G'Day from Savannah, GA

[syd_sav]

G'Day. I'm an Aussie from Sydney, now living in Savannah, GA. My wife got me a basic kit many years ago (plastic bucket primary, glass carboy secondary), nice 30 qt kettle etc. Brewed a few extract beers back then and stopped for a while. Getting back into it now, and looking to up my equipment game, starting with the fermenter. I went searching (Google!) and found this forum, which has a lot of really good information.

I'm looking for info to help decide on Spike CF10 vs SS Brewtech BME 14 gallon.

Cheers!

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

Welcome to the forum and the obsession, from Nebraska! I use a speidel fermentor and absolutely love it, but isn't really in the same league as the ones you're asking about. Best of luck, cheers!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I'm looking for info to help decide on Spike CF10 vs SS Brewtech BME 14 gallon.

Cheers!

Welcome to HBT.

About the question on deciding on a Spike vs Brewtech... This is subjective. Similar to "Hey, help me find a woman to date!" or "Recommend a PC for me to buy!" (replace "PC" with phone, TV, etc).

What do you want to brew? Batch size vs bottling size?

Also, realize, as we enjoy our hobby we brew more and quickly outgrow the equipment we began using.

I'd recommend, especially in hot Georgia, fermenation temp control. Forget about the other things until you can control the fermentation temps. Otherwise, your ales, forget about lagers, are hit or miss. Depending on the ambient temps, might make a great ale and next time a mind-bending headache brew.

 

[Yesfan]

G'Day. I'm an Aussie from Sydney, now living in Savannah, GA. My wife got me a basic kit many years ago (plastic bucket primary, glass carboy secondary), nice 30 qt kettle etc. Brewed a few extract beers back then and stopped for a while. Getting back into it now, and looking to up my equipment game, starting with the fermenter. I went searching (Google!) and found this forum, which has a lot of really good information.

I'm looking for info to help decide on Spike CF10 vs SS Brewtech BME 14 gallon.

Cheers!

No brainer between those two conicals...The CF10. I own a CF10 and was looking long and hard between Spike and SS Brewtech. base costs, the CF10 is cheaper but the BME includes the chiller. After adding my accessories (extension legs, bracing shelf, racking arm, and casters), my CF10 was about $145 more than the base BME but it made it worthy to me because:

1) The CF has welded triclover ports. There are no weldless fittings like with the side chiller and sample valve.
2) The chiller is included which is an advantage with the BME, but I didn't like how it's mounted from the side with weldless fittings. The chiller for mine is going to be an additional cost as I don't have it, but it mounts in the 4" top with triclamps vs the side.
3) Better sample valve with the CF vs BME
4) CF 4" opening for the top vs the 3" for the BME.
5) CF can be used for pressurized fermentations.
6) Larger dump valve on the CF (2") vs the BME (1").

About the only thing about the CF that I don't like is the racking arm is optional. IMO, that should be included. I really liked SS Brewtech's 14g unitanks, but they are much more expensive as you're buying everything included at once. I'll have as much in my CF10 eventually, but I like how I can spend on the bare bones for the time being. That, and I just didn't like the way the chillers are mounted from the side with the BME conicals. That's what pushed me to Spike in the end.

 

[Cyclman]

Welcome back to the hobby, and the group, from Colorado

when I lived in Atlanta, Savannah was a routine vacay spot.

 

[Yesfan]

Love Savannah, particularly Tybee Island. Service Brewing Co is a stop I was wanting to check out last time I was down there, but wasn't able. They are a veteran owned brewery. I've had their pale ale and thought it was very good.

 

[syd_sav]

Welcome to HBT.

About the question on deciding on a Spike vs Brewtech... This is subjective. Similar to "Hey, help me find a woman to date!" or "Recommend a PC for me to buy!" (replace "PC" with phone, TV, etc).

What do you want to brew? Batch size vs bottling size?

Also, realize, as we enjoy our hobby we brew more and quickly outgrow the equipment we began using.

I'd recommend, especially in hot Georgia, fermenation temp control. Forget about the other things until you can control the fermentation temps. Otherwise, your ales, forget about lagers, are hit or miss. Depending on the ambient temps, might make a great ale and next time a mind-bending headache brew.

Yeah, thanks for the feedback. I have come to realize that the fermentation temp is key. I keep the fermenter inside the laundry, so temps are pretty stable at about 70-74 degrees, but maybe a little hot for ales. I just tried an extract kit Pliny and it was a bit of a disaster, after several successful beers prior to that. Everything seemed OK up to bottling, and then it all came undone. So temp and QC are my new goals. To your specific questions, Looking at 5-10 gallons, currently bottling, but it seems legging is the way to go. That of course leads to kegerator etc, so I’m taking baby steps at the moment. Also happy at the moment brewing ales, but that may change with changing capability.

 

[syd_sav]

No brainer between those two conicals...The CF10. I own a CF10 and was looking long and hard between Spike and SS Brewtech. base costs, the CF10 is cheaper but the BME includes the chiller. After adding my accessories (extension legs, bracing shelf, racking arm, and casters), my CF10 was about $145 more than the base BME but it made it worthy to me because:

1) The CF has welded triclover ports. There are no weldless fittings like with the side chiller and sample valve.
2) The chiller is included which is an advantage with the BME, but I didn't like how it's mounted from the side with weldless fittings. The chiller for mine is going to be an additional cost as I don't have it, but it mounts in the 4" top with triclamps vs the side.
3) Better sample valve with the CF vs BME
4) CF 4" opening for the top vs the 3" for the BME.
5) CF can be used for pressurized fermentations.
6) Larger dump valve on the CF (2") vs the BME (1").

