SCORE! Another sanke keg fermenter

[Golddiggie]

Just have to post up about it... Was surfing the net and found a 1/4 bbl (slim) sanke keg for <$45. :rockin: Person had just one at this time, so I snagged it. He does expect to have more in about a month, so I can post up when I hear that he has more, if anyone is interested.

This will be my fourth sanke fermenter that will allow me to get 5 gallons into keg/bottle. I've been using my 1/6 bbl kegs, which only yield about 4.5 gallons into bottle/keg. I plan to age in the 1/6 bbl kegs for the most part now. Although, in a pinch, I'll be able to use them for fermenters too.

So, my fermenter inventory (that I'll actually USE) is:
2 25L sanke kegs (Italian manufacture)
1 1/4 bbl pony (squat) keg
1 1/4 bbl slim sanke keg
4 1/6 bbl sanke kegs

On Sunday I'll be inspecting a 50L sanke keg, when I pick up two more 3 gallon corny kegs (used)... If it is as explained, I'll be grabbing that too. I'll have time to decide what to do with that one. I could use it for fermenting 10 gallon batches, once I start making them. I don't think I'll convert it into a keggle/mash tun though. I plan on getting a 1/2 bbl for the mash tun.

 

[Haputanlas]

Good for you.

I always get so damned excited when I get something great for a good price.

I recently acquired two Chest Freezers for under $50 each (So awesome). One is 14.5 CU ft and the other is 8 CU ft.

With digital temp controllers, I spent less than $200 for the perfect fermenting and kegging system. F'ing sweet.

Sorry, enough about my excitement

 

[Golddiggie]

That's a sweet deal too. I hope to make a score like that when I move, and have the room to get some chest freezers (keezer and fermentation chamber).

I did get the notification that the keg has shipped already. Damned guy was FAST there. ETA is June 28... BOOOYA!!

I'm pumped about not needing to worry about putting too much wort into the kegs for fermenting. I'm slowly (well, maybe not slowly) getting my gear dialed in for fermenting with lower negative impacts to the brew. This weekend I'll be bringing home my O2 cylinder. I plan on getting the fittings I need to connect that to my O2 stone wand for the next brew-day. With the dual stage regulator on it, I'll KNOW how much O2 I'm pushing into the wort.

Next week I'll have my stir plate as well as some additional kegging headware. I'm going to get one 2.5 gallon keg (for now, more later) so that I'll be able to have three kegs in the new fridge, along with some bottles. I'll be using either a 2.5# or 20oz CO2 bottle in that fridge, to make that happen. I pretty much have it figured out for carbonating my brew in kegs, and then serve them up on the smaller CO2 bottles.

 

[ultravista]

How do you plan on using the 1/4 for fermentation? Are you cutting the top, adding a valve, etc?

 

[Golddiggie]

Nothing that complicated.

As with all my other sanke keg fermenters, I simply remove the valve/spear and use a large universal (not the one for Better Bottles) and use an airlock (or blow-off tube) as normal. Makes for a minimum of work to get a kick-ass fermenter, in stainless. :rockin:

For the 13.3 gallon (50L) keg I'll probably be picking up today, I'm not sure... I haven't decided if I'll use that as a fermenter for 10 gallon batches, a way to generate steam for a future SS mash tun, convert it into a keggle to boil wort or a HLT. I know someone that was talking about trying to heat his mash with steam. I need to see if he's done it and how it worked out (if he has done it).

I will say that fermenting in kegs, as I have been, is sweet. I don't need to worry about light strike, oxygen penetration eek, dropping the thing and having shards all over the place, or any number of issues people face when using glass or plastic fermenters. Plus my SS primaries (except for the latest to join the harem) are shaped so that they are very stable. I don't think you could tip over the pony without a major effort. The 25L are also very stable. Not sure, yet, about the new slim 1/4 bbl, but it should be better than the 1/6 bbl's I have. Get a cluster of them together and there's no worries at all.

 

[jiggs_casey]

At 1:28 yesterday afternoon, a post went up on Craigslist for a free full size fridge (w/out doors), a free co2 tank, all the lines and a free slim sanke keg from Boulevard. I didn't see it until 1:48 and by then it was gone. I was bummed...

