Brew Bucket by SS Brewing Technologies
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Schumed
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I think on page two I have a picture comparing to bucket and carboy
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pennengr
Well-Known Member
Mine's in a Frigidaire wine cooler. Model LFWC425LS. Bought last summer at Lowes I think.
SpeedYellow
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I can't help but wonder: how long before somebody just tosses this onto the stove and boils in it, too? Sure, you'd have to work on the valve assembly due to the heat, but not having to transfer wort would appeal to some folks.
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On a stove, I would think heat transfer would be an issue due to the shape of the bottom.
This is how I installed my thermowell:
Although I'm thinking I should have moved it closer to the center.
Although I'm thinking I should have moved it closer to the center.
SpeedYellow
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Very nice! Where did you get the thermowell and stopper? This is a great solution, simple, cheap, elegant, effective. On my to-do list now!
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Here is how I did my thermowell
Here is how I did my thermowell
I like that thermowell, where'd you get that one?
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Thanks. It has nice gaskets on both sides of the fermentor wall for a super tight seal. Finger tightening easily gets the job done; which makes for easy disassembly/clean up.
https://www.brewershardware.com/6-Weldless-Thermowell.html
TVHABrewguy
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I can get 4 stacked in my upright freezer that I use for fermenting
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The thermowell is from here:
http://www.brewershardware.com/16-Stainless-Steel-Thermowell.html
I already had one. If I was buying one for this application, I probably go with the 12" model.
The stopper is just a grommet I picked up at Lowes.
I cleaned mine per their instructions, but when I wipe it with a paper towel, I'm still getting polishing compound coming off. How do you get this stuff off?
I hate to use Barkeepers Friend and risk scratching the surface. Vinegar? Mineral Spirits?
I hate to use Barkeepers Friend and risk scratching the surface. Vinegar? Mineral Spirits?
TVHABrewguy
Well-Known Member
I gave if a couple good cleanings with PBW and a soft toothbrush in some of the harder to get areas
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I was beginning to think this thing was just of tales from far away brew land.
As it turns out it actually exists. Mine arrived Friday, thought the box looks like it was put trough the wringer.
Well that's what the box is for, I guess. Would have been nice to have a decent looking box. What's more important at this point is the inside. I was afraid to find more of the same.
I had visualized this moment.
Luckily there is no noticeable damage at first glance.
One difference is no SS Brewing Technologies tag on the left handle.
Like others have reported mine also has polishing gunk.
Two things that concern me, one is an area near the bottom close the cone that looks like it was ground particularly hard, I'm going to test it for leaks today, hopefully that's just surface imperfection and my expectations went trough the roof trying to get this thing for so long.
The second thing, I was surprised at how the clamps grasp the lid so gently, I'm wondering if this will create a good seal, maybe it's just "science Mr. White!" that I'm not understanding.
All the other pieces look good but I haven't put them together yet, looks like I'll be cleaning and testing this thing today. Looking forward to the next brew.
As it turns out it actually exists. Mine arrived Friday, thought the box looks like it was put trough the wringer.
Well that's what the box is for, I guess. Would have been nice to have a decent looking box. What's more important at this point is the inside. I was afraid to find more of the same.
I had visualized this moment.
Luckily there is no noticeable damage at first glance.
One difference is no SS Brewing Technologies tag on the left handle.
Like others have reported mine also has polishing gunk.
Two things that concern me, one is an area near the bottom close the cone that looks like it was ground particularly hard, I'm going to test it for leaks today, hopefully that's just surface imperfection and my expectations went trough the roof trying to get this thing for so long.
The second thing, I was surprised at how the clamps grasp the lid so gently, I'm wondering if this will create a good seal, maybe it's just "science Mr. White!" that I'm not understanding.
All the other pieces look good but I haven't put them together yet, looks like I'll be cleaning and testing this thing today. Looking forward to the next brew.
Neither of my boxes arrived in that condition and both of my fermenters were in excellent condition. I guess it's just like everything else: once they crank up the volume, the QC starts to go down the crapper.
NervousDad
BFM
I did my first brew with my bucket today. It went fairly well, but I have to get used to having such a large opening. I accident dripped from water from the bottom of my starter flask into my wort so I'm somewhat freaked out.
