Fermenter Options?

[MrBJones]

My fermenter is a 7 gallon carboy and, for all the obvious reasons, I'm considering an upgrade. Here are a few things I'm looking for

• My chest freezer is 26" from floor to top. It would be nice if a fermenter fits - with airlock, blowoff, etc - without a collar. (But not required)
• Ease of sampling while still in the freezer
• Easy to clean
• Has a thermowell, or one can be added
• Port for blowoff tube
• Easy to move, or able to transfer beer while in the freezer. If heavier than a carboy, then not too much so.
• Any other feature that's good to have?
• Anything helpful with kegging. I don't keg now but would like to at some point

I've read about Fermzilla All Rounder, SS Brewbucket, and Spike Flex. Any thoughts on these? Or others?

Thanks!

 

[shoengine]

Anything like a brew bucket will fail miserably if you need to be able to sample. Anytime I had to sample mine I had to lift it out. Obviously, sampling stopped abruptly.

 

[seatazzz]

Fermonsters for the win. Easy to clean, spot for a spigot for sampling, low profile. I keg from mine with just a length of hose that fits into the spigot. They have a nice bump thing on the bottom (yes I know it has a proper name but I can't remember it right now) that keeps the yeast out of the way of the spigot. And did I mention easy to clean? Wide mouth that I can stick my whole arm into, using a nice soft cloth to keep the scratches away. And there's a thread around here how to make it a closed-transfer pressurized whatever (once again I forgot) very easily and cheaply. And they are not too pricey.

*edit Bump on the bottom is called a Punt.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Difficult positioning/lifting 5+ gallons from a chest freezer.

Consider a beverage center?

 

[SMD]

I’ve been giving serious consideration to switching from my glass carboys to a Fermonster, mainly so I can use the ispindel I bought but also ease of pulling a sample.

 

[madscientist451]

Scale your brews back and use a corny keg to ferment in. Cut about 1.5" off the dip tube and get a spunding valve.
Pros:
Cheap
Easy to clean
Easy to move when full
Can do closed transfers
can get carbonation started or all done using spunding valve

Cons:
Can't ferment full 5 gallon batches
No thermowell

 

[seatazzz]

I'll add a Pro to the fermonster; no need for a thermowell, just a nice stick-on fermometer (VERY cheap and reliable). Mine are both 7g, plenty of room for those overly-vigorous fermentations (although I have on occasion needed a blow-off when my volume was a bit higher than anticipated). And I'll pound on this again; VERY easy to clean and keep scratch-free. Glass carboys are scary (for proof just google "glass carboy accidents") and the plastic ones impossible to clean without a carboy brush that will scratch the heck out of them. The only downside I know of is the temperature they can handle; per the manufacturer, no higher than 140°. I've dumped 110° in mine with no issues but wouldn't go higher than that. Then again, I wouldn't go higher in a glass one either for fear of splosions.

 

[Sunfire96]

2nd vote for fermenting in a corny keg

 

[_BullDog_]

I’ve got a couple fermonsters and the all rounder. If you want to pressure ferment the all rounder is great.

the fermonster can be used for closed transfers but the all rounder is better.
Only downside to the all rounder is I can only do 1 batch at a time. I can fit 2 fermonsters in my 7 cf chest freezer.

 

[Beerstein]

A little extra money for the all rounder is well worth it. At some point you will want to do low oxygen transfer. Also their lids are highly customizabl.

 

[Basspaleale]

Instead of corny keg go with an actual 1/2 barrel keg, covers all your check points.

 

[Fleischmeister]

I'm a big fan of the Big Mouth Bubbler. For the same reason as the Fermonsters but they are slightly cheaper with the harness. I wrap them in foil to keep the light out and to allow the heat to dissipate (better than a towel).

 

[bwible]

Fermonsters for the win. Easy to clean, spot for a spigot for sampling, low profile. I keg from mine with just a length of hose that fits into the spigot. They have a nice bump thing on the bottom (yes I know it has a proper name but I can't remember it right now) that keeps the yeast out of the way of the spigot. And did I mention easy to clean? Wide mouth that I can stick my whole arm into, using a nice soft cloth to keep the scratches away. And there's a thread around here how to make it a closed-transfer pressurized whatever (once again I forgot) very easily and cheaply. And they are not too pricey.

*edit Bump on the bottom is called a Punt.

The other thing you can do with a Fermonster thats really cool is to buy a solid lid for it and drill the lid for a #7 stopper. Then aside from not needed the #10 stopper you can use an Anvil carboy cooling system with it. Or other cooling system.

 

[MrBJones]

Difficult positioning/lifting 5+ gallons from a chest freezer.

Consider a beverage center?
View attachment 740371

Nice. But the next piece of refrigeration equipment is going to be a kegerator or another freezer for keezer. Can't justify three more big buys (fermenter, chamber, and keg-server)! In any case, it's a good lift, but I'm managing with glass carboys...the replacement will be lighter.

