Brew Bucket by SS Brewing Technologies

403Brewer said:

So I just tried to pull a sample from my bucket and there was zero flow, tried rotating the arm but no joy...any reason why this would happen? I pulled the airlock out too incase there was a suction or something but still no dice. Could the trub be that high or plugging the outlet maybe? 5 gal ESB so I can't believe there would be that much but maybe

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Probably just yeast settling out and filled up the tube. I read somewhere on this thread or another one talking about that. they said put the hose on the barb and try siphoning a little out until the beer starts flowing.


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I haven't had any trouble with the dip tube stopping up. Is everyone leaving it horizontal during the ferment like the instruction say?

I did not the first time and I had some yeast build up in the tube, but nothing gravity couldn't take care of. Now that you say that, I will turn it horizontal next time. I used a top fermenting yeast, so I figured it was just that.


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Ya I kept the valve opened for about 10 min so I think I either have to jam something up there which I'm not really keen on doing...any other thoughts? I can imagine blowing into it would be worse than sticking something up in terms of infection risk

I get a beerection when I see this. Mine should be here in a few weeks.

trboyden said:

Sorry again. Here's some pictures of my bucket, maybe that will make people feel better!

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403Brewer said:

Ya I kept the valve opened for about 10 min so I think I either have to jam something up there which I'm not really keen on doing...any other thoughts? I can imagine blowing into it would be worse than sticking something up in terms of infection risk

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If you keg, then just take your co2 tank and blow some co2 thru the valve. That'll clear it out. Or you could fill a hose with clean water or beer, attach to the valve, then blow a little of that thru to clear it out. Surely wont take much.

403Brewer said:

Ya I kept the valve opened for about 10 min so I think I either have to jam something up there which I'm not really keen on doing...any other thoughts? I can imagine blowing into it would be worse than sticking something up in terms of infection risk

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Did you try opening the lid while the valve was open? I think I recall someone else mentioning that problem, and once they cracked the lid a bit, it started flowing.

403Brewer said:

Ya I kept the valve opened for about 10 min so I think I either have to jam something up there which I'm not really keen on doing...any other thoughts? I can imagine blowing into it would be worse than sticking something up in terms of infection risk

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Just put some tubing on there and blow....no worries of infection


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You've got to keep the spigot positioned sideways so that yeast and other sediment is less likely to settle in the pickup tube.

Weezy said:

You've got to keep the spigot positioned sideways so that yeast and other sediment is less likely to settle in the pickup tube.

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^This

I just pulled a clean sample from a 1.077 double ipa that is down to 1.010 in a week. I have the arm positioned off to the side.
I also popped the lid off and set it a quarter of the way off to the side to add five oz of pellet hops directly into the juice. NOW we'll see if it clogs!

trboyden said:

I have bigger...

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Thanks for posting these photos. Like others here I was pretty pumped to see the conical bucket. However (and I'm sure the plastics haters will go off here ) but being that the buckets are not available and I like plastic cause its lighter and easier to move and clean in my less than ideal, far from CIP situation...take a breath here...I started looking at those plastics wine conicals. And they're you have em! One with a good size outlet on the bottom as well and on stand with castors. That's a very interesting setup to me. Would you mind writing something up here or elsewhere about that build? Thanks!!

I found the Super Simple 15G Plastic Conical thread. So, nevermind unless you wanna throw something out there about.


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No problem, they are just "inductor tanks" from Rural King.com (http://www.ruralking.com). The one with the metal stand is a 15 gallon and the one with plastic legs is 35 gallons. They are easy to drill and I just added weldless valves. The bottom drain are poly cam and groove fittings from Pro Flow Dynamics (http://store.proflowdynamics.com/modules/store/Camlock-Fittings_C63.cfm). They have good deals on aluminum and stainless steel cam and groove fittings as well.

I actually did some rearranging today and have a better setup to show...




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OT: Nice Looking Setup^^

I received my replacement bucket yesterday, so I give a big thumbs up for customer service! So far my other bucket and the new bucket are perfect.