I did a test for the temp difference between the inside wort temp and the outside of the bucket. They were identical so that made me happy
I did a test for the temp difference between the inside wort temp and the outside of the bucket. They were identical so that made me happy
I did my first brew with my bucket today. It went fairly well, but I have to get used to having such a large opening. I accident dripped from water from the bottom of my starter flask into my wort so I'm somewhat freaked out.
I did a test for the temp difference between the inside wort temp and the outside of the bucket. They were identical so that made me happy
Hey, same here! Did my first brew of the year, and first with the bucket -- a Belgian Witbier. I've had the bucket since just after Thanksgiving, yet I had WAY too much beer on tap, so I had to wait.
And yeah, it def takes some getting used to the size. I almost let a really nasty towel drop from under my kettle when transferring to the bucket.
Also, I drilled a hole in the lid and have mounted a rubber stopper (which I drilled) with a thermowell inside it. Beware for those who want to try this -- try to mount a grommet first and be VERY careful with the size! Most thermowells are 3/8in, but the OD of a 3/8 ID grommet is NOT 5/8, though it claims to be! Basically I was going to drill a 5/8 inch hole in the lid, then mount a 3/8ID-5/8OD grommet.
I ended up drilling to 9/16 to see how the fit was before going to 5/8, only to find that it was already loose, and the grommet went straight through! Talk about being pissed! Basically, OD measurements on grommets are complete bull@*#! Anyways, I ended up expanding the hole and instead mounting the thermowell through a stopper. It's a black rubber stopper, so I've gotta order a new white one so as not to risk imparting flavors.
Getting a few drops of water in the beer shouldn't freak you out. The pH of the beer along with hops adds some some protection. Granted, infections can occur, but a few drops is nothing to lose sleep about.
As far as the post about a box conditions, that's a fault of the carrier, I'm sure the boxes didn't go out like that. I know that we all want pristine boxes showing up at our door, but if you see how FedEx and UPS handle boxes I'm surprised as many show up in good condition as they do. One thing I noticed is the box has extra protection inside, which adds weight, but helps protect against outer damage from the box. I recently ordered a pump from More Beer and the outer box looked like it was stomped on, but luckily there was an inner box that was in perfect condition. I was not concerned with a little manufacturing residue on the bucket, you want to clean it before use anyway.
How loose the clamps are, would probably be subjective. What may be loose to one person may not seem so much so to another. So that's a hard one to gauge. While you don't have to wrench down hard on the clamps on the buckets I have, I feel the tension is tight enough to keep air out. As long as your airlock lets out co2, that is your weak point in the gas flow. It's going to follow the path of least resistance. You could put in an stopper and blow into the bucket to see how much pressure it would take to get any air through the seal.....if any. I'm sure you can generate more pressure than your bucket would normally get.
For those asking to compare this to size of a 6 gallon better bottle, here was a photo I took when I got mine. Some of the pictures may make it appear to to huge, or larger than a carboy, but it's still a 6 gallon fermentor. It's not going to be a whole lot bigger if at all. As you can see, it's about the same size. Maybe 3/4" taller.
As far as the post about a box conditions, that's a fault of the carrier, I'm sure the boxes didn't go out like that. I know that we all want pristine boxes showing up at our door, but if you see how FedEx and UPS handle boxes I'm surprised as many show up in good condition as they do. One thing I noticed is the box has extra protection inside, which adds weight, but helps protect against outer damage from the box. I recently ordered a pump from More Beer and the outer box looked like it was stomped on, but luckily there was an inner box that was in perfect condition. I was not concerned with a little manufacturing residue on the bucket, you want to clean it before use anyway.
How loose the clamps are, would probably be subjective. What may be loose to one person may not seem so much so to another. So that's a hard one to gauge. While you don't have to wrench down hard on the clamps on the buckets I have, I feel the tension is tight enough to keep air out. As long as your airlock lets out co2, that is your weak point in the gas flow. It's going to follow the path of least resistance. You could put in an stopper and blow into the bucket to see how much pressure it would take to get any air through the seal.....if any. I'm sure you can generate more pressure than your bucket would normally get.
For those asking to compare this to size of a 6 gallon better bottle, here was a photo I took when I got mine. Some of the pictures may make it appear to to huge, or larger than a carboy, but it's still a 6 gallon fermentor. It's not going to be a whole lot bigger if at all. As you can see, it's about the same size. Maybe 3/4" taller.
