NEW Conical Fermenter - The Catalyst: 3" Butterfly valve, Mason jar compatible...

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I did a search of the thread and didn't see thermometer mentioned, so I'll go ahead.

I'd like to see a provision for a thermometer. I have one of the lower-priced white plastic conical fermenters and it has a thermo-well as an accessory. While it's not "necessary", it does come in handy. Just a thought.
 
Yeah, wouldn't mind that also, just for easier comparison between ambient and actual temps. Apparently Tritan is pretty easy to drill.
 
Personally, at $200, I see a brewbucket as a better choice. Tritan copolyester is a BPA plastic replacement. While there is no BPA it still may have estrogenic chemicals. Eastman Chemicals have worked hard to supress any studies and rulings that may suggest it's anything but safe.

I certainly do not put any hot, acidic liquids in anything I own that has BPA or Triton copolyester.

Glass and stainless are the inert products of choice, IMHO.

Stiil, there are some new features with this fermenter that are unique.
 
RichBenn said:
Personally, at $200, I see a brewbucket as a better choice. Tritan copolyester is a BPA plastic replacement. While there is no BPA it still may have estrogenic chemicals. Eastman Chemicals have worked hard to supress any studies and rulings that may suggest it's anything but safe.



I certainly do not put any hot, acidic liquids in anything I own that has BPA or Triton copolyester.



Glass and stainless are the inert products of choice, IMHO.



Stiil, there are some new features with this fermenter that are unique.
Click to expand...


Some valid points. I adore my catalyst so far for ease of use. Will report back with continued usage.
 
Is it possible to order just the lid and silicone seal? I'd like to try adding a stainless steel thermowell to the lid, but I want to have an extra just in case things go awry.
 
jimmayhugh said:
Is it possible to order just the lid and silicone seal? I'd like to try adding a stainless steel thermowell to the lid, but I want to have an extra just in case things go awry.
Click to expand...

Sure thing, just email us at info at CraftaBrew.com and we will get a order put together for you.
 
Just kegged my first brew, a Two Hearted Ale clone, using the Catalyst.

A few thoughts:

I do "no-chill" so basically I just dumped the hot wort (about 170F / 77C) directly into the Catalyst and moved it to my fermentation chamber with no ill effects.

Next day I removed the trub in the mason jar, put in a clean mason jar, oxgenated and put in two packets of WLP090.

The resulting yeast and trub did not settle into the mason jar as cleanly as I had hoped. There was a large amount present on the slope of the Catalyst, and gently rapping the sides, and cold crashing did not alleviate the problem. Consequently, I believe I have a fair amount of trub in the keg.

Cleanup was fairly easy, but the krausen tend to stick to the Catalyst sides a little more vigorously than either my better bottles or Stainless kegs. You also want to completely disassemble the Catalyst and especially pay attention to the 3" valve.

In the future, I'm more likely to use it as a specialized wort cooler / trub catcher, and then transfer the cooled wort to a Better Bottle or one of my sanke fermenters to allow pressurized transfers.

Just my $.02
 
I ordered the sampling port. This might be the better way to empty without passing the stuff collected on the sides of the lower taper.
 
Well, after using the Catalyst for a NE IPA, I've decided I will not use it again as a fermentor.

Three times I had the silicone seal disengage itself from the lid, once falling into my wort, and twice into my fermented beer during a dry-hopping. No amount of care was able to prevent the separation.

I've also noticed that cleaning the Catalyst is also problematic. I can scrub the crap out of my steel fermentors with no ill effects. No matter how many times I scrub the Catalyst with a soft sponge, I always find a little something left over when it dries.

The Trub/Yeast trap is a nice touch, but way too much tends to stick to the sides of the Catalyst, and I end up having to do a transfer to a bright tank, and let the crud settle before moving it to my keg. When I use my sanke fermentors I can adjust my dip tube to avoid transferring crud, plus I can transfer under CO2, avoiding the big-ass air bubble that occurs when replacing the trub/yeast jar or bottling adapter.