I'm am thinking about pulling the trigger on this and got to page 20 in the thread and didn't find an answer to these questions (they ask the same thing in two different ways... I just want to be clear):

1. Do you rack out of this bucket to a secondary fermenter before bottling?

2. Does your beer stay in this for the entire fermenting process?

I want to pull the trigger on this, but if the users of this recommend that I transfer to a glass carboy after two weeks, I won't do it.

Thanks!

No need for secondaries, sorta... You can open lid and dry hop. You can keg and dry hop. If you bottle you should transfer to priming bucket then add priming sugar, then bottle. If your aging for long time you should transfer to glass carboy to get beer off trub. Most cases you won't need secondary IMHO.


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Just finished my first batch, I kind of screwed up the beer but the bucket was a dream for fermenting, transferring and most of all cleaning! Only tip I'd have would be to make sure the racking arm is level when you put in your wort as I had a stuck valve, likely with trub so I had to blow that out. So easy to take SG readings and move around with out being worried your carboy is going to explode. Expensive upgrade over a plastic bucket or carboy but well worth it for the convenience

Has anyone tested how well these buckets conduct heat? Is the temp the same on the outside as the inside for temp probes?

I'm to lazy to experiment, but I guess I should

Dcoux09 said:

I'm am thinking about pulling the trigger on this and got to page 20 in the thread and didn't find an answer to these questions (they ask the same thing in two different ways... I just want to be clear):

1. Do you rack out of this bucket to a secondary fermenter before bottling?

2. Does your beer stay in this for the entire fermenting process?

I want to pull the trigger on this, but if the users of this recommend that I transfer to a glass carboy after two weeks, I won't do it.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I don't see this as any different than typical buckets or carboys. Some people choose to secondary, some people don't. It's arguable as to whether your beer is clearer or not with secondary fermenting, but most people who do, do so for adding adjuncts (dry hopping, fruit, clarifying agents, oak cubes, etc...). So in that respect it would be no different with the Brew Bucket.

Now that said, if you only do primary fermenting, your beer is definitely clearer than if done in a bucket or carboy. The conical section gets the yeast and trub out of your beer and keeps it clear through the whole transfer process. I did a test between a regular bucket and the Brew Bucket by passing the beer through a filter. On the regular bucket I put the spigot about twice as high as what you would normally get from say Northern Brewer so that it would be comparable (the spigot isn't sitting in the trub). Long story short, the Brew Bucket had zero debris in the filter while the regular bucket sucked in all kinds of junk. Both looked clear as the beer flowed through the tube. So without the filter, you wouldn't of even known it until you started sucking crap out of your keg or bottle.

I'm sure this was covered but couldn't find it. This can't be pressurized to keg transfer right? So have those who have one been gravity racking? Or using a pump?


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chigundo said:

I'm sure this was covered but couldn't find it. This can't be pressurized to keg transfer right? So have those who have one been gravity racking? Or using a pump?


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Click to expand...

Out of the box, no. With minor to more complicated modification, up to 2 PSI has been reported as doable.

nextgenxx said:

No need for secondaries, sorta... You can open lid and dry hop. You can keg and dry hop. If you bottle you should transfer to priming bucket then add priming sugar, then bottle. If your aging for long time you should transfer to glass carboy to get beer off trub. Most cases you won't need secondary IMHO.


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Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick response. I think I'm going to pull the trigger on this.

I really want to eliminate the use of my auto siphon and this gets me one step closer to that goal (the only thing I need next is a ball valve brew kettle).**Couple that with the fact that I no longer have to rack mid fermentation, which saves time and effort, and this looks like a great buy.**It also seems way more effective in isolating yeast and trub than a siphon and strainer would even with two stage fermentation.**Compared to true conical fermenters the Brew Bucket seems to have a couple advantages too - it seems easier to sanitize (less moving parts), and it's way cheaper than a Blichmann.**All the parts seem relatively easy to replace over time if they breakdown as well.

The one downfall with this is monitoring the temperature of the brew, but I feel if i get an electric thermometer and sneak the probe wire under the rubber gasket on the lid, that could be a temporary fix.**I saw some people installing weedless thermometers, that just makes me a bit nervous though.

Well, I just talked myself into ordering.**Thanks guys!

You're gonna love it


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Just so I'm clear, you just raise it up and gravity transfer from it, right??


