Usage of conicals

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billtzk

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Those of you who use conicals, would you mind explaining what brand and size you have, how many, how big your batch sizes are, how often you brew, and how you put them to use?

What I mean about how you put them to use is do you primary and condition in your conical, then bottle or keg, or do you primary in the conical then transfer to cornies to condition so you can get another batch going in the conical sooner. And is your process the same for lagers and ales?

As I understand it, one of the benefits of a conical is to be able to primary and condition in the same vessel. But if you do that you'd need two or you'd only get to brew every three to six weeks depending on the beer. Bummer that.

Finally is there anything about your conical you don't like, or do you wish you'd bought another brand, and why?
 
I have recently acquired a Blichmann 14 gallon for which I use for both primary and secondary fermentation. I have only been doing ales and I leave them in there a total of 3 weeks.

I have two small boys and a lot of competing priorities so I only get to brew about once a month so it works out fine for me.

As for the conical, it was definitely something that was a "nice to have" but I got it second-hand at a good price and couldn't pass it up. It is definitely the nicest looking part of my brewing process.
 
Also have the Blichmann mentioned above and love it. The only downside that I see is what you've already mentioned... it's harder to run multiple batches.
 
I dont want to hijack this thread, but I just have a quick question...

If you are using a conical, can you bottle/keg right from the conical??? That would be wonderful :)

Edit: I guess you couldn't bottle directly from the conical because you have to prime. so nevermind :)
 
Blichmann 14 gal usually 10 gal. batches

One of the nice things about a conical is that you can do a variety of things. You can use it for both primary and secondary fermenters or you can rack to a corny keg for secondary and conditioning. Then dump a new batch on top of the old yeast cake. Concial usually have 2 dump valves 1 on the bottom where you can dump the trub and 1 higher up where you can rack above the yeast cake and trub.

You can also use co2 to rack to a higher level if it sits low or gravity feed if it sits up high.

Here are some of the advantages: It's rugged, sanitizes easily, you don't have to shield the beer from light, it's easy to dry hop, easy to rack, easy to repitch on top of a yeast cake so you'll save money on yeast, also it's easy to harvest yeast. I see it as a huge labor saving device.

Disadvantages: It's expensive, and not really necessary.

I don't see any reason you could not dump the yeast and trub. Add your priming sugar and bottle straight from the conical. If it were me though I'd invest in a kegging set up before I'd buy a conical.
 
I built mine from a Toledo Metal Spinning hopper and lid. My brother who is a welder built the stand for me from my drawings. It is a 12.2 gallon hopper with the domed lid which adds an extra gallon or so of space for kraeusen.
My typical brewday includes two five gallon mashes (I was a ******* and bought the five gallon cooler instead of the ten) and then boiling in a keggle. I transfer the cooled wort from the keggle to the conical through the bottom dump valve and oxygenate and pitch yeast through one of the two holes in the lid.
After about three days depending on fermentation temperature, original gravity and yeast pitching rate I will dump the first batch of yeast. This usually gets flushed. If I need yeast because my stores are running low I will harvest the fourth or fifth day dumps for washing. I usually dump yeast three or four times per batch.
After that I will let it sit and condition for ten to fourteen days. Longer if it needs it but I have never needed to. Also I check gravity readings with each yeast dump and for a few days afterward through the racking port and will stop checking once the beer gets to my expected final gravity.
After conditioning, I rack to two kegs from the racking port and will usually carbonate one in the kegerator and condition the other under pressure somewhere cool.
The things I don't like about the conical are temperature regulation and moving it full of wort from the keggle to where it ferments. I have solved both problems nicely I think but it was a PITA before hand.
 
Damn you all, conical havers! Ok, I'm just jealous. Not to highjack, but I will: Do you all use temp controllers with your conicals?
 
Plastic might scratch and hide bacteria in said scratch.

With the things said by my wife i think i am going to be the proud owner of a blichmann 14 gallon conical come christmas day!
 
"Damn you all, conical havers! Ok, I'm just jealous. Not to highjack, but I will: Do you all use temp controllers with your conicals?"

Absolutely. Temp control. Temp control. Temp control. There is no point in spending the money on a conical if your beer is still going to have off flavors from unchecked fermentation temperatures.

Plus, the heat generated by eleven gallons of fermenting wort and the mass of the liquid that holds that heat means 82*-87*. Ask me how I know. You only need to see that once.
 
I have a 7.1 gallon SS conical from B3. I love it, but I also think you will be hard pressed to find anyone say they spent $400-$1000 on a piece of equipment and not be happy. I like the ability to easily harvest yeast (though I never really had much trouble harvesting from a plastic bucket). I like the ability to dump trub during the ferment, but this isn't a major point. What I really like is the ease of clean up and sanitizing.

All in all, conicals are a great piece of equipment. Yeast harvesting and cleaning are made easier, but I wouldn't say a conical makes better beer. As a final investment in your brewhouse they're great, or if you're sitting on a mound of Christmas cash - go for it.
 
I have a 7.1 gallon SS conical from B3. As a final investment in your brewhouse they're great, or if you're sitting on a mound of Christmas cash - go for it.

I'm sitting in a pit where the money mound should be, i'm close (Alameda) can I borrow your conical? J/K. Hey neighbor how's the More Beer store over your way? That new preproduction fermenter by Bitter Creek Home Brew Supply sure looks slick. They claim it will handle up to 35 psi.
 
Why would a fermenter need to handle 35 psi? You have any more info on that preprod fermenter?

I really like my Blichmann 14.5 gallon conical. Competition is a good thing, though.
 
