Brewhemoth conicals?

SMALLER SIZE!!!

I know it goes against the Brewhemoth name, but while the 15 gallon capacity is awesome for the folks who have... erm, 15 gallon systems, most of us are stuck in garages with fridges and tight spaces. A smaller one to go toe to toe with the Blichmann and Morebeer 14.5 gallon models will appeal to everyone, since by far the biggest size seems to be 10 and 5 gallon batches. (I'd absolutely jump on one, but my fermentation chamber can handle a max of 40" when I figure a little space for maneuvering, so that forces me away from you guys and makes me have to look at Blingmann and the like)

I have a bottom dump on my converted sanke fermenter and I totally get enough yeast out the bottom without any tapping. It's obviously nowhere near a 60* cone or a 45*.

I'm starting to believe that the healthier yeast is less viscous anyways and it settles into the center better than the sticky trub on the sides (maybe that's wishful thinking, but it kinda looks like that when I open er up).

+1 for wanting a pressurizable version. I would do away with the top port thing in favor of a 4" Tri-clamp ferrule weld (like my fermenter) so you could then have a top 4" cap with corny posts and a pressure relief valve and/or thermowell.

I am the new PROUD owner of the Brewhemouth from The Happy Holiday Homebrew Competition! I should have it by tomorrow and should be putting it to good work making an Oktoberfest this weekend. I was looking to expand my capacity and well this is perfect. Josh and Dale are really great guys and I can not wait to see their product and put it to good use. I just might have to rebrew that Dunkel soon!
Steve

I'm hoping that 'chillier' comment was referring to a temp controlled (maybe jacketed?) fermentor. When you get that worked out I'm definitely in!

How do you guys who have one feel about the ability to top crop and/or clean? Is the port on top big enough?

JEBrew said:

We are considering one in the future, but we have more "chilling" things to work on first! And yes...that was a hint of what we are working on.
Cheers!

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Thanks Josh, sounds like a "chilling" great idea coming down the pike.
I'll have to wait and see before ordering another ferm. #10.

Yeah, you can get 15gal corny dip tube (which is 35" long) and cut it to length as u see fit. I'd do away with the bottom racking port in that configuration. With mine I have no desire for such as my dip tube reaches the appropriate location. And that means that the bottom dump is the only weld below the beer line. Nice.

I'll take a pic of my triclamp top when I get home. A 4" cap gives u enough room for 2 corny posts, a thermowell and a prv at the same time, no doubt. I use the gas out post for blowoff.

Cool, i'd like to see a picture to get an idea for my tri-cap top.

SankePankey, this is what you have, if I'm not mistaken?

a 4 inch tri-clamp on top is a great idea. I wonder how that alters the price. 4" tri-clamp stuff can get expensive. But I suppose that would save the clamp and machined top for a more industry standard setup.

Cleaning isn't bad. I think Dale and Josh both hand clean theirs fine. I hand cleaned mine once and didn't have any issues. I use the clean-in-place setup now, so it's super easy.

Oh, cool. He's got a new website.

Yes this is what I have. I absolutely love it. Having the cap like this with ALL the ports on it means that every port (besides the bottom dump) is easily removable and hence easily boil-able in the HLT to sanitize.

I should have gotten a PRV port added on the cap, but to jerry rig I put one on the gas in line instead. You can get the following (also pictured below) PRV's at several different pressure ratings from major suppliers- 40, 60, etc.. As you can see on my cap, there is plenty of room to weld a 1/4" female NPT port on the cap to screw one of these into.

I use the gas out as a blow-off, but not exactly as he has pictured. I have a couple custom welded fittings (corny posts welded to tri-clamp caps...what I'm holding) for that purpose. Also, this way I can do pressure ferments with a blow-off vessel attached. And, I basically have threadless in and out of my primary, since every thread is past an o-ring, on the outside. Savvy?:cross: My method is to use the 3 gal corny for a blow-off vessel/top cropper with the following fitting I'm holding - plus another on the corny as pictured. Then I detach from the primary and put the blow-off tube on the bottom dump tri-clamp and collect bottom yeast in the same vessel - hopefully thereby getting a full spectrum of yeast. I then put the post back on and attach my adjustable pressure relief valve (already on in the picture) to the gas out and ramp up internal pressure after high krausen to capture as much natural carb as I can.

IMO, the brewhemoth's need to be at least 35 PSI pressurizable to compete with what I can do with this. As I mentioned, the cone is so over-rated... not that it wouldn't be great to have, but..... not worth Morebeer prices. NEEDing a 60* cone (on the probrew scale) is all about the hydrostatic pressure (meaning the sheer weight of the volume) in a 15 bbl+ ferm vessel 'cooking' the yeast cake and making it un-viable and has nothing to do with anything on a homebrew scale (provided you can get enough yeast out the primary conveniently and sanitarily...the only other purpose). I do also have something similar to Kally's method of bottom dumping on mine. I have a tri-clamp elbow and a butterfly valve. The tri-clamp elbow is a nice reservoir for yeast to settle into.... ensuring a nice dump should you do one every other day or such.... like in a brewery.

