concrete fermenters??

[bomberman]

Well it definitely gets points for style!

After a short bit of searching online I'd say it appears to have some potential, and also some potential downsides. The main thing, as someone in this thread already stated, is that it is semi-permeable to oxygen which might be good for initial fermentation but detrimental to aging/conditioning. You could probably solve that by coating it in a food-grade epoxy but then how does that make it any different than just using a more common material (SS, glass, plastic)?

Sure it might regulate temperature more efficiently but you'll still need a way to control ambient temps, which could most likely be done on a much more efficient and portable scale using the previously mentioned materials.

I don't know, I'm trying to keep an open mind about it, but while it's a great thing for winemaking it just seems like it'd be more trouble than it's worth to create a setup suitable for brewing, and would just be a great novelty item more than anything else.

 

[passedpawn]

I visited a brewery in Germany and they used open concrete fermenters. The concrete had some sort of thick enamel paint, but they were clearly old concrete structures. You definitely would drink that beer!

There were 2 of them, about the size of large bath tubs, but deeper. Completely open to everything.

More Im Fuchschen stuff here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/dusseldorf-altbier-brewery-visit-fuchschen-pics-youtube-282538/

 

[jmoore051]

Well I do concrete for a living and there's only two things certain about concrete; it dries then it cracks lol no way I would want my beer in that.

 

[whitehause]

The Hoover dam....mother of all fermenters.
I wounder what Mr. Malty would calculate for that starter

 

[passedpawn]

The Hoover dam....mother of all fermenters.
I wounder what Mr. Malty would calculate for that starter

They just keep repitching the same yeast by skimming the top-cropping the krausen (I think). Here's a good look at a bucket of good stuff. I came back with a bunch of it in fact. Sorry, I guess I'm going way off topic, I'll stop now

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBSo-PJd9DU]Yeast and Me[/ame]

 

[mattd2]

Concrete has been used for fermentation tanks for centuries and has been a proven front runner in blind taste tests over Stainless Steel and Oak.

Concrete provides the benefits of oak and the efficiency of stainless while producing a fine wine.

“I am blown away by the color density verses stainless steel for the Estate Pinot Noir” Chris Russi, Thomas George Estates

Can you eleborate more on how the concrete fermenters are constructed? I don't see how you would get the benifit of oak barrels, the oak flavour, out of concrete?

 

[DannyD]

Well that concludes it then, can be done, has been done and some say its even beter. I can easly see a small 20 gallon "trough" some where in the back of my house, and I would smooth out the edge and cover it with a rubber gasket and a pane of glass. plumbing in it for either hot or cold conditions and it would cost only a few bucks!

Mmmhhheeeeee..... to all the other sheep, that think its crazy!

(maybe even sanatize the bath tub and do it in there??.......makes me think of an episode of the Simpsons):cross:

 

[erikhild59]

Baaaaaaaa. Baaa.baaaaaaaaa

 

[elswago]

Well I do concrete for a living and there's only two things certain about concrete; it dries then it cracks lol no way I would want my beer in that.

Well if you do concrete for a living you know there is a difference between concrete and specialty concrete. I think that is where most are confused.

This is not bagcrete mix.

 

[elswago]

Can you eleborate more on how the concrete fermenters are constructed? I don't see how you would get the benifit of oak barrels, the oak flavour, out of concrete?

Winemakers are rediscovering concrete as a winemaking tool, a standard in Europe for centuries. Sonoma Cast Stone has developed state of the art concrete technology, blending the benefits of both oak and stainless in one tank. No wonder concrete is gaining in popularity.

Concrete provides the benefits of oak and the efficiency of stainless while producing a fine wine.

Concrete is somewhat porous allowing it to breathe like oak, concentrating the wine while gently diffusing oxygen without adding oak character.

Concrete is neutral, like stainless, imparting no flavors of its own, contributing to the flavor profile of the wine. Wines have more fruit expression and a greater richness.

Thick concrete walls aid in consistent temperature retention. Glycol tubing can be uniformly embedded into the cast concrete to provide for precision temperature control spread evenly throughout the tank.

Our concrete tanks are unlined, allowing for a slow but steady stream of oxygen to enter during fermentation and aging.

Tanks are crafted with non-chlorinated water and no chemical additives.

Our concrete tanks are lighter and stronger than tanks of similar size, allowing for greater volume while still maximizing maneuverability with a winery forklift.

Concrete is easy to clean with a longer life span than oak tanks.

 

[DannyD]

Now, one of use just needs to build one and try it with beer (a small open one first) The breathing concrete would be an non-issue with the sort beer fermentation,


So who's up for it............New tread, picks, and final results???(sould be a breez with all the engineers on here.......or are they the "nay sayers"?)

 

[elswago]

Now, one of use just needs to build one and try it with beer (a small open one first) The breathing concrete would be an non-issue with the sort beer fermentation,


So who's up for it............New tread, picks, and final results???(sould be a breez with all the engineers on here.......or are they the "nay sayers"?)

Planning on it when I return home.

On site right now hard to do in a hotel room.

Should have something worth discussing in 1-2 months

Proof is in the puddin!

 

[Dog House Brew]

Very interesting, I wonder what admix they use in the crete? They can add admixes that make it impervious to absorption and dusting. I guess the egg shape keeps it from cracking. really an interesting product. I've worked in the concrete industry for 25 years. Made mix designs for all kinds of projects, but I've never seen a mix for counter tops and the like. I could see the benefits of how it works. Would love to see that mix design and what they put in it.

 

[mattd2]

Thanks Elswago for that, it does sound like a good idea for unoaked wines. And I take back my comment of tasting like cement (was a joke really since waterpipes are cement and I get no flavour out of them).
However for beer the rason for aging on oak is to get the oak flavour and possibly Brett fermentation so aging beer in concrete would lead to an oxidised beer with no benificial flavours right?

Winemakers are rediscovering concrete as a winemaking tool, a standard in Europe for centuries. Sonoma Cast Stone has developed state of the art concrete technology, blending the benefits of both oak and stainless in one tank. No wonder concrete is gaining in popularity.

Concrete provides the benefits of oak and the efficiency of stainless while producing a fine wine.

Concrete is somewhat porous allowing it to breathe like oak, concentrating the wine while gently diffusing oxygen without adding oak character.

Concrete is neutral, like stainless, imparting no flavors of its own, contributing to the flavor profile of the wine. Wines have more fruit expression and a greater richness.

Thick concrete walls aid in consistent temperature retention. Glycol tubing can be uniformly embedded into the cast concrete to provide for precision temperature control spread evenly throughout the tank.

Our concrete tanks are unlined, allowing for a slow but steady stream of oxygen to enter during fermentation and aging.

Tanks are crafted with non-chlorinated water and no chemical additives.

Our concrete tanks are lighter and stronger than tanks of similar size, allowing for greater volume while still maximizing maneuverability with a winery forklift.

Concrete is easy to clean with a longer life span than oak tanks.

 

[DannyD]

just by means of how we handle beer/wort, there is a larger chance of oxidation then in a fermenter alone (state many times around here) plastic is also said to "breathe", but its all I use, yes...given that concrete might be a little more breathable, but still an non issue (like to see anybody breathe through a wall) In even so, just just a bit of back pressure should solve it (and lose a pint of to through absorbsion)

 

[onthekeg]

Cement is less porous than wood. Gee.

 

[StMarcos]

We just received a concrete fermenter at our winery. Came all the way from France. It's a slightly tapered cylinder. The egg ones are for whites (we do pinot noir). Not lined. We'll see how it compares to stainless by splitting a lot into both types of tanks of a similar size.