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Dcoux09 said:

The one downfall with this is monitoring the temperature of the brew, but I feel if i get an electric thermometer and sneak the probe wire under the rubber gasket on the lid, that could be a temporary fix.**I saw some people installing weedless thermometers, that just makes me a bit nervous though.

Well, I just talked myself into ordering.**Thanks guys!

Click to expand...

You'll definitely be happy. For now, I just use a Fermometer strip on the outside of mineI believe it should work better on the stainless than on glass or plastic.

Eventually, I'll add a thermowell, but that's for when I build my fermentation chamber

Used mine for the first time today. I made a real basic partial boil extract batch on the stove and put about 2.5 gallons of water into the Brew Bucket prior to dumping in the concentrated wort. The inside is so shiny I looked in and saw the line where the cone starts and thought that was the line for the water I had just put in the bucket. At first I thought my water had all leaked out and had to look closely to realize it was at the same level I'd started, but it was so well polished I couldn't see the water line. The stopper hole is a little sharp on mine. I used a 1/2 inch silicon hose for a blow off and I noticed it kind of cut into the hose, might try a way to smooth that out somehow. A couple questions for people who have used these for a few batches:

1. How do you orient the racking arm during fermentation? I have mine sitting horizontal and figure I'll leave it that way through primary and dry hopping and only turn it to vertical when I'm ready to siphon. I figure that keeps anything from settling down into the racking port. However, my concern is that the yeast cake and trub will get high enough to stop up the valve if I leave it that way. I don't think that's likely. Any thoughts?

2. How are you sanitizing the lid seal? I took it out and dunked it in StarSan. However, it was so wet that, when I tried to work the seal back into the groove around the lip it kept slipping out. Are most people just sanitizing the lid with the seal in place? I was wondering, since it's silicon and steel, if I could just clean it, reassemble and then bake the whole thing in the oven to sanitize it? Just a thought, maybe there's an easier way to get the seal to stay in place?

It's possible these issues have been answered in this thread, but, at 44 pages, it was taking forever to get through the whole thing.

Shooter said:

Used mine for the first time today. I made a real basic partial boil extract batch...

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I take it apart, soak/clean it in Oxy, let dry, reassemble, and then surface coat it with Star San a few minutes before clamping it down on the bucket. It's not likely to ever touch your beer, so I don't think you really need to go to extremes with an aggressive sanitizing routine. More important is cleaning the bucket itself and the valve assembly.

Shooter said:

1. How do you orient the racking arm during fermentation?

2. How are you sanitizing the lid seal?

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1. I also orient my racking arm down, which would be the same as to the side. My thought is that it would minimize the chance of clogging if yeast or any other particulate settled into the arm. I make sure that I set it in the same direction as the valve on the ball valve so I know which direction my valve is pointing. Then when I start racking I point it up, and rotate it down as I get close. However, my yeast and trub settle nicely into the cone and I have not been real close to it even when the racking arm is pointing down. I have found that if I fill the bucket to the 5.5 gallon mark, I end up with the perfect amount in the keg when I reach the limit of the racking arms reach. Sure you could tilt the bucket, but but as long as I plan for 5.5 gallons I'm Ok with the loss.

2. I'm taking the whole thing apart and soaking the gasket in Star San and then spraying the lid with Star San. It is slippery, but I personally didn't have any issues with the gasket staying in place when I put it in. you shouldn't have any issue if you just sanitize the whole thing assembled. there is minimal contact with the beer, and at most you would come in contact with Krausen. I just do it the way I do, because....well......it's just the way I did it and didn't have a problem.

trboyden said:

I take it apart, soak/clean it in Oxy, let dry, reassemble, and then surface coat it with Star San a few minutes before clamping it down on the bucket. It's not likely to ever touch your beer, so I don't think you really need to go to extremes with an aggressive sanitizing routine. More important is cleaning the bucket itself and the valve assembly.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I thought about that as well and will probably just end up doing that. Thanks!

barleypopmaker said:

1. I also orient my racking arm down, which would be the same as to the side. My thought is that it would minimize the chance of clogging if yeast or any other particulate settled into the arm. I make sure that I set it in the same direction as the valve on the ball valve so I know which direction my valve is pointing. Then when I start racking I point it up, and rotate it down as I get close. However, my yeast and trub settle nicely into the cone and I have not been real close to it even when the racking arm is pointing down. I have found that if I fill the bucket to the 5.5 gallon mark, I end up with the perfect amount in the keg when I reach the limit of the racking arms reach. Sure you could tilt the bucket, but but as long as I plan for 5.5 gallons I'm Ok with the loss.

