# Plastic Conicals



## sosman (21/11/04)

Somone posted a link on r.c.b re these:

plastic conicals.

15 gallon one is under $US60


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## Linz (21/11/04)

And the frame under it is an extra US$50. So US$107.43 plus freight for the 15 gal


How much does Santa sleigh hold?????


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## sosman (22/11/04)

It shouldn't be too hard to knock up a frame yourself. I guess the freight for something so bulky could be an issue.


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## johnno (28/11/04)

Are these just like those other plastic fermenters that you see already made up with all the taps on the botom etc. I suppose you would need to add a couple of taps etc.
I suppose what Im asking is is how much would you need to add on/ modify to make this a ful on beer fermenter.
There is some interest in one of the larger ones(60-85) gallon. I wonder How much a kettle for a batch that size would cost. hehehehe


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## Ross (5/1/06)

This link was just posted over on Grumpy's.

http://www.mivamall.com/Merchant2/merchant...ategory_Code=FM

Not bad looking conicals.

cheers Ross...


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## Aaron (5/1/06)

Ross said:


> This link was just posted over on Grumpy's.
> 
> http://www.mivamall.com/Merchant2/merchant...ategory_Code=FM
> 
> ...


Those look pretty good and seem to have all the fittings in place. From what I can make of the USPS web site shipping could be had for about $US55 for express shipping 4-10 days. So that would be about US$200 all up or about AU$270. The saving for economy shipping is only about US$10.

We just need to convince a local plastic manufacturer to have a go.


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## Doc (5/1/06)

I got a catalog sent to me from Minibrew just before Xmas.
I remember looking at the prices then filing the catalog in the "one day" pile.
I can dig it out tonight and post the prices if you wish Ross.

Beers,
Doc


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## Ross (5/1/06)

Doc said:


> I got a catalog sent to me from Minibrew just before Xmas.
> I remember looking at the prices then filing the catalog in the "one day" pile.
> I can dig it out tonight and post the prices if you wish Ross.
> 
> ...



Thanks Doc,

i've emailed them to see if there's an Aussie distributor or whether they'd like one... if they're made in China, would be nice to get a direct shipment here...
I'll keep you posted...

cheers Ross


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## Asher (5/1/06)

I found a local fabricator for plastic conicals in WA....
would need to add a side entry point for racking though.

Its on my to-do list once the brewery is recomissioned at my new joint.

cone bottom tanks

I like the look of the 100litre measuring cone bottom. A couple of these side by side in an old glass doored drinks fridge is the plan....

Asher for now


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## Ash in Perth (26/8/06)

Has any one got anywhere with these?

Who makes all the normal fermenters? Surely if enoguh people wanted them they could make it a bit bigger and with a conical base. we could make out own stands easily enough. Maybe thicker plastic, better lids and stronger threadings to tape 1/2" stainless fittings.


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## shotduck (27/8/06)

Ash in Perth said:


> Who makes all the normal fermenters? Surely if enoguh people wanted them they could make it a bit bigger and with a conical base.





Tried that approach a few years back with two different manufacturers of the screw-lid fermenters. An ungodly amount of $$$$ for the die, and a minimum run of 30,000 units... kind of put the brakes on that idea.


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## facter (27/8/06)

Ash in Perth said:


> Has any one got anywhere with these?
> 
> Who makes all the normal fermenters? Surely if enoguh people wanted them they could make it a bit bigger and with a conical base. we could make out own stands easily enough. Maybe thicker plastic, better lids and stronger threadings to tape 1/2" stainless fittings.



Ash, Im in Perth and would be willing to do some kind of experiment with something like this to see what could be done ...


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## Guest Lurker (27/8/06)

Ash in Perth said:


> Has any one got anywhere with these?



I think Asher was heldup by 1) checking out the aspect ratios (fermenter height to width, in theory those conicals are a bit tall and narrow for ideal fermenting conditions, in reality who knows) and 2) his honeymoon in Belgium.


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## Ash in Perth (27/8/06)

This is probably the only thing that makes me wish i lived in america.. they can get what ever they want for homebrewing.


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## Ash in Perth (28/8/06)

how do you think this would go? id thoguht about thios before but its so much easier when some one does it for you. I dont tihnk the angle would be very useful but its a good effort!

http://www.fermentap.com/valvekit.html


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## shotduck (28/8/06)

Ash in Perth said:


> how do you think this would go? id thoguht about thios before but its so much easier when some one does it for you. I dont tihnk the angle would be very useful but its a good effort!
> http://www.fermentap.com/valvekit.html



The angle is definately all wrong using a 23 Litre glass fermenter. You would get better use with an upturned wine demijohn, but then the glass is so thin in those that any krausen blocking the gas relief tubing would likely result in a 25 litre bottle bomb.