I've got two Catalysts, and I'll probably keep one just as a no-chill cooling chamber, but I'm going to sell the other.

Just my $.02 :)
 
I just kegged my first beer ever. Used the Catalyst. Yes the seal came partially off the lid when I removed It but no big deal. If you know it might come off you simply watch for while lifting the lid. Cleaned the fermentor as soon as I transferred and it looks darn clean. Nothing stuck. Most came off with the rinsing action. You have to remember just because you scrub your stainless doesn't mean you don't have the same leftover water stains on the stainless. The crystal clear catalyst shows all. Maybe depends on type of beer as to what you see. I love seeing the beer and the trub through a clear system. Hey I'm new at this but for me it seemed to work well. Love the valve. Love not having to use buckets all over.

The junk seemed to drop out pretty well. Not perfectly clean but not bad.

20170521183627-bf52c4d7-me.jpg
 
Decided to expand and purchase a second unit. Also bought two cover/carrying systems. Both will have the new racking port which eliminates getting junk into my kegs.

Here's this weekend's batch fermenting before I put it in s controlled room and covered.

https://youtu.be/H9Ldv5oESEI
 
jimmayhugh said:
Well, after using the Catalyst for a NE IPA, I've decided I will not use it again as a fermentor.

Three times I had the silicone seal disengage itself from the lid, once falling into my wort, and twice into my fermented beer during a dry-hopping. No amount of care was able to prevent the separation.

I've also noticed that cleaning the Catalyst is also problematic. I can scrub the crap out of my steel fermentors with no ill effects. No matter how many times I scrub the Catalyst with a soft sponge, I always find a little something left over when it dries.

The Trub/Yeast trap is a nice touch, but way too much tends to stick to the sides of the Catalyst, and I end up having to do a transfer to a bright tank, and let the crud settle before moving it to my keg. When I use my sanke fermentors I can adjust my dip tube to avoid transferring crud, plus I can transfer under CO2, avoiding the big-ass air bubble that occurs when replacing the trub/yeast jar or bottling adapter.

I've got two Catalysts, and I'll probably keep one just as a no-chill cooling chamber, but I'm going to sell the other.

Just my $.02 :)
Click to expand...


We just released a new seal version 2.0 to fix the potential issue you mentioned. This new seal stays seated in the lid better so it will not come loose when opening the lid and it is also easier to install.

I've created a discount code for 50% off the seal for anyone who wants to purchase one. Use code "seal50" at checkout: https://craftabrew.com/collections/home-brewing-accessories/products/catalyst-seal-2-0
 
I added the optional racking ball valve to both of my Catalysts. I agree that using the supplied funnel does allow crud out that doesn't make it into the mason jar. The racking valve substantially reduces this. I think I need to empty the first load of trub sooner so it doesn't climb high up to the valve. That was a mistake on my part. From now on I'm tying a hop bag around the end of the racking hose to catch the few chunks that occasionally get through.

I've fermented four batches so far and really do like this system. Probably my only real complaint is the headroom issue. For the first two days I have the airlock hose shoved into a large plastic orange juice container half filled with sanitizer.
 
CraftaBrew said:
We just released a new seal version 2.0 to fix the potential issue you mentioned. This new seal stays seated in the lid better so it will not come loose when opening the lid and it is also easier to install.

I've created a discount code for 50% off the seal for anyone who wants to purchase one. Use code "seal50" at checkout: https://craftabrew.com/collections/home-brewing-accessories/products/catalyst-seal-2-0
Click to expand...

I ordered some, and recee\ived them today. Installation instructions would have been REAL handy...:confused:
 
CraftaBrew said:
We just released a new seal version 2.0 to fix the potential issue you mentioned. This new seal stays seated in the lid better so it will not come loose when opening the lid and it is also easier to install.

I've created a discount code for 50% off the seal for anyone who wants to purchase one. Use code "seal50" at checkout: https://craftabrew.com/collections/home-brewing-accessories/products/catalyst-seal-2-0
Click to expand...