2. I'm taking the whole thing apart and soaking the gasket in Star San and then spraying the lid with Star San. It is slippery, but I personally didn't have any issues with the gasket staying in place when I put it in. you shouldn't have any issue if you just sanitize the whole thing assembled. there is minimal contact with the beer, and at most you would come in contact with Krausen. I just do it the way I do, because....well......it's just the way I did it and didn't have a problem.

Click to expand...

1. Cool, sounds like my thinking was on base then.

2. I struggled with the thing for a long time but, as hard as I tried, the thing is so tight, as I work my way around to the last side, it starts popping out somewhere else. I think I'm going to go with the clean, dry, reassemble and just sanitize it as one piece route.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

dirkomatic said:

You'll definitely be happy. For now, I just use a Fermometer strip on the outside of mineI believe it should work better on the stainless than on glass or plastic.

Eventually, I'll add a thermowell, but that's for when I build my fermentation chamber

Click to expand...

if I may add a suggestion... I have no affiliation with this company, but I installed this thermowell to my brew bucket's lid and it is perfect. The quality is of the highest I have seen. The temp probe from my stc-1000 controller slides perfectly down the thermowell.

https://www.brewershardware.com/12-Weldless-Thermowell-WLFM14TW12.html

The day I've been waiting for arrived. I was able to pressurize the cold-crashed fermenter to 3 psi and push through 2 oz of Simcoe and 2 oz of citra in the Hop Rocket directly into the liquid side of the keg. I took a sample before and after the rocket and the difference was astonishing. Now I just have to wait a few long days to carb.

I will be very happy when the final three of these buckets arrive!

CrystalShip said:

if I may add a suggestion... I have no affiliation with this company, but I installed this thermowell to my brew bucket's lid and it is perfect. The quality is of the highest I have seen. The temp probe from my stc-1000 controller slides perfectly down the thermowell.

https://www.brewershardware.com/12-Weldless-Thermowell-WLFM14TW12.html

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That's exactly the one I was looking at installing... It's just a future project for me. I just finished upgrading all my gear and this one's just got to wait.

Saw keg outlet posted a video on how to install the gasket properly for those that were having difficulty






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Thanks Schumed!

Schumed said:

Saw keg outlet posted a video on how to install the gasket properly for those that were having difficulty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnabaJiZRds&sns=em

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Yeah, that extra bit of gasket you see in the first 30 seconds of the video is why I cut and trimmed mine. Cut it at the top of the loop that forms after pushing in the gasket all the way around. Overlap the cut point, and cut off the excess one more time just a little past the originally cut point. You'll get a snug air tight fit, and it will make it easier to remove and reinstall the gasket after cleaning. You just need to pry a little bit at the joint, and it comes right out, and it keeps you from scratching the stainless trying to get the gasket out of the groove.

trboyden said:

Yeah, that extra bit of gasket you see in the first 30 seconds of the video is why I cut and trimmed mine. Cut it at the top of the loop that forms after pushing in the gasket all the way around. Overlap the cut point, and cut off the excess one more time just a little past the originally cut point. You'll get a snug air tight fit, and it will make it easier to remove and reinstall the gasket after cleaning. You just need to pry a little bit at the joint, and it comes right out, and it keeps you from scratching the stainless trying to get the gasket out of the groove.

Click to expand...

i never had this problem because i spray the thing with star san and it slips into place, but this video pretty much solves the problem rather nicely too.

On my first bucket the gasket was abit small and it didn't fit well if it was removed, this was an early bucket thing. They apparently had to do a run and get that rectified. They sent me replacements for the 2 I had and I've had no issues since.


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Just notified my bucket was shipped.

avneng said:

Just notified my bucket was shipped.

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From where?

From SS Brewing.