DIY Chilled Conical/Keg Fermenter

[Yuri_Rage]

It really doesn't look much different. There's a wide band of aluminum HVAC tape over the copper lines. If you really want a pic...

 

[wyzazz]

Humor me/us. I like pickters.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Ok. Fine.

Ambient temp in the garage is 58-60° at the moment. I'm starting to see a bit of condensation on the fermenter's cone. It's working!!!

 

[CodeRage]

Looks good Yuri!

Yuri comment on the lower portion of the conical has me wondering. Do you think the coil would be better mounted higher on the unit?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

It would...if I always planned on filling it to max capacity (18 gallons). With the coil mounted low, it'll be effective for a 10 gallon batch.

...and the temp is down another two degrees to 48!

 

[wyzazz]

Nice, very clean looking. The aluminum tape adds to the BLING factor!

 

[CodeRage]

It would...if I always planned on filling it to max capacity (18 gallons). With the coil mounted low, it'll be effective for a 10 gallon batch.

...and the temp is down another two degrees to 48!

Hah, I forgot about how much volume that really is with the BMF conical on the bottom. Very nice indeed. Prost!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Another short update:

I made a set of brackets for the compressor and condenser out of some sheet metal and angle iron. Then I encased the entire fermenter in some cheap styrofoam insulation. I was going to wrap it in a cylinder of flexible closed cell foam, but I couldn't find an inexpensive source for the stuff. Since I didn't want to spend much time or money on proving this concept, the foam is just duct taped together. I may go completely redneck and throw a sleeping bag over the foam. The Ranco probe is inside a thermowell that I made out of a Cornelius keg dip tube (by simply welding the end closed).

I thought I had the system charged properly, but that continues to be an uphill battle. With yet another slight pressure adjustment, it seems to be working better now.

Nevermind the mess on the floor. I haven't swept the styrofoam bits and pieces yet.

 

[bendavanza]

DId you have to modify the ranco probe to fit in the dip tube?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Nope. The fit is just loose enough to slide the Ranco probe to the bottom of the tube.

EDIT: Lagering is probably in my future! It started out with an 18° F differential (57° F liquid, 75° F ambient). After 45 minutes, it's up to a 21° F differential (54° F liquid, no change in ambient) and appears to be cooling further.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Down to 48° F liquid temp!

That's a 24° F differential...whoopeee!!!

I have a feeling that it'd be even colder at the moment, but it hit my initial set point of 50° F a while ago. I reset it to 42° F just for grins.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I'm about to go to bed, so I'm going to turn the chiller off for now. After about 5 hours, it managed 46° F, which is 26° F below ambient.

 

[CodeRage]

I'm about to go to bed, so I'm going to turn the chiller off for now. After about 5 hours, it managed 46° F, which is 26° F below ambient.

Nice Yuri!

I swear the expanded polystyrene crumbles reproduce like rabbits. You'll be finding that stuff for weeks.

 

[Layne]

Way cool indeed!

 

[WRB]

Yuri,
Did you make the conical portion or order it? If you ordered it where from and if you made it can you share how you bent the metal? Also, is that stainless or aluminum? I'm trying to find out if it's possible to weld stainless to aluminum.
Thanks,
Jaemie

 

[camiller]

Yuri,
Did you make the conical portion or order it? If you ordered it where from and if you made it can you share how you bent the metal? Also, is that stainless or aluminum? I'm trying to find out if it's possible to weld stainless to aluminum.
Thanks,
Jaemie

pretty sure when Yuri referred to TMS Conical Hopper in the first post he was talking about a product of Toledo Metal Spinning

 

[WRB]

Thanks Chris! This will help big. I've been looking for a supplier off and on for a while.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

camiller has it. Sorry I missed the question earlier this week.

 

[diatonic]

Has this thing seen any wort yet? Love it.

 

[krops13]

Any new progress?

 

[Sprocket27]

I saw the chiller in BYO and thought that was a really expensive Sabco fermenter. I wonder how the Plastic Mini Brew conical fermenter would work (since I have one of those). I also had an old air conditioner and an old Coleman ice chest so all I had to do was put it all together.

add two temperature controllers and some antisweat insulation and I am up and running. The controller on the left is in centigrade ( 1 degree for lagering ) and the one on the left is in ferinheight (11 degrees seems to work well)

 

[SenorWanderer]

Yuri, your craftsmanship on this is amazing. Would you be willing to describe your process for cutting and shaping the hole for the corny lid? Is the hole shaped so that the edges turn up slightly or is that an illusion from the polishing? I'd like to copy this aspect of your build for a sanke fermenter. I won't be doing any welding or adding conical awesomeness, but I do have access to a machine shop so I think I can handle the lid hole. I'm a novice though, so please describe, if you would, the different tools I'd use to accomplish this.

Again, just amazing. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

The edges turn up solely because there was a formed "bump" in that area. I simply traced the top of a Corny lid with a Sharpie and carefully cut the hole with an angle grinder and cutoff wheel. I cleaned the edges up with a file and some wet/dry sandpaper.

Haven't brewed a drop since I made it, so I haven't even tried it out yet. NEED to brew soon!

 

[mikelikesit2000]

Have you tried it yet? I am planning to build a similar fermenter soon. I plan on cutting three 15 gallon kegs and welding them together. I will also be fabbing up a 60 degree cone for the bottom. My goal is to have a 1 barrel fermenter. So, I would like to know if yours works , or what you would change.

 

[Skrimpy]

This is so awesome. Wish I wasn't such a DIY schlub.

 

[benthe8track]

Sorry if I missed it but where did you get the conical end/flange from? I had a customer who I've welded bungs into kegs for ask for this. I was just going to laser cut the flange and sheetmetal but if there is something existing that would be a lot easier.

Looks great!
Ben

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Toledo Metal Spinning

 

[Skrimpy]

BTW. This has to be one of the coolest projects on this site.

 

[RustyMusket]

Hey Yuri great project i am working on dong my own kegamentor. just wondering if you but welded or lapped the conical to the keg?

 

[dragonlor20]

...and did you ever do an active fermentation in it?