Vessi Fermenter/Dispenser

[Xernex]

I did a search, and didn't see this posted, thoughts ideas?

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f46ym0yev4[/ame]

Interesting concept, and backed by whirlpool -which makes it odd that they are doing an indiegogo to me.

 

[MaryB]

$1199... ummm PASS!

 

[Xernex]

$1199... ummm PASS!

That was my thought... and that's the early adopter price, Msrp is somewhere around 1800... way too high in my opinion, but a somewhat interesting idea

 

[mxstar21]

Looks pretty cool, but it will priced out of my range. Guess I will have to keep risking oxygen hitting my wort.

 

[Dcpcooks]

Conical fermentor, lager chamber and kegerator. That pretty cool. Price point is ok. It's only 5 gallons and you'd need to wait until your beer is fermented carbed and consumed before you could start your next batch so that a bummer. Now if they had three tanks you could keep production rolling and have beer at three different stages all at the same time. That wpuld be cool for 1,100.

 

[Mirilis]

Its a cool concept but "for the serious home brewer" as the ad says is a little false. I wouldnt consider myself die hard throw cash homebrewer but I keep a 4 tap keezer along with backup kegs. What happens if you put a doppelbock or barleywine in that thing.. its out of commision for months.

I think it would be much better if they stripped out all the serving stuff and just kept the conical (hopefully in 7 and 12 gallons) and the cooling system with the thermostat. Everything else has very little use, at least the way that i do things.

No way would i buy 4-5 of these things. I have built my entire brewing system, fermenters, fridge, controllers, and keezer for less than that.

 

[Mirilis]

i just read through the FAQ's and it is designed to hold beer +/- 2 degrees from your set point.. that means if i want to ferment my IPA at 68 it will swing between 66-70.. no thanks. My STC-1000+ is dead nuts and i can program profiles into it.

 

[dsniegocki]

Agree with the previous posts. Money aside, you might as well integrate your kettle and MLT into the thing cause you won't be brewing until you've drank all the beer. I can't imagine any "serious" homebrewer desiring that inflexibility.

If you really want one, hang on a year or so, by then I'm sure you'll be able to snag one for $400 or less.

 

[kh54s10]

So you can keg from it. Now you need kegs, Freezer/refrigerator, temperature controller, co2 tank, regulator etc. IN ADDITION to the one vessel unit. Probably not too far out of line, price-wise but very limited on usefulness. Unless you really only do one beer at a time and don't mind the period between batches with no beer!!!!

 

[mkirkland]

Seems a little silly to me to have your system tied up in one beer until its completely consumed. Yes you can push it into another keg but then you are only utilizing half of the system that you just paid $1800+ for.

As Mirilis stated, the +/- 2 degrees is a big deal for fermentation.

Ive been brewing for 10 years and cant remember ever having an infected batch. Maybe im just super cautious about my sanitation...

Oxygenation can easily be controlled with purging of the vessel that you are transferring into.

 

[Kharnynb]

agreed, looks like a toy for someone who just wants to be a "brewer" once in a blue moon and has too much money.

 

[Mirilis]

so the target audience really needs to be breweries with disposable incomes. They can use it to ferment and tap their pilot batches before the put it up as an offering.. otherwise i dont see much use in it.

Now heres the real though though.. if you wanted this in your kitchen / man cave / or whatever (it weighs 150 lbs). Then you would have to take your wort from the kettle and put it in a bucket or something then carry that bucket to wherever you want this thing to sit then pour it in there.

I brew in my garage but my kegerator is much closer to me.

 

[whattheschmidt]

While the transfer into the unit is added difficulty with the sanitized bucket and then dump into this unit I don't view this as an inconvenience since the transfer after fermentation either doesn't happen or happens easier and completely sanitary without the introduction of oxygen, I see the same 2 issues already mentioned:
1. This unit is tied up for 3+ weeks until the beer is ready to drink while fermenting, dry hopping, cold crashing etc.
2. Temperature control of +-2F is quite the swing for controlling fermentation. I, like a lot of people have a STC-1000+ to control the temperature very accurately (and on a schedule if desired) with a True refrigerator and small heat source inside. Also I assume it only does cooling - so as long as it is in 70+ F regular fermentations should be achievable, possibly not a high finishing temp for Saisons or something though.

The first problem is the main one though. The only way to remedy this would be to transfer to another keg...perhaps right next to the unit in a keezer - then another batch can be put into the fermenter but this does defeat the purpose of the ease by quite a bit. I still think there is a lot of value in how the unit works, it is just ideal for those with a good amount of $ who don't brew that often...and don't mind not having home brew ready to drink (without extra kegging and serving equipment).

