Anyone using a Stout Tanks System?

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Anthony_Lopez

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I'm looking at going for a 1-2 BBL system, and have been eagerly awaiting the launch of Sturdy Equipment. Since they are on a 2 year launch stall, I'm considering going with Stout Tanks instead. I'd love to hear some comments or reviews of their system.
 
I am using the 80 gallon conical and I love it. Top quality construction and parts. Polished inside and out which makes it easy to clean. I build a sturdy dolly to make it mobile.

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I believe the smaller kettles (2 BBL<) that Stout sells are actually made in China. This is theory but they look mighty close to the ones sold by PsychoBrew.com

I was writing a quote for a 1.5 BBL system and needed specifics.
Stout would not return my emails on equipment questions and Psycho was very quick to reply and supply the answers I was searching for.

Kinda disappointed because I was planning on using Stout tanks for my personal system
 
We have the 2bbl Stout brewhouse setup (hot liquor tank, mash tun, brew kettle) along with 2 (soon 3) of the fermenters and the brite tank. We've been using them for a little over a year now and they have been reliable for us. The boil kettle could use to be a couple inches taller as some vigourous boils have nearly boiled over on us. Depending where you are using it you'll want to come up with some kind of insulation for the mash tun as it will lose heat. We wrapped some insulation in a tarp and use bungie straps to wrap the whole thing up. Tasting ports on the fermenters would be nice, but that's just nitpicking. Overall no major complaints about the system or the quality.
 
Gduck, what style mash are you doing: Batch?

We're fly sparging with it. We recirculate the mash through a herms coil in the HLT to raise the temperature up before we begin the sparge, but overall it works well.
 
How much heat loss were you experiencing before you insulated it? Know anyone doing direct fire RIMS at that volume?
 
How much heat loss were you experiencing before you insulated it? Know anyone doing direct fire RIMS at that volume?

Depended on the time of year. Our building is barely heated so in the winter at best it's a little over 50F in there... In the summer... Much higher. During the colder months we'd probably drop close to 10 degrees after 60 minutes. With the insulated wrap we only drop about 2 degrees which is a lot less problematic.

Don't know anyone doing any direct fire on a system like this, but it would be a great way to go.
 
A buddy of mine is now doing the direct fire method on a 2 barrel stout system and it seems to be working well.
 
I am lucky and live just an hour away from the Stout Tanks warehouse so I was able to inspect the products before I committed. I was impressed with all the different tanks that were in stock. All are made in China and imported as far as I know.

If you have the patience to wait between when you confirm your order and take delivery, you should not be disappointed with what you get.
 
I am lucky and live just an hour away from the Stout Tanks warehouse so I was able to inspect the products before I committed. I was impressed with all the different tanks that were in stock. All are made in China and imported as far as I know.

If you have the patience to wait between when you confirm your order and take delivery, you should not be disappointed with what you get.

No doubt.
My challenge is lack of customer service. We try to respond to customers as quickly as possible. Based on my experience, I am willing to pay the slightly higher price of a competitor.
 
2 BBL user here. Received the system in early 2011 and have been brewing on it regularly since, in a small brewpub. I'm quite happy with the system. I do not experience temp loss too badly in the MT, although I also use the HERMS coil to recirculate the mash. Temp stepping is not really viable with the flow rates its provides (1/2" hex coil) but I have settled lately on a single infusion with 60 minutes of mash time before starting recirc with the HLT at 170. This can typically raise the mash 8-10 degrees in an hour.

The whirlpool kettle does a GREAT job of what its supposed to do. The coned bottom helps that happen. The HLT and MT would benefit from a coned bottom to aid CIP as well, but they are flat bottoms. The BK is 90 gallons, and I begin the boil with 73 gallons and 6 grams of fermcap to help contain the possibility of boil-over. Without fermcap yes it can boil over if not careful with that volume.

There are a couple of small flaws, a couple of non-critical welds which are not perfect. But all together it serves my purpose very well and is great for what it costs. A march nano-brewery pump does the main work of moving liquids and running clean-in-place/keg cleaning, and it does the job perfectly. I also use a march 809 to circulate the HLT and push the sparge water during fly sparging.

I run these with all electric heat, 11kw in the BK, and 11kw in the HLT, controlled by the BCS-460.

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We have the 2bbl Stout brewhouse setup (hot liquor tank, mash tun, brew kettle) along with 2 (soon 3) of the fermenters and the brite tank. We've been using them for a little over a year now and they have been reliable for us. The boil kettle could use to be a couple inches taller as some vigourous boils have nearly boiled over on us. Depending where you are using it you'll want to come up with some kind of insulation for the mash tun as it will lose heat. We wrapped some insulation in a tarp and use bungie straps to wrap the whole thing up. Tasting ports on the fermenters would be nice, but that's just nitpicking. Overall no major complaints about the system or the quality.

Just do what I did. Ask John to add a tasting port on the fermenter. :mug:
 
Just do what I did. Ask John to add a tasting port on the fermenter. :mug:

The original setup was orderd before either me or the other brewer were brought on so the owner wasn't aware that tasting ports were even a thing. When we ordered our third tank we asked about it, but he's busy and the delay it would cause made it so it wouldn't work with our time table as demand has been growing and we need to churn out more beer. So we just deal without one. Besides, if it wasn't for this I'm sure I'd find some other little thing to complain about. :drunk:
 
Had the conical and it was ok for the price. Availability is poor and welds are so so but again for the price they are ok vessels. Chinese manufacture most likely which explains availability and welds.
 
I own the 80 gal fermenter and find it impossible to seal the lid. Everything else has been great no problems with cleaning or sanitizing since I stopped using the minibrew plastic. I put it on cinder blocks and can keg straight into corny kegs. I have been looking at the mash tun but would rather try to find something insulated.
 
I had a similar issue with the lid until I made sure the gasket was seated properly and tightened the sealing ring as tight as it could go. I build a dolly with beefy wheels that allows me to roll it into the walk-in from the brewing area. Never looked back.
 
I am not sure what you mean by "made sure the gasket was seated properly" every time I use it 2 of us try to line it up before I seal the ring, but it never seals. Am I doing something wrong? I will tighten the sealing ring even more and see if I can close it. Brewing on Sat. so I will know soon.
 
I have the 20G MLT which I do direct fire RIMS with. Overall I am happy with the setup but there are minor issues with welds and I am not a fan of the temperature port. It reads off by ~10 degrees F from where the mash is really at. I used a CDN insta pen to check in the port (touching the inside) and that read dead on. I moved the supplied temp gauge into the mash, and again it was dead on. I am going to pack the port with CPU thermal grease next time I brew to see if that gets me closer to the correct temperature. Will report back if anyone is interested. I love the bottom drain feature though as I get almost every drop of wort out and if I let it sit ~ 30 minutes before I dump, I end up with enough wort for my next yeast starter as a bonus...
 
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