Best fermentors for 10 gal batches?

Doing 10 gallon batches and currently am using 13 gal plastic (polypropylene) fermentors. Not to keen on using poly as a fermentor. They stain, are harder to sanitize, let 02 through if aging for long periods and the BEND way to easily and are hard as heck to lift.

Looking for alternatives, preferably not to expensive. Would love to have some SS conicals but at $600 usd that's a little out of my price range.

How handy are you or your friends?

http://www.toledometalspinning.com/products/hoppers/priceList.asp

You could get 5 12.2 gallon @ $128 usd each.

david_42 said:

How handy are you or your friends?

http://www.toledometalspinning.com/products/hoppers/priceList.asp

You could get 5 12.2 gallon @ $128 usd each.

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nice find.. Can you weld the fittings on? I'm curious why it is important to not have internal welds?

Nice. Would have to make a top and add dump valves, etc. I wonder how much extra that would be? Might be some peeps in Vancouver area that would be interested in a group buy. I'd have to see.

Some one also told me about used steel milk jugs, but I don;t have a clue where to find those.

I may be interested in part of that group buy too. They also sell the lids...

I brew 25 gallon batches and needed something cheap also. I wanted a conical but that size would cost a fortune so I converted old pool filter housings into fermenters.

This is a breakdown of the cost:

Pool filters: Free
Welding: $75 each
3 Gallon Cornies to cut tops off: $30 each
Total cost each $105

Monster Mash,

What exactly was fabricated by you guys? just the corny lid? I'm still curious why it is important to not have welds on the inside, is it because of potential contamination? I'd have no problem fabbing something up but I'd have to weld the inside to do it.

These are generally made of stainles steel... welding material isnt and will rust.

Actually You use stainless rods which won't rust either. My assumption was the weld is not perfectly smooth and will allow nasties to hide out, I may be wrong.

I've heard what Todd has heard, and that's what makes the most sense to me. You'll never be able to get the surface of the weld as smooth as the rest of the fermenter, which will leave little crevacies and whatnot for nasties to hide out in.

Todd said:

Actually You use stainless rods which won't rust either. My assumption was the weld is not perfectly smooth and will allow nasties to hide out, I may be wrong.

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I suppose... only if you tig weld....

Your idea makes sense too unless the weld is build up alittle and smoothed out with a grinder. I suppose even then there could be little pockets in there that could hide bacteria

sirsloop said:

I suppose... only if you tig weld....

Your idea makes sense too unless the weld is build up alittle and smoothed out with a grinder. I suppose even then there could be little pockets in there that could hide bacteria

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yeah my plan would be to tig it. I'm also curious for the conical ones, how do you mount the ball valves? It looks to me like there is a bulk head fitting and the valve mounts to that?

My fermenters were done with sanitary welds and stainless rod. Conicals have welds, the large commercial fermenters have welds and they don't have problems. All you need to do is back gas the welds and both sides are smooth.

Monster Mash said:

My fermenters were done with sanitary welds and stainless rod. Conicals have welds, the large commercial fermenters have welds and they don't have problems. All you need to do is back gas the welds and both sides are smooth.

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Great thanks. I did notice the commercial ones have welds as well.

There are a bunch of pool supply places around here. Time to go a hunting! Might have to move from 10 to 20 gallon patches (evil insane laugh, while tapping fingers together)

It took me twenty minutes to find some here in Redding ( I aint saying where)ha ha ha
I now have another prodject GREAT thanks a lot like I didnt have enough to do....LOL
JJ

jaybird said:

It took me twenty minutes to find some here in Redding ( I aint saying where)ha ha ha
I now have another prodject GREAT thanks a lot like I didnt have enough to do....LOL
JJ

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How much did they charge?

FREE
I might have to buy some new gaskets @ about $15.00 ea.
Just let them know its for brewing beer youll be suprised how many people want to help. Just dont forget them when yo have a really good batch bottled up...
JJ

I have looked all over Houston, and cannot find these pool filters anywhere. Everyone tells me the old ones are being replaced becasue they're corroded or leaking.

All of the ones I got were corroded but they are stainless so they clean right up. The ones that leak are due to a pinhole, I just welded a spot over the hole and that solved the problem.

My pool connection called me and told me he has 5 more for me to pick up. I really don't need any more but they are free so Im going to convert them and sell them cheap....

Monster Mash said:

My pool connection called me and told me he has 5 more for me to pick up. I really don't need any more but they are free so Im going to convert them and sell them cheap....

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How cheap is cheap? And how heavy are those things to ship?

They weigh around 15lbs but boxing them up would be difficult. I would have to sell them for around $100 to make it worth the trouble.

mmmmmm.....25gallons of beer...../drool. Wait...must stop spending $$ on brewing...I need a home first. Maybe after I get a home and get settled, SWMBO may let me start sinking money back into my hobbies. $100 plus shipping seems more than reasonable to me. I'll check back in a few months and see if ya have any then.

Definately would not recommend welding by any other method other than TIG. You really need to limit the ammount of heat transfered to the stainless. Otherwise you will have corrision issues around the weld area.

With great results as well! Available at any food service supply house for around 20.00. I just add a drain valve the near bottom. I am brewin 12 gallon batches at this point, but someday will move up