 

[MrBJones]

Scale your brews back and use a corny keg to ferment in. Cut about 1.5" off the dip tube and get a spunding valve.
Pros:
Cheap
Easy to clean
Easy to move when full
Can do closed transfers
can get carbonation started or all done using spunding valve

Cons:
Can't ferment full 5 gallon batches
No thermowell

I've thought about this a few times in the past, but would like to continue with 5.5 gallon batches...5 gallons packaged. And I'd really like a thermowell.

 

[MrBJones]

Instead of corny keg go with an actual 1/2 barrel keg, covers all your check points.

One of the reasons I'm wanting to change from carboys is their weight. Doesn't a half barrel weigh around 30 pounds empty?

 

[shoengine]

I'm with the old guys now. I'm 39 and I can't every think about going back to a chest freezer for fermentation, and I used a stainless brewbucket and 6g batches. I know that pumping chilled glycol has a startup cost but the physical benefits outweigh the cost.

Chiropractic can get expensive!

 

[MrBJones]

Fermonsters for the win. Easy to clean, spot for a spigot for sampling, low profile. I keg from mine with just a length of hose that fits into the spigot. They have a nice bump thing on the bottom (yes I know it has a proper name but I can't remember it right now) that keeps the yeast out of the way of the spigot. And did I mention easy to clean? Wide mouth that I can stick my whole arm into, using a nice soft cloth to keep the scratches away. And there's a thread around here how to make it a closed-transfer pressurized whatever (once again I forgot) very easily and cheaply. And they are not too pricey.

*edit Bump on the bottom is called a Punt.

How is sampling from the spigot while in a chest freezer?

 

[MrBJones]

I’ve got a couple fermonsters and the all rounder. If you want to pressure ferment the all rounder is great.

the fermonster can be used for closed transfers but the all rounder is better.
Only downside to the all rounder is I can only do 1 batch at a time. I can fit 2 fermonsters in my 7 cf chest freezer.

A little extra money for the all rounder is well worth it. At some point you will want to do low oxygen transfer. Also their lids are highly customizabl.

So sampling is done out the top with pressure? That might be good, seeing as it'll be in the chest freezer. Are there any downsides to that?

Also, what about the whole serving-from-the-fermenter thing...is it practical?

 

[seatazzz]

How is sampling from the spigot while in a chest freezer?

I've got a french door refrigerator for a ferment fridge, so to that I cannot comment; but you can always sample from the top with minimal damage to the beer, using either a length of hose or a wine thief. I would err on the side of caution if you do that and lay a starsan soaked paper towel over the hole in the lid.

 

[Basspaleale]

One of the reasons I'm wanting to change from carboys is their weight. Doesn't a half barrel weigh around 30 pounds empty?

That is true but the good thing is, I never move it except when it's empty.

 

[_BullDog_]

With the floating dip tube with the all rounder it’s easy to connect co2 and a picnic tap to sample.

guess you could serve as well but I transfer to a purged keg to free up the fermentor

 

[hout17]

My vote is for a Fermonster or even a Speidel 30L. Go look on Craigslist and see about getting a fridge for your fermentation chamber.

A lot of times people are selling full size fridges that work great for nothing and sometimes free or find a used mini fridge and add a collar to it for fermentation.

Also one other suggestion it is pricey but a Tilt hydrometer might be a game changer for you. You can watch it and see when gravity flat lines for a few days and then check FG before bottling/kegging since having one I don't have to check gravity multiple times to see when my brew is done. It also tracks temperature so you know your wort temp also. The Tilt is also small enough to fit through the mouth of a carboy.


Ispindle is cheaper but it's a bit bulkier and does the same thing.

 

[beernutz]

I vote Speidel as well. In 30 years of brewing I have gone through countless fermenters until finally settling on the Speidel 60L 5 years ago.

I use a chest freezer fermenter so I built a pulley system over it to lift the 10 gallon batches in the Speidel into it. They're very easy to clean, have numerous additional accessories, and are sturdy but lightweight. Not to mention that they don't break the bank.

If I had an upright freezer I would consider a Spike conical but I think I'd rather have an electric bicycle.

 

[lablover]

I use a Fermonster with this unit for cooling and love it. Includes the thermowell you wanted and I'm sure they would sell you the bung stopper without the cooling coil if you wanted a thermowell and blow off only since you have a freezer. This

 

[Transamguy77]

In any case, it's a good lift, but I'm managing with glass carboys...the replacement will be lighter.

Your lifting glass carboys out of a chest freezer???!!!!!!! Your going to be the next story in the broken carboy horror thread!

I’m sorry I have no comment to make on a fermenter, I use buckets and I recently acquired some converted 1/2 barrel kegs that I will be using once I finish my new ferm chamber but please stop using glass if your lifting it in and out of something.

 

[UdonPete]

I'm a big fan of the Big Mouth Bubbler. For the same reason as the Fermonsters but they are slightly cheaper with the harness. I wrap them in foil to keep the light out and to allow the heat to dissipate (better than a towel).

May I ask how long the seal lasts - and where to buy replacements?

