Big Mouth or Conical?

[DamnRedhead]

Hey Everyone,
Since NB has a sale on their big mouth's (4 for $100) I was planning on getting some, but I was also looking at a 6.5 Gallon Conical on minibrew.com for $200. Our office brew club has the minibrew 15 gallon, and it's awesome. (https://www.minibrew.com/collections/home-fermenters/products/6-5x-gallon-conical-fermenter)

Advantages of Big Mouths: I'd have double fermentation capability
Advantage of Conical: I'm kinda lazy and think the dump valve is amazing, plus I'd like to attempt to harvest yeast. (I mainly brew high gravity IPA's - hey, don't hate that a Lumberg-type businessman can't be a closet hipster online!)

Any thoughts on this debate?

 

[jmark]

Just my 2 cents, but I used a conical for 18 months sending about 20 batches through it and I also had a yeast harvester from MoreBeer attached to it. While it worked great, in the end I decided it was complete overkill for the price so I sold it recently. I'm now using SS Brewtech's brew buckets and won't go back... easy to clean, move around and rack off of. I started overbuilding starters a year ago rather than harvesting yeast from the conical, so even that advantage of conicals can be negated.

Like I said, just my opinion and YMMV!

 

[RM-MN]

Why not just get 4 buckets for $15 each and put the rest of the money towards grains. Many of us use the bucket successfully and don't see much need for the Big Mouths. Grains make beer, conicals just take up extra space. Overbuilding starters gets you clean yeast that hasn't been stressed by fermenting high gravity brews.

http://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/841218.htm

 

[chicknwsl]

I was thinking of getting the 4-$100 deal also but I have read reviews on several sites that the lid is terrible on the big mouth.

 

[sgreene820]

I had the original lid, which is horrible. I blame at least one infection to its leakiness. I bought the universal lid to try: any better?

 

[The_Bishop]

I'd skip the BMB and shoot for the 7 gallon Fermonster. The lid is 1000x better and it holds more. Also it's more rigid than the BMB so moving it doesn't usually involve sucking back the airlock.

 

[sgreene820]

Just used the new "Universal Lid" for the first time for secondary, which is mostly what I use the BM for.

So far it stays put and stays air tight. Ultimately, though I think a clamping system is needed, particularly if you're working with a wet carboy.

 

[PADave]

I'd skip the BMB and shoot for the 7 gallon Fermonster. The lid is 1000x better and it holds more. Also it's more rigid than the BMB so moving it doesn't usually involve sucking back the airlock.

I second this. I've heard too many negatives on the BMB.

 

[passedpawn]

I love the BMB's (plastic). I've got 6. I use the universal lids (I modified them a bit).

 

[kh54s10]

I bought most of my Better Bottles before the BMBs were available. I have often had as many as 7 beers and wines fermenting at the same time. I certainly could not afford to tie that much money up in conicals. Plastic all the way for me. Until they make a $30 - $40 stainless steel conical.

 

[DamnRedhead]

Thanks for the feedback... I ended up with the 4 BMB's and am making my first batch in them tomorrow. So far the lids seem to be pretty well fit!

 

[Elkobrewer]

I have both the mini brew conical (love it ) and a bigmouth bubbler with the new lid I just today had to transfer the fermenting beer out of the bigmouth bubbler do to the lid wouldn't stay on. I would have to put the lid back on twice a day for a week so today I said fu.. it and transferred it out. Would not waste my money ever again on a bigmouth bubbler.

 

[DurtyChemist]

If I had space for both I'd go with a conical because I personally don't have enough brews going at one time to need 4 separate containers for brews. I have two Better Bottles for long term beers and primarily use buckets. I want to switch over to the Brew Bucket so I don't have to deal with carboy lids or bucket lids anymore, obtain stainless perks and I can fit two of them in my fermentation chamber in case I start doing 10 gallon batches. Two Brew Buckets would cost the same as 4 BMBs but between a BMB and a Better Bottle I'd take the Better Bottle and clean them in between brews. You could buy a LOT of better bottles with carry straps for $400.

 

[skraeling]

i went halfway, ss brew bucket hehe.

small bucket size semi conical features.

 

[schematix]

Keg fermenting is highly under rated. Only 'downside' is you need to either adjust your batch size down a little or up a little to make best use of the 5G increments.