Has anyone ever fermented in a food grade barrel like this?

[Elysium]

This is a 50 gallon food grade bucket. I am just wondering if it is a good idea to put a valve on it and ferment in it? Has anyone fermented in something similar?

I wanna siphon the final beer into a bottling machine anyway....so, I guess I wont even need a tap on it.

Cheers

 

[BrewerBrad82]

I have indeed used a very similar fermentor, it works great. Build yourself a nice wheel cart to set it on so you can move it around when full. I have not found a spigot to be necessary especially if you are siphoning out of it.

 

[Elysium]

I have indeed used a very similar fermentor, it works great. Build yourself a nice wheel cart to set it on so you can move it around when full. I have not found a spigot to be necessary especially if you are siphoning out of it.

Thanks for he info.

 

[flars]

I would use HDPE-2 plastic for fermenting, if it was just marked with a 2, I might have doubts. It is hard to find unbiased information on plastics.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Almost all, if not all, of the blue barrels are HDPE and at one point contained FDA/USDA something. The primary issue to be mildly) concerned about is what was the prior content. The two I have purchased in the past both (30 gallons) were former drug transport...in a double sack inner liner.

 

[troy2000]

I have a 55 gal steel, epoxy-lined drum with a lid, that was used to ship frozen carrot juice. But I'm saving it to make a tandoor oven...

 

[Elysium]

Almost all, if not all, of the blue barrels are HDPE and at one point contained FDA/USDA something. The primary issue to be mildly) concerned about is what was the prior content. The two I have purchased in the past both (30 gallons) were former drug transport...in a double sack inner liner.

They come straight from the manufacturer. Here in Spain they are used mainly for food transport. I think olives primarily.

 

[riderkb]

I worked at a startup micro that used plastic olive barrels as fermenters. We found that plastic "tank bulkhead" fittings were the right fitting if you want to put in a drain.

If there is any chance of blow off - be prepared. The self heating effect makes them go 0 to 60 before you are ready.

 

[The10mmKid]

I purchased the 8-gal size and hope to be filling it within a couple months.
It's Polyethylene so some oxygen will get in but I hope to keep 6psi of CO2 in it at all times through Brett fermentation.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#4277t52/=vu7l61

All my connections will be in the lid. I will transfer with CO2 and dip tubes.

'da Kid

 

[Elysium]

I worked at a startup micro that used plastic olive barrels as fermenters. We found that plastic "tank bulkhead" fittings were the right fitting if you want to put in a drain.

If there is any chance of blow off - be prepared. The self heating effect makes them go 0 to 60 before you are ready.

Hey.

Do explain this...this is interesting. The part where you say "be prepared. The self heating effect makes them go 0 to 60 before you are ready."

I am slightly confused what that self heating effect is? Are you referring to the heat the fermenation produces?

I might not fit taps on them though. I think I'll just use a pump to siphon.

Was the beer pretty good that you guys fermented? Nothing unusual?

 

[riderkb]

Hey.

Do explain this...this is interesting. The part where you say "be prepared. The self heating effect makes them go 0 to 60 before you are ready."

I am slightly confused what that self heating effect is? Are you referring to the heat the fermenation produces?

I might not fit taps on them though. I think I'll just use a pump to siphon.

Was the beer pretty good that you guys fermented? Nothing unusual?

The volume of blow off is big, so you need to have a bucket ready to catch it, that's all.

The self heating effect is from the yeast. They generate a little heat and big containers heat up more than little ones. Higher temps mean more active fermentations, which generates more heat. It is feedback loop that can go out of control.

The brewery made satisfactory beer considering the crude equipment. Plastic fermenters wear out and are hard to keep sanitary. That is no way to run a business. It will work just fine for an occasional jumbo batch of homebrew, though.

 

[Elysium]

The volume of blow off is big, so you need to have a bucket ready to catch it, that's all.

The self heating effect is from the yeast. They generate a little heat and big containers heat up more than little ones. Higher temps mean more active fermentations, which generates more heat. It is feedback loop that can go out of control.

The brewery made satisfactory beer considering the crude equipment. Plastic fermenters wear out and are hard to keep sanitary. That is no way to run a business. It will work just fine for an occasional jumbo batch of homebrew, though.

Thanks for the info. Considering the price of them and the fact that every beginning is difficult.....I think I'll go with plastic for the time being.

The temp will be controlled....using a cooling chamber and an AC system.

I'll try to leave about 25% headspace to keep the krausen controlled.

Cheers

 

[The10mmKid]

The 'runaway' fermentation poster has a valid point.

With +30gals of liquid heating up, just A/C air may not be enough to keep it under control. Especially with the plastic barrel acting as a slight insulator.

Might want to consider some type of water jacket/immersion cooling.

'da Kid

 

[riderkb]

The 'runaway' fermentation poster has a valid point.

With +30gals of liquid heating up, just A/C air may not be enough to keep it under control. Especially with the plastic barrel acting as a slight insulator.

Might want to consider some type of water jacket/immersion cooling.

'da Kid

Very true. If you do a proper size yeast pitch an set the A/C for the mid 60s the fermenter will probably heat up to the mid 70s.

If it was up to me I would skip the bottom drains and modify the lids to include an immersion chiller coil, a gas-in fitting, and a dip tube. The gas-in fitting could be for both blow off and to force in CO2 to start a siphon. You might even rig up an adjustable depth dip tube so that you could harvest yeast without racking the beer to a secondary.

Maybe the gas-in fitting could have a CIP ball adapter on it. This is starting to sound pretty good now.

 

[Elysium]

Very true. If you do a proper size yeast pitch an set the A/C for the mid 60s the fermenter will probably heat up to the mid 70s.

If it was up to me I would skip the bottom drains and modify the lids to include an immersion chiller coil, a gas-in fitting, and a dip tube. The gas-in fitting could be for both blow off and to force in CO2 to start a siphon. You might even rig up an adjustable depth dip tube so that you could harvest yeast without racking the beer to a secondary.

Maybe the gas-in fitting could have a CIP ball adapter on it. This is starting to sound pretty good now.

Hey. Thanks for the info. Sounds good. Although I doubt these barrels can handle pressure.

 

[riderkb]

Hey. Thanks for the info. Sounds good. Although I doubt these barrels can handle pressure.

The ones we used had a silicone gasket that would seal up reasonably well. It would certainly tolerate the 1 psi sort of pressure to get a siphon going. You could probably get away with 5 psi if you wanted to.

 

[The10mmKid]

From the way the gasketed lid snaps on and then those snaps are banded down, I believe it can take a huge amount of abuse . . . . . . and some pressure.

I contacted US Plastics (where I bought my 8-gal drum) and of course they stated to refer to the UN rating.

Trying to decipher UN, it seems this "Y" type container is good for at least 30PSI.

My goal is 10PSI using the relief valve as the safety.

My drum will be used as a Solera where secondary Brett fermenting will occur. I don't foresee any wild krausen events. :cross:

'da Kid

 

[azscoob]

This is interesting, I'm looking into a few wee test fermenters around a bbl each, and these look perfect for test batches!