Single vessel kettle/fermenter?

I've got this monstrous hot water tank which I was planning on turning into a kettle. I've got a crazy idea though: kettle fermenter. Boil and hop, then let cool and pitch right into it. Seal it up and let it go.

Any reason this won't work? The break material would still be in there, but that should mostly just take up volume. I used to pour it all in back before I knew better with no issues.

You'll have to aerate/oxygenate it somehow, other than that i can't imagine why you couldn't. I put a lot of break into my fermenters without any problem that i can tell. Of course you will be tying up your kettle while you ferment, and i would not be willing to do that myself.

You could pick up a used 15 gallon LME barrel from you LHBS that would work as a fermenter for cheap.

dantose said:

I've got this monstrous hot water tank which I was planning on turning into a kettle. I've got a crazy idea though: kettle fermenter. Boil and hop, then let cool and pitch right into it. Seal it up and let it go.

Any reason this won't work? The break material would still be in there, but that should mostly just take up volume. I used to pour it all in back before I knew better with no issues.

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I really like where you're going with this. I always dump the hops and break into my conical fermenters without problems.

Make that a brew in a bag and you can do everything in one vessel and put out a lot of beer at the same time. You'll need a hoist to pull out the bag or set up something to hold 3 bags for mashing and pull them out one at a time.

I need one of those....good find.

I'll let you guys know how the first batch goes.

Biab won't work as the top access is too small

I'm curious to see if you have any problems with DMS with the covered top only having that small opening. Interesting idea.

dantose said:

I'll let you guys know how the first batch goes.

Biab won't work as the top access is too small

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More importantly, boilovers will be inevitable. It'll come rocketing right out of there...you'll need fermcap.

I think your best bet is to cut out a larger orifice in the top (but not all of it) so you can do BIAB all in the same vessel, using no-sparge (you have more than enough room for your entire boil volume). You already have nipples in the side for whirlpooling/recirc. Then, find something else as a fermentor. You will have trouble regulating the temp of something this large, as well as cleaning it...especially with threaded nipples in there.