genixia
Member
Hey hive-mind. It's become time to upgrade my fermentation vessel options, used for cider. I've been using a couple of 5G carboys and several brew buckets, but as my volumes increase dealing with them is becoming a pain. I'm looking for options that I may have missed.
Last time (2 years ago) my Fuji tree yielded several hundred pounds of fruit, resulting in 33 gallons of cider. That volume will increase as my Cox's and crabapple variety are maturing into yield, and my bittersweet saplings will too in a few years. At some point I'll have more cider than I can drink or give away, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. The problems that I have are:
1. For several reasons, there is inconsistency of juice between batches. For example, during harvest, some of the best fruit is putting into cold storage for eating. A significant amount is then peeled, sliced and cored, for my wife to make applesauce and to be frozen for fruit pies. The cores and peels are stored in a sanitized bucket and milled first when I transition to cider-making. I also mill any crabapples I have first, because they ripen much earlier than the Fuji. (Not this year though, they all went with the Cox's in an earlier 5G batch). Next comes all the good fruit that didn't get diverted from cider. Finally, comes the rest - small apples, windfalls (some of which may be unripe) , which usually take more time to process because they need washing, and checking for rot, damage and coddling moth etc. This usually takes me a couple of days, limited by the rate at which my current insinkerator-based crusher can mill them (also due for upgrade). I end up with about 10 five-gallon buckets of crushed apple pulp, each potentially with their own nutrient profiles.
2. Once pressed into 5-6G batches, I ended up with 5-6 batches, again with differing profiles. Adjusting each batch differently is time-consuming (and Fuji need adjusting), and still doesn't result in the same cider between batches because even if I get the acidites and SGs matched, I have no way to measuring tannins. I'd like to minimize the number of batches.
3. Racking each batch is also a pain. I don't really have enough gear to rack all of them at once, or to blend so I'm constantly washing and sterlizing buckets during racking. I'm (currently) limited to gravity auto-siphons for transfer out of buckets and carboys so it involves lifting 5G vessels. Once in a sterilized Corny keg I can pressure filter using CO2.
What I'd like to achieve is the following:
1. I'd like to reduce the number of batches to 1 or 2 for that much cider, i.e. 15-40G batchsize.
2. I'd like to be able to rack off the lees easily, or ideally remove the lees without racking.
3. I'd like to be able to CO2 pressure transfer, if possible.
4. Cost effective. I don't have $700 to spend on a fermenter.
So, whilst a 50G stainless steel conical fermentation vessel with tri-clamp fittings and yeast collection jars wold be absolutely awesome, unless someone just happens to have one to let go for a couple of hundred bucks, it's not going to happen.
Realistically, I'm likely looking at FastFerment of Fermzilla 15G systems or other poly options. (30G round-bottomed water storage totes perhaps?). I'm ok with drilling poly to add affordable fittings if that helps me with my goals.
Anyone got any ideas for me to consider? Thanks.
Last time (2 years ago) my Fuji tree yielded several hundred pounds of fruit, resulting in 33 gallons of cider. That volume will increase as my Cox's and crabapple variety are maturing into yield, and my bittersweet saplings will too in a few years. At some point I'll have more cider than I can drink or give away, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. The problems that I have are:
1. For several reasons, there is inconsistency of juice between batches. For example, during harvest, some of the best fruit is putting into cold storage for eating. A significant amount is then peeled, sliced and cored, for my wife to make applesauce and to be frozen for fruit pies. The cores and peels are stored in a sanitized bucket and milled first when I transition to cider-making. I also mill any crabapples I have first, because they ripen much earlier than the Fuji. (Not this year though, they all went with the Cox's in an earlier 5G batch). Next comes all the good fruit that didn't get diverted from cider. Finally, comes the rest - small apples, windfalls (some of which may be unripe) , which usually take more time to process because they need washing, and checking for rot, damage and coddling moth etc. This usually takes me a couple of days, limited by the rate at which my current insinkerator-based crusher can mill them (also due for upgrade). I end up with about 10 five-gallon buckets of crushed apple pulp, each potentially with their own nutrient profiles.
2. Once pressed into 5-6G batches, I ended up with 5-6 batches, again with differing profiles. Adjusting each batch differently is time-consuming (and Fuji need adjusting), and still doesn't result in the same cider between batches because even if I get the acidites and SGs matched, I have no way to measuring tannins. I'd like to minimize the number of batches.
3. Racking each batch is also a pain. I don't really have enough gear to rack all of them at once, or to blend so I'm constantly washing and sterlizing buckets during racking. I'm (currently) limited to gravity auto-siphons for transfer out of buckets and carboys so it involves lifting 5G vessels. Once in a sterilized Corny keg I can pressure filter using CO2.
What I'd like to achieve is the following:
1. I'd like to reduce the number of batches to 1 or 2 for that much cider, i.e. 15-40G batchsize.
2. I'd like to be able to rack off the lees easily, or ideally remove the lees without racking.
3. I'd like to be able to CO2 pressure transfer, if possible.
4. Cost effective. I don't have $700 to spend on a fermenter.
So, whilst a 50G stainless steel conical fermentation vessel with tri-clamp fittings and yeast collection jars wold be absolutely awesome, unless someone just happens to have one to let go for a couple of hundred bucks, it's not going to happen.
Realistically, I'm likely looking at FastFerment of Fermzilla 15G systems or other poly options. (30G round-bottomed water storage totes perhaps?). I'm ok with drilling poly to add affordable fittings if that helps me with my goals.
Anyone got any ideas for me to consider? Thanks.