About the only thing about the CF that I don't like is the racking arm is optional. IMO, that should be included. I really liked SS Brewtech's 14g unitanks, but they are much more expensive as you're buying everything included at once. I'll have as much in my CF10 eventually, but I like how I can spend on the bare bones for the time being. That, and I just didn't like the way the chillers are mounted from the side with the BME conicals. That's what pushed me to Spike in the end.

Thanks for the reply. I think I’m coming to the same conclusion as you. Seems like more of an a la carte with Spike and I can get the optionals when I feel the need (and get approval!).

What about half batches with the CF10?

Cheers

 

[syd_sav]

Welcome back to the hobby, and the group, from Colorado

when I lived in Atlanta, Savannah was a routine vacay spot.

Thanks for the welcome. Love CO. You have a plethora of breweries to inspire. Cheers.

 

[syd_sav]

Love Savannah, particularly Tybee Island. Service Brewing Co is a stop I was wanting to check out last time I was down there, but wasn't able. They are a veteran owned brewery. I've had their pale ale and thought it was very good.

We are slowly building a brewery repertoire here. A relatively new place called Two Tides is making some very nice brews. My favorite place to get a beer ATM. Service and Southbound also make good brews and are quite close to each other and downtown and worth a visit.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Yeah, thanks for the feedback. I have come to realize that the fermentation temp is key. I keep the fermenter inside the laundry, so temps are pretty stable at about 70-74 degrees, but maybe a little hot for ales. I just tried an extract kit Pliny and it was a bit of a disaster, after several successful beers prior to that. Everything seemed OK up to bottling, and then it all came undone. So temp and QC are my new goals. To your specific questions, Looking at 5-10 gallons, currently bottling, but it seems legging is the way to go. That of course leads to kegerator etc, so I’m taking baby steps at the moment. Also happy at the moment brewing ales, but that may change with changing capability.

It's really just about too hot for everything unless using the newly available Kveik yeast.

Remember, active fermentation raises the temp of the wort. This increase in temp may exceed the yeast's temp zone, stress the yeast or worse.

What happened to make the Pliny a disaster?

 

[dchmela]

If you are in the south in the summer, the Kviek yeasts are the only thing to use without temp control. My ferm chamber died a couple of months ago and that is all I have been using. Hazy and more fruity than i am use to, but they work great. I chill my wort to 75 and pitch the Kviek with a big starter and it will be done in 3-4 days.

I love Savannah! What a great town. Once all of this Covid is over, I can't wait to get back up there!

 

[syd_sav]

It's really just about too hot for everything unless using the newly available Kveik yeast.

Remember, active fermentation raises the temp of the wort. This increase in temp may exceed the yeast's temp zone, stress the yeast or worse.

What happened to make the Pliny a disaster?

Thanks for asking, not sure to be honest. OG and FG seemed fine, indicating about 8% abv, but after conditioning for 2 and then 4 weeks, had a sweet flavor. Upon reading some HBT posts, I added a small amount of dry yeast (Saale-05) to each bottle, but no bueno. Could have been transfer from primary to secondary or secondary to bottling bucket. Seems like no yeast made it, or perhaps as you say, it was too hot. I’m going to try again, but will wait until after getting the new fermenter, to try and minimize transfers. Was a little disappointing, as I was looking forward to that beer!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Due to temps yeast might have gotten killed off or not done their job.

If sweet, FG was probably higher than expected meaning not all fermentable sugars were actually fermented.

I doubt transferring had anything to do with the outcome. Check the fermenation temps!

 

[JPDosey]

Hello & Welcome! Im just up the street a few hours in Myrtle Beach. Love Savanah, especially at St Patrick's day...legendary celebrations.
Cheers!

 

[jcav]

Welcome to the community from Florida!

John

 

[Yesfan]

Thanks for the reply. I think I’m coming to the same conclusion as you. Seems like more of an a la carte with Spike and I can get the optionals when I feel the need (and get approval!).

What about half batches with the CF10?

Cheers

I've not done any half batches in mine. I have a Spike Flex for the 5 gallon batches. I feel weird about doing a half batch in the CF10, like I'm wasting space when I could have fermenting wort there. That's just me though.

 

[syd_sav]

G’day back to those responding. So I pulled the trigger and the CF10 arrives next week. Really fast to be honest. I thought it was going to be longer, so I tried the Pliny clone one more time in the plastic fermenter. This time I used Kveik (thanks for all the recommends). Pitched at 75F and I estimated about 77F fermentation temp using a stick on crystal thermometer (so I’m guessing internal temp was higher). OG was 1.073 and active fermentation had finished 5 days later. Checked gravity and it was 1.016. This time I’m planning on staying in the primary fermenter and not racking to secondary. I was thinking I’d let it sit for another week and then dry hop the following week and bottle after that. Any thoughts or suggestions on this?
Cheers.