Do you pressurize your stainless conical?

[logjam]

Hi Everybody! Curious amongst those of you pressurizing your conical fermenters, your experiences with the lids either slowly leaking pressure or holding firm amongst the various manufacturers out there. A lot of companies say that they're pressurizable to around 4-5 PSI for keg transfers, but I'm in the market for something that's able to hold a few PSI indefinitely for when I'm crashing or otherwise dropping temperature over a few days.

I got in touch with MoreBeer regarding their conical, and surprisingly the rep said they can only be pressurized during transfers and will otherwise slowly leak CO2 through the lid gasket. I got a similar response from SS Brew Tech when asking about the Chronical. It seems from reading that some people are having better luck holding pressure with the band-clamp style lids (MoreBeer, Blichmann) as opposed to the spring clip lids (Chronical) or the flat-top push down type like the Stout Tank models. Glacier Tanks say they're pressurizable to 14.7 PSI which is great, but the smallest fermenter that seem to make is 1 BBL. I'm looking more along the lines of a 7.5 gal, 14 gal only if it makes sense.

I'd love to hear any first-hand accounts of lid gasket designs and how well they are able to hold a few PSI long-term. Maybe there are some manufacturers I am overlooking? Thanks in advance!!

 

[gotraut]

My 1 barrel Stout fermenter leaks at 4 psi or so. I bet the Brewers Hardware conicals wouldn't leak much.

 

[augiedoggy]

I have a few different "brand" conicals and a friend with yet a forth (SS brewing) I cant really say much for sure about the SS except there are complaints of sealing issues on some and shimming needed. But as far as all mine go I think the chinese conical from "American home brewer" on ebay has the best and strongest sealing system compared to the stout and stout clone I have... another brand of conical which its a clone of is the american made one sold by spike brewing and made by toledo metal spinning (also make blichmann conicals).

The AHB and spike 12.5 gallon conicals both use a clasping ring to seal the lid down tight around the entire circumference of the lid and so far this has worked flawlessly for me. the single silicone seal is thick and the ring makes a tight seal which I believe would hold up to some real pressure without issues.

here is a pic of how they seal... it seems both AHB and spike are out of stock at the moment though..
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/01...-ba0d-73d8f835b333_1024x1024.png?v=1449845045

The spike version normally sells for around $600 with shipping but it on sale from time to time and the AHB one normally sells for about $300-350..

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I have a brewhemoth that holds pressure really well. I had it dormant for 5 months at 5 psi with no loss. Since brewers hardware has similar all triclamp fittings it would probably hold pressure too.

 

[logjam]

Interesting feedback, thanks for sharing. Yeah augiedoggy, I had read of some sealing issues with the SS Tech ones as well. Seems the full band-clamp lids hold a bit better based on your experience. I hadn't seen the Spike conicals before, another option to consider for sure.

sandyeggoxj, sounds like the Brewhemoth hold pressure like a champ! And from everything I've read is a great overall design. I'd love to grab one but it looks like they don't even make them anymore? Huge bummer if so. Closest thing might be the Brewer's Hardware conicals like you mentioned with the only lid openings being tri-clamp.

Glacier Tanks got back to me, they do sell a 15 gallon version although it's not on their website. Going to follow up with pricing, hopefully the 15 PSI rating doesn't also mean super-expensive. Blichmann let me know their PRV vents at 3 PSI, not super high but should hold pressure below that. The MoreBeer PRV vents at 5 PSI, and the pricing is right with that clasping-style lid that people have good luck with. Makes me wonder if they really do slowly leak like the rep told me.

 

[cfrazier77]

I have a brewhemoth that holds pressure really well. I had it dormant for 5 months at 5 psi with no loss. Since brewers hardware has similar all triclamp fittings it would probably hold pressure too.

I have a brewhemoth and it holds at 15 psi for as long as I want to leave it. They can hold much more than that. If I was to get another conical now I would definitely go with Brewers hardware.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I have a brewhemoth and it holds at 15 psi for as long as I want to leave it. They can hold much more than that. If I was to get another conical now I would definitely go with Brewers hardware.

