Does the 6 gallon fermonster hold closer to 6.5 gallons of liquid?
Morebeer FerMonster
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Timberline
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Noobrewer question: Seems to me that aside from size fitment in a fermchamber, there's no reason to get the 6 gal when the 7 gal is near enough the same price. But will my chances of oxidation go up for 5 gal batch in a 7 gal fermenter vs the 6 gal due to more surface area?
Thorsbrew
Well-Known Member
I don't get it. They seemed to have made just about everything about the fermonster better than the BMB but then they reduce the size of the mouth opening from 5 1/2" to 4" which is its MAIN feature and no longer allowing the average person to stick their arm all the way to the bottom for cleaning. Heck it's in the very name for the BMB.
Is there a good reason they might have done this? Seems a stupid move to me.
PS: Which kind of makes me want to stick to BMBs except they went and did a stupid move of their own and changed the lid design to one that doesnt seal properly. I currently have a BMB with the older lid design that seals just fine. I lay the whole thing on its side and roll it back and forth with my foot to aerate the wort so it seals just fine even under 5 gallons of wort weight.
Blows my mind why companies change things for the worse. "hey guys we've got a working design here but lets swap over to this other lid design that doesn't seal but it'll speed up production" "5 more cents per unit? sounds great, do it!".
lol
Is there a good reason they might have done this? Seems a stupid move to me.
PS: Which kind of makes me want to stick to BMBs except they went and did a stupid move of their own and changed the lid design to one that doesnt seal properly. I currently have a BMB with the older lid design that seals just fine. I lay the whole thing on its side and roll it back and forth with my foot to aerate the wort so it seals just fine even under 5 gallons of wort weight.
Blows my mind why companies change things for the worse. "hey guys we've got a working design here but lets swap over to this other lid design that doesn't seal but it'll speed up production" "5 more cents per unit? sounds great, do it!".
lol
If I had to guess, it's to allow the average human the ability to grasp the lid and twist it off/on. As it is, it's large enough that some folks have difficulty opening it again after it's been closed for a bit. The larger the lid, the tougher that is.
Fermenting in an oversized FerMonster is akin to fermenting in a bucket in that you would not want to use either for long-term aging. Yes the surface area is increased. I don't have any qualms however using my 7 gallon for a vigorous 5 gallon primary ferment.
In this post I showed a pic of six gallons in a seven gallon fermenter. In this post @treacheroustexan showed 6.6 in a seven. I don't have a six to test with but my experience with the seven tells me it might be close to 6.5 gallons right to the top. I'm not sure you'd want to risk that with a primary ferment however.
Thanks, I was worried about the size of the 7 just being so big compared to my 6 gallon better bottles, but figured I would give it a try. I often only do 5 gallons of total liquid, so this way I shouldn't have to worry about blow off at all in the 7!
Your earlier post here is ultimately what swayed me...better to have more room than less
ChelisHubby
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I am finding the large fermonster to be quite useful. I just changed to making ten gallon batches and I didnt get my volumes right, each of my fermenters have 6.5 gallons. Thankfully it is a tame fermentation but I now have a extra gallon of beer. 
I've got 2 of these and love them. Finally moved on from the buckets. I hated not being able to see my beer.
Plus, I ditch the auto siphon and just put a hose from the spigot to the keg, with a carb cap and co2 line into the stopper to replace the volume.
I'm really interested in the idea someone mentioned a couple pages back for hooking up an empty keg to cold crash without oxidation. I'm not sure exactly how that can work, but I'll have to think about it.
Plus, I ditch the auto siphon and just put a hose from the spigot to the keg, with a carb cap and co2 line into the stopper to replace the volume.
I'm really interested in the idea someone mentioned a couple pages back for hooking up an empty keg to cold crash without oxidation. I'm not sure exactly how that can work, but I'll have to think about it.
Thorsbrew
Well-Known Member
I like the simpler solution i remember seeing somewhere awhile ago where you just fill a bag with co2 and attach it to the carboy and let it suck that in during crashing.
I think I've seen people use balloons. I agree that sounds like a better option.
For anybody interested in using Fermonsters for pressurized fermentation/closed transfers, brewhardware is now carrying and drilling solid lids with their great weldless fittings.
See my post here for my plans to use my fermonster like a poor man's corny.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=8038953&postcount=135
See my post here for my plans to use my fermonster like a poor man's corny.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=8038953&postcount=135
btbnl
Well-Known Member
I do that with my Speidels and it's very easy to attach a CO2-filled party balloon to a spigot on the lid with a rubber band, but the fermonster I haven't cracked yet. Are people drilling the solid top? And what hardware are you then attaching? I didn't see anything on the brewhardware website.
Do you have a link for the lid?. I couldn't find it on their website
Am I right to assume Bobby plans on offering "plug n play" option for us Fermonster owners? I don't mind having the order the parts individually and assembling, but that would be nice if he is doing that in house.
I didn't get the impression that he was going to offer this as a plug-and-play option, however considering I just had this email thread with him I'm sure you could order the same thing and he would know exactly what you were looking for. That said I would wait until I make sure this works as intended before ordering it.
Murphys_Law
Well-Known Member
Anyone had any success in drilling a fermonster to add a spigot? I know they sell one already drilled but I am thinking of adding a spigot to my non-drilled version.
Yup, drilling with a hole saw works fine for spigots.
I may offer a kit soon for pressure transfers but I'm concerned about the liability in the case of pressurization without some kind of low pressure relief valve. It looks like the bottom will bow out a little after 3psi but I'm too chicken to see what the actual failure pressure it.
I may offer a kit soon for pressure transfers but I'm concerned about the liability in the case of pressurization without some kind of low pressure relief valve. It looks like the bottom will bow out a little after 3psi but I'm too chicken to see what the actual failure pressure it.
I'll let you know
.FWIW I don't plan on going over 3psi for either of the applications I plan on using this for (fermenting under pressure with spund valve and pressurized closed transfers).
I don't worry about planned usage and normal circumstances. I'm thinking about krausen clogging the PRV or regulator drift, user error and Murphy's Law.
Murphys_Law
Well-Known Member
So you're saying it will work perfect until I go on vacation with 2 batches fermenting under pressure in my bathroom?
Bathroom? No sir, it will work fine till it's in your living room.
What do I have to do with it?
Nothing. He was talking about me.
DublinOhioBrewer
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I love my Fermonsters aside from the fact i can't find a mini fridge big enough to ferment in
jiMithing83
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I built a fermentation chamber from a small chest freezer (1.8 ft3 iirc). Put on a big enough collar to fit the 6 and 7 gallon fermonster, works great. Got the freezer new from home depot on sale for $80.
DublinOhioBrewer
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I already have a keezer (minus the collar... as i have ZERO woodworking skill ans no confidence). Im trying to find a fridge as i dont want ANOTHER chest freezer...
jiMithing83
Well-Known Member
that's fair. My ferm chamber sits next to my 4 tap keezer in the garage, takes up about the same footprint as the fridge would.
Btw, if all you're worried about is a collar for the ferm chamber, it's not a lot of skill required. 3 straight cuts and one drilled hole for the temperature controller, 4 angle brackets to hold it together, and some caulk.
Keezer is a bit harder, especially if you want it to look nice, but I haven't done woodworking outside of middle school shop class 20 years ago and mine turned out great.
DublinOhioBrewer
Well-Known Member
I just need to grow a set and get after it lol
