Last year a buddy and I split the cost of building an all electric BIAbasket system. Worked very well but I ended up contaminating my old plastic fermenters when I tried to do 6 batches in a rush at the end of my brewing season. I need at least two and still have my cheap anvil stainless fermenter. For various reasons I can’t do a fermentation chamber setup, I usually control temp by keeping water in my old brew kettle at a specific temp and this has worked fine up to this point. I am feeling like it might be time to upgrade but cost/benefit is hard to gauge. My setup is really only used for 5 gallon batches, it can handle brewing 10 but doesn’t work as well due to basket size and I do not foresee brewing 10 gallons really ever.
I would like a conical with heating and cooling control, a loaded spike fermenter for 5 gallons is just about $1k. Does anyone ever do this or do most just get the 14 gallon size because price isn’t that different? I have a very small apartment and move often so I like to keep my hobbies as compact as possible. The brew buckets can be set up similarly with heating and cooling but the bottom drain in a conical is a big step up and something I really think I want. Does anyone have other suggestions? Want to get away from plastic for sure. What are you using for an “ultimate” 5 gallon fermenter?
I would like a conical with heating and cooling control, a loaded spike fermenter for 5 gallons is just about $1k. Does anyone ever do this or do most just get the 14 gallon size because price isn’t that different? I have a very small apartment and move often so I like to keep my hobbies as compact as possible. The brew buckets can be set up similarly with heating and cooling but the bottom drain in a conical is a big step up and something I really think I want. Does anyone have other suggestions? Want to get away from plastic for sure. What are you using for an “ultimate” 5 gallon fermenter?