Quack,
TSD


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## chimera (28/8/06)

Looked at the fermentap things ash, they got many a mention some years back. Since then nobody local seems to stock them, which makes me wonder if maybe they fell out of favour.


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## Asher (1/1/07)

finally... My 100 litre plastic cylindroconical tank (will only use it for 60l though)




SS 3piece valves & rotatable racking tube
temp controlled fridge - its a tight fit... Welded up some brackes so the tank just slides in where the old shelving was

Asher for now


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## Ross (1/1/07)

Asher said:


> finally... My 100 litre plastic cylindroconical tank (will only use it for 60l though)
> 
> View attachment 10715
> 
> ...



awesome asher :super: , what were the costs involved please? makes my 25l one look like a kids toy...

cheers ross


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## FNQ Bunyip (1/1/07)

Oh behold, that is just awsome !

Fan didilly tastic ....

:beer:


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## Asher (1/1/07)

Quick cost breakdown:

Tank - $260
SS valves, tube and compression fitting - $75
Fridge - $50
Dixell Temp Controller - $90
Misc steelwork $25

Bit of work to do yet...
Need to fit a tube through the roof of the fridge for an airlock outside. This will also be used to pump CO2 back into fermenter for beer transfer to kegs...

Asher for now


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## JasonY (1/1/07)

Looks great Asher, room in there for expansion to the brewery as well . Hope those wheels on the bottom of the fridge are strong.


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## pbrosnan (1/1/07)

Asher said:


> Quick cost breakdown:
> 
> Tank - $260
> SS valves, tube and compression fitting - $75
> ...


 Hey Asher,

Very nice job. Was looking at Rota Molding's prices and the 100L is listed as $306. Any reason why yours was $206?

Whoops meant $260


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## fixa (1/1/07)

Dude, that is sweet!!!


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## Duff (1/1/07)

Quick cost breakdown:

Tank - $260
SS valves, tube and compression fitting - $75
Fridge - $50
Dixell Temp Controller - $90
Misc steelwork $25

Temple where fellow HB'ers can come and worship - Priceless

Great stuff :beerbang:


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## Guest Lurker (1/1/07)

Creative work on the door shaping. How does the hanging rack stick to the fermenter?


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## tangent (1/1/07)

as AHB members, I think it's our duty to source these in each state and territory of our wide brown land with some green bits, girt by sea. :beer: 

what's the cheapest manufacturer in a heap of locations to save on freight. thanks to Asher i've found my 2007 project


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## Asher (1/1/07)

> Like GL said, how do you get the hanging rack on to the fermenter?



The tank comes with brass threads (three on each side) moulded into the cylinder wall so it can be mounted onto a frame. The tank itself is about 8mm thick plastic. Inside the tank there are smooth lumps where the brass threads are. so no problems sterilising or cleaning






> Was looking at Rota Molding's prices and the 100L is listed as $306


I was expecting to pay that price but the dude only wanted $260 for a cash sale. Still got an invoice and that price included GST ....

Asher for now


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## Goat (1/1/07)

great work Asher - very impressive!!!

Do you ever just sit around and watch telly or drink beer?


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## Asher (15/1/07)

Commissioning....
Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale


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## Doc (15/1/07)

One word .....
SWEET

top job Asher.

Doc


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## AndrewQLD (15/1/07)

Asher, that looks fantastic.

Why is it only half full? Such a nice beer, sooo much room. Fill it up, fill it up :lol: .

Cheers
Andrew


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## kook (15/1/07)

Awesome stuff Asher!


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## johnno (15/1/07)

Bloody noice!

Missed the 1 Jan post.

Even better to see it working away.

cheers
johnno


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## Screwtop (15/1/07)

Asher said:


> Commissioning....
> Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale
> View attachment 11014




Whats keeping it supported in the fridge Ash? Cant see any stand/supports. And yeah fill it up, half full = half empty.

Cheers.


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## Asher (16/1/07)

Screwtop said:


> Whats keeping it supported in the fridge Ash? Cant see any stand/supports. And yeah fill it up, half full = half empty.
> 
> Cheers.



Tank has brass threads cast into plastic to attach to any frame.... I welded up a couple of plates with 3 cleats on each side and bolted to the tank. These match the old fridge shelving slots - So it just slots in c/w minor height adjustments 

Asher


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## mobrien (16/1/07)

So who is organising the QLD bulk buy?!

