FastFerment conical fermenter??????

[ChefRex]

That is BEAUTIFUL!! How does the handle come off?

Just a little pull, just tried it but my handle dosen't fit, nothing a little filing won't fix.
Any one have a source for the proper sized o ring? Kegged an IPA tonight and now I cant find it Hopefully it shows up I was planing to refill this weekend

 

[barneyfife]

Picked up my new conical today April 16, and just got it hanging on the wall with pbw in it.
The thermowell seems to me to be a weak point. After reinstalling 3 times with lots of teflon tape each time, it still leaked. Was really nervous tightening it up, because of the plastic threads. After taking it apart yet again, there were ridges of plastic on the outside of the thermowell orifice, which wasnt allowing the thermowell to tighten properly. After sanding down the ridges, and cranking down yet again, finally got it to seal
Seems to be a quality control issue. It is one of the older ones, because doesnt have the newer silicone gasket. Will hopefully put a brew in it by midweek to check seal on top lid. Have already sanded the top down to get rid of the ridges. So, everyone, check the thermowell orifice on the outside for smoothness,before inserting thermowell. Removing and tightening this thermowell I think might be an issue for some people. Was wincing every time I tightened it "just a little more".


Barney

Update:April 17

Left it overnight, and checked this morning "SOB", it is still weeping very slightly. Tried tightening as much as i dare, no go. (I was a commercial transport mechanic for 35 years, so I know how **** like this works). So, I am thinking, what this needs is some kind of gasket/O ring on the thermowell. so I stretched a keg post rubber "O" ring over the themowell, and tightened it in, (i didnt use teflon tape, cause just wanted to see if the O ring would help some). 2 hours later, still good.

So I am thinking that what kind of fix might help this,is, there maybe should be some type of "land" where a rubber O ring would sit nicely in the orifice, and then the thermowell tightened down on it. I am sure it would prevent any type of leak from happening. The instructions say to "remove thermowell every 6 months to clean". I aint gonna go through this **** every time I wanna clean it.

If the rubber O ring continues to hold, I am not going to remove it to add teflon tape. That SOB is gonna stay in there.
Will update tomorrow to confirm if still holding.
I bought 2 fermenters, and have not tested the other one yet, but the thermowell orifice looks much cleaner than the one I am having problems with.

I really like the idea of this, so I am gonna make this work one way or another.

Barney

Update:April 18

Thermowell still holding with keg post O ring
Installed the second fermenter yesterday, and didnt even bother trying the teflon tape on the thermowell and just put another keg post O ring on, and it is still holding 24 hrs later. Happy with the way things worked out, not just gotta get some brew in it.
The first fermenter's lid sealed fine, the second one I had to do a little sanding to get it to seal.

Barney

 

[msbrewblog]

Curious about this. Received my 1st FF last week. When screwing the top lid on, seems the bottom lip of the lid touches the big portion of the fermenter....before the top of the lid seats the gasket? Felt that way at least. Can I trust that it's making a seal?

I tested this. Assembled for first time, put some water in to test the lower...all good there, screwed the top lid & gasket on snug, and blew into the airlock hole and with hands around the bottom lip of the lid, I could feel the air coming out.

Any pics of this new gasket around? so I can compare to what I have.

 

[EuBrew]

The new ones are silicone and 3mm thick, looks like, well clear/opaque silicone that's dried. The old ones are much thinner and look like white foam rubber kinda like what pool noodles are made of but maybe 1mm thick. There is a pic of the new one somewhere either in this thread or one of the other FastFerment threads.

 

[Newsman]

Man, I was one of those who got their FF on the HBT $99 special. I didn't get no stinking gasket with mine. Hmm.... maybe I ought contact them and see if they'll ship me out one.

 

[cantrell00]

Man, I was one of those who got their FF on the HBT $99 special. I didn't get no stinking gasket with mine. Hmm.... maybe I ought contact them and see if they'll ship me out one.

Others have said $15.00 + freight..

 

[Flyboypr77]

Hello. I just purchased a fast ferment and also have an issue with air leak from the top. The kid bottomed out and air still gets out, it did come with the older thin gasket. I check the website and they don't sell the newer gaskets anymore, only thru retail store now. They sent me 2 newer gaskets once I expalined the situation. Good customer service.

 

[barneyfife]

Would this work in lieu of the thin gaskets? Should be simple enough to trace out and cut.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/kitch..._source=RatingsAndReviews&utm_content=Default

 

[cantrell00]

I guess the painters tape around the edge of the cap was not nearly elegant enough for most, huh?

LOL

 

[Homercidal]

I guess the painters tape around the edge of the cap was not nearly elegant enough for most, huh?

LOL

Camo Duct Tape

 

[cantrell00]

Camo Duct Tape

That would damn sure seal it...

