Anvil Stainless Fermenter

[augiedoggy]

unless you are buying caustic cleaners from a brewery that you normally wouldnt have access to there is zero reason to be concerned with using 201 stainless for home brewing.. The 304 thing is a marketing gimmick. lots of stainless grades besides 304 are used for things like concord and bayou kettles as well as the chapman products and there has never been an ill side effect from it.

 

[brew703]

@WESBREW That looks like the one I have. Can't see how some are like what i received and others no issues. I haven't rec'd any return labels yet nor any info about tracking. It was yesterday afternoon before they responded to my email. If I don't get an email today I will call tomorrow. I want to have the new fermenter by Saturday and if no issues will clean and want to use it next weekend.

Regarding the Chapman, are you doing closed transfers with Co2 or just let gravity do it's thing? I have been using a plastic carboy with the orange cap, ss racking cane, and gas post and transfer using about 2 PSI or less.

My only concern with the Anvil, SSBT or Chapman is clogging the valve during transfers. I think I may DH using a bag to avoid getting anything in the pick up tube/valve.

 

[augiedoggy]

this is what I'm seeing at the bottom.

Those machining marks honestly looks like they would rub right out with a green scrubby and some bar keepers friend.

 

[augiedoggy]

@WESBREW That looks like the one I have. Can't see how some are like what i received and others no issues.

Those marks are not deep enough to cause any concerns but cosmetic ones so most people probably just dont care. have you seen anyone get an infection from this?

 

[brew703]

Those marks are not deep enough to cause any concerns but cosmetic ones so most people probably just dont care. have you seen anyone get an infection from this?

No I haven't and I don't want to be the first one to have an infected batch due to these marks. Haven't really seen many posts about the Anvils or even the SSBT or Chapmans.

To be honest, if Anvil had any QC within their business, they should have buffed these marks or whatever before sending out. Even the one that was sent with the warped port hole. That never should have been sent out. I know this is a budget fermenter but I still paid $130 and I expect it to be without any issues. Maybe the marks will do no harm. Maybe that area will require extra attention when cleaning to make sure all gunk is removed. Maybe the gunk in those areas will be removed with an oxy soak. Don't know.

All I can say is if the next one comes in the same then it's going back for a refund and I'll just decide between the Chapman and SSBT. I guess Chapman is still in business. I sent an email for some info. That would be my concern if an issue arises with the seal or valve. But I guess it's a chance you take.

 

[WesBrew]

Those machining marks honestly looks like they would rub right out with a green scrubby and some bar keepers friend.

they are deep enough to catch your fingernail in, and not one ring, its several running from the bottom up to about an inch and half. no question, I could sand it down. I offered to Anvil to knock off some $ on my order for me to do it but they elected to ship another set to me.

 

[WesBrew]

@WESBREW
Regarding the Chapman, are you doing closed transfers with Co2 or just let gravity do it's thing? I have been using a plastic carboy with the orange cap, ss racking cane, and gas post and transfer using about 2 PSI or less.
.

I do pressure tranfers, not fully closed, with the same carboy cap/setup you have. really do it because its fun and because pushing seems to pickup way less garbage than sucking out the bottom. The chapman mash tun has a top recirculation port for a pump. the wort is drained with gravity

 

[WesBrew]

I got the two replacements in. they are exactly the same as the first two. it looks like this defect is on all of them. I'll contact Anvil and see what I can work out. Aside from these grooves at the bottom, the rest looks great on all 4 of them.

 

[shoo]

I got the two replacements in. they are exactly the same as the first two. it looks like this defect is on all of them. I'll contact Anvil and see what I can work out. Aside from these grooves at the bottom, the rest looks great on all 4 of them.

Can confirm, mine is also pretty grooved.

As an update on my port hole, trying to bend it back by tightening nuts worked ok, but not great. Will probably send them another e-mail and see what they say.

Cheap should not mean defective. Disappointing for sure, but maybe still worth the $?

 

[brew703]

Mine is supposed to arrive today. If it's the same both are going back and I'll have to decide if I will stay with the plastic carboy i already have or go with the SSBT or Chapman.

This issue will prevent me from getting any other Anvil products and maybe even Blichmann as well.

 

[brew703]

The replacement came in and it's no better than the 1st one. It has a scratch in the inside that's deeper than the original fermenter. I've emailed Anvil requesting a refund and prepaid label to send both back.
Not messing with these anymore.
Very frustrating to say the least.

 

[WesBrew]

The replacement came in and it's no better than the 1st one. It has a scratch in the inside that's deeper than the original fermenter. I've emailed Anvil requesting a refund and prepaid label to send both back.
Not messing with these anymore.
Very frustrating to say the least.