M


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## Ross (16/1/07)

mobrien said:


> So who is organising the QLD bulk buy?!
> 
> M



Here's one for you Batz...  


Cheers Ross


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## pokolbinguy (5/10/07)

Ross said:


> Here's one for you Batz...
> Cheers Ross




Was there any movement on a bulk buy for these babies... looks like a nice option, especially considering the size.

Cheers, Pok


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## kevnlis (16/10/07)

Asher said:


> finally... My 100 litre plastic cylindroconical tank (will only use it for 60l though)
> 
> View attachment 10715
> 
> ...



Asher, do you know the model and size of that fridge? I have a 210L that looks exactly the same...


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## Vlad the Pale Aler (28/1/08)

Rotamoulding have added a few more conicals to the collection.
Capacities and dimensions look more brewer friendly.

click me, go on, you know you want to


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## rotamoulding (21/2/08)

Hello, I am Troy Coulthard - Sales Manager of Rota Moulding WA
I was looking at my web page statistics and came across this site.
If there is any information I can provide or you have any idea's for me, I am all ears
I was always was under the impression that you needed a totally sealed tank for brewing (while I drink Beer, I don't understand the process)
While our cone bottoms do have a breathable lid at the point of sale, the can be manufactured without a lid

Regards
Troy


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## olskoolsoulja (21/2/08)

Hi Troy,

Make them cheaper!!  

I thought the price was good. Cheers Troy. I bought one off you yesterday . Cant wait to get back to Aust to use it.

Rich


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## FNQ Bunyip (21/2/08)

hi Troy and wellcome, one of the mods will put you in as a retailer ..

its great too see a company taking the right steps too satisfy its potential customers..

Good job..

cheers


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## pokolbinguy (21/2/08)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> Hello, I am Troy Coulthard - Sales Manager of Rota Moulding WA
> I was looking at my web page statistics and came across this site.
> If there is any information I can provide or you have any idea's for me, I am all ears
> I was always was under the impression that you needed a totally sealed tank for brewing (while I drink Beer, I don't understand the process)
> ...




Well seeing the Sales Manager of Rota Moulding is all ears maybe a bulk buy could become a viable option?

For those who are using one of Rota Moulding's conicals what modification was needed to get it ready for brewing?

Pok


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## Quintrex (21/2/08)

pokolbinguy said:


> Well seeing the Sales Manager of Rota Moulding is all ears maybe a bulk buy could become a viable option?
> 
> For those who are using one of Rota Moulding's conicals what modification was needed to get it ready for brewing?
> 
> Pok



Would it be better to see if we could get a side racking port in the design and potentially a 90deg bend for the bottom dumb valve?

Or maybe its just easy to stick with the current design and fit after-market mods

I guess Asher would be best to ask seeing as he has modded one already.

Any mods you'd like to see on the stock model Asher?

Q


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## Goat (21/2/08)

Asher has a beauty here (post 18) - but I don't think he had to do much modification, other than taps.

PM him, he's always happy to give advice.


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## olskoolsoulja (21/2/08)

Hi,
Can you make your own rotating racking arm? Does someone have a link?


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## crozdog (21/2/08)

I agree with the "make em cheaper comment" particularly when you see the price in the USA. For example in the US a 15gallon costs $70 while your 60l is $290.
checkout http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.a...oduct%5Fid=3863
(Sorry the insert link button wasn't showing when I posted this so copy & paste into your browser)

A threaded port to which standard valves / fittings screw into on the base of the cone would be of great benefit. As would a rotating racking port on the side of the cone.

My ideal would be a jacketed setup ie a vessel inside a vessle so it could be insulated and have heating / cooling liquid pumped around the jacket - just like a commercial cycloconical  

A special AHB deal or bulk buy would be interesting.


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## therook (21/2/08)

What's so good about a conical that you cant do in a normal fermenter.

Rook


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## Cracka (21/2/08)

therook said:


> What's so good about a conical that you cant do in a normal fermenter.
> 
> Rook





+2


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## Goat (21/2/08)

My understanding is that the main advantage is that you can dump yeast and so then Cold Conditioning in the same vessel without racking etc.


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## the_fuzz (21/2/08)

therook said:


> What's so good about a conical that you cant do in a normal fermenter.
> 
> Rook



Very simple to harvest your yeast and they look great, but apart from that, I do not think there is much else?