I must say that I'm happy to check out Brewhemoth. Hadn't seen it till now. Good on ya fellas. I can't wait to see what you do for cooling. BUTTT..... please understand that the pressure thing is where you could score against all the other conical manufacturers. There is simply nothing on the homebrew market that is a truly a uni-tank (which mine is)... and also conical. I'm sure those vessels will rate well- they certainly look like it. Test em, rate em.... git-r-done. Being pressurizable is the difference between a 'fermentation vessel' and a 'uni-tank'.

BTW Kally, I'm working on a CIP system very similar to yours. I'll report back when I'm done.

Yeah but Sanke, how much did that set you back? $400+ all in? While I agree you're not in the same price range as Morebeer's stuff, you're still in the "conical zone" when you consider Stout Tanks and the Brewhemoth.

Kally said:

I wonder how that alters the price.

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If it means taking off the bottom racking port.... maybe the same price? That looks like house weld.

I paid plus or minus $10 from what the brewhemoth costs stock (and it comes without tri-clamps).. I will say I did get it on an ebay offering though, so maybe the price isn't the same.

I am a fan of both the Stout stuff and now the Brewhemoth stuff and would definitely consider the Brewhemoth stuff in the future if it were pressurizable.

Think mine was like $440 shipped.?

SankePankey said:

am a fan of both the Stout stuff and now the Brewhemoth stuff and would definitely consider the Brewhemoth stuff in the future if it were pressurizable.

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Just out of curiosity, how pressurizable do you need it to be? I mean, you only need 3-4psi in there to push your beer (well, unless you were naturally carbing in there as well).

I'd be all over either if it suited my needs. But more and more, it's looking like budget and the unwillingness to wait is pushing me towards Blichmann...

ubermick said:

Just out of curiosity, how pressurizable do you need it to be? I mean, you only need 3-4psi in there to push your beer (well, unless you were naturally carbing in there as well).

I'd be all over either if it suited my needs. But more and more, it's looking like budget and the unwillingness to wait is pushing me towards Blichmann...

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Dunno what to tell you. I'd buy 2 synergy's or brewhemoth's any day over a blichmann for the money.

At fermentation temps, I'm not pushing much more than 30 PSI to fully carb naturally. At 70 degrees, 30 PSI is 2.3 volumes. Any more can be corrected with a tank. All my pressure gear is rated to 60 PSI like my fermenter and I rarely go above 35. I am definitely in the pressure ferment camp.

Yep. If I had the patience, I'd snag the Stout tank and be done with it. But as plenty of folks are no doubt picking up on, given the fact that I'm trolling any subject with the word "conical" in the title, waiting until June for one doesn't seem like an option.

Then go with something made in the USA... like a synergy or a brewhemoth.

(ok, so my actual keg is made in France, but....)

I can't tell you how much fun the pressure stuff is. Just taking a gravity sample with just a picnic tap gives me the giggles!!

I can't help but brainstorm on what you guys are cooking up for cooling. Is it an internal coil or an external coil. I hope you can come up with something external that you don't have to sanitize, but is efficient... which is the whole idea behind clading a jacketed fermenter... to keep the cool in.... Enquiring minds want to know....

Mine should arrive today and I can't wait! First batch tomorrow morning unless I can't wait and do it tonight instead!

BrewBeemer said:

Talked to Dale this morning, 4" tri-clamp fitting welded on a $25 additional fee, details on billing we'll iron out later.
It's been great doing business with these people plus they are home brewers at heart and know our needs, wants or wishes.

Now being 100% tri-clamp fitted I bet the Brewhemoth would easily surpass the 30 psi range that SankePanke carbs in naturally plus surpass the 60 psi that Sankepanke stated all his gear is rated to. Not to try and defend my purchase just what I believe in a ferms overall strength and construction features.
This is a fermenter made from a pressure vessel I recall of a 1,200 psi vessel rating way above any brewing pressures required.
Pressures would transfer the fermenter to the pressure vessel zone which must meet rather strict Federal Safety Standards to be sold as a pressure vessel.
At 14 gauge or .078" thickness the Brewhemoth wall thickness is way thicker than any 15.5 / 7.75 kegs that i've cut into that is rated to 60 psi, all kegs are stamped with this rating as above it may explode.
For cooling the Brewhemoth ferm i'll have to stick with the old fashion way called a spare refrigerator, very high tech also free.

Without starting a pissing war one brand over the other which is the best of ferms. Prost.

