Possible fermenter? Feasible? What do you think?

My local scrap yard has this beast. It's double lined, heavy as hell - stainless steel. I called the manufacturer, and it is hollow on the inside, despite the multiple ports on the top.

Any good suggestions for turning this thing into a fermenter? I'm not a welder, but can find someone. If you have any angles (that wouldn't break the bank), I may buy this thing.

What did it previously hold?

Looks like a liquid nitrogen tank.

I'm going to have to say no only because you can't get into it to clean it. Without being able to get inside of it the uses are limited except maybe distillation.

I thought about cutting the top off and somehow making a hatch. I've seen something like that done on sanke kegs. Then maybe install a ball valve to the side? It would be a flat bottom fermenter then i guess.

Or possibly a brite tank?

Cap all the ports but one. Install a ball valve on the last one. Flip the thing over. Cut the bottom off and install a hatch. Drill a hole through the now hatch and install a grommet for an airlock... or 2 or 3.

That's what comes to mind anyway.

EDIT: It would probably also be a good idea to install a valve higher up so you can avoid sucking yeast off the bottom when you are draining your brew out. IE, drill a hole through the side wall of the tank and install something like the typical mash tun ball valve setup. Maybe 4 inches up the tank from the port? It's hard to tell scale from the photo.

How big of a batch? Cut in half and get a HLT and Fermenter (need a top from Toledo Metal Spinning or similar).

Since you are searching scrap yards you may want to look for pool filters, I found a lot of them and made my entire brewery out of them.

I welded a corny lid to the top of a pool filter and made this.

Monster Mash said:

Since you are searching scrap yards you may want to look for pool filters, I found a lot of them and made my entire brewery out of them.

I welded a corny lid to the top of a pool filter and made this.

Click to expand...

Thank you. Great idea !!

Here are the rest of the pool filters...

My batches are 40-45 gallons worth.

The tank is about 5 feet tall.

I'm going to poke around online today - maybe see about a hatch on the side? Would make it more feasible to clean. Nice system Mash Monster.

Pretty sweet find. Seems like cleaning isn't really an issue, lots of kegs being used out there without the tops being cut off.
The options are pretty open with that thing, if you find someone that can weld SS for a song you are only limited by... nothing really. I like the idea of turning it over and cutting something in the top for access, ports on the bottom for racking... nice.

Love the pool filter idea! Who would have thought they were SS. Great find on those too.