Larger Fermenters... 10 gallons+

[Anthony_Lopez]

My buddies and I are going to start doing 10 gallon batches in the next week or so, and I'm trying to find an alternative to using 2 carboys or a conical. A conical is going to be too expensive, and we are going to be using all 4 carboys for other beers.

What I'm trying to find is some sort of larger plastic container (types 1 and 2 plastics from what I understand are food safe) for these big batches. Anyone have a source that's fairly cost effective? I know some of you guys on here are using something like this, I just can't seem to find the threads using the search function...

Thanks for any info...

 

[Fingers]

Unless you ferment where you brew you'll find a ten gallon fermenter a little unweildy to move around. I use two pails/carboys for my ten gallon batches because I brew outside, ferment in the basement and serve upstairs. Will you have to move it at all?

 

[the_bird]

I'm thinking that you might be more likely to run into issues with heat from fermentation building up when you're fermenting that large a volume.

 

[EvilTOJ]

I know I've seen someone around here (edwort maybe?) who had 10 gallon plastic fermenters like what bulk LME comes in. What about using sanke kegs for fermenting? They'd be quite sturdy and you can dolly em without worrying about them bursting.

 

[rabidgerbil]

Isn't it sabco that sells sankey kegs converted into fermenters? All you really have to do is rig up a blow off system, and that could be as easy as pulling out the spear and inserting some tubing instead. You sure would not need to worry about putting a tshirt over it to block out the light

On a different note, to the OP, have you looked at some of the plastic conical solutions that have been discussed on here? This one in particular? The conical that he refers to is fairly inexpensive, pretty light weight and easy to store when not in use, and, from the research that I have done on here, I believe that it is one of a few on the market that are best for home brewers, with the threading for the lid molded into the body.

 

[FSR402]

I have two converted kegs that I use but I only use then for secondarys because when full I can't haul them into the house, down the stairs and onto the bench in the fermenting room. Also I have no way to keep something that large from getting to hot this time of the year.
Once I get a lagering fridge and a pump I'll start using them for the main ferment but until then I'll stick with the 2-4 BB's.

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

thanks for that link to the home made conical... That may be a good deal, however we'd have to store it in the garage. We were planning on building a rolling cart for whichever 10+ gallon fermenter we decide on to make it more mobile. I found a few on ebay that seem decent and are 15 gallon type 2 plastic.

 

[Bobby_M]

What about temp control though?

There are various Food Safe barrels available through USplastics and the like that would work. Coming up on winter in MA, you might want to look into waterbath with aquarium heaters.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/va...ory_name=25&product_id=14608&variant_id=74065

 

[Glibbidy]

You mean something like this?

I use a 17.5 gallon food grade plastic vessel that I picked up from Crosby & Baker for doing open fermentation for my lagers.
It's the big ass white bucket next to the keggle. There is a better picture of it floating around somewhere on HBT.

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

I like the idea of the US Plastics container... We are already setup for aquarium heating... We have a Gigantic drink cooler on casters that drains from the bottom with a spigot...

 

[Dpostman]

That big ass white bucket you're talking about is what I've been using for 18 years. I have 7 or 8 of them at home. I just kegged 2 double batches last weekend. My fermentors have lids and o-rings and a metal lid clamp. I put a tap about 2 inches off the bottom, and and airlock on the lid. I ferment and rack into another V.S.O.P. (Very Special Old Pail). And let sit for a few weeks. The toughest part is lifting the double batch back up on the table, but I can still manage it.

When I was younger, and cost per case was a bigger factor than quality, we use to stretch 2 kits and make 14 doz beer with 2 kits, our cost per case of 12 was down to $2.25 each.

dp

 

[Baron ken]

These are what I use (I have 2):

They are approximately 15 gal and used to hold chinese rice cooking wine. They cleaned up nice using Oxyclean. They have threaded lids with a sealing plate that makes it airtight.
I don't use the sealing plate when fermenting though. The lid without the sealing plate keeps things from getting in, but it is not airtight and co2 can escape. No airlock that way and it works great. I've fermented a 12 gal batch in it and the krausen doesn't get anywhere close to the top of the fermenter.
Someone in my brewclub located them and I don't know where to get more.

 

[Gordie]

I'm currently moving to sanke kegs for 10+ gal batches. With a bit of advice from Wortmonger I'm going to move the wort with CO2 rather than my lumbar. The kegs are on the way and should be operational either this weekend or next week. The only downside is getting the fittings and couplers is an additional expense, but I'm happy to do it to never have to siphon anything again...

Gordie.

 

[WortMonger]

Hells ya, +1 more on the Sanke fermenters. I just don't like the idea of plastic. My dream is one day to have glass lined tanks buah ha ha, in my evil castle brewery on the top of a precariously peaked mountain top. I love glass, but carboys suck IMHO and I don't do plastic. Shame though, because plastic is so cheap and readily available. Until my dreams come true I am very happy with a Sanke. I also like how I can hold pressures in my fermenter , that's a big plus in my case.