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Yes, so do I. The brewhemoth's construction should easily pressurize. It doesn't have the top-held-on-by-a-bit-clamp-above-a-hopper design almost all the other ones do, which I think would be very difficult to rate for pressure. They just should rate it as part of the specs. I think it looks like a tank.

I don't know the legal stuff, but just because you test the vessel at a certain pressure after the welding process before you ship it out doesn't mean you are selling a vessel as a pressure vessel. That's all. Just slap a 40 PSI pressure relief valve on to the cap.

Question: Is the blow-off hole on the top a standard hole in the casing or is it one that you guys cut out? Can this hole be omitted from the design (like say if you are going to put your blow-off port in the cap instead)?

I bet the air lock vent hole is a punched out process before the top tank shell is welded in place it would have to be a production process skipping that procedure. If not coming from a outside supplier this would be a problem instead just have a tri-clamp fitting welded in place then cap it or add a deep well to it.

The "blow off" hole in the top is part of the pre-conical build production tank. There is no way to omit it. The 1 inch tri-clamp seems to be the best way to manage the hole. I have also tried a number of weldless options, but they haven't worked well...and it's really silly to have a threaded fitting there when I've gone to the trouble of eliminating it everywhere else. Although at the moment, I've never had wort touch that spot. A blow off isn't necessary for 10 gallon batches in this (and probably isn't for 15 gal batches either). I just put an airlock there with a drilled stopper.

Kally said:

A blow off isn't necessary for 10 gallon batches in this (and probably isn't for 15 gal batches either). I just put an airlock there with a drilled stopper.

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I'm doing 14 gals in a 15.5 gal vessel. I'm sure you could do 20 gals in that thing if you have a blow-off vessel to collect the 1/2 gal that overflows. Why don't you giver a try Kally?:fro:

Red Clay said:

I'm hoping that 'chillier' comment was referring to a temp controlled (maybe jacketed?) fermentor. When you get that worked out I'm definitely in!

How do you guys who have one feel about the ability to top crop and/or clean? Is the port on top big enough?

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Yep...working on a chilled version. Still in infancy, though...at least a couple months off. And, yes, it will probably be jacketed...in some form.

We have had no issues cleaning ours...warm PBW (OxyClean) soak overnight and then a rinse / sanitize the next day. Good to go!

SankePankey said:

BTW Kally, I'm working on a CIP system very similar to yours. I'll report back when I'm done.

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Because this post was shorter, I will "retort" to your comments here!

The weak point on pressurizing is the lid...period. We are working on a potential change / solution that may make them able to be pressurized...we will not say they are until any and all tests are completed.

This is not super high on our priority list right now, though, as it holds the pressures we think are acceptable...3-5 PSI to rack beer quickly. We are still not convinced there is a need for higher pressure, BUT...because there is an interest in them being made that way, we are definitely going to look into it!

We gotta make sure all our customers (and potential customers) are satisfied...

BrewBeemer said:

I bet the air lock vent hole is a punched out process before the top tank shell is welded in place it would have to be a production process skipping that procedure. If not coming from a outside supplier this would be a problem instead just have a tri-clamp fitting welded in place then cap it or add a deep well to it.

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That 1" hole is on every piece of the material we have for the top...it cannot be omitted (as Kally stated) and it is too big to just "fill", but we have been doing 1" tri-clamp fittings on them for the folks who order (as you know, #10).

JEBrew said:

Because this post was shorter, I will "retort" to your comments here!

The weak point on pressurizing is the lid...period. We are working on a potential change / solution that may make them able to be pressurized...we will not say they are until any and all tests are completed.

This is not super high on our priority list right now, though, as it holds the pressures we think are acceptable...3-5 PSI to rack beer quickly. We are still not convinced there is a need for higher pressure, BUT...because there is an interest in them being made that way, we are definitely going to look into it!

We gotta make sure all our customers (and potential customers) are satisfied...

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You definitely have a design in which you could do something no one else on the market is. Your stuff is really nice looking. My only point is that you can leverage your design advantages vs your competitors. The large gasket over a hopper design would be very hard to pressurize. Yours, I believe, with a tri-clamp top and welded blow-off port would pressurize easily.

While I think the temp control is great, it is also what other people (well, Morebeer) are doing and your task is just to make it cheaper (and good, too). No one is doing pressure rated conicals.

If 30 PSI isn't possible, the other option is to rate them for 15 PSI. That way you can capture about half of the gas naturally and then finish with force carbing after cold crashing (which at 33 degrees, 15 PSI would be as much as you'd carb anything... so you'd then never go over the pressure rating). This is really the way more often than not a lot of brewpubs, etc, use their unitanks... at least in my research. I don't think many 15 Bbl uni-tanks are rated for 60 PSI, no doubt, or 30 for that matter.

