Seeking Fermenter equipment advice.

[Kayeness]

Currently I have two 6.5 gallon carboys and six 1 gallon carboys. I have bottled maybe a dozen batches since I started homebrewing little over a year and a half ago. (Yes...Still a noob)

The advice I seek is I am considering getting a stainless steel conical fermenter or something in the make/style of the Catalyst/BrewDemon type.

Before I Google and YouTube the subject I want actual human interacton.

I need (1) pros and cons for stainless conical vs. Fast Ferment style.
And (2) how many batches can I realistically get from the FF since I assume I will get more from the stainless?

FYI: Looking to get a 7 to 10 gallon option.

Thanks in advance,
HELP!

 

[Jag75]

I started out on the FF 7.9 gallon. I added a spigot which I wish I would have sooner . Imo it's a great FV. I had the jacket for it and had to keep cool with hanging frozen bottles . I still use it from time to time . Never had any issues with the valve leaking . All in all it does its job.

I went to a Spike Cf5 . I wanted the no hassle temp control, built my DIY chiller and absolutely love it . Longevity wise of course SS will outlast it but I've had my FF for 3 yrs or so .

It really depends on your budget . One positive with my Cf5 is it's on wheels so I can roll it . My FF has to be carried . I can pressure trans with Cf5 but not the FF. You just have so many things available with stainless. Good luck with your decision, hope this has been helpful.

 

[McKnuckle]

If you want to stick to a reasonable budget, consider the Anvil 7.5 gallon, or the SS BrewTech 7 gallon stainless bucket options. These products each have a sealed, ported lid, and a rotating racking arm, all stainless. They have a recessed center for yeast settling, but are not conicals, so you can't collect or dump anything. So what... just wash the yeast at the end of fermentation, after racking.

I am not a fan of the increased size, cost, and complexity of conicals vs. these buckets. On the other side of the cost spectrum, I do like the robust and practical nature of stainless steel vs. plastic, and think that's worth the extra cost over cheaper fermenters.

 

[RoguePixels]

+1 for SS

I own two 7gal brew buckets and have been pleased with how they hold up.
Cons:price, closed transfers
The price isn't terrible to be honest but there are other SS options out there now so it would be worth shopping around. It also almost never goes on sale which is a bummer. They had a small sale at the end of last year but I wouldn't count on that happening too often.
Closed transfers are possibly but the brew bucket wasn't really designed to exceed like 5psi. This also means no spunding if your looking to naturally carb.

Pros: stainless steel, rotating racking arm, build quality, size
It's SS so it should outlive the fast ferm provided you take care of it. It's super easy to clean and never had lingering flavors from past brews.
The rotating racking arm has been great for getting as much out of the ferm without picking up trub. Also makes sampling a breeze.
Love the solid feel and clean welds. The handles are a nice addition if you need to move the bucket into a chamber.
I'm happy with how compact it is given it's holds 7gal and is conical. It fits with room to spare in my mini fridge for temp control and can be stacked easily if you have the space.

I can't comment on the fast ferm as I've never owned one but it seems to get decent reviews. I'm sure you would be happy with either.

 

[McHop]

I started with glass carboys, but they are awkward to carry and dangerous. I got a few plastic better bottles, but couldn't clean them as well as I'd like to and the fear of scratching them with the carboy brush made me look into stainless. I found some cheap Stout conical fermenters on craigslist years ago and couldn't be happier with their durability and performance. They are much easier to clean and don't scratch. The only downside was they didn't fit into my dorm fridge like the carboys did.

 

[IslandLizard]

Good pointers already given above!
How are you going to control fermentation temps? I'd include that in the decision. Conicals can get unwieldy, don't always fit inside a fridge or freezer.

Also look into kegging, which means, set part of your budget aside for that. Most regular (corny) kegs are 5 gallon.
Especially if you brew lots of hoppy beers, a simple way to add dry hops under CO2, and doing closed transfers to kegs become important.

 

[ba-brewer]

No fast ferment experience, went from plastic ale pales to SS brew bucket.

SS
Cons:
Cost more and does not really change the actual beer.
Cant see what is going inside the fermentor.

Pros:
Could heat sanitize if you get a contamination.
Has a resale value.

I do have a couple PET plastic carboys, and a oxy-clean over night soak does wonder to drop the krausen ring. Once in a while it requires a second soak. I do like that I can get my hands inside my SS brew buckets though.

I see you mention a possible 10gal option, that is sort of a weird volume as you would not get two full corny kegs. Bottling maybe not a big deal.​

 

[toxdoc49]

I'm curious as to whether it makes any difference at all using a glass carboy as a primary fermenter vs a conical fermenter (steel or plastic). I like being able to see what is going on in the fermenter which of course you can't see with stainless steel. More interested in whether it matters what type of fermenter is used (I am just brewing 5 gallon batches at the moment). I am guessing the answer would be no, it doesn't make any difference, just perhaps easier to transfer the wort off with out getting trub into the beer.