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## Linz (21/2/08)

why not look here and rip it??

http://www.minibrew.com/index.php?main_pag...dex&cPath=5


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## kook (21/2/08)

therook said:


> What's so good about a conical that you cant do in a normal fermenter.
> 
> Rook



- Cold break separation prior to pitching if you're using a counterflow or plate chiller
- Cleaner yeast collection (can dump trub first, collecting the layer you want)
- Trub removal before conditioning without racking
- Dry hop, fruit, vegetable or spice removal without racking


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## Tim F (21/2/08)

kook said:


> - Cold break separation prior to pitching if you're using a counterflow or plate chiller
> - Cleaner yeast collection (can dump trub first, collecting the layer you want)
> - Trub removal before conditioning without racking
> - Dry hop, fruit, vegetable or spice removal without racking



So you pretty much just open the bottom tap and drain out the trub and yeast at the appropriate times? Don't you still get some sticking to the bottom?
Anyone know any good links for more info?


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## newguy (21/2/08)

therook said:


> What's so good about a conical that you cant do in a normal fermenter.



As others have said, less handling of the beer by the brewer. That means less chance of infection and less chance of aeration. No siphoning is a BIG advantage. Just put your keg under the conical, open the valve and let it go (attach a hose too of course).

For harvesting yeast, I've read in a few different places that a 60 degree cone is optimal. To harvest yeast, simply sanitise the bottom port, put a sterilised vessel under it, and open the valve a bit. To remove the yeast from the vessel, do the same thing until beer starts to come out. You have to close & open the valve quite a few times to allow the yeast to fall down into the bottom, but it works great.

Besides, conicals are what almost every commercial brewery use, so they must have an advantage.


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## Hutch (21/2/08)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> Hello, I am Troy Coulthard - Sales Manager of Rota Moulding WA
> I was looking at my web page statistics and came across this site.
> If there is any information I can provide or you have any idea's for me, I am all ears
> I was always was under the impression that you needed a totally sealed tank for brewing (while I drink Beer, I don't understand the process)
> ...


G'day Troy, and thanks for showing an interest in us as potential customers.

One of the cone-bottom tanks you supply (SP100CBM) seems an ideal width for most home-brewers, as it's narrow enough to easily fit in a standard fridge (as Asher has quite successfully shown above). The only problem with this size that I see is that it's just too tall for most brewers (not many of us will ever need ~100Ltrs capacity!).

So it seems to me that there would be significant interest in a tank of say 40-60Ltrs capacity, with the same width (39cm), making it roughly 60 - 70cms tall.
I'm keen to hear what others think of this size, as it would certainly be less expensive.

Cheers,
Hutch.


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## Fatgodzilla (21/2/08)

newguy said:


> As others have said, less handling of the beer by the brewer. That means less chance of infection and less chance of aeration. No siphoning is a BIG advantage. Just put your keg under the conical, open the valve and let it go (attach a hose too of course).
> 
> For harvesting yeast, I've read in a few different places that a 60 degree cone is optimal. To harvest yeast, simply sanitise the bottom port, put a sterilised vessel under it, and open the valve a bit. To remove the yeast from the vessel, do the same thing until beer starts to come out. You have to close & open the valve quite a few times to allow the yeast to fall down into the bottom, but it works great.
> 
> Besides, conicals are what almost every commercial brewery use, so they must have an advantage.




So, thinking outside the square, if we bunged up the standard fermenter outlet and put a new one in the base of our fermenter, apart from a stand to sit the fermenter on (read milk crate with a few new holes in it) we should in theory make a fermenter that will allow us to drain our yeast just like a conical ?


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## Quintrex (21/2/08)

Fatgodzilla said:


> So, thinking outside the square, if we bunged up the standard fermenter outlet and put a new one in the base of our fermenter, apart from a stand to sit the fermenter on (read milk crate with a few new holes in it) we should in theory make a fermenter that will allow us to drain our yeast just like a conical ?



It's not angled though. The yeast/trub won't magically feed to the centre hole, that is why the 60 degree angle is important as this funnels the majority of sediment towards the dump pipe.
The funneled bit also is advantageous as you typically have a racking port above it, which allows the brewer to draw off extra clear brew, while losing less volume of liquid underneath it because it is funneled. Does this make sense? I think I have expressed it extremely clumsily.. :unsure:


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## sathid (21/2/08)

except the bottom will be flat, (or more likely, have small indents that are below the tap outlet) and thus will not be able to get all of the yeast/trub out of the tap.

The main difference with a conical is that the outlet is the lowest point of the tank.

edit: beaten by Quintrex


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## troydo (21/2/08)

not really as a fermenter bottom is flat.. you would siphon an initial bit of yeast then just a mixture of yeast and beer would be sucked from the surrounding area. with a conical bottom the yeast is the bottom layer and all of that bottom layer would fall/be sucked out.

