Brewhemoth conicals?

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I'm at work but will double-check when I get home, just prior to having a cold one.

My wife would tell you I'm notorious for over-estimating the number of inches something is.
 
I was thinking of sewn for the barrel / top and with velcro for the cone. I like the idea of a cozy for the fermentors.
 
Joe, how about we split the difference? I measured 19" from the bottom edge of the cylinder to just above the top weld.

Ben I agree that a neoprene cozy is going to look pretty good on the Brewhemoth. With a thicker neoprene you could carve out the area where the legs fit for a snug fit all around. I guess a thinner material could be applied under the legs and letting them hold things down, but I don't know how much extra thread there is in those cap nuts.
 
Lennie,

Yeah I measured today and came up with 19ish. About 20 to the part of the top where it starts to flatten out. So I'll go with 20 and get...

1490.7161 sq in, or 10.3522 sq ft.

-Joe
 
Just got my Brewhemoth today...dont know why I waited so long. Planning on drilling a hole in the 4" cap to weld me in a thermowell..
 
Just got my Brewhemoth today...dont know why I waited so long. Planning on drilling a hole in the 4" cap to weld me in a thermowell..

That's what I had done with mine. I've got the internal chillers on mine and figured if I was going to have to remove that to clean I might as well only have one piece.

I'm thinking of adding some kind of handle to the cap to make it easier to remove without having to use the chiller tubes as a handle
 
The only thing about running the thermowell down from the lid is when you do smaller batches, you need a really long thermowell. If you ran it in the racking port it wouldn't need to be very long and would be positioned towards the bottom of the fermentor. Of course until I get a fridge for this bad boy I really don't need the thermowell since my own weak version of a chiller isn't really doing anything more than removing the ferm heat. At first I wondered why it wasn't working, then I reallized that the relative amount of surface area on the coil vs the amount on the surface of the Brewhemoth, was probably similar. So I have ambient air contacting the outside of the Brewhemoth, and water thats maybe 20F colder than internal running through the coil. No way that water is going to make much of a difference in the internal temp unless I insulate the conical. That is what I'm considering now, using some 3/4" neoprene to make a conical cozy.
 
The only thing about running the thermowell down from the lid is when you do smaller batches, you need a really long thermowell. If you ran it in the racking port it wouldn't need to be very long and would be positioned towards the bottom of the fermentor.
Also, if you use a tee on the top 1" tri-clamp port and a 24" thermowell, the thermowell hits the chiller coils.

Ask me how I know ;) I think I'm going to try a tee on the racking port with a thermowell there. We'll see how the logistics work out once I get my current batch out of the fermenter.

-Joe
 
using a corny dip tube that is welded at the tip for my thermowell (reaches about an inch above the bottom weld of the BH). Planning on fabing a tri clover spunding valve for the blowoff port.
 
using a corny dip tube that is welded at the tip for my thermowell (reaches about an inch above the bottom weld of the BH). Planning on fabing a tri clover spunding valve for the blowoff port.
Might not be as inexpensive but their new pressurizing attachment for the blowoff port lets you use a keg QD to attach your spunding valve and/or put pressure on the keg from the CO2 tank. Darned handy little attachment.
 
We made a spunding valve, works pretty good, tho after setting up my temp controlled fermentation set-up, I doubt I'll ever use it.
 
Why is that Dale? It works great to provide a little back-pressure on your ferm to speed things without increasing esters. Plus its great for counter-pressure filling kegs.

What is your temp-controlled setup?
 
Also, if you use a tee on the top 1" tri-clamp port and a 24" thermowell, the thermowell hits the chiller coils.

Ask me how I know ;) I think I'm going to try a tee on the racking port with a thermowell there. We'll see how the logistics work out once I get my current batch out of the fermenter.

On my early water tests I had major temp stratification issues, so on my first real fermentation I wanted to collect as much data as possible. Thermowell through the top and a thermowell through Tee off the racking port. Still major temperature differences until fermentation started, but halfway through fermentation I stuck another temp probe under my insulation on the bottom cone and it was 2 degrees warmer than the probe in the thermowell.

I'm not sure how accurate it is but I started averaging the different sensors in order to come up with a single value to compare to my set point.

I had the short thermowell made in case I wanted to do small batches but I think I'd be happy with the external probe if I ever went with smaller batches. Honestly I doubt I'll ever make another 5 gallon batch again and if I did I'd probably just do it inside on the stove
 
Why is that Dale? It works great to provide a little back-pressure on your ferm to speed things without increasing esters. Plus its great for counter-pressure filling kegs.

What is your temp-controlled setup?
I'm using a small chest freezer as my glycol chiller. About 10-15 gallons of a weak glycol solution, temp set at 25, and its good to go. With two immersion pumps in it, I can brew in two Brewhemoths at a time. With a healthy yeast pitch, and picking the right fermentation temp, I seem to be able to get the ester profile I want, my ales have improved since I started watching my fermentation temps from the inside of the fermenter, rather than watching ambient temps. Then I have the ability to crash the temp to hasten the brightening of my ale. What more can I ask for?
 
