Jones'ing for a stainless fermenter - maybe Delta

[Hunky]

A friend just got one of these. I don't know if Vevor will ship your way, but it appears to be built by the folks that built my SS Brewbucket. I don't know about parts support , but its a hell of deal for $168. https://www.vevor.com/beer-brewing-...slprRASznrsW0yGi_IFYakOMHkrBGqMhoCI6sQAvD_BwE

I have a friend here that has a couple Vevors. They ship free from Amazon to here.. for around $168. The Anvil bucket ships for around $220 plus (186 plus 24 shipping plus sales tax) - sometimes if watched, one can find perhaps a bit cheaper deals. I wasn't sure about the quality of the Vevor.. thinking it was a knockoff. But if built by SS, then perhaps it is in the running. 3/4" bottom drain.. have to probably spray hose it and get the trub in suspension before draining it thru that.. or else tip it to the sink or driveway. One caveat:
Q:
I want to be able to do closed transfer to a keg. is there a connector available? Will the unit support 2 PSI?
Answer This Question
A:
It can be transferred to a small bucket through a valve, but it is not pressure-resistant.
By vevor on Aug 03, 2024

 

[Hunky]

I like the minibucket and can do much of what I can in the unitank with the TC port on it. I think perhaps the price has gotten a bit high on the Brew Bucket Pro but the classic is priced $100 less and can often be found used.

Flex + I liked that it has additional TC ports vs what I saw with the regular Flex.

I did like the original choice of the Fermtank. I bank yeast by overbuilding my starters instead of collecting it post fermentation but I do dump trub and dry hops. A small diameter racking arm might clog harvesting yeast. You can apply a small amount of CO2 to avoid oxidation. You might blast it out with a tank so something like a Cold Crash Guardian might work a little calmer.

I do have a good floating dip tube setup but haven't used it yet.. and I have the Cold Crash Guardian. I usually just pour my dry yeast into the wort, but your method could get me doing starters. I'm usually a bit afraid of shippng liquid yeast up here.. you should see what happens to chocolate bars if shipped in the summer, or back when wine clubs would ship here (they used UPS which worked but switched to FedEx which doesn't - they won't ship here anymore). Pic shows corks forced out by freezing I guess.

.

 

[sibelman]

why I like the Spike Flex +

Just seconding everything @Whisky River said.

Especially after reading how heavy some conicals are, I'm happy I chose the Flex+. A bucket with most features of a conical. Price ain't cheap (esp. with the almost essential gas manifold bundle), but corresponds to its function/features.

 

[PCABrewing]

... I suppose a 1.5" drain would suit that since during cleaning I could use my spray hose to break up the trub before opening the valve. For that matter, a 3/4" on some of the buckets would work for that. But.. I could still dump in my sink with a bucket or whatever if careful. The sink drain uses a submerged pump to get the water/gunk up to the house drain level.

As for yeast collection.. I've done that a few times. Not a big deal for me, but I haven't really grown much as a brewer. Hoping to do more. Mostly I've done a couple IPA's, lots of stouts and porters, and brown ales. The US-05 and 04 have been go-to's.. not much experimenting yet. I've just moved from 3 kettle to BIAB, and have only gone through 4 brews on that so far.

Cooling: presently it is 42 degrees outside now and I brew in a basement that is usually that temp. So for fermentation I've only had to heat. I have a terrarium heating pad setup with temp control. Cooling so far has only been for cold crashing.. I take the serving kegs out of my chest freezer kegerator, put in the fermenter, and drop the temp in the freezer. Kind of a big lift for an old guy, so was thinking of rigging up a cooling line from that freezer to maybe coils inside the fermenter.. though for cold crashing I've heard various success/nonsuccess stories.

/jd

You'll be fine with a 1.5" bottom port.
I have that with a 3/4" ball valve. The ball valve is the choke point, a 1.5" butterfly would solve that.
I routinely dump trub at roughly two days and then as fermentation subsides I am able to harvest yeast, even with a 5/8" hose nipple on the valve.
It comes out like a 5/8" bead of cream colored toothpaste.
My bad it's been a while since I built that. The hose nipple is 3/4" NPT to hose nipple that measures a 11/16" ID.
The only time I had difficulty was when I waited too long to dump the trub, it was a slow start.

 

[PCABrewing]

Picture of dump port

View attachment 883730
1.5" Tri to 3/4" Ball Valve to 3/4" nipple (11/16" ID)

 

[PCABrewing]

With the top and accessories removed, a stainless bucket fermenter isn't heavy. I wonder about the weight of conicals, especially the jacketed ones.

For me the weight of the conical isn't an issue, I haven't weighed it but I don't think it is much heavier than a empty corny keg and I think it's lighter than a glass carboy, maybe I should weigh it. Mine is a 7 gal. SS Brewtech, with no jacket, basically what I would call their "intro" version.
The challenge of moving it is more due to the physical structure of it with stuff sticking out all over, and I do fault them on their handles that are basically just metal bails with no padding. That combined with the weight of 6.5 gal. of beer makes it a challenge to carry up or down stairs. But it still is safer than a glass carboy aside from the potential injury from a fall.
I brew in the garage and ferment in the basement.

 

[shoengine]

I set up my process so I never have to lift a fermentation vessel. Too many times did I have to lift the brew bucket out of a chest freezer while trying not to blow my back out. Fermentors on casters for me, thanks. Stairs are right out!

 

[jdubdvdt]

A five gallon cornelius keg weighs about 9 lbs and a slim quarter keg weighs about 22 lbs according to Kegworks.

A 1/2 barrel weighs 30 lbs empty. A keggle would weigh a little less but typically the rim is left and it is just the very top cut out.

I weighed my 1/4 slim. No ball lock adapter or any accessories. 18.7lbs. so twice the weight as a corny. Still very manageable while empty compared to other options. Just sucks to lift when full

 

[Hunky]

I asked SS Brewtech for a shipping estimate on their gear. Since I assume free shipping for the contiguous states is subsidized by an increase in price.. I also asked if I could get a small rebate on the prices. This has worked for me once or twice.. but not this time. His shippng is
Chronical: $281.96
Brew Bucket: $166.16

I've priced a few outfits for the Spike Flex+ and with shipping that ranges around $600.. a few dollars less. Of course for $100 more, I could get a Delta Fermtank Pro shipped. Not worried about the 1.5" dump port. But the Spike may be all I need. Still pondering.

I talked with the friend who has the Vevor tank.. he said it will hold enough pressure for racking.. 1 to 2 psi, but he uses gravity with a CO2 line up top to keep out the oxygen. It works for him. I asked him to talk me out of a conical and he said the opposite.