My kegmenter and chamber

[John Scheffler]

Hey guys so I built this a few weeks ago. Has its first batch fermenting right now. I am really happy with how it came out. The temp stays spot on. The fridge only pulls 65 watts! So the additional electricity cost is nothing.

I used a 5in tri clamp on top and a 1.5in on the bottom. The 1/2 drain tube goes up into the fermenter about 3in to allow the yeast and trub to settle below the drain. I used a 50L keg so I can ferment 12gal batches.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Staticsouls]

I like it. What was your total cost on build?

 

[John Scheffler]

Thanks,

Let's see

5" tri clamp $62
1.5 tri clamp $10
Thermowell. $15
Sample port $15
Keg (new). $20. Got a hookup
1/2in valve $18
Fridge Craigslist $50

$190 total.

Maybe $220 with mis stuff I had. I had the temp controller for awhile, think I paid $20 for that.

I welded and built everything else so I paid for no labor other than time.

I am really happy with how the first batch fermented.

 

[225]

So you didn’t make the drop out on the bottom low enough to drop the trub out if you wanted to?

I have a TIG welder and was thinking about putting a tri clamp fitting on the bottom of a ss brewtech brew bucket to drop the trub out.

Or does the trub stay below your tube on the bottom?

 

[John Scheffler]

The tube goes up into the keg about 3in. So all the tribe and yeast settle below the top of the tube.

 

[225]

The tube goes up into the keg about 3in. So all the tribe and yeast settle below the top of the tube.

Hmm... Pretty cool idea. I might have to try something like this. Would be better than messing with a new $200 brew bucket. And this would work with a glycol chiller too with the large tri clamp up top.

Thanks for the ideas!

Did you use filler? Pulse weld?

 

[John Scheffler]

Your welcome.

Yeah, standard 308L filler with argon sheilding, plus argon purge on the inside of the whole keg. I cleaned and smoothed the welds in side the keg. I like the rosey look of SS welds so I left them in the outside.

I just emptied into kegs today, got 10gal out perfectly. No trube at all!!! Had about a gal of beer on top of the tribe and yeast cake at the bottom.

I am very happy with how this build came out.

The pic is looking into the fermenter after it was emptied. You can see the top of the tube and the cake under the remaining beer.

 

[John Scheffler]

Pic

 

[225]

That looks good. I like it.

 

[Dustin_J]

This is a pretty creative build - love it!

 

[John Scheffler]

Thanks guys.

Another cool fact the fridge pulls 60watts and if the heater part is on it pulls about 45watts. Lol

 

[225]

Thanks guys.

Another cool fact the fridge pulls 60watts and if the heater part is on it pulls about 45watts. Lol

What kind of heater are you using?

I'm totally gonna build one of these.

 

[bgmac]

Do you have a method to transfer the wort into the Keg while its in the fridge? Lifting into the fridge full would be a PITA.

 

[John Scheffler]

I am just using a standard heating pad.

I pump the wort in from my boil kettle once it is at pitching temps. I have to either put the yeast in the keg before I put it in the fridge, or put it in the wort as I am sending it in. So it has to be at pitching temps.

I also use an inline oxygen stone as I am filling the fermenter.

You could also use a much larger fridge. I was planning on a larger one originally, but found a good deal on this and it works.

Only thing is I wish I could take the top off and more room above it would be nice also.

 

[John Scheffler]

Here is a pick of the tube out of the fermenter after I cleaned it.

 

[225]

Nice, I like that. Seems simple enough. Is it hard to clean?

 

[John Scheffler]

Not at all. After u dump the trub I sit it on an empty bucket and hose it out. Everything flows right out. I can get my whole hand and arm in the 5in opening, I scrub off the caked on stuff and that's it. Let it dry till next time. At that point I do the whole sanitization thing.

 

[John Scheffler]

In fact, I bet I could hook it up or make a spray ball / keg cleaner of this easy. It's super easy to clean tho so may not be a need.

 

[John Scheffler]

If you guys did make one of these and had a larger fridge you could actually use a 15.5 gal keg vs a 50L.

I suppose if a few guys want one and couldn't weld it their selves, we could maybe work out a deal and I could make a few. IDK just a thought.

This thing has been awesome so far and if your thinking about a new SS fermenter, this may be the way to go

 

[225]

Here is a pick of the tube out of the fermenter after I cleaned it. View attachment 668722

What's this called in Google search terms? I'm ordering parts now. lol

Here's what I'm thinking I'll try.

Maybe go "unitank" style fermenter? Add a 2" tri clamp fitting on the bottom with a butterfly valve. Add a port on the side for a carb stone, and sample port.

Maybe If I'm ambitious, add a drop cone. They're $140.

https://www.glaciertanks.com/bb-cone-60.html

That would make it a conical unitank for $300ish? Depending on what I can get a keg for. I live in Asheville with 80 breweries. They have piles of kegs at the scrap yard, so hopefully cheap.

 

[John Scheffler]

You can't order that, I made it custom. You can buy the 1.5in tri clamp blank plate and the valve. I bent the tube and welded it all together.

You have to make it.

 

[apache_brew]

What's this called in Google search terms? I'm ordering parts now. lol

Here's what I'm thinking I'll try.

Maybe go "unitank" style fermenter? Add a 2" tri clamp fitting on the bottom with a butterfly valve. Add a port on the side for a carb stone, and sample port.

Maybe If I'm ambitious, add a drop cone. They're $140.

Fermenter Cone | Weld 9 in. x 1.5 in. Tri Clamp w/ 60 Degree slope - SS304

That would make it a conical unitank for $300ish? Depending on what I can get a keg for. I live in Asheville with 80 breweries. They have piles of kegs at the scrap yard, so hopefully cheap.

FWIW Those preformed stainless cones are $$$. and the fitment isn't guaranteed. Typical 1/2 bbl kegs are 15.5" od. Those cones typically come larger or smaller in OD. I'm going down the path of building 2 keg-unitanks but am choosing to fab the cone from 16 ga SS. Rolling is ideal but good luck finding a slip roller with a small enough diameter roller to fit the tri clamp ferrule and heavy duty enough for the material thickness. I've decided to bump bend the cone is two pieces with a pan brake and weld them together. Don't ask me how it went because I haven't started yet, but that's the plan...

To the OP, great idea and good work. Try and find a stand up freezer to give yourself some more space. If you haven't already, you're gona want to be able to throw dry hops in.

 

[camnavy]

What size fridge is this? I've been wanting to get a Kegmenter for 10 gallon batches from MoreBeer but trying to find a big enough (but not too big) fridge on marketplace has been tough.