My $25 15 gallon fermenter.

[Tonedef131]

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.

So what did you find out? That 15 gal looks perfect for me.

 

[mnadamn]

So what did you find out? That 15 gal looks perfect for me.

Here is a build of one.....
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/15-gal-conical-i-put-together-77550/index6.html

 

[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.

Tonedef131 Here is what I posted.

 

[miatawnt2b]

EdWort, How do you clean your drum?
-J

 

[JoePerri]

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).

Yep. That is called "flavor scalping". Polyethylene is the worst of the common food grade plastics. Even if you get a brand new container it will "scalp" flavors from one batch to the next and should not be used.

Reference: Effects of flavour absorption on foods and their packaging materials.

Joe

 

[TBLbrewer]

Yep. That is called "flavor scalping". Polyethylene is the worst of the common food grade plastics. Even if you get a brand new container it will "scalp" flavors from one batch to the next and should not be used.

Reference: Effects of flavour absorption on foods and their packaging materials.

Joe

Well That's a real buzz kill.

 

[thePudwhack]

Yep. That is called "flavor scalping". Polyethylene is the worst of the common food grade plastics. Even if you get a brand new container it will "scalp" flavors from one batch to the next and should not be used.

Reference: Effects of flavour absorption on foods and their packaging materials.

Joe

I found this link for a last ditch effort to salvage the used soda containers.
Food Grade Plastic Containers For Brining - The Virtual Weber Bullet

Does anyone have any alternatives? What type of plastics should we be looking for?

I've seen this 14.25 gallon glass Demi John on a couple websites. Although it's not as cheap a solution, it's roughly the same price as two 6.5 gallon glass carboys.
Glass Demi John Carboy for Home Brew

I would love to move up to ten gallon batches for my favorite HB, but I would like to use a single fermenter. I still like what BayTec is offering if its only going to be used for one style of brew.

EdWort, have you noticed any residual flavors contaminating your different brews when using that white, 15 gallon fermenter? Are you happy with the results you're getting?

-ThePudwhack

 

[truckmann]

I am happy with the first batch that has come out of my 15 gallon barrel. I made up a batch of Centennial Blonde and everyone that has tasted it has had good things to say. I got my barrel from my LHBS store for free and it has worked so well I went back and got another one. I have an Irish red in one now that is ready to be put in the kegs whenever I get around to it.

 

[FSR402]

Amy Winehouse disagrees. I think you could stick her in there head first.

I don't think I could put enough startsan in there to clean that out. :cross:

 

[brianalbig]

15.5 gal stainless keg works great too. The stopper fits right in the valve opening.

 

[thePudwhack]

I am happy with the first batch that has come out of my 15 gallon barrel. I made up a batch of Centennial Blonde and everyone that has tasted it has had good things to say. I got my barrel from my LHBS store for free and it has worked so well I went back and got another one. I have an Irish red in one now that is ready to be put in the kegs whenever I get around to it.

Thanks Truckmann, good to know.

Unfortunately, I don't have the money for a keg fermentor, yet.

 

[MacDee]

Where do you get your 15 gallon food grade plastic bags?

 

[EdWort]

EdWort, How do you clean your drum?
-J

Sorry for the late reply. I do multi day soak with PBW with a hot rinse followed by star san sanitizer.

 

[blowmax10]

dude - i get these things for free at work

I've stolen two of them already - maybe i should start selling them??

 

[truckmann]

I have 2 also and my LHBS will give me as many as I want. I think they are just throwing them away.

 

[blowmax10]

I have 2 also and my LHBS will give me as many as I want. I think they are just throwing them away.

Same here - i think they through them away

 

[Panzermann]

I got the idea from HomebrewHQ in Richardson, TX. Get a 1/2" AutoSiphon to empty that puppy out. I'll be racking beer in a week from today.

Scored mine from them as well $5

 

[TXCrash]

Picked up one yesterday for $10. Just happened to be in the store when they were switching out drums of DME.

I already read the whole thread once - don't remember ever getting a reply on the food grade bag source...

 

[miatawnt2b]

I actually went without the bags and got a cheap sump pump on ebay to clean the barrels. Sit the pump in a large plastic rubbermaid. on the outlet of the pump I put a 90 elbow with 1" piece of PVC, so that the barrel would just slide over the PVC and drain back into the rubbermaid fill with oxyclean, water and start the pump. 15 min later you have a sparkling clean barrel.

After thinking about the bags, I elected to go this route because I thought the bags would make my beer cloudier. Here's why. The bag is going to have folds where the yeast will settle all the way up the sides. When you rack from a bag, the yeast in the folds is going to fall away and cloud the beer. I of course have no proof this is the case, but I believe the theory to be correct.

-J

 

[Battery_BreweryNJ]

Picked up one yesterday for $10. Just happened to be in the store when they were switching out drums of DME.

I already read the whole thread once - don't remember ever getting a reply on the food grade bag source...

I got mine at a restaurant supply store. Restaurants use them to line containers that hold cut veggies and sauces. I worked in a pizza place and they lined a plastic trash can(clean of course)with them and filled it with pizza sauce.

 

[RedOctober]

I actually went without the bags and got a cheap sump pump on ebay to clean the barrels. Sit the pump in a large plastic rubbermaid. on the outlet of the pump I put a 90 elbow with 1" piece of PVC, so that the barrel would just slide over the PVC and drain back into the rubbermaid fill with oxyclean, water and start the pump. 15 min later you have a sparkling clean barrel.

After thinking about the bags, I elected to go this route because I thought the bags would make my beer cloudier. Here's why. The bag is going to have folds where the yeast will settle all the way up the sides. When you rack from a bag, the yeast in the folds is going to fall away and cloud the beer. I of course have no proof this is the case, but I believe the theory to be correct.

-J

Any chance of getting a picture of this? The sump setup I mean.

 

[miatawnt2b]

I think I can do that... I'm brewing friday.
-J

 

[RedOctober]

HUE RAAW

 

[RedOctober]

I think I can do that... I'm brewing friday.
-J

Don't forget to post em.

 

[Andysam]

I know that this is an old post, but I need one of these. Know where I can get one? My chest freezer is 16" diameter and 30" tall. I am going to be doing 10 gallon brews.

 

[MyNameIsPaul]

Holy Zombie Thread!

Sorryfor the revival- but I have one of these and plan on brewing my first 10 gallon batch this weekend in it. Scored it for $5!

I'm excited for big batches now, but I have no clue how I am going to brew it, I only have one 7.5 gal kettle. Hmmm...