Stout Tanks Conical Fermenters: 12.5g vs. 14.5g

I'm looking to purchase my first stainless conical fermenter and I have my decision narrowed down to the Stout Tanks conicals. At this point I just need someone to push me in one direction or the other concerning which model to get.

I'm a 10 gallon brewer and am debating the pros and cons of the 12.5 gallon unit compared to the 14.5 gallon. Can anyone comment to the quality of the 1.4 gallon compared to the 12.5? Reading older threads it appears that either would be acceptable for a 10 gallon batch but the 14.5 gallon would probably be more ideal.

The 12.5 is $399 whereas the 14.5 is $529. I'm not as concerned with a thermowell but the 14.5 gallon utilizes one.

So is the extra money for the 14.5 gallon worth it?

how much do you collect as a 10 gal brewer? When I do 10 gal batches, I end up collecting 11-11.5 gal. Put that in a 12.5, and that's not alot of headspace. Kinda sucks that the extra 2 gal is another 129 bucks, for what, an extra 3-4" of stainless steel? Good luck!

The 12.5 is basically a taller version of the 7.3 with all the same features, including a cross bar to hold the lid in place. It does add a nice tri-clamp fitting to the lid. The 14.5 has a larger diameter, welded on legs, and a clamped ring around the outside. Personally I use the 12 gal and love it. Disclosure: I work at Stout Tanks.

I have both the 14.5 and 27 gal conicals. Bigger is better. You can ferment in a half full fermenter but you cannot in one that is too full. I once overfilled my 14.5 one(I think about 12 gallons) and had a very good fermentation that spilled out the airlock and made a great mess. Go bigger. The thermometer is very handy as well. If you want to ferment at 67 for example, you may have to crank your room down to 60 degrees at first and then raise it as the fermentation slows down. Stout Rocks!

oakbarn said:

I have both the 14.5 and 27 gal conicals. Bigger is better. You can ferment in a half full fermenter but you cannot in one that is too full. I once overfilled my 14.5 one(I think about 12 gallons) and had a very good fermentation that spilled out the airlock and made a great mess. Go bigger. The thermometer is very handy as well. If you want to ferment at 67 for example, you may have to crank your room down to 60 degrees at first and then raise it as the fermentation slows down. Stout Rocks!

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can I ask a follow-up question? if you ferment in a half full fermenter, do you have to fill the headspace with another gas like CO2? or is normal atmosphere OK as long as the fermentation doesn't take too long to get started?

Yes. Add Oxygen. We use welding Oxygen through an airstone in the Wort for about 30 seconds.

oakbarn said:

Yes. Add Oxygen. We use welding Oxygen through an airstone in the Wort for about 30 seconds.

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that's not what he's asking. He's asking if you only have your fermenter half full, do you need to put an inert gas as a blanket on top of the wort to prevent oxidation (CO2, argon, etc), since there would be so much head space.

NBBC13 said:

can I ask a follow-up question? if you ferment in a half full fermenter, do you have to fill the headspace with another gas like CO2? or is normal atmosphere OK as long as the fermentation doesn't take too long to get started?

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No need to put a blanket of CO2 on top. The fermentation process will produce way more than enough CO2 to fill the entire space and it will do so rapidly once the fermentation starts. As a matter of fact if you close off a fermenter entirely, the pressure can get pretty high.

dfess1 said:

that's not what he's asking. He's asking if you only have your fermenter half full, do you need to put an inert gas as a blanket on top of the wort to prevent oxidation (CO2, argon, etc), since there would be so much head space.

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Actually I did answer correctly for what we do. We do add oxygen to oxygenate the Wort and to replace the "air" in the top. I should have also said , you could also do nothing.

oakbarn said:

Actually I did answer correctly for what we do. We do add oxygen to oxygenate the Wort and to replace the "air" in the top. I should have also said , you could also do nothing.

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So I get oxygenating the wort, but you add O2 to the head space? That seems like you're trying to oxidize the beer, no?

There is no beer, only wort. I just add Oxygen to the wort. It replaces the "air" in the enclosed fermenter. The hole at the top is a 1 inch triclover. You really are not adding oxygen for that. You do not need to replace the air. You do not need to add anything. It just that when you add the oxygen, it and the air have to go out as the fermenter is not "closed" at that time.

Thx everyone

If you have the room, bigger is better!

Always buy bigger than you think you will need! Frankly, if I was in your position, I'd go 20 or 25 gallons (if you have the space) , the price diff isn't that much, you can still brew ten gallons right now, and if you need the capacity to brew larger batches (such as for a special occasion, or for friends) you don't have to invest again.

patthebrewer said:

Always buy bigger than you think you will need! Frankly, if I was in your position, I'd go 20 or 25 gallons (if you have the space) , the price diff isn't that much, you can still brew ten gallons right now, and if you need the capacity to brew larger batches (such as for a special occasion, or for friends) you don't have to invest again.

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Amen!