Small batches - Mr Beer or Brewdemon fermenter?

[shoreman]

I'm looking to do more small batch brewing outside of my house beers on tap. I'd like the process of fermentation to bottle to be pretty simple. It would be great to just ferment, attach a bottling wand and go straight to bottle using carb drops.

I'm looking at both the mr beer fermenters or the brewdemon - mr beers are1/3 of the price so I could get 3 vs 1 and looks like you can put a better spigot on them now.

Any thoughts?

 

[bscott1011]

I use a 3.5 gallon plastic paint bucket from Lowes for half batches, I just drilled and added a spigot so I can attach a bottling wand. Much easier to pour wort into the bucket than the Mr beer keg which I still use for apfelwein. Since they are cheap I'm planning to get another small bucket that I won't drill and use auto siphon to rack into the bucket with the spigot for bottling. Less trub in the bottles and batch priming is less tedious than priming each bottle.

 

[C-Rider]

I went to HD and bought a bunch of 2 gallon paint buckets. Took the lids to my LHBS and he drilled holes in the covers for the air locks and one in a bucket side for a bottling bucket. No charge, but I've been buying from him for a good while when doing 5 gallon Coopers kits.

I do AG BIAB, mashing in a 5 gallon coleman cooler, and boiling in a 4 gallon ss pot. I've got it so I can get about 17-18 bottles per batch. I ferment in a 7.2 cu ft chest freezer and can get 5 fermenters in if I'm brewing like crazy. I make up all my recipes after studying the BJCP guidlines and researching styles in the book Designing Better Beers.

 

[shoreman]

Cool are those buckets food grade? I'm also looking to create all the recipes and make some experimental stuff I've been wanting to do for a while.

I'm a bjcp judge as well and brewing all those styles will greatly help out with the test.

 

[Pkrd]

These fit nicely in my fridge.

 

[shoreman]

These fit nicely in my fridge.

Where do you get those? Thx

 

[Pkrd]

Where do you get those? Thx

Probably not much help to you...
http://www.storagebox.co.nz/jerry-cans/274-jerry-can-10l-cube.html

 

[shoreman]

Probably not much help to you...
http://www.storagebox.co.nz/jerry-cans/274-jerry-can-10l-cube.html

Thanks ya I'm in the US but those look cool. I'll probably just go with the brew devil - I can probably cold crash it before bottling too.

 

[roastquake]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Arrow-H2O-1.25-Gal-Slimline-Beverage-Dispenser-Blue/15915152

I use the 2.5 gallon version of this thing, I attached an airlock gasket to the lid by using a drill and a dremel tool. fits in my kitchen cabinet

 

[shoreman]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Arrow-H2O-1.25-Gal-Slimline-Beverage-Dispenser-Blue/15915152

I use the 2.5 gallon version of this thing, I attached an airlock gasket to the lid by using a drill and a dremel tool. fits in my kitchen cabinet

I was looking at those as well - do you end up getting alot of sediment transfer from the spigot?

 

[roastquake]

No, the spigot is a little higher up on the 2.5gal. I ususally lean it carefully at the end of transferring, that lets a little sediment through, but if you let it settle good it should be minimal

 

[bscott1011]

Put a wedge or piece of 1x2 under the spigot side of the bucket while fermenting, a little angle helps settle the trub away from the spigot. Also open the valve for a couple of seconds before putting the bottling wand on to blow sludge out. What does get into the bottles will settle out during carb and conditioning.

 

[C-Rider]

Cool are those buckets food grade? I'm also looking to create all the recipes and make some experimental stuff I've been wanting to do for a while.

I'm a bjcp judge as well and brewing all those styles will greatly help out with the test.

They are #2 and there has been a debate about that for years on the board. I think they are.

 

[Ramitt]

Wish they made a 6.5 gal brewdemon for >$70 that would be sweet.

 

[Toga]

For small batches I use 3.5 gallon food grade buckets I got from the local doughnut shop. They contained custard filling. Nice heavy duty food grade buckets with a solid lid that has a gasket. A nice long soak in oxygen cleaner removed the smell and funk and all I had to do was drill a hole in the lid to add an airlock gromet. I also added a spigot to one to bottle straight from primary.
To keep the trub out of the spigot I found a piece of CPVC that will fit snug in the inner opening of the spigot that + stick out an inch or so, cut a wide slit on one side, capped the other end, then insert it into the spigot with the slit facing up. I did not glue it in so I can remove it along with the spigot for cleaning. It works very well.

 

[JohnSand]

I've used, and damaged, two of three MrBeer fermenters. Now I use 12qt steel pots from Walmart. No airlock, just a lid. No spigot, I use a siphon. Enamel ones are $14, Stainless $9. And two of them fit in my 48qt cooler for temp control.

 

[jeuentes]

I just ordered a few Mr. Beer fermenting kegs. I like them because they will do as big as 2.5 gallons. Not sure how you damaged these but I'm willing to give it a try for 8 bucks. Got them on the labor day sale. I just want the ease they offer. Easy cleaning, big opening, and built in spigot. No airlock to have to worry about. I figured throw wort in at pitching temp and everything will be OK.

 

[JohnSand]

I damaged one by putting it full on the raised edge of the sink. That dented the bottom, and later harbored an infection. I damaged the other by setting on the back porch in the sun, upside down, half full of water and baking soda. The heat of the sun and the vacuum from the water trying to escape the vents distorted the LBK. I've since restored it's shape by reversing the process. Many people love the LBK, I found them to be a hassle to clean. We all make beer our own way.

 

[jeuentes]

That is true, we all brew differently, but it sure is easier to clean the LBK than to clean a 1/6 bbl or 1/2 bbl keg or even a carboy.

 

[JohnSand]

Maybe so. But I find that it's hard to reach inside and wash every surface with all of the detail. The pots I use now for fermenting have smooth steel sides, the top is as wide as the pot, I can scour them or boil them without damage. Nothing could be easier to clean. Maybe if I hadn't suffered a couple of infected batches, I'd still be using LBKs.

 

[jeuentes]

Here is what I do. I brew 5 different beer. Either Lagers or Ales. They fit nice.

 

[JohnSand]

Nice set-up!