brewershardware jacketed coni+glycol ?'s

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Doctor_M

Doctor_M

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So I'm getting pretty serious about pulling the trigger on a conical 27-30 gallon size, I've seen and drooled over the brewhemoth and morebeer heated cooled conical long enough. I have a brew magic with plate chiller, 10 ale pails, 6 tap bar etc... the works you get the picture so not much else I can buy to upgrade except getting a conical. That being said I have some ?'s

1: Anyone have a brewershardware conical yet? Doesn't have to be jacketed... just curious on your overall impression.
This is what I'm looking at

http://www.brewershardware.com/30-G...Jacketed-Conical-Fermenter-CONICAL30G-FJ.html

2:glycol chillers. Not sure where to start... I couldn't imagine I need a huge one although if it allowed the ability to later regulate temp on two conicals I would buy bigger.
http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/glycol-chiller/kg-1_6t.shtml
Would that work? I would be willing to spend more if needed... I would like to be able to cold crash and lager. Preferably for two conicals.

Anyone want to buy a built '99 mustang cobra motor so I can make this happen!
 
I'm at the same stage as you....I'm leaning toward two brewhemoths with internal ss chillers. I plan on building a glycol out of an AC unit. I love the brewers hardware conicals but I don't think I can justify the cost difference.
 
Ordered the 15 gal non-glycol Brewer's Hardware conical today. Will let you know.

ButcherBrew won the Brewer's Hardware giveaway in August. Maybe he could chime in with pictures and a brief review. Or you could PM him.
 
fpweeks said:
I'm at the same stage as you....I'm leaning toward two brewhemoths with internal ss chillers. I plan on building a glycol out of an AC unit. I love the brewers hardware conicals but I don't think I can justify the cost difference.
Click to expand...

It's been a while since I really crunched the numbers but iirc after you add valves the brewhemoths get pricey as well although they are still very much a possibility. However maybe my logic is flawed but I would think glycol jacketed may be easier to adjust temperature with since it surrounds the beer and the dual zone should help even more. Overkill I suppose lol.

I figured I'd use this

https://www.oscsys.com/projects/fermtroller
 
I'm pretty set on having 15 gals of fermenting capacity which bumps me up a size in the brewers hardware fermenter. So then the cost begins to spread apart.
 
I have a 20 gallon non-glycol conical that I owned since August. It’s a very well made conical fermenter. It is my third conical that I have, and would say best as far as fit and finish. Brewers hardware also placed some thought in the design of the fermenter. Two inch dump port and large tri-clover lid and all the parts in the total package make it a nice set-up.
 
Babydom said:
I have a 20 gallon non-glycol conical that I owned since August. It’s a very well made conical fermenter. It is my third conical that I have, and would say best as far as fit and finish. Brewers hardware also placed some thought in the design of the fermenter. Two inch dump port and large tri-clover lid and all the parts in the total package make it a nice set-up.
Click to expand...

What are you doing for temp control? What other brands of conicals do you have for comparison?
 
fpweeks said:
What are you doing for temp control? What other brands of conicals do you have for comparison?
Click to expand...

The conical fermenter is kept in a 23 cubic foot merchandiser cooler plugged into a Johnston controller. The names of the manufacturers of my other fermenters, I would rather withhold, due to the fact they’re very well made. But a simple post could possibly be misconstrued and inflict financial harm to them or misrepresentation of their quality.
 
I'm really leaning toward ordering one of these, but Brewer's Hardware won't say whether they will hold pressure. Looking at them it seems like they would be able to do 15 psi, but I just need to be able to pressure transfer, so less than 5 psi. Can anyone who has one comment on this?

Cheers :mug:
MrH
 
MrH said:
I'm really leaning toward ordering one of these, but Brewer's Hardware won't say whether they will hold pressure. Looking at them it seems like they would be able to do 15 psi, but I just need to be able to pressure transfer, so less than 5 psi. Can anyone who has one comment on this?

Cheers :mug:
MrH
Click to expand...

I would think you could a little bit of pressure, but that is just a wild guess. I dunno about 15psi tho.

Btw I ended up ordering two brewhemoths, their black friday sale was to good to say no to. The brewers hardware conicals still are the cats meow though!
 
