Crazy Idea, Need Advice

[TGreen588]

Anyone ever ferment in a 55 gallon food grade drum? Let me know how it worked. Or if you think its the dumbest idea since the ejector seat for a helicopter.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Tuzlo]

Be careful the food grade drum may have a coating on the inside. I use a 45 Gallon Rubbermaid Brute garbage can for kit beers, it is food grade.

 

[Bobby_M]

The only reason I can see it being a bad idea is that batches of that size are a big commitment. It sounds like you might be in college and belong to a frat.

 

[giligson]

Be careful the food grade drum may have a coating on the inside. I use a 45 Gallon Rubbermaid Brute garbage can for kit beers, it is food grade.

What he said.
Though I haven't done beer in the rubbermaid. I do wine from grapes in it.

 

[TGreen588]

Good Guess Bobby M. haha. Everyone in my house loves the homebrew. In fact I have converted 3 of my brothers to the lifestyle. People keep asking to buy 6 packs and they go way too fast. I think I might try the Rubbermaid tech.

Thanks for your help

 

[Homercidal]

How do you propose to boil this 55 gallons?

People have done it before.

 

[Bobby_M]

It sounds like he's brewing extract which means he can easily do a 10 gallon concentrated boil and top up to 30-40 gallons. Man, that is a LOT of money in malt extract. If you're doing that much volume, all grain brewing and full sacks of malt is really the way to go.

 

[CBBaron]

Certainly can work. Just make sure you work out the logistics before starting.

For instance:

How will you fill the fermenter?
You won't be able to move it once full.
Think about racking to a bottling bucket or secondaries.
The fermenter will have to be sitting higher than the target container.
You'll have to make you own siphon to reach the bottom of the container or add a valve.

I'd probably just take the easy way out and get a bunch of 6.5 or 7.9 gal buckets. Much easier to manage. Plus you can have multiple brewers "own" the fermenters to prevent any concern about breaking the homebrewing restrictions of 100gal a year per brewer.

Also what Bobby_M said about AG. At that kind of volume it won't take long to pay for the AG setup.

Craig

 

[Raffie]

I'd be a little worried of contamination.
I'd rather lose a 5gal batch then a 55gal batch of beer.

 

[jmiracle]

seconding just using 10 6.5 gallon buckets, have a party to raise the money (but tell them its for something else so all those people don't come back for free homebrew)

 

[TGreen588]

good points. I think I might put my mass production ideas on the back burner for a while. Thanks folks!!