 

[mscroggi]

IMO you have to answer how important the canonical feature is. If you dont HAVE to have the canonical bottom then there are many many options. I have always wondered if draining off the trub was worth the extra expense, especially since a floating dip tube can be used to draw out the beer from the top and leave the bottom trub layer untouched.

I am intrigued a bit by the Anvil 7.5 gallon mentioned earlier. That one is cheap enough to be a reasonable alternative to the plastic fermenters without spending so much more, but I am curious if it can be adapted to ferment under pressure. - update: I just saw a youtube video where the anvil was reviewed and it is not suitable for pressure fermenting. Darn..

I recently bought a Fermzilla all-rounder and added the floating dip tube. I pretty much like it and it's pretty cheap.. Kind of a nice in-between. To me, its a nice plus to be able to click on a spunding valve and ferment and transfer under pressure.

It appears Anvil has their PET fermenters at 50% off. They have a 7.9G PET fermenter fitted with ball lock connectors and comes with a floating dip-tube at $75. It's called a King Chubby. That seems like a good deal. Add another $25 for the spunding valve and you have a pressure system for $100. Pretty good IMO. There is mention of a code in the pic.. but if you add it to the cart it appeared to be automatically discounted.

 

[toxdoc49]

Thank you for your opinion and the information on fermenters. I did not realize pressure fermenting was an option. Now I have to start learning about pressure fermenting!

 

[T Murph]

@toxdoc49 my suggestion is research the options to meet your immediate fermentation desires and go with the one that fits best. I've been brewing in excess of 30 yrs and have fermented in a variety of vessels. I continue to experiment with different fermenters. If you are like most of us you will be brewing for a long long time. Inevitably you will want to experiment with different equipment as your desires change therefore you will be adding additional fermenters to your brewery. I too like to be able to see inside with certain brews. For them I use glass carboys. I also like to control temperature via a SS coil in a conical under pressure and dump yeast for harvesting. I even keep a kegmenter around for secondary fermentation and aging. So pull up your big boy pants and get a second job to support this hobby wherein you will eventually possess multiple fermenters.

 

[GoodTruble]

I use Fermzilla all-rounders and love it. Great value. Clear fermenter, pressure fermenting, closed transfers, and super easy to clean. Only downside is that they are temperature sensitive (nothing over 120F).

The above Anvil options look interesting but also look a LOT like the last generation, out-dated Fermentasaurus (which went extinct for a reason - mainly, the top openings were too small to allow for easy cleaning). I would be skeptical.

 

[mscroggi]

I use Fermzilla all-rounders and love it. Great value. Clear fermenter, pressure fermenting, closed transfers, and super easy to clean. Only downside is that they are temperature sensitive (nothing over 120F).

The above Anvil options look interesting but also look a LOT like the last generation, out-dated Fermentasaurus (which went extinct for a reason - mainly, the top openings were too small to allow for easy cleaning). I would be skeptical.

Yeah I agree the ordinary sized opening on the Anvil would appear to be the biggest flaw. And it turned me off for a bit..but it's not a deal breaker when you consider all the kit comes with for the price. By the time I added the extra equivalent components to my rounder I had paid a lot more than what the Anvil kit costs. I started out with glass carboys and didn't like the tiny opening to get in and clean. The Anvil seems to be somewhere in the middle between a glass carboy and the enormous opening on the rounder. It's always a compromise. For ($52! until 12/13) you can get the bucket blaster from Williams Brewing and make cleaning easy for the fermenter and also kegs. It seems to be a good addition.

 

[T Murph]

Question, was that transfer hose properly purged prior to connecting it to the fermenter and the keg? If not it should have been purged to eliminate the oxygen from within it. Very good video should be helpful to many new brewers.

 

[toxdoc49]

All great advice, thanks. What I also want to know is (and I am sure many of you have already done this): does fermenting in a conical fermenter vs glass carboy make any difference in the outcome of the finished beer? Or is it just a matter of conical fermenters being easier to use for separating out trub from the beer?

 

[T Murph]

I have to admit I'm not sure the use of a conical produces "better" beer however it does make yeast harvesting way easier. But it definitely has its place in the brewery. It also makes dry hopping easier and safer. It does provide better ways to oxygenate, test sample, control temperature, ferment under pressure and ferment and serve from a single vessel if you choose to do so. And it sure is impressive and looks cool in your brewery. It definitely enhances your brew day experiences and gives you more options to accomplish specific task to reach your goals.

 

[NSMikeD]

All great advice, thanks. What I also want to know is (and I am sure many of you have already done this): does fermenting in a conical fermenter vs glass carboy make any difference in the outcome of the finished beer? Or is it just a matter of conical fermenters being easier to use for separating out trub from the beer?

one difference I can see, is with lagers and it depends on how you lager, not so much with ales since conventional wisdom is you can ferment in the primary and then bottle or keg directly. Some brewers of lagers prefer the conical so they can remove the trub and/or use attachment to dry hop in a sanitary no O2 way. Removing the dead yeast before it starts decomposing prevents off flavors.