MrH said:
I'm really leaning toward ordering one of these, but Brewer's Hardware won't say whether they will hold pressure. Looking at them it seems like they would be able to do 15 psi, but I just need to be able to pressure transfer, so less than 5 psi. Can anyone who has one comment on this?

Cheers :mug:
MrH
Click to expand...

I have my first batch fermenting now in the Brewer's Hardware 15 gal conical. Was going to wait until complete with one batch through it before commenting further and giving a full review on this thread.

I can confirm that it will support pressure transfer. I pushed liquid through it with less than 5 psi CO2. What I rigged up was a ball lock gas post on the end of the 1" blowoff tube. The design I used was -

Ball lock post -> 1/4" Flare Male X 1/4" Male Pipe Thread adapter -> 2" Tri Clover Compatible X 1/4" Female NPT Fitting -> 2" Tri Clover Compatible X 1" Hose Barb.

The 1" hose barb goes in some 1" vinyl tubing I got at Ace Hardware and attaches to the 3" Tri Clover Compatible X 1" 90 degree hose barb that comes with the conical.

Brewer's Hardware has stated on their Facebook page that they do not "officially support" pressurizing their conicals due to liability and testing. There is no pressure safety valve, so you have to be very careful about what psi you have your CO2 regulator set at.
 
Here's some brewporn pic's for you :mug:

DSC00466.jpg


DSC00467.jpg


DSC00468.jpg


DSC00470.jpg
 
Thanks for that Jonathan. That's what I needed. I know liability is a concern for BH. To me though, any conical touted as "the best small batch size stainless steel conical fermenter on the market" would be one that can be pressurized to at least 15 PSI, like the Brewhemoth and Glacier. But ultimately this is my only gripe with these (other than price). I've been fermenting in a 10 gallon corny since I started brewing in 1993, so now that I need to go larger I think it's time to indulge :D

BTW, I just spoke with Curtis @ BH and they are unloading a big shipment of stuff right now. He says they now have nearly everything in stock that is still marked as back order on their site (except BCS controllers and thermowells). It's sure tempting to go with the 20 gallon (or larger), but I have to really push my system to get 15 gallons to the fermenter and I just know that if I got the 20 I'd be looking at new kettles within a month. :drunk:

Gotta draw the line somewhere! :mug:
 
fpweeks said:
Thats Gorgeous!!

You should add a pressure relief valve and a guage to your gas connection, that would solve any worries.
Click to expand...

I've got relief/spunding valves. I'm actually not worried about unexpected failures, but I would like to be able to condition/carb in it. They don't have giant flat lids like the Stout or giant lid gaskets like (nearly) all the others, so they shouldn't have any trouble with 15 psi. I suspect before too long there will be a v2 version of these equipped with a relief valve and "officially" able to handle brite tank pressures. Meanwhile I'll be happy just being able to continue pressure transfers like I've always been able to do. I can always carb in my 10 gallon corny...

Cheers :mug:
 
Based on the look of the design i would be really surprised if it wasn't capable of holding pressure. The only point of failure could be the welds? All the other points are TC fittings, right? As you point out the conicals that don't hold pressure have large openings like the stout or the blichman.
 
I've used the 15 gallon conical from Brewers Hardware, and I've also used 2 other conicals -- one from eBay, and the other was a Blichmann. Without a doubt, the Brewers Hardware conical is head and shoulders better than either in terms of build quality. It looks exactly like a mini version of a commercial conical. The lid system with the oversized triclover makes it a great option for holding pressure.
 
ocluke said:
I've used the 15 gallon conical from Brewers Hardware, and I've also used 2 other conicals -- one from eBay, and the other was a Blichmann. Without a doubt, the Brewers Hardware conical is head and shoulders better than either in terms of build quality. It looks exactly like a mini version of a commercial conical. The lid system with the oversized triclover makes it a great option for holding pressure.
Click to expand...

How high of a pressure have you had it?
 
calebstringer said:
How high of a pressure have you had it?
Click to expand...

I have not personally rigged it up for pressure, but it's a contained vessel with a triclover for a lid. You could probably go a lot higher than you would need for the purposes of a fermentation vessel. Personally, I wouldn't carbonate in any fermentor, I'd just use CO2 to transfer. It's a pain to transfer carbonated beer without having foaming issues. You have to use counter pressure.
 
ocluke said:
I have not personally rigged it up for pressure, but it's a contained vessel with a triclover for a lid. You could probably go a lot lear than you would need for the purposes of a fermentation vessel. Personally, I wouldn't carbonate in any fermentor, I'd just use CO2 to transfer. It's a pain to transfer carbonated beer without having foaming issues. You have to use counter pressure.
Click to expand...