Perhaps there could be some easy additional parts to modify this into to have multiple cold kegs and the fermenter and use as needed to keep the beer flowing. Maybe an additional tap too. It does feel like it needs to be able to easily replace all necessary kegging equipment (serving as well) to really be worthwhile and part of the go to setup instead of an additional sometimes used unit. Multiple units would also 'solve' this but at quite an expense.

When utilized I think the Vessi would be pretty slick...but with the current limitations I don't see it quite 'catching on'.

 

[Mindsculptor]

It's a neat idea, it comes with a bottling attachment, and the sediment system is really slick, but it's a real bottleneck. For that price you can get a large chest freezer, enough kegs to fill it, a Johnson controller, a kegerator, and a KegSmart.

 

[sdbrewer82]

I've been brewing for about a year now and decided to get the Vessi. I'm actually in the middle my boil right now and looking forward to seeing how it performs.

First impression: it appears to be very well built. Heavy duty stainless steel and everything fits together nicely. First time sanitizing the unit was very easy. It has a nice digital display and cools down very fast. The sediment removal system looks promising. Comes with everything you need except for a C02 tank. Crossing my fingers it works as well as they claim.

Cost wise: I picked it up for the early bird price of $1399. Honestly, that is still quite expensive in my opinion, but not all that much more comparing it to other fermentation and cooling systems. Plus it can double as a kegerator so when you add up all of those costs it doesn't seem like a bad deal...at least for myself.

 

[Steveruch]

In 6 to 12 months you'll be able to find them on Craig's List for a much lower price.

 

[Mirilis]

Let me know how it goes for you. For me it's not worth it because I like more than one beer at a time and don't want dead time between batches and for the cost I could get a brewtech chronicle, inkbird, 2 used fridges and a few new kegs with co2 tank.

What are your current brewing habits? Do you brew often?

I've been brewing for about a year now and decided to get the Vessi. I'm actually in the middle my boil right now and looking forward to seeing how it performs.

First impression: it appears to be very well built. Heavy duty stainless steel and everything fits together nicely. First time sanitizing the unit was very easy. It has a nice digital display and cools down very fast. The sediment removal system looks promising. Comes with everything you need except for a C02 tank. Crossing my fingers it works as well as they claim.

Cost wise: I picked it up for the early bird price of $1399. Honestly, that is still quite expensive in my opinion, but not all that much more comparing it to other fermentation and cooling systems. Plus it can double as a kegerator so when you add up all of those costs it doesn't seem like a bad deal...at least for myself.

 

[sdbrewer82]

Let me know how it goes for you. For me it's not worth it because I like more than one beer at a time and don't want dead time between batches and for the cost I could get a brewtech chronicle, inkbird, 2 used fridges and a few new kegs with co2 tank.

What are your current brewing habits? Do you brew often?

Sorry, for the late response. I'm a new brewer. About a year and a half so far. I typically brew a batch every few months or so. So far the batch is turning out great. I'm about 2 weeks in and just started dry hopping in the vessel. Honestly, I think this batch might be my best yet. It has been very simple to clear the inactive yeast/hop/grains and sort of set it/forget it. I've got another 1.5-2 weeks max before I hit FG. So way ahead of schedule it seems.

 

[berndawg84]

$1399 seems to be a steal. It's selling on NB for $2499 plus $75 shipping. And you need all the equipment to mash and boil of course, so it's seems awfully pricey for what you get. The bottle filler is also another $300. I'd rather just get a nice stainless steel conical for a quarter of the price.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/vessi-fermentor-and-dispenser

 

[bbohanon]

I saw this on NB today as well and almost shat myself for that price ($2800 with all the bells and whistles and that overpriced $300 proprietary bottle filler)

That kind of money will buy you the following as an alternative:

- A 2 tap danby fridge kegerator (one already ready for 2 cornies, not a DIY one that is even cheaper) $500
- 2 used cornies - $150
- 1 filled 5lb CO2 cylinders - $100
- A TapRite Gauge - $60
- A 15.5 Kegco Fermenter (with fermentation attachments) - $300
- Xferring/dispensing lines - $50
- A fermentation freezer with Inkbird controller - $500

Total for all this gear would be - $1660 which will:

- Ferment, carb up and serve 10 gallons of beer, not 5..
- Free up the fermenter for next batches while drinking up your 10 gallons on the kegerator.
- Same level of temp control as this thing has (Kegco fermentation attachments usually have a thermowell for the Inkbird controller as mine does and it keeps the temp of the wort within 2 degrees of my desired temp).
- Leave you with over $1k left in your pocket..

