Buckets Vs Carboys Vs Conicals, Vs Everything else

[MaxStout]

Sadly, the Chapman puts me through the same endless thought spiral. It doesn't have a conical bottom or a sampling port. Would I be willing to pay an extra $75 for the ability to take samples without opening it, over the next 30 years? Hmm. . . . And if I did make that jump, would I be willing to pay an extra $100 or so dollars for the ability to to pressure transfers, carbonate and watch the fermentation happen (Flex), again over the next 30 years? Hmm . . . And then a Unitank doesn't end up being that much more (when you add all the add ons to the Flex), but with more abilities . . .

It's truly a disease.

Good points. If you're going to make the jump to ss, might as well get the functionality you want.

Looking over Chapman on Amazon...I am rather tempted to try this version. A 14 gallon ss fermenter for $135 with free shipping. I don't do a lot of 10 gal batches, but the price might make it worthwhile for occasional use, and it would fit nicely in my ferm chamber.

 

[tellyho]

Re: bucket lid seals - I've never had trouble getting them to stay sealed. You can certainly get buckets with a gasket in the lid if you're worried about it.

I was just doing a closed transfer from my bucket to keg, via spigot. With a loose fitting seal at the bung and low pressure co2 in, I still managed to pop the lid, startling both myself and my son.

Conclusion: lid seal is pretty substantial.

 

[Carolina_Matt]

30 responses, and nobody has mentioned fermenting in a keg? I'm surprised.

I've never done it myself, but I have some Top Draw systems coming soon and I plan on fermenting and serving out of the keg. With Fermcap, I should hopefully be able to fit about 4.5 gallons in there.

 

[Dland]

I have two 12.5 gallon stainless conicals. Two are needed for frequent lager production.

I like the stainless over plastic, and the dump and racking valves keep the trub out of finished beer and allow for easy hydrometer readings. I put in 10-11 gallon batches and have never had anything but CO2 come out the blow off tube.

They were not cheap, but not too bad as I bought them on ebay. I do not know the makes, they are similar to each other but not like anything I have seen for sale lately(one might be a first gen Spike), I brew a lot and for me they were worth the investment, but of course are not needed to make good beer.

Used to ferment in heavy old glass carboys, and still have several. I'd use them for cider or mead experiments, but am glad I do not have to use them regularly, I'm sure I would have dropped one by now.

 

[Andrew7447]

I went from 6.5gal buckets to a fastferment, now I own 2 7.5 anvil ss buckets. I love them. I could never get a good seal on any of the others but I'm not saying I didn't make good beer. But they all end up getting infected on me.

 

[ncbrewer]

You're going to find fans of each kind of fermenter, with compelling arguments to support each. There won't be much consensus.

You think?

 

[Jon Goswick]

(i skipped over most, but anyway...to the OP)

I brew 10 gal batches, and can't afford a big ol' SS conical, nor the pumps that would be required....but i can get a 15 gal plastic bucket for $20, and it's just light enough to lift onto my table to siphon into my kegs....big lid also, so it's easy to clean....

Pray tell where you're acquiring said buckets.

 

[Spartan1979]

I use BrewBuckets. I used to use glass but I stopped. I gave some away. I put one in recycling that looked like it make have had a crack and sold one. Fortunately I never broke one. I still have a Better Bottle if I need a third fermenter but that almost never happens.

I do miss being able to see what's going on in the fermenter.

 

[bracconiere]

Pray tell where you're acquiring said buckets.

they have them at the feed store where i get my barley, or for $20 more you can get them from ebay....

i think something like this would work for a fermenter....i couldn't find any of the pretty white/red lid ones at the moment....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HDPE-Blue-...877887&hash=item4d7ca17563:g:yBIAAOSwYlJW6g5P

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Bit the $ bullet and switched to all stainless (Brewbucket) and will never look back (for beer).
I still do primary fermentation of ciders in a 6.5 gal bucket because I often add other fruit and need both the volume and headspace. And I still use 5G glass carboys for aging ciders (3-6 months where plastic would be too oxygen permeable).