Edit: beaten twice!


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## newguy (21/2/08)

B) Three posts, each a minute apart, each saying the same thing. What are the chances of that happening again?


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## troydo (21/2/08)

lots of bored folk around


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## Vlad the Pale Aler (21/2/08)

Hi Troy, thanks for dropping by.
The conical fermenter is not essential for small scale brewing, but is highly desirable at the right price.
There are several considerations to make if you wish to cater for the home craftbrewer.
The size of the unit must fit into a domestic fridge, we used temperature controlled fridges to ferment in.
Capacities of increments of 20 litres plus about 20% headspace would be ideal.
An air tight removable lid, that would be able to take enough applied CO2 pressure to force the beer through a filter.
An optional stand.
The inside of the conical would have to be free of any ledges or threads where germs could collect, and be of a scratch resistant food grade poly.
A cone of 60 degrees.
Would it be possible to incorporate a Tri-Clover fitting in the bottom for the cone for the attachment of the dump valve, and the same for the racking arm.
As you may have guessed by now homebrewers are a bunch of tightarses, so maybe the cost could be lowered by reducing the thickness of the poly, I think its around 8mm at present.

Looking forward to your comments.


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## BusinessTime (21/2/08)

Quintrex said:


> It's not angled though. The yeast/trub won't magically feed to the centre hole, that is why the 60 degree angle is important as this funnels the majority of sediment towards the dump pipe.
> The funneled bit also is advantageous as you typically have a racking port above it, which allows the brewer to draw off extra clear brew, while losing less volume of liquid underneath it because it is funneled. Does this make sense? I think I have expressed it extremely clumsily.. :unsure:



This may be too simple but couldn't you chock up a standard fermenter on an angle so the yeast pools over the bung (in a similar way to what i've seen ppl do when bottling from a fermenter)? I know it's not as good as a conical just an idea (2c).


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## hando (16/7/09)

No sign of Troy!

I think a 30litre size would be fantastic with all the other bits mentioned before about thinning the walls etc.


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## scott_penno (16/7/09)

Something like this but maybe marginally (OK, quite a bit) smaller...

sap.


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## Hogan (16/7/09)

Here's Troys web page but he seems to have forgotten about us.


Cheers, Hoges.


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## rotamoulding (31/7/09)

No haven't forgotten, just busy. I had an email from someone here I think and this has got me thinking, I am planning to build a mould next month and would like some feedback
Bassicly its a new 40lt Cone bottom 300mm diameter x around 800mm high the bottom of the cone will have a small flat section to allow for a flanged outlet or we can drill and tap the thickness of the tank ( the bottom being around 12mm) and then cut down the fitting that screws in it to allow for drainage.

The top




will be the same as this tank, with a 75mm cap with oring and a 3 x 15mm female threads

Let me know your thoughts and Ideas please

Regards
Troy Coulthard


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## Goat (31/7/09)

Sounds very interesting Troy - look forward to seeing the final product. 

A couple of comments:

- Is it possible to make the lid like / or the same as a fermenter lid (like this: http://www.homebru.com.au/images/Web%20100_1259.jpg ) - cleaning would be a lot easier than a 75 dia cap - you need to get your arm in there to clean off the yeast and trub stuck to the sides. 

- Is it difficult to add height to the fermenter. A lot of people I know brew double or triple batches of 60L. 40 will fit in two corny kegs (19L each) but there are losses of a few litres and as Vlad said some time ago, clear head space is essential for the krausen (bubbly head of yeast on top of the liquid). Therefore a 60L brew + 20% head space would equate to 72L capacity fermenter.


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## Thirsty Boy (31/7/09)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> No haven't forgotten, just busy. I had an email from someone here I think and this has got me thinking, I am planning to build a mould next month and would like some feedback
> Bassicly its a new 40lt Cone bottom 300mm diameter x around 800mm high the bottom of the cone will have a small flat section to allow for a flanged outlet or we can drill and tap the thickness of the tank ( the bottom being around 12mm) and then cut down the fitting that screws in it to allow for drainage.
> 
> The top
> ...



That picture puts me in mind of something else I have seen - the party kegs you make out of plastic garden sprayers.

The tank in that picture doesn't look a whole heap of distance away from a corny keg ... and there is a market out there for corny kegs, especially little ones. If someone was to make a 9 or 10 litre plastic version of a cornie keg... and the cost was significantly less than the $150+ that you would pay for a stainless version.

