13 - 16 gallon fermenters - what you got?

In my always changing brewing techniques, I am looking at other options for fermenters.

- I want one that is 13 - 16 gallons
- Has a lid big enough to get my arm in and easily clean
- Can hold a few pounds of pressure so I can apply CO2 and push out the beer via a racking cane/hose into the serving keg

What ideas do you have?

thanks Kevin

 

Try the speidels. I have 2 and love them, they say 60l on the side but I think that means for 60l batches. They max out at around 18 gallons. I havnt tried force transferring, but I'm sure I could


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it more depends on how much you want to spend

 

This!

 

Under 125 each.

 

****** double post*********

 

you could get 2-3 20 gallon brute buckets for cheap (they're food grade)
--- https://byo.com/stories/issue/item/1883-build-a-budget-big-fermenter-projects

1/2bbl keg, for 13 gallons it'd be fine, but 15-16 obviously you're gonna need a blow off tube for fermcap and a watchful eye.

if you can swing up a bit more on $$$ you could get a plastic conical and build a stand

here is a HDPE 30 gallon container for a bit over 70
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=74074

15 gallon HDPE container for just over 40
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=74069

Or browse a bit in here?

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/default.aspx?catid=838&clickid=popcorn

 

That is a nice idea... 20 gallon trash can.. but I am not sure it will fit for me

I forgot to add my other rule -
Needs to be about sanke keg size or smaller so I can get it in my fermenter refrigerator.

I am leaning towards this... I have received one endorsement on these so far.
http://www.curtec.com/en/products/drums/wide-neck-drums/detail/wide-neck-drum-55-litres

thanks for the ideas... keep them coming

 

I am getting 2 of these -
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201127778146

I will let you know how they work out.

thanks Kevin

 

you have a link to these?

 

http://bit.ly/1r5plZN

 

Funny, but that doesn't work on this computer and speidels comes up with a bunch of stuff, the closest thing is a brew kettle from a place overseas.

 

here you go

http://morebeer.com/products/speidel-plastic-fermenter-60l-159-gal.html

all the best

S_M

 

Those look pretty cool, looking forward to your review.

 

I was going to post a link to those. I have two and use them frequently for 10 gallon batches. For big beers and/or aggressive yeast you should use a blow off (you do need to drill a hole in the lid), but I've had 10 gallon batches of smaller beers ferment with just an airlock. Pretty fantastic deal for $35 each shipped.

 

thanks for the update.
I found also that several people on the NB forum use the Curtec barrels and love them.

How do you get the beer out of them?

thanks Kevin

 

Because they're actually not much taller than a 6.5 gallon carboy, the large (1/2" ID) auto-siphon works great. Using a hose clamp to switch between kegs without losing siphon, you can fill two kegs super fast.

EDIT: just reread the OP regarding transferring under pressure. I've never tried, but they seem pretty sturdy and the lid seals really well. You probably could put enough pressure into them to start a siphon at least, but I wouldn't try much over 2-3 psi.

 

I have one of these. Works well and the size is right, bigger diameter, about the same height as a BB.

I would suggest when you drill the hole in the lid for a grommet, you go slightly larger than 1/2 inch like maybe 17/32. I found that an airlock is a really tight fit with the 1/2 inch hole that I drilled in mine.

 

Brewershardware.com has a 15 gallon. I have the non jacketed one and I love it... as you can see I also got leg extension and a sight tube so I can monitor the dumps

 

http://maine.craigslist.org/grq/4613521110.html

I'll just leave this here....

 

Wow - that is pretty
It should be on a mantle in your living room !

but ... I think it is more than 125 and wont fit in my kegerator/ferment chamber

Those are very nice...but too tall.
I would buy several though if they were close... thanks for the post.

Keep them coming guys

 

Sorry, misread the price limit.

 

I would too, but I can't see driving to Southern NH for plastic buckets. xD

 

Nothing beats a speidel, imo.

Here's mine snug as a bug in a rug in a 5cuft chest freezer.

 

How do you get the beer out? Co2 push or?

Thanks Kevin

 

Wow, that is awesome. You could start a 3 BBL brewery for $100.

 

No, I currently heave the fermenter out of the chest freezer and gravity feed into kegs.

