Hi Guys,
I bought 2 of these from this guy. I think they are pretty good for the price. The valves are definitely not tight and I was able to crank them another 1 to 2 turns to get them tight. Not really a big deal. These units are not a formed cone, but fully welded from flat stock. For the most part the welds are pretty good. I took a dremel with a ss brush on the end and touched up some of the welds to make them smoother. These units are made in China and have found the source for them. I used to import items and it took me all of 5 minutes to find the source. I can tell you that these can be had in bulk from China for under $100 each. For those looking for a economical conical, I think these are nice. I do wish it had a port hole or something to look at the beer while it is fermenting. Right now I have a Raspberry Wheat in the conical fermenting. Everything appears to be working well and it is nice to have the thermometer in it to monitor temps. So if you are on the fence, I say go for it, it is worth it. My only question about this thing is how do you add fruit to it without clogging the bottom valve? Do you think putting it in a grain bag might work? Also, since there is no need to transfer to a secondary, is the best thing to do just dump some of the trub off the bottom after about a week or so and let sit longer? Or do you leave it as is? If you guys have any questions, let me know.