Is it really that hard? Not trying to sound authoritative on the subject as I have yet to physically do it but I figured if I had something like this on my conical https://brewhemoth.com/spunding-valve and then http://morebeer.com/products/ball-lock-qd-adjustable-pressure-valve-wgauge.html this on the receiving keg a psi or two lower foaming shouldn't be that bad. I guess you could say it might be hard to dial in the correct pressure to release but I plan on setting the morebeer setup at 15 psi (should be above what the beer will be naturally car bed at) then dial down the psi til beer starts to flow slowly. Really doesn't seem hard to me... In theory at least

edited to add: I deleted the two examples as I realized they weren't good. I have read otherwise though and will report my own experience within a month or so.
 
Doctor_M said:
Is it really that hard? Not trying to sound authoritative on the subject as I have yet to physically do it but I figured if I had something like this on my conical https://brewhemoth.com/spunding-valve and then http://morebeer.com/products/ball-lock-qd-adjustable-pressure-valve-wgauge.html this on the receiving keg a psi or two lower foaming shouldn't be that bad. I guess you could say it might be hard to dial in the correct pressure to release but I plan on setting the morebeer setup at 15 psi (should be above what the beer will be naturally car bed at) then dial down the psi til beer starts to flow slowly. Really doesn't seem hard to me... In theory at least

edited to add: I deleted the two examples as I realized they weren't good. I have read otherwise though and will report my own experience within a month or so.
Click to expand...

No, it's not very hard to do with the right setup. I just prefer to carbonate in the keg and not tie up my fermentor for no beneficial reason. I have 16 kegs, but only one conical.
 
calebstringer said:
How high of a pressure have you had it?
Click to expand...

I have had the 15 gallon BrewHardware conical (non-glycol cooled) up to 10psi. I just did a transfer to keg last week using CO2 push. The conical was still fully pressurized the next day when I got around to cleaning it.

It might be possible to push it to higher pressure for use as a carbonating brite tank. However, that is not my intended application and I prefer to carbonate in a keg. I have very little doubt based on the weld quality and all tri-clamp design that anything would fail.
 
HopChef said:
Hate to resurrect this too far off topic, but I just ordered the BH 15G conical and would love to know what freezer that is, it's the perfect size.
Click to expand...

My freezer is a Frigidaire 13.7 cu. ft. upright. It does indeed fit the 15 gal BH conical, although it is somewhat of a tight fit. I had to cut out material on the door to allow clearance for the butterfly valves.

Also, I found it was best to orient the butterfly valves with the handles horizontal rather than vertical like a slot machine. Then the conical could be positioned without turning it off to the side as I had previously shown in my pictures.

For pitching yeast, I use a funnel attached to a piece of sanitized silicone 1/2" tubing. If I were to shop for a freezer again, I would try to look for one with a little bit more vertical clearance if the price was right. A ~14 cu. ft. freezer should do the job though.
 
I know this is an old thread, but can anyone give feedback on the brewers hardware jacketed conical? I am about to get my first and have not been able to find any reviews, videos, etc on the jacketed 15g conical. I'm specifically wanting to know how it works with a dedicated glycol chiller used to chill lines. I live in texas and garage temps most of the year are hot! I'd like to lager and ferment ales with no worries.
 
t3e871 said:
I know this is an old thread, but can anyone give feedback on the brewers hardware jacketed conical? I am about to get my first and have not been able to find any reviews, videos, etc on the jacketed 15g conical. I'm specifically wanting to know how it works with a dedicated glycol chiller used to chill lines. I live in texas and garage temps most of the year are hot! I'd like to lager and ferment ales with no worries.
Click to expand...

What questions do you have about it? How fast it cools? I would reach out to Brewers Hardware about any questions that you have; they are good about responding. Also, I know Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim, CA has a bunch of BH conicals, but I believe they're 1 or 2 barrel size. Either way, you could ask them.
 
