Super Simple 15G Plastic Conical

[FredTheNuke]

for anyone wanting to go BIG I just picked up a 60 gallon Ace Roto Mold with built in legs for $185 total including shipping from www.spraysmarter.com. SWEET deal! They want $60 or so for the 15 gallon (not including shipping).

 

[jshake]

i must build one or two of these

 

[Huaco]

Any way to use these in a 15cu.ft. chest freezer fermentation Chamber?

 

[SavoryChef]

Any way to use these in a 15cu.ft. chest freezer fermentation Chamber?

Its best to use a standup freezer.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Anybody know of a Canadian supplier for these?

 

[FredTheNuke]

Anybody know of a Canadian supplier for these?

You could try www.barrplastics.com

 

[sasky7777]

Anybody know of a Canadian supplier for these?

Try Polywest http://www.polywest.ca/contact-polywest/

http://www.polywest.ca/norwesco-vertical-storage-tanks/mix-and-fill-inductor-tanks/

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Ok thanks. Ill check them both out. Abotsford is closer but depends on the price.

 

[grndslm]

I've been sitting on this conical for several months now and have yet to order the remaining parts to assemble it. Was waiting to find a standup fridge/freezer and finally got it a couple weeks back. Between then, I also managed to pick up a keg that I'll be turning into a keggle [potentially adding in a spigot for it to be a large bottling bucket, as well].

So before I start to order these parts, valves, and what not.... how necessary do you guys consider a racking port to be? A conical with 1 quart sight glass should theoretically[/i] remove most of the yeast. And I could hopefully remove the "rest of the trub" (i.e. - hops sediment) by just adding a really good strainer above the conical fermenter, which will add a bit extra oxygen before pitching the yeast. So after fermentation, there will be minimal yeast left over, and I'll be able to rack straight from the bottom valve [after removing the sight glass] directly to bottles??? That why I won't need to add a spigot to my keggle, or a racking port to the fermenter. Good idea?? Others use this same process with good results, yes?

TL;DR -- Is a racking port really worth it, potentially compromising both the "solidity/durability" and "cheapness" of a plastic conical fermenter?

 

[Chrisl77]

I don't have a racking port in mine. Instead I made a stainless steel racking cane from a little bit of the 3/8 stainless steel coil I bought for my chiller coil. I remove my thermo well that is in the center of the lid and insert the cane in there. It connects to the output of my keg while I connect a vacuum pump to the inlet side of the keg.

 

[SavoryChef]

I couldn't imagine mine without a racking port. There will be a lot of sediment after you cold crash. I think you will waste more beer without one, as there is always yeast stuck to the sides of the cone

 

[jflongo]

I just pulled the trigger and ordered one of these from Rural King. Today they have free shipping offered, so $62 with free shipping.

 

[SavoryChef]

What is their lead time?

 

[jflongo]

What is their lead time?

8-10 weeks is what their site says. I personally don't need it in a hurry, this is going to be a winter project for me. Maybe it will get here faster than that, not sure.

 

[FredTheNuke]

agrimart.net has them in stock. I recommend the 35 gallon and 60 gallon ones with legs already attached.

 

[jflongo]

agrimart.net has them in stock. I recommend the 35 gallon and 60 gallon ones with legs already attached.

I personally have no plans on brewing something that large yet I will build a stand for mine out of wood.

 

[SavoryChef]

I personally have no plans on brewing something that large yet I will build a stand for mine out of wood.

You can brew only 10 gallons in the 30 gallon, depending where your racking port is located

 

[jflongo]

You can brew only 10 gallons in the 30 gallon, depending where your racking port is located

Are you saying that? Why would anyone put a racking port super high?

 

[FredTheNuke]

You can skip the racking port entirely if you build a Yeast Trap including a Banjo valve. You isolate the yeast trap and remove, then install a reducing fitting and hose to rack the now-only-liquid product out of the conical and into a keg, bottling bucket or carboys for secondary fermentation/lagering/etc.

 

[jflongo]

You can skip the racking port entirely if you build a Yeast Trap including a Banjo valve. You isolate the yeast trap and remove, then install a reducing fitting and hose to rack the now-only-liquid product out of the conical and into a keg, bottling bucket or carboys for secondary fermentation/lagering/etc.

Do you have pictures of that?

 

[FredTheNuke]

Sure Thing! The pics are of a 60 gallon Inductor Tank with a 6" diameter yeast trap (about 1 gallon in volume). The enclosure is a 3ft x 4ft x 8ft fermentation chamber with R13 insulated and caulked walls. It does not yet have the door on and is missing one outer piece of plywood - 80% complete. it will be controlled by a dual stage Control Products TC-9102D-HV controller with a 5000btu AC unit and a 200 watt heater. Target is 68F year round for a 60 gallon Lambic Solera. Should be filled and at temp in the next 2 weeks.









CHEERS!