But, 5G buckets, as stated previously, are too small for 5G batches due to lack of headspace.

The best use for a 5G gasketed bucket is grain storage. I have nearly 200 lb of grain stored in stacked 5G buckets.

 

[MaxStout]

Another good use for 5 gal plastic bucket: Mix up a bucket of Starsan and use that for sanitizing all those little hardware items. Afterwards you still have 5 gallons of Starsan to keep on hand for the next time.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

It will only keep for a while. If you aren't using RO or distilled water, the mineral content will eventually neutralize the Star San and it will grow mold and nasties (might take weeks or months, but generally within a month or two or three you will probably start to see signs of mold).

 

[hopjuice_71]

Kegs also make great and affordable SS fermentors. I have an SS Brewbucket but started fermenting in kegs for spunding and pressure transfers. I have since scored two 10 gal ball lock kegs for dirt cheap. Fitted with floating dip tubes these are awesome as fermenters.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Kegs also make great and affordable SS fermentors. I have an SS Brewbucket but started fermenting in kegs for spunding and pressure transfers. I have since scored two 10 gal ball lock kegs for dirt cheap. Fitted with floating dip tubes these are awesome as fermenters.

Indeed. I started my stainless journey using kegs as fermenters. The only real downside is that if you are using 5 gal kegs, but the time you leave behind sediment and maybe blowoff for ales, you end up with somewhere less than 5 gallons in the final keg.
These days, I am making 7 gallon batches post-boil, so I can leave a gallon of trub behind and put 6 gallons into the fermenter to end up with 5 in the serving keg. There is some waste involved, but it ensures clear wort into the fermenter and a full keg even after blowoff, yeast sedimentation, SG samples, etc...

 

[Jon Goswick]

It will only keep for a while. If you aren't using RO or distilled water, the mineral content will eventually neutralize the Star San and it will grow mold and nasties (might take weeks or months, but generally within a month or two or three you will probably start to see signs of mold).

I do this, but I have an aeration wand I keep in it. Fire the pump up and wait for bubbles. No mold, but I cycle it out once a month.

 

[hopjuice_71]

Indeed. I started my stainless journey using kegs as fermenters. The only real downside is that if you are using 5 gal kegs, but the time you leave behind sediment and maybe blowoff for ales, you end up with somewhere less than 5 gallons in the final keg.
These days, I am making 7 gallon batches post-boil, so I can leave a gallon of trub behind and put 6 gallons into the fermenter to end up with 5 in the serving keg. There is some waste involved, but it ensures clear wort into the fermenter and a full keg even after blowoff, yeast sedimentation, SG samples, etc...

Yes, the volume is a downside. Solved that with the 10 gal kegs

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Yes, the volume is a downside. Solved that with the 10 gal kegs

Yeah, I saw some 6 gallon ones out there somewhere, but they were expensive.

 

[LittleRiver]

...The thought of just tossing the bucket out after a few brews doesn't sit well with me either, I don't like the idea of dozens of buckets sitting in a landfill. I've never liked any other type of plastic fermenter for the same reason (PET carboys, plastic conicals, ect.). Cheap and safe, yes. Durable, no.

PET fermenters are durable. I've got 4 years on my Big Mouth Bubbler, and my Better Bottle is probably ~6yrs old. These things are going strong, they're going to last a long time. Both look great, neither fermenter is showing any signs of internal scratches. I've never had an infection.

Inexpensive? Yes.
Safe? Yes
Durable? Yes.
Ability to see what's going on with the yeast? Yes.

 

[BarleyStanding]

Another good use for 5 gal plastic bucket: Mix up a bucket of Starsan and use that for sanitizing all those little hardware items. Afterwards you still have 5 gallons of Starsan to keep on hand for the next time.

+1 on this. I'll mix up a bucket of Starsan and a bucket of PBW on brew day to use for all the hoses and parts, and often have a little collection of other stuff that accumulated the previous weeks, maybe clean a faucet or two, etc. I'll usually keep it around for another day or so for whatever else comes up.