I can convert a garden sprayer into a small keg for a total of about $30-35 and an hour or two of work ... I would easily pay twice that for one that was purpose made and that cost me no time/effort. I am no stainless snob either and would consider full sized plastic "kegs" if the price point was right.

TB


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## Thirsty Boy (31/7/09)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> No haven't forgotten, just busy. I had an email from someone here I think and this has got me thinking, I am planning to build a mould next month and would like some feedback
> Bassicly its a new 40lt Cone bottom 300mm diameter x around 800mm high the bottom of the cone will have a small flat section to allow for a flanged outlet or we can drill and tap the thickness of the tank ( the bottom being around 12mm) and then cut down the fitting that screws in it to allow for drainage.
> 
> The top
> ...



That picture puts me in mind of something else I have seen - the party kegs you make out of plastic garden sprayers.

The tank in that picture doesn't look a whole heap of distance away from a corny keg ... and there is a market out there for corny kegs, especially little ones. If someone was to make a 9 or 10 litre plastic version of a cornie keg... and the cost was significantly less than the $150+ that you would pay for a stainless version.

I can convert a garden sprayer into a small keg for a total of about $30-35 and an hour or two of work ... I would easily pay twice that for one that was purpose made and that cost me no time/effort. I am no stainless snob either and would consider full sized plastic "kegs" if the price point was right.

TB


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## blekk (11/9/09)

Hi all,

Long time reader, first time poster... Read this thread awhile back and couldn't resist giving it a go. 




This is one of their 40lt tanks with a 255mm screw in lid. The fittings are 1 1/4" reducing to a 3/4" ball valve (actual diameter of internal flow of the ball valve is around 12mm), all 316 S/S. Hose tails to come cos' I ordered the wrong size by mistake :blink: Slowly putting together bits and pieces (uni and work taking up a lot of time), but should be good to go into a 144lt bar fridge once I'm finished. Let me know what you guys think

Cheers.


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## Leigh (11/9/09)

Looks good Blair. Can you give an idea of how much this set you back and how much effort went into kitting the conical tank up?

Cheers


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## blekk (11/9/09)

Leigh said:


> Looks good Blair. Can you give an idea of how much this set you back and how much effort went into kitting the conical tank up?
> 
> Cheers



The tank cost $264 that included shipping from Perth to Brisbane and the 2 drilled/tapped holes which they did for me (racking is 90mm up the side from drain). The 6 316 fittings were $68.49 inclusive of shipping. Forgot to mention that the tanks are food grade and chemical safe hence the price.

Cheers


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## Leigh (11/9/09)

Thanks Blair


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## seravitae (11/9/09)

Not bad i can say in the future I would be interested in a single batch (~30-40L) conical myself, but at the moment at that price I can't justify it.

Not that I'm saying the price is necessarily bad, moulds and such for plastic making are hideously expensive.

not to sidetrack much from these beautiful pieces of equipment, but I am wondering if it may be cheaper to buy a standard fermentor, find a company with (or to produce) some large funnels, and ultrasonically weld them together. Might not be as strong for the huge triple and quad batches but a good ultrasonic weld should be fine for singles and probably doubles. Or maybe offer it as a kit with three parts, the cylindrical section with a lip, a food grade gasket, and a conical bottom that you can bolt together with a lip. Would be cheaper to produce and slightly cheaper to ship.


----------



## Leigh (11/9/09)

Thirsty Boy wrote a how-to on exactly what you are suggesting sera. There was also another person did similar recently. 

The link in the first post is to a thread by Thirsty Boy http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=12015

This is the more recent one http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=34065

[edit] to add some links


----------



## SJW (11/9/09)

For the right price I would be very interested in a 30-40 litre conical fermenter. Something about the size of a std fermenter soit will fit in a bar fridge.

Steve


----------



## OzMick (11/9/09)

I like the idea of a purpose built flanged plastic funnel / cylinder arrangement. I'd pay a modest amount for that.


----------



## Gout (17/9/09)

I bought one of the 100Lt units, it made it to melbourne safe and now lives on my lounge floor  when i get some time i am going to weld a frame to fit in the fridge. I need to work out the taps next, and how to attatch them.


----------



## crozdog (18/9/09)

Gout said:


> I bought one of the 100Lt units, it made it to melbourne safe and now lives on my lounge floor  when i get some time i am going to weld a frame to fit in the fridge. I need to work out the taps next, and how to attatch them.


Asher did the same a while back. Do a google search of the site & you'll find he posted some engineering type drawings of how he set up a racking arm and the bottom dump valve.