Many pictures of their 8 and 16 gallon fermenter with larger volumes available under; SS Fermenter Projects dated 8-20-08, 6:19 PM by Bitter Creek Home Brew Supply.
Also has by Superior Brew Vender. I believe this is under the equipment / sanitation section. Makes the Blichmann's look like made in China knockoffs. I have it with photos in my file but can't pull it up and post for you. They show both sizes and they are on this forum. You'll have to hunt it down boss, this is the best I can do for now. They are Oh My God I have to have these vs Blichmann's. A little taller custom ordered then you could have full 15 gallons in your corny's, no partical fills even after trub and yeast dumps. High pressure to carbonate and or to transfer to other containers or corny's. Very impressive units.
 
Better late than never, here are those two different size fermenting units that I was talking about that should go to market soon they said. They said they can make different volumes than what was posted. They had 8 and 16 gallon size. The 8 gallon is 38" high, 13 1/2" diameter and 16" wide at the cover clamp. The 16 gallon is 45" high, 16" diameter and 18" wide at the cover clamp. These can handle up to 35 psi for fermenting under pressure plus easy pressure transfering to higher elevated corny's or containers of choice. I like the 16 gallon volume before adding the lid but would want one made a few gallons larger allowing for 15 gallons or three full corny's after a couple trub and yeast dumps. Can't see this with that other brand with only a starting volume of 14.5 gallons and the 27 isn't what I want either as they are way too big in diameter.
Note the fit and finish of these great units besides the legs and that quality cover clamp, no weak design flaws anywhere. Not only that they are smaller in diameter than the other brands 14.5 and 27 gallon and can fit in a refrigerator.
Hope this helps. Carl........

http://inlinethumb22.webshots.com/38229/2002153560101759406S600x600Q85.jpg
 
I also have a Blichmann 14gal conical with sanitary fittings. I only bought it because I had recently sold a road bike for about the same amount of cash. I don't think I would have the patience to save up all that cash. Thank god that purchase is behind me!
 
Makes the Blichmann's look like made in China knockoffs. I have it with photos in my file but can't pull it up and post for you. They show both sizes and they are on this forum. You'll have to hunt it down boss, this is the best I can do for now. They are Oh My God I have to have these vs Blichmann's.

I wouldn't go as far to say they make Blichmann conicals look like junk and not just because I have one.

These might possess the options that you are looking for but they are missing several options that I feel are a big plus. I take full advantage of the soda keg hatch on my Blichmann and now that I have it I couldn't see operating without one. The leg extension option that Blichmann has is very nice so you don't have to get on your hands and knees to hook everything up nor do you have to be forced to either pressurize the conical or drag out the pump to bottle/keg your finished beer. Also I would suggest that this conical that you are talking about come with a sanitary fitting option.

The legs on the conical you have mentioned do look nice and 35psi feature might be appealing to some but if you don't have a pump or a CO2 tank to hook up to it somebody is gonna have to bear hug that thing to get it on a table. Is the fitting for the bottom dump welded on the conical or is it weldless?

Not trying to bash this conical. Just putting in my .02...
 
I wouldn't go as far to say they make Blichmann conicals look like junk and not just because I have one.

These might possess the options that you are looking for but they are missing several options that I feel are a big plus. I take full advantage of the soda keg hatch on my Blichmann and now that I have it I couldn't see operating without one. The leg extension option that Blichmann has is very nice so you don't have to get on your hands and knees to hook everything up nor do you have to be forced to either pressurize the conical or drag out the pump to bottle/keg your finished beer. Also I would suggest that this conical that you are talking about come with a sanitary fitting option.

The legs on the conical you have mentioned do look nice and 35psi feature might be appealing to some but if you don't have a pump or a CO2 tank to hook up to it somebody is gonna have to bear hug that thing to get it on a table. Is the fitting for the bottom dump welded on the conical or is it weldless?

Not trying to bash this conical. Just putting in my .02...

TommyBoy; as I reread it yes I was kind of harsh or shall I say the wrong choice of words towards the Blichmann's. Heck I almost purchased one until I saw these new ones that I posted above. I'm repeating myself but the only flaw I see is why Blichmann did not make a conical that will allow one to do a batch big enough to fill three corny's without going to their 27 gallon?
I see a hole to be filled with a unit of around 19 gallons capacity would be great and keep it in the smaller diameter as their 27 gallon is rather too wide for the refrigerator.
The racking arm and trub dumps look like half couplings welded in place. The inside looks like a mirror they're so highly polished, racking arm everything looks like chrome.
I can anticipate your next reply as being dirty threads holding bad bugs why not a Tri clamp nipple with a smooth bore welded to the tank bottom and racking arm. They are still open of ideas, this I will mention if an available option. As far as lifting for transfer that is why I purchased a March pump. Gray matter vs back as I have gray hair.


To cut a hole for corny lid is no big deal, plasma grind and polish down if I need one, that's least my worries, paying for that conical is.

No worries Tommy as Blichmann is still on my list besides I believe they can make different volume fermenters on request. The added price for this might be way out of range above the basic unit. It's just a little more stainless which is cheap but to custom order and jig it labor might be the deal killer. Heck a 15.5 keg was between 70 and 80 cents a pound 6 to 8 weeks ago prices have dropped since. World market demands. This is thru one dirty scrap yard I know of as all the rest will kick you off their lot. I know many cashing in copper for the company as a electrician over the past 30 years. One job was over $83,000 in copper to my best place of business. Sorry way off topic here i'll shut up nuff said above.
 
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