I just order a seal and a ball valve. Will report back after next brew day.
BUT....

I also just saw a claim on youtube that you're making a 7 gallon stainless catalyst... Is that true @Craftabrew?!?
 
It IS on their website. I asked if anyone had any more info on the other catalyst thread, but no one answered. Looks pretty sweet.
 
Here is a link to the products we are currently working on Craft a Brew: Coming Soon

We should have finalized, production ready units of each product completed in the new few months with more information on preordering and delivery dates soon after.

Sign up at the page above to be the first in line when the preorder starts!
 
CraftaBrew said:
Here is a link to the products we are currently working on Craft a Brew: Coming Soon

We should have finalized, production ready units of each product completed in the new few months with more information on preordering and delivery dates soon after.

Sign up at the page above to be the first in line when the preorder starts!
Click to expand...

Sounds good to me! And thanks for the update.

I'd be happy to give design feedback if you are looking for it. We've done a lot of batches through my 2 Catalysts to this point.
 
CraftaBrew said:
We just released a new seal version 2.0 to fix the potential issue you mentioned. This new seal stays seated in the lid better so it will not come loose when opening the lid and it is also easier to install.
Click to expand...

Nice! I got good at getting the top off without the seal coming off, but it'll be nice to not worry about it any more.
 
If the SS conical is cost competitive, you've got a customer here. I'm quite happy brewing my small batches in 5 gallon cornies, but being able to collect yeast in the jar is enough to push me over the edge.
 
Weezy said:
If the SS conical is cost competitive, you've got a customer here. I'm quite happy brewing my small batches in 5 gallon cornies, but being able to collect yeast in the jar is enough to push me over the edge.
Click to expand...

I think that "cost competitive" is going to be highly dependent on what you see as its competitors. The plastic fermenter is already quite expensive at $200, which is the same price as the SS brew bucket. I'd imagine that the stainless variety will come in at no less than $300, which would put it somewhere between the brew bucket and the smaller versions of the more traditional conical type fermenters.
 
I came see it being that cheap. Full featured conicals from SS and Spike are $500+. I'm guessing the $400 range. And the bucket id's wayyy overpriced. It's a frickin ss pot with a dent in the bottom and a horrible spigot that loosens itself when you turn it (I have two 14s).
 
Been using two of these units for over a year now. Only one complaint. The 45 deg conical should be a steeper angle to help the trub slide down easier but overall not a real problem. I have the original V1 gaskets and they are pretty much flawless. Yes they come off when lifting the lid but so what. I lift an edge and put my finger over the gasket and finish removing the lid. The gasket needs to come off anyway to clean it. Here is a video I shot this morning of a trick to re-install the gasket. Love these fermenters. Probably have about 10 batches through them They look great with the covers on them.


 
I'm curious, is there a way to set the Catalyst up for closed transfer via CO2? I currently own one and love it, but I'm wanting to try closed transferring with CO2, and not sure what the best way to go about it would be.
 
DHomebrews said:
I'm curious, is there a way to set the Catalyst up for closed transfer via CO2? I currently own one and love it, but I'm wanting to try closed transferring with CO2, and not sure what the best way to go about it would be.
Click to expand...

Couldn't you somehow connect through the airlock hole, add co2 slowly so it fills the space instead of air while the beer is drawn off through the spigot.
 
kh54s10 said:
Couldn't you somehow connect through the airlock hole, add co2 slowly so it fills the space instead of air while the beer is drawn off through the spigot.
Click to expand...

This is similar to what I was thinking. Or if, maybe, there is a gas fitting I could actually add to my lid to connect my gas to. Then, I could use a solid bung to close the airlock hole (which I would have to hold during the beer transfer because of pressure). Do fittings exist that would allow this to work?

Or... somehow just attaching a gas line to a bung so I wouldn't have to add a fitting to my lid (which I think would work better with your idea).
 

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