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**tszetela** · 05-11-2012, 08:35 PM

Well I was hoping to have mine set up this weekend but the tank was backordered at Agrimart plus the tri clover cap was backordered at Brewers Hardware so it held up that order. But the Bargain Fitting's order cane super fast as usual!

sohara · 05-13-2012, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sohara

I ordered two 60 gallon inductors. I requested the model with full drain and a 1.5 inch fpt connection at the bottom. I ended up receiving the version with the 2 inch mpt. I wanted to send them back but they told me to keep them since shipping was so high. Anyway, I'll see what I can do with these, even if they are not ideal (they are also 30 inches in diameter instead of 24). I had purchased fittings for the 1.5 inch fpt (1.5 inch mpt to 1.5 inch tri-clamp). Any ideas of fittings I could use to attach to the tank's 2 inch mpt to get me to 1.5 inch tri-clamp?

After researching I discovered that they do make 2 inch female npt to 1.5 inch tri-clamp adapters (rare) or you can use 2 inch female npt to 2 inch triclamp adapters mated to a 2 inch to 1.5 inch tri-clamp reducer. I'll go one of those routes.

**ThreeDogsNE** · 05-18-2012, 04:45 AM

For those not doing tri-clamps, I just came upon this deal for poly valves.
http://www.fairbankequipment.com/index.jsp?path=product&part=244&ds=dept&process=se arch&qdx=0&ID=,Valves,Banjo.Valves,Banjo.Bolted.Ba ll.Valves
I think they screwed up on the pricing, but they just sold me 2 for $18 each yesterday, and shipped them today. From Wichita to Omaha with some other fittings thrown in, shipping was $14, so not cheap but not rapacious. That's still $25 each delivered to my doorstep.

fuzzybee · 06-05-2012, 07:19 PM

I'm considering building one of these (15g version), but I'm also considering building a fermentation chamber based on some form of heating and a dorm fridge. A couple questions:

- Does anybody foresee any issue with using a dorm fridge for a space large enough to house one of these tanks at lagering temperatures? It will be located in my basement, which stays in the high 60s in the summer.

- Ultimately, I would like to have a two-section ferm chamber, with the side closer to the fridge used for lagering, and the side further away used for ales. I plan on using controlled fans to direct air from one side to the other. Would this kill my fridge?

ryclo · 06-05-2012, 07:46 PM

My first batch was great success. I think my yeast catcher was too small as I ended up clogging the valve with yeast/trub even after removing the yeast catcher at 5 days. I need to install a racking valve, I had to blow co2 up the valve to open a hole to tranfer which was no fun. Beer tastes great though!

**modobrew** · 06-05-2012, 08:20 PM

Anyone looking for a way to cool these conicals, check out our solution. It has maintained temps within our temp range of 63 +/- 1 F for the past 3 days now. Ambient temps have been in the 80's. Will be modifying it soon though with a dorm fridge instead of a cooler.
Thoughts?

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/15-gallon-conical-fermenter-cooling-system-333151/

**ThreeDogsNE** · 06-05-2012, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzzybee

I'm considering building one of these (15g version), but I'm also considering building a fermentation chamber based on some form of heating and a dorm fridge. A couple questions:

- Does anybody foresee any issue with using a dorm fridge for a space large enough to house one of these tanks at lagering temperatures? It will be located in my basement, which stays in the high 60s in the summer.

- Ultimately, I would like to have a two-section ferm chamber, with the side closer to the fridge used for lagering, and the side further away used for ales. I plan on using controlled fans to direct air from one side to the other. Would this kill my fridge?

I used a fair sized fridge (top freezer type) I picked up off of Craigslist, though had to look at one or two before I found one that would fit the 19" (IIRC) diameter. I had to remove the plastic panel from the inside of the door. That is just screwed to the door with multiple several sheet metal screws, so removing it was tedious, not hard. There is not a lot of clearance vertically without removing the divider between the freezer and the fridge, but I get by. Actually, I have two of these now ($50 &$60). I had to fabricate stands for the conical to fit the bottom of each fridge. This means two temperature controllers, but it also means that I am certain that the fridge can deliver the goods, and that primary fermentation or lagering are at their desired temperatures. If you haunt Craigslist a while, I suspect you can get to this point without much more cost than the dorm fridge plus lumber, insulation, hinges and latch and weatherstripping for your fabricated door, and so on, as well as time and hassle and the seemingly inevitable "gotchas" accompanying such projects.

ryclo · 06-05-2012, 09:55 PM

I wheel mine into a pantry that will have a window ac some day, for now I just put a cooler full of Ice in the pantry to keep temps down. works pretty good until I can find a cheap AC unit.

fuzzybee · 06-06-2012, 01:26 PM

How thick are the walls of these? Any chance of chilling/heating with a jacket?

anonymousbrew · 06-06-2012, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzzybee

How thick are the walls of these? Any chance of chilling/heating with a jacket?

walls are pretty thick, i would think that a jacket would be pretty inefficient.

I dropped a thermowell ( http://www.brewershardware.com/16-Stainless-Steel-Thermowell.html ) through the lid of mine and simply sealed it with an o-ring.

use the ebay temp control on a full sized fridge with the divider between the freezer/fridge removed (so its just one big box). Works GREAT at keeping temps and because i'm measuring the wort temp vs air temp, i know whats going on inside, and the thermal mass of 12Gals keeps things from cycling too fast.

I would think you could do the same thing with a well insulated box using a dorm fridge. I also have a big fan i put in the bottom thats tied into the power of the fridge so that anytime the compressors running, the fan is REALLY moving the air around in there. Noticed a big difference in cool down times when i added that.