 

[msbrewblog]

I'm frustrated with this thing but wanting to make it work. So I have the "new" seal on my new FF, but it leaks air from under the top lid when screwed down....just not making good contact with the gasket when tight (even though I sanded it smooth)...leaks all around.

This evening I brew a 10 gal batch and split it 5 to FF and 5 to carboy. The FF lid gasket is noticeably very loose when I position it inside the lid but I proceed not thinking about it. I pour the wort into the FF, lay the lid on top while I prep to pitch yeast. When I lift the lid again the gasket falls into the wort in the FF. SMDH

 

[jbb3]

I'm frustrated with this thing but wanting to make it work. So I have the "new" seal on my new FF, but it leaks air from under the top lid when screwed down....just not making good contact with the gasket when tight (even though I sanded it smooth)...leaks all around.

This evening I brew a 10 gal batch and split it 5 to FF and 5 to carboy. The FF lid gasket is noticeably very loose when I position it inside the lid but I proceed not thinking about it. I pour the wort into the FF, lay the lid on top while I prep to pitch yeast. When I lift the lid again the gasket falls into the wort in the FF. SMDH

That's not good...

I'm wondering if you put the new thicker gasket in the top first then put the old thinner gasket on top of it, if the old gasket will help hold the two in the top together??

 

[ku5e]

I still think you guys are over thinking this. I use it without the gasket. It is not needed. Stop relying on bubbles to confirm fermentation and start using your hydrometers. Have you ever made grape bottle wine. You add 1 cup of granulated sugar, the loosely replace the cap. 2 weeks later, whino wine. All you have to do is avoid things from getting in. The gasket does not matter, because of how much thread something would have to speak by. If you put the ff in a cleanish place and do not move it much, thee is almost no way to get a contamination.

 

[gotbags-10]

I certainly agree with you ku5e on the fermenting aspect. I've had leaky ale pale lids with no ill affect. However I do want a good seal when I cold crash song I don't get O2 suck back into the fermenter. You wouldn't think it would be that hard for them to get this thing to seal.

 

[RM-MN]

I certainly agree with you ku5e on the fermenting aspect. I've had leaky ale pale lids with no ill affect. However I do want a good seal when I cold crash song I don't get O2 suck back into the fermenter. You wouldn't think it would be that hard for them to get this thing to seal.

If you don't get air sucked back into your fermenter when you cold crash your fermenter will collapse.

 

[jbb3]

I prefer to have a top that seals. As it should. Period.

 

[cantrell00]

I prefer to have a top that seals. As it should. Period.

Camouflaged duct tape... Or painters tape. Or electrical tape..

 

[Homercidal]

I think the top of the fermentor needs to be lapped on a flat surface with some sandpaper. Sanding it with your hands can leave it much more uneven.

 

[jbb3]

I think the top of the fermentor needs to be lapped on a flat surface with some sandpaper. Sanding it with your hands can leave it much more uneven.

Yep. That seems to work for some. I did that as well by taping sandpaper to my table saw top which is pretty close to dead flat. And it made it better but the FF top was so "out of flat" that I didn't want to take off so much material that it would have screwed up the beginning of the threads and made it more difficult to get the top started.

For the record, I solved my air leak issue by tracing the stock gasket on a foam sheet and cutting it out. I now double up the DIY foam sheet gasket and the stock gasket on top and that does the trick.

What irks me, is when folks come on and defend a flaw in the product. Myself along with many others on here push FF to make changes and improvements in the product. Then others come on and make light of it. If you don't think FF folks pay any attention to these posts, just scan throw the pages of this thread.

A product flaw is a product flaw. If it doesn't bother you, great! Go make some "grape bottle wine" or something and let those who want and expect a product to perform as it should push for the needed improvements.

Cheers!

 

[adamranders]

What irks me, is when folks come on and defend a flaw in the product. Myself along with many others on here push FF to make changes and improvements in the product. Then others come on and make light of it. If you don't think FF folks pay any attention to these posts, just scan throw the pages of this thread.

A product flaw is a product flaw. If it doesn't bother you, great! Go make some "grape bottle wine" or something and let those who want and expect a product to perform as it should push for the needed improvements.

Agreed, no one here is sh1ting on FF, we're giving feedback that will allow them to improve the product. If you don't have any problems with your FF, good congrats, but don't attack those that do or see areas that can be improved upon.

 

[ku5e]

I am not shilling for FF at all. I am just posting my opinion. What irks me is people relying on bubbles instead of science. And this issue would not exist if they relied on the tools of our trade.

