My $25 15 gallon fermenter.

[Brett0424]

Yeah those are what LME comes in. As far as the bottling spigot goes, you don't really need the nut on the back because it actually threads into the smaller hole on top.

 

[dzamba]

I Use a food grade plastic bag in mine, to make for easy cleanup

How does that work? Can you get the plastic through the little hole in the top...

 

[Battery_BreweryNJ]

I drilled a hole in the bigger of the two caps, and fead the bag into the container then through the cap, and pulled it out(it only comes out about 6inches, with 10 gallons of beer filling it up) then i spread open the top of the bag and secure a bung with an airlock in it. I measured the bung and used that to determine the size of the hole i drilled in the cap.

 

[juse]

I've been thinking about this and I don't think it would work......you've got to get that plastic nut on from the inside with those bottling bucket spigots and it doesn't seem like theres a way to get your arm down in there...

Maybe a better-bottle rack adapter & a length of tubing to hold it in place while it's installed would work:

 

[missing link]

What item number is this from US Plastics? I like the idea with the bag in it - no cleaning.

 

[farmbrewernw]

I picked one up at a garage sale for 25cents a while back thinking I could use it as a fermenter, I guess I'll have to give it a go with my 10 gal batches now that I see other people using them.

 

[polarbearbrewing]

without using the bag, how would you guys suggest cleaning one of these bad boys out?

 

[Philip1993]

US Plastics also sells them brand new for $28 each.

Good plan. In the PW business, we get them with all different chems in em... If you get these used, treat them like a used 55 gallon drum and KNOW what was in them before you put "food" in them.

Another source of drums/pails:

http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_8154.asp?desc=Plastic+Drums
http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_8150.asp?desc=Plastic+Pails

 

[Battery_BreweryNJ]

I did 10gallons of a Belgian blonde in mine, i kegged 5 and racked the other 5 into a 2ndary and let age another 2 weeks. Just kegged the 2nd 5gal on monday and tapped it tonight...Wow the taste was so smooth compared to the 1st 5gal.

The bag helped with doing a yeast harvest too!

 

[DonkeyShoes]

Good plan. In the PW business, we get them with all different chems in em... If you get these used, treat them like a used 55 gallon drum and KNOW what was in them before you put "food" in them.

Another source of drums/pails:

http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_8154.asp?desc=Plastic+Drums
http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_8150.asp?desc=Plastic+Pails

u-line is awesome. they ship almost instantly.

 

[truckmann]

Just doing a little search I found this link http://www.bayteccontainers.com/15gal.html where for a fee they will add a spigot to one of these.

Nevermind I think those spigots are meant to go in one of the existing bungs. So the barrel would have to lay on it's side to use it.

 

[billtzk]

I have a white one with 10 gallons of Saison in it. It is managable with 10 gallon plus plenty of headroom so no blow off is needed. A #5 rubber stopper fits the small opening.

I thought you had a stainless conical, Ed.

 

[Philip1993]

u-line is awesome. they ship almost instantly.

They are local to me (Atlanta)

Check their site, they have a number of locations.

 

[EdWort]

I thought you had a stainless conical, Ed.

I do, but it still is in the box waiting for the brewhaus.

 

[MNBugeater]

Just doing a little search I found this link http://www.bayteccontainers.com/15gal.html where for a fee they will add a spigot to one of these.

Nevermind I think those spigots are meant to go in one of the existing bungs. So the barrel would have to lay on it's side to use it.

I think according to the picture in that listing, they show a faucet toward the bottom. So it could stand upright. This really is a very economical way to ferment 10 gallon batches.

 

[Philip1993]

All these I've ever used are pretty thick. With a proper drill, a few orings, etc you can put any kind of outlet/faucet you like on them.

 

[truckmann]

Thanks for posting this thread... I went to the LHBS today and picked one these up for free!

 

[TBLbrewer]

What are you doing for secondary fermentation? Or are you?

 

[wildwest450]

What are you doing for secondary fermentation? Or are you?

Unless im dryhopping, I don't use a secondary. So it's three weeks in the fermenter and straight to the keg.

 

[Jaybird]

OK guys I bought 2 of those monsters and for the life of me I cannot get the soda smell out WTF any suggestions???
JJ

 

[wildwest450]

OK guys I bought 2 of those monsters and for the life of me I cannot get the soda smell out WTF any suggestions???
JJ

I couldn't either, I just fermented in it and that took the smell out.

 

[truckmann]

Mine were used to transport LME to the LHBS so they smelled like wort...

 

[wildwest450]

I couldn't either, I just fermented in it and that took the smell out.

DONT use your fermenter if you can't get the smell out!! I just trashed 11 gallons of beer! The hydro samples were very tatsy, but the final results were bad. Beer tasted like the fermenter smelled, not good. I blamed my friend (he tapped his half first) for not cleaning his lines properly. I just sampled my half, and it tasted identical. I will never use that fermenter again.

 

[brrman]

damn - that sucks, Wildwest...

 

[Jaybird]

looks like we have a $45 lesson. Damn thanks for the post. I am going to take the lids off and see if they will air out. I have had them soaking in oxyclean for weeks and nothing, Thay still smell like soda.
again thanks for the post and sorry to hear about your brew gone bad.
Jay

 

[SuperiorBrew]

Maybe a better-bottle rack adapter & a length of tubing to hold it in place while it's installed would work:

Thats what I use in the two I built and they work great.

 

[wildwest450]

looks like we have a $45 lesson. Damn thanks for the post. I am going to take the lids off and see if they will air out. I have had them soaking in oxyclean for weeks and nothing, Thay still smell like soda.
again thanks for the post and sorry to hear about your brew gone bad.
Jay

The thing is I almost had the smell out, I thought it would be fine. Now today after discovering the taste I re-opened the cleaned out fermenter and the original smell was back, as strong as ever! It must have leeched into the plastic and been drawn out by the fermenting beer (if that makes sense).

 

[Jaybird]

The thing is I almost had the smell out, I thought it would be fine. Now today after discovering the taste I re-opened the cleaned out fermenter and the original smell was back, as strong as ever! It must have leeched into the plastic and been drawn out by the fermenting beer (if that makes sense).

Damn!!! ok well thanks I am not willing to risk a batch of brew on them... looks like they will become a water catch basin or a prechiller or something.
Cheers
JJ

 

[TBLbrewer]

That looks awesome! I have been looking for something like that since I do 10 gallon batches pretty much exclusively anymore.

If your in Fort Wayne, look in your back yard. Inductor Tanks Stands - Park Plastic Products Liquid Storage Transportation Solutions I'm going to go check them out on Tuesday (09/02/2008) and see if they are suitable, and affordable. I'll let you know.

 

[TBLbrewer]

Ok, I was at Park Plastic's this morning at 7:30. Their stuff is food grade, but I don't think there conicals (inductor tanks) are suitable. It is not air tight on top. Open fermemtation any one... And the fittings on the bottom are female pipe thread. Seems to me that would be to likely to catch bacteria and other nasty stuff. If you are interested, they are $122.64 each.