 

[jflongo]

So I understand from the original posting using a 1-1/2" Stainless Steel Closed Nipple to connect to the bottom of the conical, and then connecting a 1-1/2" valve. Have any of you used a coupler to downsize the 1-1/2" -> 3/4" or 1/2" and then use that size of a valve instead. I was just thinking that may save a little bit of money, and be easier to find.

 

[FredTheNuke]

It would BUT you would have some restriction on the yeast "falling" into the yeast trap. Some would collect on the reducing coupling's edge. Not much and this may be very minimal (I have not personally tested it). If you are not fermenting long enough for autolysis it really won't matter - you'll just have a touch of sediment in your racked liquid. My 60 gallon setup is for a never-ending Lambic Solera. In that case some autolysis is OK as the Brett and other bugs will clean it up and feed well. But every so often you want to clean out the trub. My method will be to dump the yeast trap annually when I am adding 15 gallons of new product.

PS - full port 2 inch Banjo valves are $22. They are very very affordable compared to copper or stainless valves.

 

[jflongo]

It would BUT you would have some restriction on the yeast "falling" into the yeast trap. Some would collect on the reducing coupling's edge. Not much and this may be very minimal (I have not personally tested it). If you are not fermenting long enough for autolysis it really won't matter - you'll just have a touch of sediment in your racked liquid. My 60 gallon setup is for a never-ending Lambic Solera. In that case some autolysis is OK as the Brett and other bugs will clean it up and feed well. But every so often you want to clean out the trub. My method will be to dump the yeast trap annually when I am adding 15 gallons of new product.

PS - full port 2 inch Banjo valves are $22. They are very very affordable compared to copper or stainless valves.

Are these the ones your are talking about, and are the food grade safe?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BANJO-WV150...line-Ball-Valve-Made-In-USA-NEW-/370936638272

 

[FredTheNuke]

http://www.agrimart.net/2-mpt-x-male-adapter-full-port-poly-bolted-ball-valves/

This is what I am using. It is a bit more expensive but has the male cam lock type coupler already built in. It is 2" full port - bigger than what you'd need for a 15 gallon conical. The materials are all typically used in food safe products so I have on doubts it is a safe material. They do have white FDA specific fittings but not white valves.

If you look at the Banjo Corp website under the pdf chart for chemical resistance they list White Liquor (much stronger than beer) as No Known Effect for the Viton and EPDM components - so good to go.

 

[FredTheNuke]

Heck - better yet they DO have BEER listed in the PDF - all of their products are compatible with Beer with No Known Effect.

http://www.banjocorp.com/File/Banjo Chemical Resistance Chart.pdf

 

[jflongo]

Heck - better yet they DO have BEER listed in the PDF - all of their products are compatible with Beer with No Known Effect.

http://www.banjocorp.com/File/Banjo Chemical Resistance Chart.pdf

Ok thanks, I'll snag one from Ebay when it's time then. Cheers.

 

[SavoryChef]

It would BUT you would have some restriction on the yeast "falling" into the yeast trap. Some would collect on the reducing coupling's edge. Not much and this may be very minimal (I have not personally tested it). If you are not fermenting long enough for autolysis it really won't matter - you'll just have a touch of sediment in your racked liquid. My 60 gallon setup is for a never-ending Lambic Solera. In that case some autolysis is OK as the Brett and other bugs will clean it up and feed well. But every so often you want to clean out the trub. My method will be to dump the yeast trap annually when I am adding 15 gallons of new product.

PS - full port 2 inch Banjo valves are $22. They are very very affordable compared to copper or stainless valves.

Would you care to expand on your lambic solera project in these Conicals?

 

[jflongo]

Ok thanks, I'll snag one from Ebay when it's time then. Cheers.

I went ahead and snagged a 2" one, made an offer on one and got it for $18. Now I'll hunt for a CPVC or SS 2" male 2 sided thread to connect the two. Are you guys using pipe tape or anything when you connect all of this or food grade lube?

 

[FredTheNuke]

I used food grade lube just to ensure I didn't gall the threads.

As for the Lambic Solera - in a nutshell it is 60 gallons of 60% pilsner malt / 40% MALTED wheat wort with <10 IBUs of aged oxidized hops. Mash at 153F for an hour (with malted wheat there is no need for turbid or step mashing), sparge at 190F to intentionally pull out tannins - even oversparge a bit, boil for 90 minutes. Yeast is Wyeast 3763 Roeselare - maintain at 68F year round. Every year you pull 15 gallons out and put in a fresh 15 gallons and 2 smack packs of 3763 (the regular sacc yeast are dead and gone by 1 year and must be replenished and you underpitch on purpose to pump up Ester production). By the 3rd year you have a Solera (blended) batch that should rival the best coming out of Belgium. You can put your annual yield on fruit or bottle condition it further or even keg, force carbonate and consume straight! The stuff you pull on years 1 and 2 will be very young Lambic, though. Best put on fruit or blended with something older.

More details can be found in this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f127/hdpe-solera-231285/index4.html