 

[Wawster]

Agreed...the science is the ultimate scale......but having a system that works as expected is not out of line. I received the new gasket, and it works great for me. I did have to put sandpaper on a block and plane the top... I also had to clean all the flashing off of the threads...what is considered "normal stuff" for a $99 conical(for the DIY crowd)....but as FF has received feedback, they are making improvements. They are listening, from what I have seen. That being said, this feedback is valuable to them. We're the guys who are using and promoting their product and the word of mouth advertising can make or kill a product. So by putting our experiences here....good and bad...it helps them be successful.
So don't stop fellas.... the science/hydrometer readings are the ultimate measure, but the FF should seal and bubble (and lord knows we like the bubbling....).

I just bottled my last batch of wheat ale from the FF. I bottled it this time from a bottling bucket. Even though I emptied the ball a couple of times, the last bit of liquid into the bottling bucket was full of sediment. Instead of siphoning, I drew the beer through the valve into the bucket. A certain amount of sediment seems to cling to the walls of the conical even after sittting for quite a while, and gets released into the beer when you drain the conical. Didn't hurt anything...it was minor, but bugged me a little that I seemed to have more haziness in the drawn beer from the conical than I usually had when I siphoned from a carboy. I drained fairly slowly into the bucket also. The last quart or so was creamy tan-white with yeast/sediment I ended up stopping and dumping the last bit of beer. About a quart, maybe.
Last time I had bottled directly from the FF using fizz drops in the bottles (cream ale)...that seemed to work very well, but also had more sediment than usual in the bottles. The beer draining from the FF just seemed to have more in it to settle than when I secondary from a carboy and use a bottling bucket.

Any ideas? am I missing something fundamental here or is this just something that is expected and something to live with? The conditioned beer is fine...clear and good...once it sits in the bottles for a few weeks...but in both batches now there is more sediment than I have had in the past from alternative methods. I have emptied the ball both after primary and after "secondary". Both times, the ball only had a white layer of yeast in it about a 1/2 inch thick the second time I emptied.

Ideas?

 

[jbb3]

...
Any ideas? am I missing something fundamental here or is this just something that is expected and something to live with? The conditioned beer is fine...clear and good...once it sits in the bottles for a few weeks...but in both batches now there is more sediment than I have had in the past from alternative methods. I have emptied the ball both after primary and after "secondary". Both times, the ball only had a white layer of yeast in it about a 1/2 inch thick the second time I emptied.
Ideas?

Your experience was/is similar to mine. I didn't bottle directly from the FF for some of the very reasons you describe. Plus I used a priming solution and didn't want to attempt to mix it in the FF and stir up even more of the sediment. Are you are adding a transfer of beer and risking some O2 exposure by using a bottling bucket? Yes, but in my opinion it is a fairly minor exposure and still better than racking with an auto-siphon if you take it slow.

But it really boils down to personal preference. If you don't mind a little extra sediment, bottling direct from the FF is the way to go. It may take a little longer, but it will drop clear.

Now that I'm kegging, I start off by doing a quick opening and closing of the valve to dump the first 1/2 to 1 quart of beer off the bottom of the conical. Then I place the tubing in the keg and drain until it's full.

I'm thinking of trying an experiment on the next batch: The day before I plan to drain the FF into a keg, I may try moving/jostling the FF around a bit to see if it will knock loose some additional sediment off the sides and give it a day to settle out before draining into the keg. We'll see??

Cheers!

 

[msbrewblog]

I am not shilling for FF at all. I am just posting my opinion. What irks me is people relying on bubbles instead of science. And this issue would not exist if they relied on the tools of our trade.

Bubbles are the first indicator I like to use...then the hydrometer towards the end. I like that visual of what's going on in there, especially since I cannot see what's going on through the sides of the FF.

I proceeded with my first FF fermenting session knowing the top leaked but I'm not comfortable with it. Then having the gasket fall into the wort as I went to screw on the lid, that's another thing.

 

[msbrewblog]

I think the top of the fermentor needs to be lapped on a flat surface with some sandpaper. Sanding it with your hands can leave it much more uneven.

I'm planning to go a step further and grind away about an 1/8+" of the bottom lip of the lid. So the top of the lid will seat better on the gasket that I'll figure out how to keep from falling in the wort {Put gasket on FF first...then screw lid...maybe}

 

[Fast_Rack]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for the feedback! Just for the record.. We do 100% pay attention to this thread any many other ones. I know I have replied to this thread in the past. Really appreciated the feedback, criticism, suggestions, and encouragement from everyone. It is the only way we can make improvements and make better products.

We appreciate everyones efforts on getting their lids to seal properly. I know some of the units required a bit of standing on the top to ensure a good seal. Thank you for taking it upon yourself do make that adjustment. Going forward we have made two huge improvements that are already implemented.

1. The new 3mm thick rubber gasket that many of you know about.
2. The tops of all the units are ran through a plaining fixture in manufacturing. Basically a big automatic stander. This flattens all the tops properly now so all units being made now and in the future will seal really well.