 

[Fleischmeister]

May I ask how long the seal lasts - and where to buy replacements?

That is a great question! I've only owned mine for a few months so I haven't replaced the seals yet. I will say, they smell like beer and no amount of soaking in PBW makes that go away. Doesn't seem to affect the brews though.

 

[UdonPete]

I will keep looking

 

[Newsman]

I've got a BMB as well. I just bought one of the "all-in-one' lids with dual ports in the lid. I'm also using a freezer to ferment in. The downside to the new lid is that it kinda needs hold down clamps. I believe you buy it separately from the lid, but once you put the ring on with the clamps, no need to mess with it. You just flip the "fingers" on over the lid and it really holds it on. Best part is the lid includes the seal. Here's the lid I use (dual port): Big Mouth Bubbler® Universal Lid - Dual Port

And here's the clamping system: Amazon.com: Big Mouth Bubbler Lid Holder - Bigmouth Bubbler Lid Holder - Bubbler Lock - Bubbler Clip: Home & Kitchen

Also I'm using a waterless airlock and a drilled stopper so I can put in a thermoelectric. Alternatively, you can just tape the temp sensor to the outside of the BMB and put a woolen sock or something over so you sense the brew temp, not the ambient temp.
The only thing you're missing with my situation is a sampling system, but if you dint use a thermowell, you can use a solid stopper, and pull it to put in a wine thief to take a sample.
Note that when it's full, it will still weigh quote a bit
Note that when

 

[MrBJones]

Thanks for all the replies!

A couple year ago, before my "hiatus" from homebrewing, SS Brewtech Brew Buckets were quite popular; so were Anvil Bucket Fermenters. Is that no longer the case? If so, how come?

What about stainless steel in general? Without going for huge size, is plastic just generally liked more?

 

[_BullDog_]

Those are still popular but I like the plastic because they are cheaper, you can see through them and they fit in my chest freezer.

I looked at the Spike ones but they were too tall.

 

[Golddiggie]

Thanks for all the replies!

A couple year ago, before my "hiatus" from homebrewing, SS Brewtech Brew Buckets were quite popular; so were Anvil Bucket Fermenters. Is that no longer the case? If so, how come?

What about stainless steel in general? Without going for huge size, is plastic just generally liked more?

I like stainless since I CANNOT see through it. Plus I have far less concerns around longevity when it comes to stainless steel than any plastics available. Over time, plastic will become brittle.

Right now I have a pair of Spike CF10 fermenters. I'm looking at getting one of the Brewers Hardware 15 gallon jacketed conicals (when available later this month) to bring me up to three total. With a glycol chiller you have a lot more flexibility as far as the temperature of what's inside the fermenter is. Having the conical on wheels means I don't need to lift it (at all) once it's filled.

Yes, stainless costs more than plastic. Just like an Audi costs more than a Yugo (for those old enough to remember).

 

[Newsman]

Yep. Every fermenter option has its upsides and downsides. Just curious about your concerns with being able to see through plastic? Are you afraid of your beer being skunked due to daylight hitting it through the fermenter?

 

[csantoni]

What about stainless steel in general? Without going for huge size, is plastic just generally liked more?

As soon I decided to get serious about my equipment I went with stainless. Having used plastic for small batches I could see that it would be something that might need to be replaced periodically, could potentially harbor infection, and just isn't as durable as stainless. I got a Spike Flex+ and am extremely pleased with it. The max batch size I brew is about 5 gal packaged and it has no problem with that. I expect you could go up a bit from there if you needed to.

 

[Golddiggie]

Yep. Every fermenter option has its upsides and downsides. Just curious about your concerns with being able to see through plastic? Are you afraid of your beer being skunked due to daylight hitting it through the fermenter?

No light concerns at all with stainless. Plus, after about the second batch I brewed, I simply didn't feel the burning 'need' to see what going on inside the fermenter. I have much better indicators when fermentation is going full bore and when it's finished.

 

[walker111]

I have 4 fermonsters. I bought the flat lids and fabricated mine with the gas and beer posts for closed transfers to my kegs thanks to help from members here. Easy to clean, light, and reasonable for price. Mine are 7g. Light issue is a N/A for me as my fermenting is done is basement bedroom dark.
I used the glass carboys like many right up to 2 years ago but got wearry of the trip from garage to basement with 50 pounds of beer and 20 pounds of glass and doing this twice at the end of a 5 hour brew day as I brew double batches.
May look at a SS fermenter in the future but like what I am using current.

PS Can someone tell me where to buy a tilt ( I may buy 2) where they do not break the bank......... Although I don't seem to skimp on brewing gear as it saves $$$$ over buying commercial beer, for me at least. I am in Canada though.......... the home of the fermonsters!!!!!!

Thanks all

 

[Newsman]

Tilt? Is that the Hydrometer or a fermenter? Can't find much on that name on the internet

 

[shoengine]

Tilt? Is that the Hydrometer or a fermenter? Can't find much on that name on the internet

Tilt is a wireless hydrometer.

 

[Newsman]

Gotcha. I saw that in the Google search