I'll take a 14, thanks Tx! I'll PM you my address.
Real answer, I'd probably go with a 7, just because it's more apt to fit in the fermentation fridge and because I don't see myself going to bigger batches... really, ever.
14 here...I once tried fitting 11 Gallons into my 7.5 Gal Ale Pale. I am assuming the results would be similar with a 7 Gallon Conical.
Seriously, I never brewed anything bigger then a 5 Gal batch but I just purchased a 15Gal pot with the intention of starting 10 Gal batches...so definitely a 14.
a 14 isn't going to be "too big" for a five gallon batch... but a 7 will get too small really quick and handcuff you in the future. If you're going to spend the cash, get the 14.
... or you could save $600 and use a 15.5 gal sanke. Just sayin'.
I would want the 14. It is amazing how few 5 gallon all grain batches it takes before you start thiniking: "Heck I'm doing all this work already, why not maximize the output and up it to 10 gallon batches? The extra volume adds like 30 mins to the process if you fly sparge. So why not mash the max possible and add a lil' dme as needed?"
7, the 14 would be way to hard to move once it was filled, so you would need to bring the brewpot to where your fermenting, and siphon in...and carrying a pot with 10+gallons isnt fun either
I'll take a 14, thanks Tx! I'll PM you my address.
Real answer, I'd probably go with a 7, just because it's more apt to fit in the fermentation fridge and because I don't see myself going to bigger batches... really, ever.
I'd probably take a 7, even though I'd like to brew more 10 gallon batches. I can't imagine temperature control easily for a 7 gallon, but a 14 gallon would be impossible without a walk-in cooler. If someone gave me a 7 gallon, I could figure out something!
I'd go 14 given the choice and cost. When i brew i have 6 gallons in the fermenter so 7 gallon fermenter would be too small almost. I don't want to buy things twice anymore so I'd just step right up to the 14 gal the first time.
I'd like a 14 for myself in the future when I move into a house where I have more space. I don't think cooling would be much of an issue all it takes is a little ingenuity and knowledge. For cooling you could possibly run a self contained cooling system that goes through the lid and through a coil that sits in the beer. Just need to sanitize carefully and you're good.
I'd go with a 14. I do 8-9 gallon batches now. I keg 5 gallons and bottle the rest. I'm using two ale pails now, but if/when I switch to conicals, and I'm dropping that much, I'd want to be able to incorporate larger batches.
a 14 is a piece of cake to keep cool. To give you a visual, here are a 14 and a 27 in the same upright freezer. The 14 has plenty of room, its the 27 that gets real tight
I would go for the 14 gallon fermenter. I recently started doing 10 gallon batches, and have been splitting up between two fermenters, which is a PITA. Plus, as seen in the picture above, it will for sure fit in my fermenting chamber.
7 but that is simply because I rarely brew 10 gallon batches and I think the head space in a closed fermentor is a significant variable (with less generally better).
If I brewed a fairly even number of 5 and 10 gallon batches, I would get one of each.