They obviously have an issue with their manufacturing. none of mine have scratches like you had, other than the grooving down at the bottom.
I kicked around the chapman too, if Anvil prefers to take all of these back I'll go with chapman. it looks like its finished nicer than what was reported a couple years ago when they launched. has a nice 3pc ball valve. not a fan of the wire handles. that is really the only thing I don't like on the thermobarrel. not a huge deal though

 

[brew703]

They obviously have an issue with their manufacturing. none of mine have scratches like you had, other than the grooving down at the bottom.
I kicked around the chapman too, if Anvil prefers to take all of these back I'll go with chapman. it looks like its finished nicer than what was reported a couple years ago when they launched. has a nice 3pc ball valve. not a fan of the wire handles. that is really the only thing I don't like on the thermobarrel. not a huge deal though

They absolutely have to address the manufacturing issues. Now I will have to push back my brew day to next weekend due to this BS. Other fermenter is in use at the moment. Besides Anvil there are only two other similar fermenters, Chapman and SSBT. Maybe it's worth the extra $40 for the SSBT but then it's an additional $50 for the transfer kit.
Might just stick with what I have for now.

 

[brew703]

Question: With the imperfections in the two fermenters I received, would an Oxy or PBW wash after fermentation remove any chance of an infection forming in the next batch? I guess what I'm trying to ask here is how much scrubbing/cleaning would be needed in the areas of concern to prevent any nasties getting in the scratches and causing issues?
Has anyone actually taken any 400 grit sand paper to attempt to smooth out the scratches?

 

[MitchO]

Finally received my 7.5gal stainless fermenter from Anvil. I’ve been wanting to get away from my glass carboy for a while. Lot of things I like about glass but I’ve been fearing the day I accidentally bump something and glass & beer go everywhere.

Overall quality of the Anvil is good with a few exceptions. One of the lid’s spring clips was bent and didn’t hold the lid as tight as maybe it should. Not easy to bend it back without damaging the clamping mech but a little patience and I was successful. Holds tight now. Those lid clamps are strong and well made... just bent. Lol!

I found a few very minor burs in the stainless but nothing a little 400 grit sandpaper couldn’t fix in seconds. One was under one of the handles and it was very minor. Barely noticeable but I did and it bugged me so I fixed it. The other was the bung hole in the lid. I used some 400 grit to round off the sharp edge. Gave it more of a rounded feel and the bung fits better and is easier to remove. Doesn’t grab the bung like it did.

I found the graduated volume markings to be off. I filled the fermenter with 4 gallons of water, which came up to the 3.75 gallon mark on the fermenter. From the indicated 4 gallon mark the other volume marks are accurate. Adding one gallon showed I added one gallon exactly. Filling to the 4 gallon mark actually required 4.25 gallons.

Other than that, it’s a nice product. No leaks. Spigot rotation works great. It feels solid, not cheap. A little lighter than a glass carboy and certainly much easier to move around. Wish the volume marks were spot on but I’ll live with it.

Dave

I actually bought one of these today and was cursing the graduation marks at first but they actually make sense now. The marks auto adjust for what you lose to the trub. In other fermenters, I would make 5.25 gallons of wort to get 5 gallons of beer out at the end. These marks take into account how much beer you want at the end not how much wort you are putting into the bucket. If you want 5 gallons of beer then fill the bucket up to the 5-gallon graduation line etched on the bucket. Quite ingenious if you think about it.

 

[shoo]

I actually bought one of these today and was cursing the graduation marks at first but they actually make sense now. The marks auto adjust for what you lose to the trub. In other fermenters, I would make 5.25 gallons of wort to get 5 gallons of beer out at the end. These marks take into account how much beer you want at the end not how much wort you are putting into the bucket. If you want 5 gallons of beer then fill the bucket up to the 5-gallon graduation line etched on the bucket. Quite ingenious if you think about it.

That is nonsense. There is absolutely no way to know that there will be a quarter gallon of trub for any batch, given that trub sizes can change dramatically. Even if they didn't change, it would be a proportion of the wort, not the volume (i.e. you don't magically get a quarter gallon of trub in both a 2 and a 5 gallon batch). Knowing your wort volume before trub is useful for efficiency calcs. It also just doesn't make sense to use a totally non-standard unit of measure for volume, when you would expect people to use volume marks for measuring the . . . volume.

A defective graduation mark is a bug, not a feature. I have not tested mine against a bucket with known volume, but I will at some point.

 

[augiedoggy]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news on this one but the volume markers on all these home brewing kettles are inaccurate, whether they are spike, ss, bayou or whatever. I think they are just there to help sell product. There are threads on this. There is a large tolerance for volume markings.

 

[WesBrew]

Question: With the imperfections in the two fermenters I received, would an Oxy or PBW wash after fermentation remove any chance of an infection forming in the next batch? I guess what I'm trying to ask here is how much scrubbing/cleaning would be needed in the areas of concern to prevent any nasties getting in the scratches and causing issues?
Has anyone actually taken any 400 grit sand paper to attempt to smooth out the scratches?