----------



## seravitae (18/9/09)

> Thirsty Boy wrote a how-to on exactly what you are suggesting sera. There was also another person did similar recently.
> 
> The link in the first post is to a thread by Thirsty Boy http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=12015
> 
> ...




Yeah i checked these out, however I didn't really like the idea of making silicone seals and such. I'd much rather prefer a solid gasket and a bolt down clamp system or something. just a bit of healthy paranoia


----------



## Gout (18/9/09)

i sent Asher a pm but he must be busy as i didnt get much back. I will try google and work it out. Should be good once its working


----------



## crozdog (19/9/09)

Gout said:


> i sent Asher a pm but he must be busy as i didnt get much back. I will try google and work it out. Should be good once its working



Gout,

I found some info for you

pic on post #18 http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...?showtopic=3628
costs on post#21 http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...=3628&st=20
plans on post #4 http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=21101 there is more good info in this thread

Beers

Croz


----------



## notung (22/9/09)

Following this thread with a good deal of interest. I'm chalking up the years on my fermenters, and considering options. The better bottle looks all right, but if there were 30-40L conical tanks going I would prefer paying a little bit more to mod one of those...


----------



## crozdog (22/9/09)

notung said:


> Following this thread with a good deal of interest. I'm chalking up the years on my fermenters, and considering options. The better bottle looks all right, but if there were 30-40L conical tanks going I would prefer paying a little bit more to mod one of those...



http://www.rotamoulding.com.au/Cone_Tanks.htm has 40l units - no affiliation blah blah


----------



## Spoonta (10/12/09)

would a fiber glass conical work or is that just a shit eye deer


----------



## raven19 (10/12/09)

Spoonta said:


> would a fiber glass conical work or is that just a shit eye deer



The only question in my opinion would be 'is it food safe?'

Fibreglass has an awful smell to it, not sure if this would leach into your wort or not though... I would not be tempting it myself personally.

2c.


----------



## fitnessfan (10/12/09)

In aquaculture food grade fibreglass resins are available so I don't see why not. I personally would stick with plastic though.


----------



## Spoonta (10/12/09)

you can get a food grade gel coat goes ont to the mold before the fiber glass so was hopping that would be ok thay use it when making some wine vats


----------



## Gout (10/12/09)

i assume the plastic would be better in the case of knocks and bumps - and much lighter. 

maybe better to work with also (when attatching taps etc)... and cheaper?

I have never worked on F.glass so i could be wrong on all the above


----------



## Spoonta (10/12/09)

I am going to give it a go as I work in the frp industiry it will not cost me much to make a mould and product if it works great if it dont oh well I have lost a bit of time and mybe $50 bucks so we are not talking sheep stashions are we


----------



## pbrosnan (10/12/09)

blair said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Long time reader, first time poster... Read this thread awhile back and couldn't resist giving it a go.
> 
> ...



Hi Leigh,

That's a nice simple, clean looking unit. How did it go fitting in the fridge?

cheers

Patrick.


----------



## rotamoulding (3/2/10)

Hello, Troy from Rota moulding here,
We are going ahead with a 35lt Cone bottom tank mould
it will be around 700 - 800mm high and 300mm in diameter

the lid idea we have is a screwed with oring 170mm opening to allow you to get in and clean it
How much pressure is the tank under in the process?

2 mount bolts down each side
And have calibration markings 
Cost will be around the $150 mark, I hope
Regards
Troy


----------



## Kleiny (3/2/10)

Post some pics Troy im sure there will be plenty of interest on here.


----------



## yardy (3/2/10)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> Hello, Troy from Rota moulding here,
> We are going ahead with a 35lt Cone bottom tank mould
> it will be around 700 - 800mm high and 300mm in diameter
> 
> ...



Gday Troy,

+1 on the pics and any idea of approx postage costs to the east coast ?

Cheers

Dave


----------



## katzke (3/2/10)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> How much pressure is the tank under in the process?



Not supposed to be any pressure. The vessel is vented to let the CO2 escape.

Not sure how everyone feels about the bolts. Most that I have seen just set in a ring base, the ring being just smaller then the tank. US Plastics has a line that is popular over here. I may still have the link if you need it just PM me.


----------



## mxd (3/2/10)

sounds good, be watching this one.


----------



## winkle (3/2/10)

I'm interested unless postage is a killer


----------



## komodo (3/2/10)

Katzke dont some people with conicals carbonate in them? if so I would have though 200kpa / 30 PSI would be enough with a safety?


----------



## pbrosnan (3/2/10)

Yes sounds good Troy, what's the ETA?


