Stoneware fermenter?

[ddockery]

I recently came across an old 5 gallon stoneware jug, and I was wondering if this could be useful as a secondary fermenter. It seems reasonably clean, as it was stored in a sealed trash bag. I can't see the inside though so I'm guessing that this would be a pain to properly clean and use for brewing. Thoughts?

 

[mindcrime]

Stone is porous. Porous = bad.

Many, many places for bugs to live.

I don't think I'd trust it, no matter how nuked with cleaner/sanitizer it was.

 

[pjj2ba]

If it is glazed (non-porous), then I think you'd be OK. You might want to fashion a lid for it of some kind. Aluminum foil would do in a pinch. Then keep it somewhere secluded to minimize the chance of an airborne bug getting in.

 

[SFBEER]

Normally they glaze the outsides of pots and leave the insides if they are just for show. If it is porous I think you'd be looking for trouble. Plus if you can't see inside it would be hard to tell if you have everything really clean.

 

[ddockery]

Thanks for the responses. I'm passing on this for now. I'll just pick up a carboy for a secondary.

 

[Synovia]

innoculate it with brett/lacto/etc, and use it for wild beers.

 

[carnevoodoo]

innoculate it with brett/lacto/etc, and use it for wild beers.

I JUST thought that. how great would that be?

 

[eelpout]

innoculate it with brett/lacto/etc, and use it for wild beers.

how can it be wild if you have to inoculate it?

 

[Synovia]

how can it be wild if you have to inoculate it?

by wild beers I mean lambics, flanders, etc. Most of the places that brew these styles essentially either have permanently 'infected' equipment and are reinoculating each time they pitch, and aren't actually doing "wild" fermentation.

 

[dcHokie]

* old thread revival *

did anyone ever use a stoneware vessel for a 'wild fermenter'?

Reading about Cantillion's decision to try a batch of lambic in old clay amphoras piqued my interest. I see that my local Ace Hardware has 5 gallon stoneware crocks for about $50, but I believe they are glazed inside. Wondering if even terra cotta might work if clean/sanitized/inoculated appropriately...??

 

[lowtones84]

innoculate it with brett/lacto/etc, and use it for wild beers.

I would totally do this. I don't have the book in front of me but I believe in Brew Like a Monk one of the trappist breweries used to use old stone fermenting vessels. When they got a new brewmaster they were cleaned out, then everyone said their beer changed for the worse. Gonna have to look that one up soon...