 

[Golddiggie]

Picked up the 13.3 gallon keg as well this afternoon. I'll see what I can do to incorporate that into my system. Also thinking of trying a 1/2 bbl keg MLT soon. Or at least once I've moved to a place where the LL is more relaxed.

I'll post pic's of both new additions once the 1/4 slim keg arrives...

 

[ultravista]

I've been thinking about using a keggle as a fermenter; with an 11 inch hole in the top, a lit fits perfectly. I prefer to have a large opening to ensure cleaning and sanitation. However, I do not want a wanky contraption to keep the lid torqued down either.

Do you foresee an issue with a lid on the fermenter vs. cap & bung?

 

[Golddiggie]

New keg arrived yesterday. I've already given it a PBW soak (about 24 hours) and cleaned it out nicely... Looking forward to brewing a batch and having it ferment in that one. So, I now have all eight kegs to ferment/age 5 gallon batches in (or just over that for fermenting)... Still not 100% sure what I'll do with the 50L keg, but I have plenty of time to decide. Need to get that mother cleaned out over the weekend. Well, provided I get my truck back in time that is.

BTW, for fermenting inside a keggle, I'm not sure that could work. At least not without a decent amount of modification. You'll want to get a solid seal on the lid, and then have a way to fix an airlock in it. I do see using kegs, without the large hole cut in them, being much easier. for one thin, the large universal bung is only a few dollars. You don't do any modifications to the keg, other than pulling the valve out, so no real modifications. You can always put the valve back in and use the keg to serve in too. Or use a tri-clamp to do other things with it. This is part of the reason why I plan to leave the 50L keg basically intact. I'll keep the spear/valve from that one, in case I want to use it later. Just like I've kept the other valves from the other kegs. Although, I'm seriously thinking about converting one of the valve assemblies into a mash paddle. :rockin:

 

[bniesen]

I plan on purchasing a 5 gal sanke full of New Glarus Spotted Cow for an upcoming event, only because I all the Home Brew I have will be either still fermenter or/and in the bottling phase. Its for my second daughter's first birthday too!! DAMNIT!! I should have planned accordingly!!

So I plan on keeping it and making something out of the keg (seeing as they can keep the deposit and everything. I was thinking of a sweet fermenter by adding a funnel to the bottom with a couple of valves.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, just curious.

What would be the best plan??

 

[Golddiggie]

I wouldn't go that far to modify it. The sanke kegs already have a tapered bottom (inside) to give the yeast a place to flocculate to. I would simply plan on putting no more than 5 gallons into it, and use fermcap and a blow-off tube for the first 5-7 days. Then you can change over to a standard airlock and let it go the distance. OR use it as an aging tank. Hunt down a 1/4, pony, 25L, or a keg in the 6.6-7.75 gallon range to ferment 5-6 gallon batches in. Getting them new isn't much of an issue (you'll pay for them though). Finding used ones, at a decent rate isn't so easy. BUT, if you hunt properly, and long enough, you'll find them. I did (lucked out on the latest one)... For me, having four fermenters/primaries is all I really need. At least for beer, for now. I know that I'll eventually need to get more for 10 gallon batch sizes. But that's probably a year, or more, away...

 

[bniesen]

See here, I have a brother in-law that is your model near middleage bachelor and had a backyard full of used (drained) and kegs that he never bothered returning. He owes me at least one. I have made 2 keggles from the ones that he has given me and in return I gave him one of said keggles AND a CFC that I made. He has said that giving me another keg won't be a problem. I have one keggel that I have used twice and one "new" that I have being welded up as we speak, all I am missing is a fermenter. I was thinking about cutting the top off and adding a conicle, or something similar, with at least one port for a ball valve. Then I could easily cut the other end open to accommodate some sort of gasket. The funnel/ conical part is, what I think, the easy part. finding the cheapest and most convenient opening for cleaning and an airlock is the challenge. My ideal opening is something I could fit my arm into for a thorough cleaning yet accomodate some kind of flang (that doesn'nt cost me an arm and a leg) to seal for a proper air lock.

I work at a place that manufactures particle accelerators. I have a full machine shop at me disposal (welders for stainless steel and aluminum, lathe and CNC operaters). All I would have to pay for is materials (and of course beer) but keep in mind that I am a cheap ass.

 

[Dhruv6911]

this forum lacks pictures...