Fermenter Ideas

[Thorsbrew]

Hey all,
Looking for ideas for small batch (looking around about 2ish gallon batches) and i was looking for fermenter ideas.

Firstly you have 3 gallon glass carboys or the better bottles. I'm not interested in these as I don't want the small mouth, i need something i can get my arm inside for quick, easy and effective cleaning. Not to mention they're on the pricey side at $25 or so a piece.

Secondly you've of course got buckets. I don't like these because firstly they don't always seem to be 100% airtight (i've heard bugs can get inside). And i want something transparent like a plastic carboy. Oh and i LOATHE the lids.


So i looked around for airtight food containers and found THESE. They are airtight 2.5 gallon BPA free polypropylene containers with silicone removable gaskets. Buy 2 get one free with 25% off plus 6.99 shipping comes to about $30 for 3 of them.

I figure i can just drill a hole and put in a stopper and airlock and be good to go. They don't seem as transparent as a typical carboy but its the best i could find and is far better than a bucket. I also like the idea of the removable washable silicone gaskets.

I also dont want to deal with those horrible bucket lids. I honestly don't know anyone gets those off without a tool. I'm an average strength guy and my first time brewing i just about broke my fingers trying to get one of those lids off (while wearing gloves!). It wouldnt come off until i resorted to a flipping crow bar!

Searched for awhile and havnt found a single mention of other small fermenter ideas besides a youtube video of some aussie guy brewing in his kitchen. If anyone has any other unconventional ideas i'd love to hear them.

Thanks for reading

 

[pigroaster]

Your containers look great for specialty malt storage.

 

[Foosier]

I got a round clear poly carbonate restaurant food storage container and lid for use as a small batch fermentor. They work great. Very easy to open. They are not truly airtight, but that is not really necessary since the fermentation creates an over pressure of CO2. This link is an example.

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/8-qt-clear-round-food-storage-container/407R008PC.html

 

[Thorsbrew]

Ordered 3 of those while they're on sale. Only concern is the hole would have to be drilled next to the handle and thatd weaken the structural integrity. Probably just mean i cant carry by the handle which is no big deal for a couple gallons. Worst case they'd be relegated to specialty grain storage as suggested.

Still love to hear more suggestions!

 

[flhb]

Mr. Beer 2 Gallon Plastic Fermenter. Cheap, made for the purpose, effective.

http://www.mrbeer.com/accessories/replacement-parts/lbk-fermenter

 

[pigroaster]

Some brands sell tubs in plastic for ice cream cone shops and they often give them away free, Food safe with tops that snap on.

 

[Aristotelian]

Sams club has 1 gallon pickle jars for $4. Do you know anyone who likes pickles?

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/vlasic-kosher-dill-pickles-1-gallon-jar/160375.ip

 

[Thorsbrew]

Mr Beer fermenter looks pretty good. Too bad they had to make it brown.

2 Gallons would also limit me a little more than i wanted but if these dont work out i'll use them for grains and try the mr beers. Thanks.

 

[RichBrewer]

So i looked around for airtight food containers and found THESE. They are airtight 2.5 gallon BPA free polypropylene containers with silicone removable gaskets. Buy 2 get one free with 25% off plus 6.99 shipping comes to about $30 for 3 of them.

They look like they would work to me. I would also install a spigot on one of the sides to eliminate the need to siphon.

 

[Thorsbrew]

They look like they would work to me. I would also install a spigot on one of the sides to eliminate the need to siphon.

Might be ok for others but i prefer not having to worry about anything getting into the spigot. With my 1/2" auto siphon i can get everything quickly and can get every last drop without worrying about trub.

 

[MrVix]

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=103395&catid=626


These Life Latch buckets have a convenient screw on lid with gasket. They are Food Grade and come in 2.5, 3.5, 5, and 6.5 gallon sizes. I use the 6.5 gallon version and love it. I just drilled a 1/2 hole in the lid and added a grommet for the airlock.

 

[Sadu]

I have done a couple of brews in half-gallon growlers. I picked up 9 of them for $2 each. They didn't come with lids so I 3D printed some myself and used a blowoff tube initially which I just replaced with S airlocks.

I use these for small batches, 3x growlers = 1 gallon batch or 5x growlers = secondary for 2.5 gallon batch. I put the 3 growlers in a round bucket of water and wrap a heat belt around the bucket for temperature control.

Sure, a 1 or 1.5 gallon vessel would be better but this works and it was real cheap. I'm pretty much on permanent lookout for cool glassware that can be used for fermenting small batches.