 

[bracconiere]

Ability to see what's going on with the yeast? Yes.

you know, now that you mention it....i've seen miller lite clone recipes, all kinds of clones actually...but never a heineken one.....or st. pauly girl for that matter.....

 

[LittleRiver]

you know, now that you mention it....i've seen miller lite clone recipes, all kinds of clones actually...but never a heineken one.....or st. pauly girl for that matter.....

...and your point would be?

 

[Cavpilot2000]

you know, now that you mention it....i've seen miller lite clone recipes, all kinds of clones actually...but never a heineken one.....or st. pauly girl for that matter.....

It's hard to replicate that skunky taste that all Heinekin in the US has...

 

[bracconiere]

...and your point would be?

lol, because for that skunk!



skip to ~3:00

 

[LittleRiver]

lol, because for that skunk!

What? With people putting who knows what in their soured habanero bitter fruit additive 100IBU hazy as a storm cloud beers these days, you're worried about a little skunk?

Seriously now, skunk is not an issue with clear fermenters. If you're fermenting inside a refrigerator or chest freezer you have a completely dark environment. If you're fermenting in an open room all you have to do is put a dark T shirt over it.

I intentionally selected a fermentation fridge with a clear door, so I can see through it to see what the yeast are doing inside my clear fermenter without even opening the door. To block the light I just pull up the window shade.

 

[hezagenius]

30 responses, and nobody has mentioned fermenting in a keg? I'm surprised.

I've never done it myself, but I have some Top Draw systems coming soon and I plan on fermenting and serving out of the keg. With Fermcap, I should hopefully be able to fit about 4.5 gallons in there.

I've fermented in a short quarter barrel keg (aka pony keg) and a Kegland Kegmenter (7.6gal) and it's awesome. They use tri-clover connections (pony kegs take 2", keglands takes 4") and you can get very creative in how you ferment, dry hop, crash and pressure transfer. I have no idea what the psi limit is for these but you will never need to go that high. My only gripe with them is that you can't dump the yeast out of them, which is why I recently switched to a conical unitank.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I use a Big Mouth Bubbler (plastic, clear, shaped like a wide mouth carboy, has a spigot). There is only one thing I switch to from that: something stainless that I can ferment under pressure. The big issue then is usually temp control. I use a freezer with an inkbird. Most SS vessels are conicals that won't fit in there. That means that moving to SS involves not only the cost of the vessel, but the cost of changing to a different temp control mechanism. I just don't see it happening anytime soon.

To get the fermentation under pressure, I plan to do initial fermentation in the BMB, then closed transfer to a keg with several points left in the fermentation, and then put a spunding valve on the keg. With my kegs set up to draw from the top, I can naturally carbonate and serve from that keg or transfer to a serving keg if desired.

That does everything I want with no need to invest in SS fermentation vessel and upgrade my temp control.

 

[bracconiere]

What? With people putting who knows what in their soured habanero bitter fruit additive 100IBU hazy as a storm cloud beers these days, you're worried about a little skunk?


View attachment 633818 View attachment 633819

whoa, now....that's 'craft' beer, they want $10 for a 4 pack of that stuff! lol

 

[Blazinlow86]

whoa, now....that's 'craft' beer, they want $10 for a 4 pack of that stuff! lol

No kidding I hate when breweries stop making the same stuff over and over and try something new. Cheers

 

[bracconiere]

No kidding I hate when breweries stop making the same stuff over and over and try something new. Cheers

lol, and when they figure out ways to work less for more money....in the process draining my wallet....making me work harder for less....

edit: and damn it, i just came here to play music match.....

 

[Blazinlow86]

lol, and when they figure out ways to work less for more money....in the process draining my wallet....making me work harder for less....

edit: and damn it, i just came here to play music match.....

You confused me on that one. You mean that by trying new things with more steps and ingredients used there actually doing less for more? Seems like it's doing more for more no? Cheers