If you are having issues please contact us directly at: [email protected]

We have a good track record for getting everyones issues fixed but we can only do that if you contact us directly. Threads, Forums, Social Media, are all great places we keep an eye on but can only response occasionally on them. If you not happy with something please tell us directly and not the forums that we only reply to sometimes.

We have other cool tips here that might be helpful.

https://fastferment.myshopify.com/pages/fastferment-faqs

Let us know if we can do anything and happy brewing!

Please keep the feedback, criticism, suggestions, and encouragement coming.

Best Regards - Cheers,

Casey
Red Dragon
FastFerment
[email protected]

 

[Homercidal]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for the feedback! Just for the record.. We do 100% pay attention to this thread any many other ones. I know I have replied to this thread in the past. Really appreciated the feedback, criticism, suggestions, and encouragement from everyone. It is the only way we can make improvements and make better products.

We appreciate everyones efforts on getting their lids to seal properly. I know some of the units required a bit of standing on the top to ensure a good seal. Thank you for taking it upon yourself do make that adjustment. Going forward we have made two huge improvements that are already implemented.

1. The new 3mm thick rubber gasket that many of you know about.
2. The tops of all the units are ran through a plaining fixture in manufacturing. Basically a big automatic stander. This flattens all the tops properly now so all units being made now and in the future will seal really well.

If you are having issues please contact us directly at: [email protected]

We have a good track record for getting everyones issues fixed but we can only do that if you contact us directly. Threads, Forums, Social Media, are all great places we keep an eye on but can only response occasionally on them. If you not happy with something please tell us directly and not the forums that we only reply to sometimes.

We have other cool tips here that might be helpful.

https://fastferment.myshopify.com/pages/fastferment-faqs

Let us know if we can do anything and happy brewing!

Please keep the feedback, criticism, suggestions, and encouragement coming.

Best Regards - Cheers,

Casey
Red Dragon
FastFerment
[email protected]

Thanks for the post updating the progress.

After working for 20 some years in plastics molding in various departments I would like to point out (although you are likely already aware) that a flat top on the conical is only half the battle. The lid must be molded so that it cannot warp. This is usually not a big deal unless they forget to turn the cooling water on or the process is tweaked to run really fast.

Also, in machining the top it's important to make sure the top is cut so that it's perpendicular to the threads so the lid can mate perfectly. A FLAT top may not be true to the lid otherwise.

Keep up the good work! Nice to see a vendor who stays in touch with the community and responds to comments and concerns.

 

[jbb3]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for the feedback! Just for the record.. We do 100% pay attention to this thread any many other ones. I know I have replied to this thread in the past. Really appreciated the feedback, criticism, suggestions, and encouragement from everyone. It is the only way we can make improvements and make better products.

1. The new 3mm thick rubber gasket that many of you know about.
2. The tops of all the units are ran through a plaining fixture in manufacturing. Basically a big automatic stander. This flattens all the tops properly now so all units being made now and in the future will seal really well.

If you are having issues please contact us directly at: [email protected]

We have a good track record for getting everyones issues fixed but we can only do that if you contact us directly. Threads, Forums, Social Media, are all great places we keep an eye on but can only response occasionally on them. If you not happy with something please tell us directly and not the forums that we only reply to sometimes.

We have other cool tips here that might be helpful.

https://fastferment.myshopify.com/pages/fastferment-faqs

Let us know if we can do anything and happy brewing!

Please keep the feedback, criticism, suggestions, and encouragement coming.

Best Regards - Cheers,

Casey
Red Dragon
FastFerment
[email protected]

Casey,
Thanks for the update!

I've seen a few posts lately from folks reporting their tops are bottoming out on the fermenter body before it's sealed. It didn't make sense to me until seeing your post about the planing fixture. Now I see why. Problem solving has a ripple effect doesn't it...

You guys have made good strides with improvements. Good to see you are continuing those efforts!

Cheers!

 

[Wawster]

I'm thinking of trying an experiment on the next batch: The day before I plan to drain the FF into a keg, I may try moving/jostling the FF around a bit to see if it will knock loose some additional sediment off the sides and give it a day to settle out before draining into the keg. We'll see??

Cheers!

jbb3 - Great idea! Let me know how it goes! It sounds like it oughta reduce the amount of sediment in the beer when bottled. I'm on a trip out of country for the next 2 weeks, so I have some red Irish in secondary in my carboy, but the FF is empty until I get back...so I'll be looking to see how your experiment went...you're gonna get that that point in the process before I will with my next batch, I am sure!



And Casey...thanks for the feedback! I'll make sure to pass on ideas/suggestions directly to Fast_Rack!