Fermentor Pail or Barrel type fermenter

[fursey]

At present, I only have 1 fermenter which is of the barrel type and am thinking of purchasing another fermenter. However I'm not sure which type to go for.

I guess it really come down to personal preference but thought I would canvass the general opinion of this group.

Thanks

 

[jfr1111]

Personal preference, I only use buckets now.

Plastic buckets: light, cheap, easy to clean ; can stain, scratch easily. Must replace almost every other year.

Glass carboy: easier to keep sanitary, doesn't scratch, can see fermentation, last longer ; can maim/kill you if you drop it.

Better bottle: light, not cheap, not as easy to clean as bucket.

Plastic carboy: some advantages of the bucket, won't cut you wide open like a glass carboy would. Will still scratch/stain/stink.

Stainless conical: not light, very expensive, takes a lot of space ; looks very cool, can get rid of trub, might be hard to regulate temperature.

 

[EvilDeadAsh]

The 1st post on this sticky outlines pros and cons of fermentation vessel options, which basically mirrors what jfr said:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/vs-pro-con-analysis-109318/

 

[ocluke]

The 1st post on this sticky outlines pros and cons of fermentation vessel options, which basically mirrors what jfr said:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/vs-pro-con-analysis-109318/

Missing from the sticky, and worth considering are Spiedel plastic tanks.

Also, depending on what size batches you brew, used and decommissioned Sanke kegs can often be picked up cheap and work very well with a Sanke Fermenter Kit from BrewersHardware.