.65 Each 6.50 Tygon® Beverage Tubing 1/8" I.D. 1/4" O.D. and 1/16" wall from Plastic Tanks, Plastic Buckets, Plastic Bottles, Labware, Plastic Tubing, PVC Pipe, Plastic Sheet - United States Plastic Corporation ®
(This is your air tight gasket) for your lid

4- 1" SS Square tubing 36" long for legs
3-Long Ferrule 1 1/2" TC (tri-clamp) (G.W. KENT or more beer)
2 - econo butterfly valves or butterfly valves 1.5" TC (G.W. KENT)
(your choice)
1-Tank Racking Arm (side port) (G.W. KENT)
(this is used for samples)
7- Tri-clamps 1.5" ( More beer) better price
2- 90 degree elbows 1.5" (More beer) better price
1- 1.5" Hose barb x 1.5" TC (blowoff attach to hose)
1- 1/4" Hose barb x 1.5" TC (use for side port)
15-1.5" Buna Black Clamp Gasket (these are for the Tri-Clamps) (G.W. KENT)
1- 1.5" x 8' Tubing (blowoff tube)
4- Casters (make sure they are weight rated for 250lbs +)
4- "DLX-01L Stainless Steel Draw Latch for Latch LD-1" (Small parts,inc)
4- DLX-01K Stainless Steel Keeper for Latch LD-1 - (Small parts,inc)


Note:
The 55 gallon drum is the key to this project. The rest is ordering parts.
Used SS drums are just that used. The prices can change and will change. Make sure nothing harmful was used in it.

everything.JPG



Step 1
The drum. I used a welder with a plasma cutter. He does a great job with the right prices. If you weld SS great. If you dont, I found mine through my local brew store.
When the drum is made the SS is rolled at the end of the where the lid is attached. REMOVE all of this area. You will lose an inch or so, no worries, you will save big bucks in welding. However, the top has to be level or you will not get a good seal. Do this for the top and bottom. You will have to left over pieces.
Step 2
Weld the ferrules to the side of the hopper about 8" from the bottom, the other at the very bottom, and the last on the lid close to the edge about 2-3".
Step 3
Weld Hopper and drum together. (Remember, these welds are important. They must be food grade welds. This means inside and out.)
The drum will be thinner SS than the hopper so it is easier to blow a hole through it.

IMG_2786.JPG


Step 4
Weld Draw Latchs to the body of the drum. Weld Keepers to the lid.

IMG_2788.JPG


Step 5
Attach all parts.

IMG_2789.JPG
 
Can you show us internal weld pics please?
Are the welds polished for sanitary use?

If you plan on going pro, don't make the fermenter the weakest link.

Thanks in advance,
ClaudiusB
 
Can you show us internal weld pics please?
Are the welds polished for sanitary use?

If you plan on going pro, don't make the fermenter the weakest link.

Thanks in advance,
ClaudiusB

Great question. I have not yet polished them. I will get you closer pics. I do not have them right now sorry.

I do plan on going nano pro but not for a while. Everything is about money for me right now. But I would love to know what you mean about making it the weakest link.
Thank!
 
Sawdustguy said:
Do you have a brewery capable of 75 gallons yet?
I am sorry I do not understand your question.

I believe he is wondering if you have a way to mash/boil/cool/transfer 75 gallons into this fermenter.

FWIW, I know Widmer (and probably most commercial breweries) brew multiple times back to back and then mix in one fermenter. For their biggest fermenters, they brew the same beer 7 times in 24 hours, mixing the new batch into the fermenter with the other batches of the day injecting yeast as the wort is pumped into the fermenter.

I have considered using this approach at home, and I'm sure others do already, but I don't have a giant fermenter yet. Of course, I wouldn't brew nonstop for 24 hours, but maybe 3 batches, sequentially brewed.

PS. of course I would never violate ATF restrictions, either. :mug:
 
I believe he is wondering if you have a way to mash/boil/cool/transfer 75 gallons into this fermenter.

FWIW, I know Widmer (and probably most commercial breweries) brew multiple times back to back and then mix in one fermenter. For their biggest fermenters, they brew the same beer 7 times in 24 hours, mixing the new batch into the fermenter with the other batches of the day injecting yeast as the wort is pumped into the fermenter.