 

[miatawnt2b]

I bought those ebay ones before someone said they had a problem with flavors in the beer from the soda. I started to do some research and found that people have had good luck cleaning out the funk with a 5 day bath in baking soda water followed by a 5 day bath in bleach water. That's what I'll try. There was also someone on that $25 fermenter thread that used food grade plastic bags in his to aid in cleanup. That's another route I am looking into, but haven't a clue where to find food grade bags that big.
-J

 

[mysteryberto]

I plan on moving to a 15.5 gallon sanke keg for fermenting when I move to ten gallon batches. I currently use a 10 gallon cornie for fermenting and it's very easy to clean.

This may sound weird but why couldn't you use the same 15 gallon keg to boil in and also to ferment in?

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

I plan on moving to a 15.5 gallon sanke keg for fermenting when I move to ten gallon batches. I currently use a 10 gallon cornie for fermenting and it's very easy to clean.

This may sound weird but why couldn't you use the same 15 gallon keg to boil in and also to ferment in?

How would you do that?

 

[WortMonger]

If you mean a open top type of kettle/fermenter I quess you could, but like noclue asks, why?

 

[mysteryberto]

I don't mean to leave the top open. But to put a piece of plastic on top that is fastened down to make a seal. The advantage would be you wouldn't have to transfer the beer from kettle to fermenter and it'd be one less thing to clean.

I've seen better setups but this is what I'm talking about.

 

[p4ck37p1mp]

This is what I'm moving to as I'm tired of lugging all the carboys around.

Inductor Cone Bottom Bulk Storage Tanks - US Plastic Corporation

Theres a thread with a guy using the 15 gallon version complete with racking cane.

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

I don't mean to leave the top open. But to put a piece of plastic on top that is fastened down to make a seal. The advantage would be you wouldn't have to transfer the beer from kettle to fermenter and it'd be one less thing to clean.

I've seen better setups but this is what I'm talking about.

where'd you find this picture? Thats actually a great idea...

 

[mysteryberto]

Try searching sanke fermenter. Or Sanke fermenter lid on google. I'm not sure if it's kosher to link to other forums on this forum so I'll post another pic I found.

 

[issack]

This is what I'm moving to as I'm tired of lugging all the carboys around.

Inductor Cone Bottom Bulk Storage Tanks - US Plastic Corporation

Theres a thread with a guy using the 15 gallon version complete with racking cane.

yep.. i built mine for under 200 bucks..

 

[Ecnerwal]

I don't think you'll find anything that's as cost effective as a pair of 6.5 gallon buckets, unless you have a connection to some sort of bulk food receiving enterprise that repackages large amounts into small amounts and tosses the containers for the large amounts.

I have a couple of 210L (55 gallon, more or less) food-grade plastic international shipping barrels that my parents can sometimes get, but I use them for compost - I'm not sure that you'd ever get the last (smell) traces of Greek Golden Pickled Peppers out of them, and they would be beastly to move even half-full.

Try asking a horsy person where they are getting barrels for their barrel races - many of those may be food-grade plastic and some will be wide-mouth.

But I think the simple, easier to handle solution is a pair of 6.5 gallon pails, or more carboys (except you're already willing to go to plastic, and pails are both cheaper than carboys and easier to pick up).

 

[jay4e]

if you could find a way to seal the lid well you can get a 20 gallon brute at hd for $20. the gray barrels are food grade. I would think with some rubber and reinforcing the lid you could strap it down and seal it pretty well with out spending much. Ive also seen 10 gallon ones around but they are harder to find.

 

[jacobdaughtry]

Where do you get that gasket from for your sankey fermenter lid? I want to do this, but I am missing that part of the puzzle. What type & grade of material is it?
Thanks,
JD

 

[Vebra]

I bought 2 of these today to try out. Pretty decent price for 2 imo.

2 - 15 gallon plastic drums barrels closed top - eBay (item 320304012253 end time Sep-26-08 11:40:30 PDT)

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

Clear Acrylic Plastic Display Domes.

For those of you looking to do an open top sanke fermenter, those domes are a good starting point. I think that a food safe rubber gasket would be easy to source...

That picture lit a fire...

 

[Boy]

To revive on old thread. The washers we use at work use these drums for chemicals, http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23849&clickid=redirectand with the price I'm thinking they could be great primaries. Not to reuse but to buy new ones. I'm thinking of picking up a freezer big enough to hold 2 or 3 of these and turn it into a fermentation cooler. What would be the max batch size I could put in them? How hard would it be to harvest the yeast? I've seen the other thread for the 15 Gal plastic conicals but I think these would be better for space restrictions and the price is better. Spinning my wheels with this idea or does it have some merit?