If you haven't, you should check out the closed-system pressurized fermentation thread. One of the best threads on HBT:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/closed-system-pressurized-fermentation-technique-44344/

OK my Brewhemouth arrived today and I must say it is BEAUTIFUL! This is one sturdy piece of equipment. I must say that anyone thinking about buying a Blichmann Fermenator STOP and buy this instead and save some money to boot. Josh and Dale you have done a wonderful job. I can not wait to put it to work tomorrow. Thank you for providing such a wonderful BOS prize and for your support of homebrewing. Cheers guys!

This thing is sweet. $429 for a 22 gallon conical shipped??? I only do 4-5 gallon batches and I am thinking of moving up to 10-15 just to take better advantage of this guy. Man is this cool.

Sanke, I am with you on the pressurizing. Right now I ferment in cornys (hence why I do 4-5 gallon batches) but this has my wheels churning... I would love to have an affordable conical and pressure ferment.

cford1 said:

This thing is sweet. $429 for a 22 gallon conical shipped??? I only do 4-5 gallon batches and I am thinking of moving up to 10-15 just to take better advantage of this guy. Man is this cool.

Sanke, I am with you on the pressurizing. Right now I ferment in cornys (hence why I do 4-5 gallon batches) but this has my wheels churning... I would love to have an affordable conical and pressure ferment.

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$429.99 to be exact.
Only if you spec out your order in advance with adding tri-fittings installed then you could pressurize higher for your fermenting pressure needs I would guess within reason. My thinking these conicals can withstand much higher pressures safely but again I have no backup facts either. Common sense is my guide.
Without it you might have problems with the fill cover as well the air lock hole blowing the cork out, these units are sold as fermenters not pressure vessels. Just a heads up on these options or requests as they will cost a little more, can't blame Josh or Dale and their company. For the price my opinion you can not beat their units plus your not dealing with other brands of thin conicals besides it's made in the USA. Free shipping was another winning factor for me. Shipping half across the country free with a 14 gauge unit I bet is heavy vs a $130 shipping quote the next state over, your choice I made mine. The capacity like you stated of 22 gallons is another bonus, what's to hate? Seems those that have them praise them, those that do not have one knock them, go figure.

I didn't have to purchase mine. I was the winner of the Happy Holiday Homebrew competition. It was very nice of Josh and Dale to donate it. I will certainly have to brew that Dunkel again!

I HATE YOU!

No, JK I recall you won it you lucky busturd.
Now you need a second one then the'll only cost you $214.49 1/2 cents each.

I just sent a couple bottles of Canadian Mist to Wirtz Va. and Fairfield Ct. to a couple close bros for Christmas.

Down your neck of the woods well east to North Carolina we lost Marvin Sutton my hero.

ubermick said:

SankePankey, this is what you have, if I'm not mistaken?

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The Synergy converted keg costs $375 before shipping from Oregon the same state Stout Tanks is located.
Stout Tanks 23 gallon would cost me $130 shipping, call it $50 shipping to be fair shipping a Synergy converted keg.
$375 plus $50 shipping, $425 total, Brewhemoth $429.99.
For $4.99 more which one would one chose?
If the Synergy fermenter were $100 less in price vs Brewhemoth I can see going with one.
Looking at Synergy listing a 809 March pump at $175 this before adding tax if within state plus shipping out of state, the people in Orgeon must make way more money than us po foke in California. We must raise our pot prices to afford Synergy equipment.

JEBrew - if you ever decide to do a 7 gal version, I am in STL & would be more than willing to test it.

Josh,
I forgot to ask, what company you use for shipping the Brewhemoths?
I can then better guess what time of the day delivered by company.

Josh and Dale, I tried to email you my Dunkel recipe and an action picture of the Brewhemouth receiving its first fill but the email was kicked back. Could you post or send me an email with your email address so I can get those to you?
Regards,
Stephen Ruffin

They sure do look good. 22 gallons is a lot bigger than the 7.5 gallon one I got off
Stouts.
Still I'm pleased with my purchase even though it seems that the Brewhemoth would
seem to be a cheaper deal.
My reccomendation would be for tri clamp system. I love mine.

boo boo said:

They sure do look good. 22 gallons is a lot bigger than the 7.5 gallon one I got off
Stouts.
Still I'm pleased with my purchase even though it seems that the Brewhemoth would
seem to be a cheaper deal.
My reccomendation would be for tri clamp system. I love mine.

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boo boo, any dislikes about your Stout fermenter? I'm considering one.

BrewBeemer said:

Josh,
I forgot to ask, what company you use for shipping the Brewhemoths?
I can then better guess what time they deliver by company.

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UPS...they give us the best rates (for now at least). We will e-mail you as soon as I do the tracking information...it will provide an estimate (the next morning) as of the delivery date.