I have considered using this approach at home, and I'm sure others do already, but I don't have a giant fermenter yet. Of course, I wouldn't brew nonstop for 24 hours, but maybe 3 batches, sequentially brewed.

PS. of course I would never violate ATF restrictions, either. :mug:

Then yes. This is exactly my plan.
 
Amazingly, I've never thought of that before (it's only amazing because I think about brewing so much, not because I think of everything :)).

That's a great idea. Multiple batches into one big fermenter.
 
It would be nice to ferment 1/3 of the legal yearly limit of homebrew in one go, that's for sure.......just not so sure I'd be able to keep my skills up if I only fermented 3 times a year.
 
I do plan on going nano pro but not for a while. Everything is about money for me right now. But I would love to know what you mean about making it the weakest link.
Thank!

Yeast makes the beer or is it bacteria?
It does not matter how fancy the rest of your brewing equipment is if your fermenter welds are not polished for sanitary use.
As a commercial brewer you can not afford loosing any batches to infection or off flavors.
Bad welds are hard or impossible to clean.
Becoming a commercial brewer is a different world, go for it.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB
 
Yeast makes the beer or is it bacteria?
I does not matter how fancy the rest of your brewing equipment is if your fermenter welds are not polished for sanitary use.
As a commercial brewer you can not afford loosing any batches to infection or off flavors.
Bad welds are hard or impossible to clean.
Becoming a commercial brewer is a different world, go for it.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

Gotcha! Man are you right about infections. I cant afford them. It is a very scary scenerio to play out in ones mind OR WORST in ones wallet.
 
Thanks Bobby I worked really hard on it.
So I finally got some of the pictures you requested and would love some feed back.
IMG_2878.JPG

IMG_28761.JPG

IMG_2877.JPG

IMG_2879.JPG

These are the inside welds.
 
IMG_2874.JPG

The blow off without the hose
IMG_2885.JPG

with hose
IMG_2881.JPG

I love this!!!!
I filled it with water today for a test and when i opened it. WOW it was perfect for hydo tests!! I cant wait.
 
While the welds look nice, they aren't perfect. I've had similar problems at times. Use steam or boiling water every few batches in order to be sure that the welds aren't harboring bad things.
 
While the welds look nice, they aren't perfect. I've had similar problems at times. Use steam or boiling water every few batches in order to be sure that the welds aren't harboring bad things.

Thanks Yuri! I have the same concerns too. Do you think I should go in with a dremmel and a stainless steel wire brush and then a buffing pad?
I have it in the plans to do but I wanted to get some feed back from the forum.
I am going to use an immersion chiller for my first batch. Then use the out flow of hot water to pretreat the those welds before transferring the wort.
What do you think?
 
Use a die grinder. It'll take FOREVER with a Dremel. Also, be sure the welds are very solid before grinding them down. If there's any question, you're better off leaving them alone.
 
Cold Steel,
What process did you use to make the welds? Mig or Tig? If mig what type of wire, solid or flux core? and was the ID of the vessel purged with argon or inert gas during welding?

Its hard to tell from those pictures but it looks like you have what we call sugar or carbonized SS from the welding process. Could you post some better pictures of what you would consider to be the worst welded areas and I can help you better.
 
thantos i pm you so get your email. You can resize the image for a closer look.
 
Well this qualifies as going LARGE or go home.
Love the bunker!
Want the Fermenter, but I think I would need to open up a boarding house to have enough adult household members to use it.
Please keep on posting the pictures, I can only dream. :)
 
The short answer is yes. I brewed a belgian triple in 2 batches. The first 40 gallons was ok temp wise. However, the recipe called for 17 gallons of starter and I didnt want make that much starter so when the first 40 gallons had the krauson on top I added the next 40 and was able to only use 40 gallons. The outside air temp was 50 degrees. The fermenter went to 70 degrees while this process was occurring.
I am going to need to add a way to cool it and heat it. I just havent figured that part out yet
 
I bought a 7 gallon SS conical off of ebay and really like it. As a new brewer it has made this fun for me and the fermenting process seems easy.
My wife wanted something that looks good in our clubroom so she was in the process too.:rockin:
 
you could build a coil to go inside and use the coil to heat or cool as needed just like the big breweries do i have built a few for a certan brewerie in cinninnati
 
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