I hope to find out soon. I'm waiting on a reply. I gave them option to take all 4 back for a refund or knock off some money for me to sand down the two I would keep . Might need some 220, then 400. Not sure but its work you shouldn't have to do . Definitely a defect

 

[brew703]

I hope to find out soon. I'm waiting on a reply. I gave them option to take all 4 back for a refund or knock off some money for me to sand down the two I would keep . Might need some 220, then 400. Not sure but its work you shouldn't have to do . Definitely a defect

I emailed them Friday and Saturday not expecting a reply until today which I didn't get. After thinking about it, I'm going to request a refund. The replacement fermenter I received had a latch that was too loose to snap onto the lid. These issues just make me wonder about the longevity. I'm leaning towards the SSBT. Don't really want to spend the extra money but I like that I can add their chiller and go with a DIY glycol chiller. I thought about the UniTank or Spike conical but it's overkill for me.

 

[WesBrew]

I emailed them Friday and Saturday not expecting a reply until today which I didn't get. After thinking about it, I'm going to request a refund. The replacement fermenter I received had a latch that was too loose to snap onto the lid. These issues just make me wonder about the longevity. I'm leaning towards the SSBT. Don't really want to spend the extra money but I like that I can add their chiller and go with a DIY glycol chiller. I thought about the UniTank or Spike conical but it's overkill for me.

They closed at noon on Friday . I probably won't hear back till tomorrow. I got 4 that all looked good but for the issue at the bottom. If they opt for a refund ill likely go with the chapman. Nicer valve. I figured a used chest freezer and controller would be cheaper than a glycol setup or two of those brew jacket chillers.

 

[brew703]

They closed at noon on Friday . I probably won't hear back till tomorrow. I got 4 that all looked good but for the issue at the bottom. If they opt for a refund ill likely go with the chapman. Nicer valve. I figured a used chest freezer and controller would be cheaper than a glycol setup or two of those brew jacket chillers.

I'm sure I'll hear from them tomorrow as well.

Even a DIY glycol setup would run $200-250- I've never done it but looking at video's doesn't seem to be too difficult.

As for the chapman, I wonder at what volume the valve is located. Looks to be 1 gal. Not sure how it works with yeast/trub/hop crap getting in the port. At least it's a straight shot and could use something metal to clear anything that gets clogged.

There is a seller on Ebay selling the 7 gal ported for $135 w/free shipping. The add doesn't show the valve is included although it is pictured. I just have an issue ordering something like this from Ebay if there is a problem and need to return. And the barb isn't included with the chapman.

Most of the other online retailers don't have these fermenters in stock, all drop shipped from Chapman, which kinda sucks since that adds to the processing/shipping time. Also, I would be concerned if the gasket needs to be replaced on the lid. I'm sure that would have to come from a Chapman vendor. Maybe these are non issues but it's something I think about.

 

[MX1]

The SSBT is a bit more $$$ than the Chapman and the Anvil but I also feel it is a better product.
$200 includes shipping, and if you are military they offer a discount as well.

I like the valve and rotating arm on the SSBT, and the lid is predrilled for a stopper. My only real complaint is that the lid hole is 17mm which is to small for normal 1/2 fittings.

I will be racking out of it next week, so I will have more information...also for $17 it can be pressure transfer ready...

T

 

[brew703]

The SSBT is a bit more $$$ than the Chapman and the Anvil but I also feel it is a better product.
$200 includes shipping, and if you are military they offer a discount as well.

I like the valve and rotating arm on the SSBT, and the lid is predrilled for a stopper. My only real complaint is that the lid hole is 17mm which is to small for normal 1/2 fittings.

I will be racking out of it next week, so I will have more information...also for $17 it can be pressure transfer ready...

T

When you say pressure transfer ready are you referring to the 90 degree SS elbow SSBT lists on their site? It's listed as a blow off deal but I see no reason why it couldn't be used for pressure transfers.
I do like the ability to add the cooling coils, although a bit expensive but still cheaper than a conical or unitank.

 

[MX1]

When you say pressure transfer ready are you referring to the 90 degree SS elbow SSBT lists on their site? It's listed as a blow off deal but I see no reason why it couldn't be used for pressure transfers.
I do like the ability to add the cooling coils, although a bit expensive but still cheaper than a conical or unitank.

Indeed, you can slide a hose inside the Barb to push CO2

 

[WesBrew]

The SS looks nice , probably the best bucket fermenter but costs 50% more. I need 2 for 10+ gallon batches. $400. They do have a 14 gallon version but its almost as much at $370. I'll keep that one in mind but still a big jump in price

 

[augiedoggy]

Coolzone does make velcro cooling jackets that will work with a chiller a person could build for like 75 bucks from a craigslist window ac unit.. jackets are way better that the coils I have both including a 14 gallon so brew tech with the coil and I only use it if all my other conicals are filled.

 

[MX1]

I just wanted to say that I am not advocating for one over another, just wanted to share my wxexperien so far.

Next week when I transfer things my go wrong and my opinion may change

In the end, we just have to be have with the gear, no matter the cost

 

[brew703]

Still waiting on a reply from Anvil. Emails sent Friday/Sat/Wednesday and still no reply.
Going to give until noon today then will call. Tired of messing with this company.
Going to go with either the SSBT or Chapman. Haven't made up my mind.

 

[augiedoggy]

I'm kinda surprised, being that they are a division of blichmann and all.

 

[brew703]

Frustrating to say the least.