I use both a conical a wide mouth flat bottom jug (fermonster) both with spigots and have not noticed any difference (I brew mostly ales) other than it's easier to keg from the spigot in the flat bottom because it has a dip tube? on the inside I can rotate to a more precise point above the trub. fwiw its worth I also have a floating ball for CO2 pressure transfers to my keg. It's a little of a PITA than simply using the spigot but it prevents oxidation. I am getting the FlutiT (about $30) which their users say it fixes the issues with the floating ball style since it keeps the intake above the trub nor stir it up which can happen with the floating ball device when it gets close the bottom.

 

[wsmith1625]

I am getting the FlutiT (about $30) which their users say it fixes the issues with the floating ball style since it keeps the intake above the trub nor stir it up which can happen with the floating ball device when it gets close the bottom.

Could you link provide a link for this?

 

[NSMikeD]

Could you link provide a link for this?

Here's a link to IMO a good review especially how and why to use the filters and best practice to use in the serving keg. They maker sells them on eBay (easy to find). Also if you search it here it turns up 4 pages. I didn't look past th 2nd but they are posts from brewers who use it


Flotit 2.0 Review

 

[wsmith1625]

Here's a link to IMO a good review especially how and why to use the filters and best practice to use in the serving keg. They maker sells them on eBay (easy to find). Also if you search it here it turns up 4 pages. I didn't look past th 2nd but they are posts from brewers who use it


Flotit 2.0 Review

I have not had any issue with the ball float in my fermenters, but I may be interested in this design for my kegs. Thanks for sharing.

 

[mscroggi]

That looks to be essentially the floating dip tube kit like what you see for the FermZilla All Rounder with the filter added on floating dip tube filter

Just offering an alternative if it makes sense for you.

 

[IslandLizard]

That looks to be essentially the floating dip tube kit like what you see for the FermZilla All Rounder with the filter added on floating dip tube filter

Just offering an alternative if it makes sense for you.

When you read the review @NSMikeD linked to in #19, it becomes quickly apparent that the Flotit 2.0 "system" is a fairly big improvement over the floating dip tube filter with the ball, the one you linked to.

 

[mscroggi]

IMO you have to answer how important the canonical feature is. If you dont HAVE to have the canonical bottom then there are many many options. I have always wondered if draining off the trub was worth the extra expense, especially since a floating dip tube can be used to draw out the beer from the top and leave the bottom trub layer untouched.

I am intrigued a bit by the Anvil 7.5 gallon mentioned earlier. That one is cheap enough to be a reasonable alternative to the plastic fermenters without spending so much more, but I am curious if it can be adapted to ferment under pressure. - update: I just saw a youtube video where the anvil was reviewed and it is not suitable for pressure fermenting. Darn..

I recently bought a Fermzilla all-rounder and added the floating dip tube. I pretty much like it and it's pretty cheap.. Kind of a nice in-between. To me, its a nice plus to be able to click on a spunding valve and ferment and transfer under pressure.

It appears Anvil has their PET fermenters at 50% off. They have a 7.9G PET fermenter fitted with ball lock connectors and comes with a floating dip-tube at $75. It's called a King Chubby. That seems like a good deal. Add another $25 for the spunding valve and you have a pressure system for $100. Pretty good IMO. There is mention of a code in the pic.. but if you add it to the cart it appeared to be automatically discounted.

Anyone looking for fermenters.. I wanted to relay an update on the Anvil King Chubby. I am fairly disappointed in mine. The container is ok.. I expected it to be on the light side..

The lid with the fittings - Mine seems to leak out if I am not very careful.. and applying a little pressure on the fittings, you can hear the gas leaking.. When I try to click on a spunding, there is too much flex in the container and play in the lid ..you always feel like it isn't sealed that well or the spunding isn't on all the way. (I have the lid on very tight).
The handles are a little flimsy. They are probably fine.. but are concerning when picking up a 6 gal batch of beer. That's a lot of weight to lift in a container that is so flimsy.

The whole reason I ordered it was for the price and it could do pressure fermenting.. but it's no deal if you have to worry about it leaking. If I am not going to use it for fermenting, I would rather use my big bubbler.

Clearly the All Rounder is the better choice even with the higher price tag.

 

[Nathanologist]

So… for the money you’re looking at spending… you could probably get a used slim quarter sanke keg(7.75 gal), a tri-clamp adaptor to ball lock fittings, few used ball lock corny kegs and a used refrigerator/chest freezer. This will accomplish everything fancy new stuff will, and more!

But to answer the actual question, go stainless and sealed all the way. Get into kegging too if you haven’t. Air is the enemy.

 

[GoodTruble]

One fairly decisive factor is whether you want to be able to watch the fermentation. For some, like me, that's a big part of the fun, and then you choose from clear fermenter options.

If you could care less about watching the fermentation, then go stainless.