I cold crash and carbonate in my brewhemoth. Works great.

 

[JonW]

Brewers Hardware told me theirs would be good for at least 15 PSI. I was also cautioned to use a PRV as a safety measure.

 

[Jthornburgh]

I have been thinking about trying to try it with my 7 gallon stout. I had originally bought a 15psi valve, but just received a 5psi one.

 

[cfrazier77]

I made a ball lock post that fits on my tri clamp blow off port. I can hook ball lock with a hose for a blow off, add pressure with a co2 bottle, and I can hook up a spundering valve. I made one that is adjustable. Sometimes a ferment under pressure and sometimes I don't, it depends if I dry hop or not. What is really helpful with this set up is that I can give it a couple of PSI of co2 before cold crashing. Otherwise liquid would get sucked up the blowoff tube.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I made a ball lock post that fits on my tri clamp blow off port. I can hook ball lock with a hose for a blow off, add pressure with a co2 bottle, and I can hook up a spundering valve. I made one that is adjustable. Sometimes a ferment under pressure and sometimes I don't, it depends if I dry hop or not. What is really helpful with this set up is that I can give it a couple of PSI of co2 before cold crashing. Otherwise liquid would get sucked up the blowoff tube.

All of this is great! I do the same thing. Once fermentation is about done I put on the spunding valve, set the pressure relief for 5 or so psi and let it go. With 5 psi I can cold crash and not suck air. Keeping a co2 environment is key when doing hoppy beer. I dry hop with pellets in the conical and flush with co2 after adding hops. I then push with co2 into the kegs, which are co2 purged, so things stay pretty awesome.

I have changed the gauge since I made this but you get the idea.

 

[logjam]

Brewers Hardware told me theirs would be good for at least 15 PSI. I was also cautioned to use a PRV as a safety measure.

I got in touch with Brewer's Hardware as well, and they let me know that their jacketed conicals are rated to 14.9 PSI but the non-jacketed ones aren't pressure rated at all yet. I'm guessing it could still hold a bit, but I'd be taking a chance by picking one up since it is a different design than the jacketed model. Anyone have any experience with these?

That brewhemoth setup looks sweet by the way, wish these still existed.

 

[cfrazier77]

They should be able to withstand much more than 15 PSI. Tri Clamps are very good at holding pressure.

 

[JonW]

They should be able to withstand much more than 15 PSI. Tri Clamps are very good at holding pressure.

Issue isn't the tri clamps - it's the integrity of the vessel.

 

[cfrazier77]

It is both, a clamping design has a maximum PSI that it can hold back. Vessel integrity is also an issue, but think about other things out there that are holding pressure. A 2 liter soda bottle holds 30 PSI, and much more when you shake it. But think about how thin the plastic is. With the steel thickness and type of welds we are talking about with the above mentioned conicals 15 PSI should not be a problem at all. Anything above that will have problems for yeast so that is the ceiling. Also, I was told by the makers of the Brewhemoth that they tested one to 200 PSI, the limit of their compressor and there was no deflection in the tank. Now they IN NO WAY RECOMMEND users doing this. They where trying to find the destruction limit. So we should be find at 15 or less.

Also, I normally use 5 PSI in my for transfer. I find that anything above that makes way to much foam, but I transfer with the lid of my cornies open.

 

[Tossil]

I have a 7G and a 15G Glacier Tanks conical fermenter. They are not on their website, you'll need to call Glacier Tanks directly and ask for them. I went to order a second 7G and they were out of stock. They were going to manufacture a new 7G when they told me they had a 15G available. Loved the look of the 15G so I pulled the trigger and had them do a few modifications similar to the mods I had them do to my 7G.

They are both tested to 30 PSI and rated to 15 PSI. Both top seals work well but I like the manway lid on the 15G better then the triclamp lid on the 7G.

Each fermentor has a 15-17 PSI Pressure-Vacuum Relief Valve.