I'm using a small chest freezer as my glycol chiller. About 10-15 gallons of a weak glycol solution, temp set at 25, and its good to go. With two immersion pumps in it, I can brew in two Brewhemoths at a time. With a healthy yeast pitch, and picking the right fermentation temp, I seem to be able to get the ester profile I want, my ales have improved since I started watching my fermentation temps from the inside of the fermenter, rather than watching ambient temps. Then I have the ability to crash the temp to hasten the brightening of my ale. What more can I ask for?
How low can you get your temp with the system? Any insulation?
 
Prototype number 2, which we also tried copper plating, is currently sitting with 11 gallons of IPA in it. I crashed it to 52, held there for a couple days, dumped the yeast, its now sitting at 63 with Centennial hops steeping away. This is uninsulated in a 70 degree room. The other Brewhemoth has 100 feet of plastic tubing wrapped around it with a fiberglass water heater blanket wrapped around that. The metal foil on the outside does not look all that bad. Pumping the glycol thru that tubing and an internal chiller, I have lagered at 38. I usually set that one at 42-45 to crash the yeast.
 
Picking my 2 beasties up tomorrow in Niagara Falls, Ny. Thanks to Josh for helping my beauties along. I must be the first Canuck with them.:tank:
 
:mug: LOL, just got home. Assmbled the legs and standing in the living room waiting for Heather to come home from an appointment. These are, after all, what she wanted. Who am I to argue?:D
 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2315002889300&set=a.1106370834254.14298.1676300791&type=1&ref=nf
This is a picture of my version of a spunding valve. 0-100 psi adjustable pressure relief valve, gauge, and a ball lock disconnect for adding extra pressure if needed. Should be on the Brewhemoth sight in the near future!

I really like it but is there a way you could make it without welding the Ball lock fitting on? Maybe leave that port open for us that use CO2 QC's ?
 
Kegged up some oatmeal stout tonight. Got to say that conical fermenters rock. So easy to keg and with a pump and spray ball easy to clean. :rockin:

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Kegged up some oatmeal stout tonight. Got to say that conical fermenters rock. So easy to keg and with a pump and spray ball easy to clean. :rockin:

I've got an oatmean stout in mine now. I dig having a lager and ale fermenting next to each other.

With how closed transfers and everything, I'm curious why the lid is off your corny? I put mine on a bathroom scale to watch fill volume
 
Sure, rub it in that my spray ball project crashed and burned! Actually I used a brush on the dreaded ring and that worked quite nicely. I may not even do a CIP spray ball.
 
The lid is off because I did not have a scale. Also the only reason I'm pushing it with co2 is because the fermenter is to low to gravity feed. I tried but it stopped part way up. I'm going to make a platform to put it on and then it will be high enough.
 
Use the gas, put the lid on the keg and let a little pressure off through the gas out port (push down on it with a screwdriver or something). Then you don't need to elevate the conical. I'd hesitate to put it on a platform unless you secure the legs somehow. A rolling platform would be nice for when it is full.
 
Use the gas, put the lid on the keg and let a little pressure off through the gas out port (push down on it with a screwdriver or something). Then you don't need to elevate the conical. I'd hesitate to put it on a platform unless you secure the legs somehow. A rolling platform would be nice for when it is full.

My plan is next week I'm building two 4'x4' platforms both with 10" Pneumatic wheels just like my brew rig has. I brew in my front garage and ferment in my back garage. So the fermenters are moved full over about 300 feet of crushed concrete driveway (or snow this time of year). As of now I just strap it to a 2 wheel dolly and move that way.
My 35 gallon conical has 4 legs and each will be bolted down. The BH will have the legs bolted down using the nuts that the feet are in now but I'll also add some eye-bolts to the platform and run straps from the top of the legs down to the eye-bolts.

Being that I'm not carbing in the BH I don't care about using the CO2 to rack. In fact I would rather not if I don't have to. Gravity never runs out mid transfer and it's free. :D
 
How long does it take to fill a keg using 1/4" ID tubing and the keg diptube? I am debating whether to use that approach or use 3/8" ID tubing and a racking cane.
 
How long does it take to fill a keg using 1/4" ID tubing and the keg diptube? I am debating whether to use that approach or use 3/8" ID tubing and a racking cane.

Using gravity and not pushing it with 10+psi I would say somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. More then enough time to sanitize the next keg.
 
This thing is awesome.

Thinking of using these in my brewpub since, 1: we like small batches and 2: we are in a awesome downtown building and can't get anything bigger than these through the door (figuratively).
 
Anyone else have leg studs that are slightly mis-aligned? One of my legs will not go on straight no matter what I do. It is off at roughly 10 to 15 degree angle.
 

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