Sanke Keg to Conical Type Fermenter

Hello everyone, this is my first forum post! I was needing some advice and some help on my upcoming keg to fermenter project. I have scanned through the forums and haven't found what I was looking for. I am sure I am not the only person to think of this but here is my idea....

I have gotten my hands on an extra sanke keg. I want to turn it into a fermenter. But I want to be able to get inside of it to clean it up after fermentation. So, instead of cutting the top off, why couldn't you flip the keg upside down, cut a hole in the bottom where you can put a sealing lid with air lock? You could put a ball valve with a tube in the side of the keg towards the bottom to collect your beer, while having another ball valve attached to a tri-clover fitting to the bottom to collect your yeast cake and trub? You would have to put it on a stand of some kind.

Secondly, is there anyway to do a temp control with this method? I don't think you would be able to fit it into a ferm chamber unless it was big. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

 

I have done this and installed a corny keg lid in the top.

 

Do you have a thread on the build?

 

....and here I am waiting for Spike to introduce their 14 gallon fermenter..... I've got a 3 Sanke brew rig, so adding a 4th as a fermenter isn't an issue for me.

How tough was it to cut the Corny lid hole precise enough? I'd want a good, pressurizable seal.

I assume you simply use quick connects onto the lid/post and vent that way? That would be fine unless your volume gets too big (12 gal?) and your Krausen comes over and clogs them.

When you dump the trub, do you find the slope of the bottom of the keg to be sufficient to collect it all or does it leave a good amount on the bottom?

I can't quite tell how you attached the dump valve to the Sanke neck. 2" valve? TC flange to flange or adapter somehow?

Overall, are you satisfied with it?

Thanks for posting!