Did my first brew in the bucket today too. It's amazing how well it adjusts to the temperature in my Cool Fermenting bag. It conducts temperature much better than a plastic bucket.
did my first brew today as well. also amazed at how much better it conducts heat! night and day difference vs. a plastic bucket or better bottle.
hunter306
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Like others have reported mine also has polishing gunk.
Two things that concern me, one is an area near the bottom close the cone that looks like it was ground particularly hard, I'm going to test it for leaks today, hopefully that's just surface imperfection and my expectations went trough the roof trying to get this thing for so long.
My brew bucket has significant marring all the way around the upper lip just below the rolled metal (deep scratches) which haven't affected it's use. They appear to be caused by either the polishing process, or the machine that rolled the lip. I also had black polishing compound to clean, but that was easy.
Tandoori
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I received one of mine Saturday morning (the other shipped two days later and should arrive tomorrow). Like others here, mine had some black spots of compound that were tricky to remove - including in the center of the cone at the bottom. No matter how hard I scrubbed, soaked with PBW, or even went at it with a toothbrush (difficult since the bristles are barely long enough to reach into the point), there were still a few tiny spots left. I had already started my mash, and had no other available fermenters, so I went ahead and christened it with a batch of my smoked Scotchy Scotch ale, and we'll see how it goes. I'm hoping the fact that it's such a small amount, and will be almost immediately blanketed by hop and yeast trub, will prevent it from being an issue. Hopefully the other one will be less trouble.
Also, mine came with clear small o-rings already attached to the spout assembly. The black ones that came in the baggie are just replacements, right? I was a little surprised at how loosely the dip tube sits in there.
Also, mine came with clear small o-rings already attached to the spout assembly. The black ones that came in the baggie are just replacements, right? I was a little surprised at how loosely the dip tube sits in there.
My thought about hard-to-remove dirt like this is: If it doesn't come off when soaking and scrubbing hard it won't come off later either
Good luck! Mine is waiting on the porch unless my wife already brought it inside.
Had the same thought when I looked at the baggie, like that they sent extras. Same here dip tube loose but it seems to stay on there, I guess that is the way it was intended to fit?
As I was cleaning this thing yesterday, I wanted to try the spigot. So I used some of the wash water for this. I connected a 3/8" racking tube, the same I use for my auto siphon and was scratching my head about how the water streamed out. It's hard to explain, it shoots out in a way that leaves an air pocket in the hose right at where the tube and nose of the spigot meet, about an inch of air space. This really triggered my OCD, because I'm not sure if this air pocket will introduce 02 during racking, I already have too many ways to introduce 02 in the process, don't want to add another, am I just thinking about this too hard?
Another thing, the amount of water left back was about an inch above the fold of the cone, is that normal?
SpeedYellow
Well-Known Member
Air bubbles are pretty typical when using any racking cane. Just squeeze the tubing next to the bubble then release and that should fix it. If not, you could raise the tubing to push the liquid and bubble back into the bucket.
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I didn't get any black o-rings with mine. But I already ordered extras from a o-ring store as the white ones don't look as if they'll last too long.
Thanks, yep tried the squeeze and lift, I'll try it again with longer tubing because I didn't get to lift the tube as high as I would have liked. The bubble about an inch in size is right where the tubing and spigot nozzle meet. It shoots out the liquid like a jet. I'll try different things, I want to have this thing dialed in before I use it for the first time.
Mine arrived in perfect condition without huge amounts of gunk, missing parts or damaged box
TVHABrewguy
Well-Known Member
Had no issues getting rid of what little bit I had
As a side, I see people whining abit about having to clean up their bucket a little. I bought a set of custom polished aluminum wheels from a highly regarded wheel maker. I spent almost an hour cleaning them, they were well over $2k but worth every penny and bit of my time. So I guess we all have a different view on what we consider to be right or not.
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SpeedYellow
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I wasn't bothered by any of the gunk either. I just used some barkeepers friend followed by a soapy wash then sanitized with Star San. IMHO the instructions should just say to use Barkeepers Friend, since any self-respecting homebrewer should have it on hand anyway! And doesn't Barkeepers Friend passivate SS as well?
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Tandoori
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I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.
Better question is -- has anyone attempted to elevate their bucket, and somehow carefully drill and mount a ball valve in the bottom of the cone, like a true conical?
dirkomatic
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I'll let you know when mine is done fermenting...
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