Contemplating SS Brew Bucket

[Happywanderer]

Need some thoughts...

I want the 7 gallon SS brewing brew bucket.

But - how to keep it cool? (I don't want to spend for the SS Brew Tech cooler thing).

Could I safely submerge the fermenter as I currently do? I worry about the valve and sanitation...

I have a large igloo cooler I currently fill with water/ice as my temp control. I could potentially design a lid out of styrofoam that would fit over the fermenter... and just add ice...

Thoughts?

 

[brewcat]

What about one of those cool brewing insulated fermentation bags.

 

[jwalk4]

Without the FTS temp control, the brew bucket's only plus is the racking arm. Is that worth 200ish dollars? Not to me.

If you plan on investing in the FTS down the road, then pull the trigger. If not, I would save your money.

Then again, I made the plunge and bought the brewbucket with the FTS, and I couldn't be happier with the product.

 

[Jaybird]

With the FTS it really is a killer product! Mitch and gang really gave it a lot of thought and the people that have them from what I hear in my shop they REALLY like them.

Cheers
Jay

 

[Sailingeric]

Why the SS? That is a lot of money for bucket. $20 for an 8 gallon Brewcraft bucket and the rest on beer grains and hops or a cheap fridge or freezer for temp control.

 

[Happywanderer]

To answer the "Why SS" question - because I like to sanitize things to death. Plastic always worries me. I've 2 buckets, 1 plastic BMB, and 2 glass BMBs.

So why this? Because it:
1) Has a huge opening making it a breeze to clean
2) Is SS so I can sanitize the crap out of it. Including dumping boiling water into it. (Glass fermenters might shatter, plastic would be fine).
3) Is SS so I can drop it and not have to worry. (Glass would shatter, plastic would be fine).
4) Lid is much easier to take off than plastic buckets.
5) Has a huge opening so dry hopping is a breeze (the BMBs are good for this too, plastic buckets are good for this - save the lids being a bit of a pita, normal carboys make dry hopping not so much fun).
6) Is SS so wont stain or potentially pick up off flavors (my 2 plastic buckets both stained significantly and retained the aroma of beer even after thorough cleaning, glass doesn't have this problem).

I've weighed the pro's and con's. If I can figure out the cooling, then the SS bucket is the winner in any head-to-head comparo.

So, back to my original posted question.

I'm leaning toward just using my cooler with ice (and building a foam "lid").

I'm also thinking that I can place the brew bucket inside 2 industrial garbage bags and submerge.

I also just emailed the company to see if I can order the brew bucket without the ball valve/hole. We'll see what they come back with. I mean really - I have 3 racking canes. Sure the ball valve is sexy, but is the lowest of my priorities for this fermenter (see my pros/cons list above).

 

[Elkobrewer]

The Ssbrew pot is an awesome fermenter high quality and hard to beat the price.

 

[tmendick]

Swamp cooler will not be a good idea. The dip tube will be submerged in the water and you will need to sanitize it before you open it. Also if you pick it up from the cooler you'd be disturbing the trub and whatnot. Wait until you get he fts or a fermentation chamber

 

[Happywanderer]

Thanks for that insight tmendick.

I'm still going to go with this fermenter.

Just have to solve the cooling issue without breaking the bank.

 

[sillbeer]

I picked up 2x SS brew buckets and I really like them. I eliminated the need for a siphon tube and I don't have to worry about better bottles cracking or getting scratches in them. Additionally the SS brew buckets are a breeze to clean. Transferring is easy and there isn't any worries about disturbing the cake on the bottom. These should last a lifetime. The only draw back is I can't see what's going on inside like the better bottles. The handles on the brew buckets are convenient when you have to carry them any distance.

 

[JLeuck64]

The easy way to keep that bad boy cool... and also to heat it is with a ferm chamber! Be sure to search thru Craigslist for some of those glass door industrial units for beverage display in supermarkets. That style of refer unit will easily hold what you are wanting to buy plus what ever you want to expand to in Ss fermenters down the road. Add a dual STC-1000 and you're good to go ( ;

 

[jekeane]

If you are looking for a stianless bucket then look for something like https://www.chapmanequipment.com/product/7-Gallon-SteelTank-Portless Its $100 less and does what you are hoping the ss brew bucket will do. Personally I wouldn't buy a stainless fermenter without having a temp controlled fermentation set up first.

 

[Rev2010]

Don't have anything helpful to suggest for cooling, but to add my opinion to some of the previous comments:

The yeast/trub collects and compacts very nicely in the conical bottom section. I ferment in my house hallway and keg in the kitchen so I carry the fermenters through the living room and a small hallway and the yeast/trub doesn't get disturbed. Of course I carry carefully but I'm mentioning this as I don't think lifting the fermenter should disturb what's settled.

I too got mine because I wanted ease of cleaning and most importantly a big opening and easy to open lid. Coming from screw on lids that are sometimes insanely hard to open this makes my life so much easier.

The handles are convenient though I really wish they would have rubber coated them. Thinking of emailing them to recommend this as a future upgraded change. The handles are thin and moving it while full it can hurt the hands.

I'm also planning to order a single Chronical domed lid to have extra headspace for when doing my Hefeweizen's or any beer with aggressive yeast so I can just do an airlock without a blow-off tube.


Rev.

 

[sillbeer]

If you are looking for a stianless bucket then look for something like https://www.chapmanequipment.com/product/7-Gallon-SteelTank-Portless Its $100 less and does what you are hoping the ss brew bucket will do. Personally I wouldn't buy a stainless fermenter without having a temp controlled fermentation set up first.