If you are a 5 gallon brewer using plastic buckets, this total even gets cheaper.

I get its a space saver and looks cool, whatever, but almost $2600k to tie up a fermenter ($3k total if you get the $300 bottle filler which is nuts price-wise on its own) until all 5 gallons is served from this thing? No way. Pass.

 

[Brownalemikie]

Damn, I spend about $45 a month to brew 3 gallons every week.....lets see....that's about 4 and a half years worth of grains, hops, malt and yeast. Hmmm, no thanks! Plus, no way could I convince the wife to spend that much for my beer "hobby".

 

[bford]

If I win the big lotto, I'll buy a few of these!

It is a cool idea. The price point is just way beyond what most home brewers are going to pay out. You could get a nice, big chest freezer and a few of those catalyst or SS brew buckets....etc.... and go to town fermenting away with quality gear.

Again, I like the idea and if the price point was closer to 500 bucks I'd think about one....but it isn't.

 

[kh54s10]

Now from NB it is at $2575 and can still only ferment then dispense on beer at a time. Still - No thanks.

I have less than half that in all my fermentation and dispensing equipment. I can have 9 beers or wines fermenting at the same time and a couple of smaller batches also. Two fermentation chambers that can hold 5 vessels total and my controllers are more accurate. I have 4 kegs and 3 taps. Also hundreds of bottles.

Sadly most are empty at the moment. Anticipating a move so I don't want a lot of beer or wine to move.

 

[toddegg]

I saw this on NB today as well and almost shat myself for that price ($2800 with all the bells and whistles and that overpriced $300 proprietary bottle filler)

That kind of money will buy you the following as an alternative:

- A 2 tap danby fridge kegerator (one already ready for 2 cornies, not a DIY one that is even cheaper) $500
- 2 used cornies - $150
- 1 filled 5lb CO2 cylinders - $100
- A TapRite Gauge - $60
- A 15.5 Kegco Fermenter (with fermentation attachments) - $300
- Xferring/dispensing lines - $50
- A fermentation freezer with Inkbird controller - $500

Total for all this gear would be - $1660 which will:

- Ferment, carb up and serve 10 gallons of beer, not 5..
- Free up the fermenter for next batches while drinking up your 10 gallons on the kegerator.
- Same level of temp control as this thing has (Kegco fermentation attachments usually have a thermowell for the Inkbird controller as mine does and it keeps the temp of the wort within 2 degrees of my desired temp).
- Leave you with over $1k left in your pocket..

If you are a 5 gallon brewer using plastic buckets, this total even gets cheaper.

I get its a space saver and looks cool, whatever, but almost $2600k to tie up a fermenter ($3k total if you get the $300 bottle filler which is nuts price-wise on its own) until all 5 gallons is served from this thing? No way. Pass.

Actually, I've won the Bluebonnet before in Dallas. I have a Vessi in my garage. I've been at this more than a decade. I used to have two freezers, carboys, buckets, Mark II cleaners, etc. I've fermented in carboys, buckets, kegs with dip tube cut, etc. Got this appliance and sold two freezers, several kegs, and carboys - my purchase price went down.

You do realize you can transfer the finished beer (under CO2) to a new bright tank (keg) and start another batch, just like with any container you are doing now. Not sure why so many people are scoffing. A temp controlled conical from any source is more than I paid. I used to have MoreBeer's 10ga temp regulated conical.

OK, I was an original funder and got the whole thing... fermenter/dispenser, bottling attachment and extras for 1750.

2 degrees or 4 total variation has not been an issue. C'mon... really? from a homebrew crowd? . I lived in Germany for several years and have visited the open fermenters in Plzen. At the end of the day, it works, it's backed by WP and it's convenient. I got it for a decent price and lowered that price by selling some redundant gear. Quit bitching about something you don't know much about. You would love to have this, I can guarantee it.

 

[big_em_jackson]

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a nice easy system to make 5gal batches, I had to get rid of my 15gal setup that I use to make multiple kegs with. I also am looking for a climate controlled setup so I can start lagering and I also don't wanna go super-DIY on my rig.

My budget's not an issue but I don't wanna be spending crazy money that could be invested otherwise.

All that being said I saw the Vessi this year at the GABF, and I thought it was out of my budget.

I got an email from them about a Black Friday sale for $999/unit and I'm wondering if you guys think that's money well spent? I've been browsing the internet and it looks like that's the cheapest it's ever been.

Cheers,

Jackson