Score! Huge SS Vessels w/?s

So I just scored a couple hydrotherapy tubs cheap. I have not picked them up yet, but wanted to get to thinking. Are the common grades of stainless used in medical facilities condusive to brewing? These are 72 gallons each. He said the whirlpool pumps still work, but I don't know what kind of plumbing is involved there. My first obvious thought is MLT and BK for big honkin' batches. Of course there are no lids, but that shouldn't be too hard to deal with. Has anyone else around here done anything with these? What potential pitfalls await me?

I'd say ( as far as we're concerned with brewing and not metal fabrication) Stainless is Stainless. Nice score. And I'm assuming it was just water in them for the therapy? Maybe mild detergent? I have no idea.

Not sure what they were used for, but that's the beauty of stainless...it cleans up very well.

I wanna see the burners you get for that BK...

all I can say, is I really hope you aren't bottling 72 gallon batches

All stainless isnt the same so they could be used or not. Some series stainless have a higher carbon content, and other additives for different uses. Check it will a magnet if it sticks then it can rust which would suck. I see rusting stainless in very high $ equipment in the food service industry all the time. Just my 2 pennys though

I know the stainless used for things such as car exhausts and chimneys would not work, but I'm hoping this is more along the lines of something usable since its a medical device.

It appears the tank itself is 304 from a newer model's spec sheet. I'll be picking them up tomorrow night and will report back, maybe with pictures.

Probably going to need a larger pump, chiller and need to think fermentation...

Probably going to need a larger pump, chiller and need to think fermentation...

Click to expand...

You could boil in one and ferment in the other to get started.

Its from the medical end of the world. So I'd suspect 316, 304 at the worst.

I have one of these, though smaller about 30G. I plan to use it as a mash tun one of these day.

Mash tun was my first thought since it has a bottom drain. I believe this is 304 as a newer model from the same mfg reads on the spec sheet. That will work, right? I don't think the time spent during the mash is a concern, correct? I'll get some pics this eve and put them up. They have been outside, so that's my only concern with the 304...

Night Owl,

I don't think this is going to work at all.....
I'll be by this weekend to pick them up


Seriously though I've been looking for a (cheap) hydrotherapy tub for a while now for my weekend warrior aches and pains. Do they have any more you know of?

He has one more that I'm going back for with some homebrew. I'll ask if he has a line on anymore.

These actually look to hold considerably more than 72 gallons; more like 85-90 per the 10gal graduations on the side. The floor slopes all toward the middle drain and there's already copper plumbing back up to the top for potential recirculation. There is a pump down there for this purpose already wired, but I'll obviously be replacing it with a high temp one. There is a heating pad as well on the bottom. They are also on casters made for the 800+ pounds. A lid and false bottom are really all that I see as necessary. I'll post pics when I read up on how.