Stainless Fermenter Advice

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

hanson95

Active Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2012
Messages
42
Reaction score
6
I currently use a plastic bucket for fermenting, but I have this idea and wanted your thoughts (I'm hoping this isn't an original idea and several people tell me they do it already successfully). What if I used a SS brew kettle as a fermentation vessel instead of buying a dedicated SS conical fermenter?

I can get a 24 qt SS kettle with lid for about $50 at my local restaurant supply. Then I figured I could install an airlock in the lid and let my wort ferment with just the weight of the lid keeping the vessel sealed (some of you do this with plastic buckets already, right?)

An added benefit would be that I could use this kettle as my HLT also, eliminating some equipment - I would use it for sparge water, and then sterilize it and use it to ferment. What do you think? :confused:
 
I know I've seen pictures of people doing this on here. Go for it. It's basically a stainless bucket. You could put some gasket material on the lid for a tighter seal if you wanted. Expansion and contraction may suck in some air, allowing for some increased risk of infection, but small.
 
Go for it. Get a roll of wide kitchen plastic wrap and cover the pot with that. Poke a few tiny holes in it. good to go.
 
a stainless kettle would make a fine fermentor but it's not an alternative to a real conical fermentor. at all. i hear you about cutting down on equipment but i think that in the long run there are no real shortcuts to an efficient brewhouse (maybe that speidel braumeister?) if you are fermenting in your HLT does that mean you won't be brewing until that fermentation is over and the beer packaged?
 
eastoak said:
a stainless kettle would make a fine fermentor but it's not an alternative to a real conical fermentor. at all. i hear you about cutting down on equipment but i think that in the long run there are no real shortcuts to an efficient brewhouse (maybe that speidel braumeister?) if you are fermenting in your HLT does that mean you won't be brewing until that fermentation is over and the beer packaged?

I hear ya - my BK fermenter isn't going to be comparable to a conical. Re: your last question - yes, i won't be brewing more often than monthly.

Thanks for all the input so far...
 
I have heard of people doing that successfully. I don't think it has any advantages over a cheap, plastic fermentor though. Especially if it ties up a pot that you need for brewing!!
 
For 2 years now I've been fermenting in my kettle with fine success. I finish the boil, chill in the kettle, aerate by stirring when pitching yeast, and cover. Then about 12 hours later I'll aerate again. My lid nests inside the kettle plus a lip on the top edge. It seals quite snugly. Once fermentation is active, I try to keep out of it for a week and not disturb the CO2 blanket which will form. If I want to brew again the following weekend, then I'll rack it to a keg early and let it finish up in there.

My most recent batch is the first time I've sealed the lid with tape, but that was due to ants moving into the room I had it in. Aargh.

I have a conical being made for me. I will use a heat stick to boil directly in the fermenter. I've grown quite fond of the practice.
 
This is the kind of confirmation I'm looking for - thanks.

I plan on brewing in my 8g kettle, then transferring (via plate chiller) to a separate 6g kettle to ferment. I'll see if I can get some gasket material to line the edge of the kettle, then run a small bungee strap from one handle to the other to secure the lid down.

The only disadvantage I'm aware of (thanks to eastoak) is not being able to brew more often than every 2-3 weeks while I'm fermenting. And while it's not as good as a SS conical, IMO it's better than my scratched plastic brew pail.
 
This is the kind of confirmation I'm looking for - thanks.

I plan on brewing in my 8g kettle, then transferring (via plate chiller) to a separate 6g kettle to ferment. I'll see if I can get some gasket material to line the edge of the kettle, then run a small bungee strap from one handle to the other to secure the lid down.

The only disadvantage I'm aware of (thanks to eastoak) is not being able to brew more often than every 2-3 weeks while I'm fermenting. And while it's not as good as a SS conical, IMO it's better than my scratched plastic brew pail.

If you really want to ferment in SS you should look into fermenting in old Sanke kegs...a pony keg would be perfect for your brewing. I LOVE fermenting in my Sanke's. Lots of threads about it....
 
Phunhog said:
If you really want to ferment in SS you should look into fermenting in old Sanke kegs...a pony keg would be perfect for your brewing. I LOVE fermenting in my Sanke's. Lots of threads about it....

My concern with that is reaching inside to clean. And do they come in 6 g size?
 
I currently use a plastic bucket for fermenting, but I have this idea and wanted your thoughts (I'm hoping this isn't an original idea and several people tell me they do it already successfully). What if I used a SS brew kettle as a fermentation vessel instead of buying a dedicated SS conical fermenter?.......... What do you think? :confused:

You mean like this?
10gbk-35006.jpg
 
Exactly! Do you have a gasket under the lid, or does it not require that tight of a seal?
 
On this kettle (10 gal Mega Pot), one can seal it with plastic electrical tape around the lid and kettle. A hole for a grommet through the lid and an air lock, and off you go. Samples can be taken through the air lock hole with a turkey baster and short piece of tubing. Good luck...
 
My concern with that is reaching inside to clean. And do they come in 6 g size?

I built a cheap keg washer out of a fountain pump...makes cleaning a breeze . To sanitize you I just boil a few gallons of water in it. A pony keg is 7.75 gallons. You could even get fancier and push the beer out with CO2 and not risk any oxidation. It might be more than you need/want but I always suggest them when someone is thinking about getting S/S conicals.
 
I have been fermenting in stainless kettles for a couple of years and have had only good experiences. Using heatsticks I either BIAB or 3V, then chill w/ a tub and 8-10 frozen 2 liter bottles, or no chill in the kettle, then pitch yeast in the brew kettle and ferment. Never bothered w/ a gasket or airlock...the ketttle in the pic the lid is a bit knackered, so I use a peice of poly bag and a string. This method works well and is a labor savior! I usually go 10-14 days in the kettle and then keg, sometimes another week in the keg prior to chilling in the keezer.

The beer is good, just ask my friends, haha!

photo_zps83ec4640.jpg
 
Back
Top