Those buckets are definitely nice but I still give the edge to the SS Brew Bucket. They have the conical bottom to collect the cake and the bottom drain is a nice feature.

 

[Braufessor]

If you are looking for a stianless bucket then look for something like https://www.chapmanequipment.com/product/7-Gallon-SteelTank-Portless Its $100 less and does what you are hoping the ss brew bucket will do. Personally I wouldn't buy a stainless fermenter without having a temp controlled fermentation set up first.

Yep - I would go with this if you are planning on setting it in a tub of water. If the spigot is a non-issue for you and is basically something you consider a "downfall" - this seems like it would be a no-brainer.

I have 4 SS brew buckets - they are great and I could not be happier that I bought them. I really like the spigot, not siphoning, using it for harvesting yeast, etc.

I have a fermentation chamber, but usually ferment at ambient temperature because my basement is cold. I would not submerge the spigot in a tub of water for temp control - that is just asking for an infection.

I like the above suggested option - way cheaper and seems to fit everything you are looking for. Get two

 

[Oldskewl]

Wine fridge with Stc-1000 for temp control. I use a Visanni 52 bottle wine cooler.

 

[Happywanderer]

If you are looking for a stianless bucket then look for something like https://www.chapmanequipment.com/product/7-Gallon-SteelTank-Portless Its $100 less and does what you are hoping the ss brew bucket will do. Personally I wouldn't buy a stainless fermenter without having a temp controlled fermentation set up first.

And I now have to have this. This is the perfect alternative for me.

Thank you!

 

[griffi]

I really like the spigot, not siphoning, using it for harvesting yeast, etc.

Not trying to thread jack but I'd be interested in a summary of your method of harvesting yeast with this fermenter.

 

[Happywanderer]

And... ordered. Chapman Brewing Equipment has some great stuff.

$99 with free shipping for 7-gal SS fermenter. :rockin:

Paid $60 for the BMB Evo2.

So ... big win.

The company is NEW (just had a kickstarter and went live in October). Based out of Oregon.

Thanks to jekeane for posting the link.

 

[Happywanderer]

Not trying to thread jack but I'd be interested in a summary of your method of harvesting yeast with this fermenter.

From everything I've read/seen - you simply rotate the siphon arm (dip tube) down so that it is sucking up the trub. Then open valve. Should suck up a good bit o'yeasty trub.

One thing you might consider.... If you are already making yeast starters... just make 500ml extra starter. Sanitize up a quart canning jar. Fill from your well-stirred starter flask. Cap. Done.

Much cleaner yeast than what you get from the yeast cake. No additional washing needed.

 

[Braufessor]

I don't use the little racking arm at all.... ever - just have not found it necessary, even when dry hopping in the fermenter. ***I do transfer pretty clean/trub free wort into the fermenter to start with.

PROCESS:

* I generally collect yeast from low alcohol, low hopped beers.
* I use Conan yeast for my "house yeast." I brew75% of my beers with this yeast. But, I also harvest various lager yeasts, or yeasts that I know I am building up to use in a couple other beers.
* I start by brewing a blonde ale.
* Ferment it out in primary for 10-12 days.
* Set fermenter up on counter 1-2 days before kegging.
* Take plastic bag covering off of spigot, spray with star san.
* Transfer, via spigot with tubing, to keg. I tip the fermenter up carefully to get a bit more beer, but I leave a pint or so of beer behind for sure. I disturb the yeast cake in the cone very little during transfer.
* I have six 1/2 pint mason jars, lids in a tub of star san.
* After transfer of beer from fermenter I close spigot and swirl up the beer and yeast cake still in the fermenter. I do this a couple times to get everything in suspension.
* Let it sit for a couple minutes as this will drop the heaviest trub/hop particles a bit lower in suspension.
* Take jars out of star san and set on counter. Fill them one at a time by simply leaning the fermenter forward with open spigot. Or, pick fermenter up all together and sort of "pour" into each jar from the spigot.
*Take caps out of star san and put on jars.
* 6 jars of yeast slurry - put in fridge.
* use 5 for whatever I want, 6th one goes into another batch of Blonde ale for a generic "house beer" and to make another 6 jars of yeast.

Nothing fancy, but it works like charm.
In the past, I did the exact same thing using bottling buckets with spigots, as fermenters.

 

[jekeane]

I hope they work out for you. Sounded like they would fit your needs. I have a buddy that has a few of them he got off the kickstarter and he enjoys them.

And... ordered. Chapman Brewing Equipment has some great stuff.

$99 with free shipping for 7-gal SS fermenter. :rockin:

Paid $60 for the BMB Evo2.

So ... big win.

The company is NEW (just had a kickstarter and went live in October). Based out of Oregon.

Thanks to jekeane for posting the link.

 

[eastoak]

i have an SS brewtech and love it, it fits in a mini wine fridge i got on craigslist for $70. the chapman buckets are attractive too, i may get one. as far as harvesting yeast out of the brewtech, i just reach in with a clean mason jar and scoop up some yeast cake. the last beer i made used yeast i collected Oct 15 of this year, no problems.

 

[normonster]

The easy way to keep that bad boy cool... and also to heat it is with a ferm chamber! Be sure to search thru Craigslist for some of those glass door industrial units for beverage display in supermarkets. That style of refer unit will easily hold what you are wanting to buy plus what ever you want to expand to in Ss fermenters down the road. Add a dual STC-1000 and you're good to go ( ;

x2. Or just get a fridge and controller. I fit two and it works great.