Plastic or SS for my 15 gallon fermenter?

[jflongo]

Recently I just bought a 15 gallon food grade drum from an auction. I am going to convert this into a 15 gallon fermenter for my 11 gallon batches. I plan on installing an airlock on top, and then a valve towards the bottom. I see the spiedel fermenters come with plastic valves. I'm wondering if I would be better off going with SS setup, I'm thinking of these two items.

2 piece SS Ball Valve

http://brewhardware.com/valves-69/69-ball-valve

Weldless Bulkhead with an elbow, Option 3 on this link

http://brewhardware.com/valves-69/59-weldless-bulkhead

 

[Marc77]

I'm going to be ordering that for my kettle. My question is why you'd want the option 3 on that? That provides the dip tube and for a fermenter wouldn't that suck out the trub at the bottom? Just a thought I had.

The other thought is that I'd spend the extra $5 and get the 3 piece. Everything I've read has said that the 3 piece ball valve is easier to break down and clean.

 

[IvanTheTerribrew]

Yeah I'm not sure what you mean about option three. It is not a valve at all. But I do agree with getting the three piece ball valve. When I finally got one I was amazed at how much better it was. You really can break it down (to much more than 3 pieces) and clean it all out. Plus it makes tightening onto a thread very easy because if when you get it right and the valve isn't where you want it, you can just disassemble the ball valve while it's threaded on and make it face the way you want. I think Bobby from brew hardware has a video on YouTube showing what I mean.

Definitely go SS 3 piece.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I would say either the 3 piece valve as it is easier to clean, or just siphon / rack out of the fermenter so you don't have to worry a out or clean a valve.

 

[jflongo]

I certainly could go 3 piece. Now as far as the elbow on the inside, I just figured I would try and leave it a couple inches off the bottom and see what happens. If it does suck up some trub, then I'll angle it 45 degrees.

 

[iijakii]

I went 3pc on my kettles and I can say for certain that I never bothered breaking them down to clean - wish I had saved money on 2pc. I can't say that I would be that proactive either on a fermenter either, although I would be more inclined. Using a siphon would be easier than breaking that thing down every time. I'd go valveless or full on conical with triclamp personally.

 

[Marc77]

For the option 3 dip tube I'd say yeah you could change it to a 45 and/or leave it a few inches off the bottom but that defeats the purpose of a dip tube.

At that point just put your 2 or 3 piece ball valve in at that 2 inch height.

 

[jflongo]

I supposed I could go with option 1 for the weldless bulkhead in that link, put the valve a couple of inches off of the bottom, and then add a dip tube at a later date, if I leave more wort than I wanted to.