I have no experience with the brewers hardware ones but I have to share that I use a stout brand 12.5 gallon conical with a "cool zone" cooling jacket which works just as well on the conical as it does on a carboy... I use it with a glycol chiller that would be in the $700-1000 range but I'm unsure of the size and the chiller does not need to run often to maintain temps 5-10 degrees below the room temp. I have not tried a true lager in it but have no doubt it will perform fine. I was skeptical but they are well worth the $60 if you have a means of pumping chilled water through them.
 
augiedoggy said:
I have no experience with the brewers hardware ones but I have to share that I use a stout brand 12.5 gallon conical with a "cool zone" cooling jacket which works just as well on the conical as it does on a carboy... I use it with a glycol chiller that would be in the $700-1000 range but I'm unsure of the size and the chiller does not need to run often to maintain temps 5-10 degrees below the room temp. I have not tried a true lager in it but have no doubt it will perform fine. I was skeptical but they are well worth the $60 if you have a means of pumping chilled water through them.
Click to expand...

So I assume you have a ranco or johnson temp controller that is controlling your glycol chiller? That is one question I have and I have asked Curtis at brewers hardware and he suggested I contact the glycol manufacturer, which I have with no response.
 
My glycol chiller operates the pump continuously and has a temp control that cycles the compressor if the reservoir gets over temp. Different models varry, so I would check on the one you're going to purchase before you buy extra stuff.
 
luhrks said:
My glycol chiller operates the pump continuously and has a temp control that cycles the compressor if the reservoir gets over temp. Different models varry, so I would check on the one you're going to purchase before you buy extra stuff.
Click to expand...

Mine was designed this way too but they are very easy to modify to only turn the pump on and off with a temp controller... Some people leave the pump run and have a motorized ball valve which is activated by the temp controller instead... This works well if you plan on running multiple fermenters off the same chiller... There is a lot of info in this in the diy section.

I am actually working on controlling 4 fermentors with 4 stc 1000+ s and a 2 pole relay out on every cooling output with one pole to apply 24v to the $2 24V solenoid valves I bought and the other pole to turn on my chiller pump whenever it is called upon to recirc coolant... this way multiple valves can open while keeping all the supply voltages isolated from each other. (hopefully that makes sense)
 
Unboxing. Total shipping weight: 165#

1.jpg


with the help of my son we wrestled it down to the brew room

2.jpg


Final resting place with repurpposed drinking fountain for chill. Crashed 90° water to 65° in a couple of hours. My room is cold this time of year. Need to add heater to cooler reservoir.

3.jpg



I wish there was more room under the cone for a bucket. I am using a drawer from my refrigerator to hold solutions (PBW or StarSan) & a utility pump to CIP. It barely fits under the 2inch 90° elbow. Any other suggestions?
 
Yes, use the tri-clamp fittings on the bottom of the three legs and add tri-clamp extension tubes to raise the height of the conical above the ground. If I had more vertical space in my upright freezer, I would do the same thing for my brewershardware conical.

Still not a terribly hard limitation to get around. Can also use quart sized measuring cup or a tea pitcher angled to catch what you may want to dump from the bottom valve.

http://www.brewershardware.com/Extension-Tubes/
 
Here's my Brewers Hardware 20 gallon jacketed fermentors. I used a cooler and window AC unit to make a glycol chiller. There is a submersible pump in the cooler that recirculates the glycol and two valves that control glycol being recirculated to each fermentor jacket. I use a BCS to control the setpoints on each fermentor and the glycol bath. There are valved quick disconnects on the glycol lines so I can pop them off and move the fermentors.

I built some platforms to elevate the fermentors to make it easy to move them around and to also be able to fit a bucket underneath. For cleaning, I use my keg cleaner bucket underneath and a hose running up to the top with a CIP ball. The keg cleaner pump is more than enough to run the CIP ball.

IMG_3364.jpg
 
Jonathan thanks for the heads up on the extension tubes . I completely over-looked them. I did my first trub dump yesterday with quart canning jar.
 
JonW nice setup. Are your fermentors fastened to the riser/carts? I inquired with brewershardware about adding casters. They said they did not sell then because the fermentor is top heavy and could easily tip. If I was going to take the liability they suggested Expandable Stem Swivel Casters.
 
I have the 15gal with bh cip ball and I use a cheap 3/4 hp non submersible pump from harbor freight. It works great, just run a hose from the bucket to the ball (I use a cam lock for this) and presto!
 

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