 

Wow !

 

Update -

Got some of these curtech fermenters.

So far no issues, of course initial cleaning and filling was a breeze.
I have a lager bubbling away in this one.
So it is air tight.

Off topic -
Does anyone have a good way to get tape (and the temp probe) to stick to a wet cold lager fermenter?
I cuss a lot and waste a roll of tape currently trying to get the tape to stick

 

Try a stretchy"Ace" bandage, and a chunk of foam to insulate the probe.
Stretch and secure the bandage, then stretch to install the foam and probe combo.


Tape is so "last week"..............

 

Could prop it against the wall, or perhaps find a Bungy cord slightly smaller than diameter.

 

Are you lifting it out of the chest freezer to bottle or keg? I've wanted to do this but worried I will hurt my back lifting it in and out.


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I am lifting it out and there is certainly a possibility of hurting your back doing it. I've been planning on removing the handles and using a pulley to lift it out but haven't fully designed how that system will be set up yet.

If anyone has any suggestions on pulleys fit for the task I'd appreciate it.

 

I am using one of these
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/16-5-gallon-plastic-fermentor.html

with the lid and sealing ring it absolutely holds pressure. I haven't tried pressurized transfers but great idea to save the back.

 

What is with the valve at the top? Did you just put one of the valves where the airlock would go? Any modification required to do that?

 

It's the same valve that is on the bottom. No modification necessary. It comes with a cap for that top bung as well as a stopper and airlock.

The downside is that it's not really a big opening, so if there was krausen that made it all the way up there it might get clogged and with the lid strapped down it could get bad, but after several years using it like that for ~10g batches I've never had krausen get anywhere close.

I used that because it's ultra low profile and allows it to sit in the chest freezer without any modifications.

 

Kevin, How are your CurTec fermenters working out? Looking at 2 myself.

 

I love love love LOVE my CurTec fermenters.

They clean up in 2 minutes.
After using CO2 to push out the beer to serving kegs, open them up rinse, them out, use a fiber cloth to wash them out with some hot water, all the sludge just literally falls off, it is like nice non-stick teflon pan.
Rinse again, add some starsan and a fiber cloth, put the lid back on, put in a stopper and swish around the starsan and store.... 2 minutes, DONE.
Not adding chemicals, in a dark container, that you can not see in...on and on....open the top of these, wash them out and move on with your life

These units hold 3 plus pounds of pressure.
I drill a 1 1/8" hole in the lid and use different stoppers for fermenting, cold crashing and pushing beer out. of them. I cold crash these under co2 pressure of 3 pounds to ensure the cold beer is taking on co2, not room air oxygen.
They are light, dont break... on and on and on... they are cheap.
Everyone should have 3 or 4 of these, seriously.

All the time I have wasted and spent on stainless kegs sanke kegs, cleaning them, wondering if they are clean, cussing them...ugh. Carboys, etc are easier but still a pain... makes me sick that I did not find these sooner, all the time and money I have spent on other systems before these....ugh.

Oh yeah... the delivery man will deliver them to your house, no running around town to get them, the ebay seller is very easy to work with also....win win win.

Buy some and dont look back and then sell whatever else you are using.

good luck to all
Kevin

 

Thanks Kevin! Do you mind posting a pic of you pushing beer out of these? I'm planning to go with the CurTec and am trying to envision how you get a seal on a hole you create. A stopper? And how about the racking cane? Is it fixed or it moves up and down? Please share your setup sounds cool!

 

Here are some pics.

Not much to it...
Drill a hole in the lid with a sharp paddle bit, drill it smaller than you might want.... it is easy to use a file/sandpaper to smooth up the hole in the lid.... and next thing your hole is too big for the stopper you have

Get some #6.5 or #7 solid stoppers and drill 2 holes in them, one for the co2 and one for the beer out.
Get some long 3/8" stainless racking cane and use a simple tubing cutter to cut off a couple pieces about 2 inches long.
Use one piece as a drill bit, might have to use sandpaper or a file to sharpen it up a bit and some folks say to chill the stopper before you drill it.
After you drill 2 holes put the other short piece in one hole and shove your co2 hose to it. Put the racking cane in the other, it will slide through the hole so you can keep it just above the yeast cake.