LD-Ordie
Member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2021
- Messages
- 24
- Reaction score
- 23
Just received my pre order 14 gallon fermenter yesterday. Seems very well built and overall well designed. I filled it with hot water yesterday early evening and brought it down to 68 degrees by this morning. Ambient temperature in the house was around 74. Wanted to give it a test before brewing a real batch. I am replacing a 12 gallon fermenter I bought from More Beer back in 08. Main reason for the upgrade was the older unit had trouble getting the temperature down during the summer when it's 115+ outside and inside it could be 80. The new unit is supposed to have better cooling ability. Dump valve is 2" vrs 1.5". the ability to pressure ferment, keg transfer and the extra large capacity. My old unit had the side racking valve at a perfect height for a keg, while the new one is way below. Although it was advertised for pressure fermenting and pressure transferring to a Corny, a different relief valve and a ball lock spunding valve needed to be purchased. So 2 things i'm not happy with, there are no leg extensions available and no current plan to put any in production. According to the instructions I received with the unit, leg extensions would have to be purchased and were required if gravity draining to the keg is to be performed. The dude told me I could have the fermenter on a table..........
The other issue is, it is not 14 gallons. The vessel itself is the same size I am replacing. 12 gallons to the top of the vessel. My original was advertised as 12.2 gallons and had a large domed lid. The new unit has a minimal dome, nothing like the old one. No where in the item description does it say it's designed for a 10 gallon brew, It's assumed. My original thought was to have the option of brewing a 15 gallon batch as a short boil, have 12 gallons in the fermenter while having an extra 2" to the top and 2 gallons for extra space. Not counting the domed lid. Was going to have a gallon of water in each keg as I transfer. I did discuss this with a customer service guy, but he kept insisting the lid had a 2 gallon area with an overall 14 gallon capacity. I'm thinking it's more like less than a gallon. He did make it clear it could be returned, even after using it a few times. So I'm probable going to keep it, just not real happy about the size issue. Maybe I'm making too much of this, just think if it's advertised as 14 gallons, then it should be
The other issue is, it is not 14 gallons. The vessel itself is the same size I am replacing. 12 gallons to the top of the vessel. My original was advertised as 12.2 gallons and had a large domed lid. The new unit has a minimal dome, nothing like the old one. No where in the item description does it say it's designed for a 10 gallon brew, It's assumed. My original thought was to have the option of brewing a 15 gallon batch as a short boil, have 12 gallons in the fermenter while having an extra 2" to the top and 2 gallons for extra space. Not counting the domed lid. Was going to have a gallon of water in each keg as I transfer. I did discuss this with a customer service guy, but he kept insisting the lid had a 2 gallon area with an overall 14 gallon capacity. I'm thinking it's more like less than a gallon. He did make it clear it could be returned, even after using it a few times. So I'm probable going to keep it, just not real happy about the size issue. Maybe I'm making too much of this, just think if it's advertised as 14 gallons, then it should be