----------



## benno1973 (3/2/10)

Komodo said:


> Katzke dont some people with conicals carbonate in them? if so I would have though 200kpa / 30 PSI would be enough with a safety?



I'd assume that if you're carbonating within a conical, you'd want to be serving from the same conical which would mean disconnects and diptubes being incorporated into the design? Which would increase the overall cost?


----------



## Hutch (3/2/10)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> How much pressure is the tank under in the process?


Sounds great Troy.
Although fermentation is generally not done under presure, some may want to force-carb in the conical, and others may wish to force filter. Filtering typically is done under relatively low pressure (20-40kPa), however carbing requires 100-150kPa at serving temps (higher for rapid carbing. I don't think that this would be feasibly for a plastic vessel, however the 20-40kPA would certainly be a requirement for many brewers filtering.

Very keen to get one of these. Keep us posted.
Hutch.


----------



## pbrosnan (3/2/10)

Hutch said:


> Sounds great Troy.
> Although fermentation is generally not done under presure, some may want to force-carb in the conical, and others may wish to force filter. Filtering typically is done under relatively low pressure (20-40kPa), however carbing requires 100-150kPa at serving temps (higher for rapid carbing. I don't think that this would be feasibly for a plastic vessel, however the 20-40kPA would certainly be a requirement for many brewers filtering.
> 
> Very keen to get one of these. Keep us posted.
> Hutch.


Does anyone actually do this, force carb in the fermenter? I do it in the keg. If you're bottling then bottle condition will be the rule.


----------



## Hutch (3/2/10)

pbrosnan said:


> Does anyone actually do this, force carb in the fermenter? I do it in the keg. If you're bottling then bottle condition will be the rule.


I agree - most of us don't really have the means to carb in our cheap plastic fermenters, however maybe if it were possible to do it without risking damage to the vessel, then some would want to go this way. Can't see why this would be preferable to doing it in the keg, and avoiding excessive foaming when transferring carbed beer. 

Then again, I presume that commercial brewers do it this way.


----------



## notung (3/2/10)

Looking forward to the next update Troy.


----------



## rotamoulding (3/2/10)

At Best the tank will hold 5 psi, I am thinking


----------



## Vlad the Pale Aler (3/2/10)

Do they come with any fittings, like a dump valve and racking arm?


----------



## OzMick (3/2/10)

Hutch said:


> Then again, I presume that commercial brewers do it this way.



You'll find most do it in a similar manner to this: http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5842600/claims.html

Inline injection of CO2, but probably outside the realms of reality on a small scale...


----------



## wakkatoo (3/2/10)

subscribed  

Would definately be interested in one of these Troy. Was thinking the other day I needed to upgrade my fermenters...


----------



## pbrosnan (3/2/10)

Vlad the Pale Aler said:


> Do they come with any fittings, like a dump valve and racking arm?


It's only $150 bucks remember. But it would be good to get an idea of what sort of fitting it would receive.


----------



## Hutch (2/3/10)

Any update on this Mr Cone Bottom?


----------



## Thirsty Boy (3/3/10)

cone angle?? needs to be 30 degrees (from vertical) for the yeast to slip down it properly - less sorta works but it "should" be 30 degrees.


----------



## rotamoulding (26/3/10)

Mold is made and the first one was made today






There will 2 sizes , this one that is around 15lt 500mm heigh x 300mm in diam
and a 35lt version that is 800mm heigh and same diam, the cone section will remain the same just the middle gets longer
we could make another longer section if people wish

the pointy bit on the cone allows us to tap a thread into it of what size people want, this has a 25mm thread in it now
no idea of price as yet but it will be around $100- $150 for the tanks I guess, it has the threaded inserts in the side for bolts and we intend to make a stand
more pics and info next week

Regards Troy


----------



## praxis178 (26/3/10)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> Mold is made and the first one was made today
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Cool, I'd be interested in something in the 50-60L range. 25mm thread should be ok, common and lots of matching fittings in SS.


----------



## gava (26/3/10)

nice! If you want anyone to give it a test  i'll put my hand up..


----------



## gava (12/4/10)

Any movment on theses?


----------



## pbrosnan (12/4/10)

Just tried to use their feedback form but on submit it required me to enter a username and password?? Anyway the gist of it was:

Hi there,

Been seeing some posts from a Mr Cone Bottom (aka Troy) on AHB. Just wondered if you have an update on the pricing and ETA of the plastic conicals?

Hope someone sees this.


----------



## rotamoulding (16/4/10)

We now have these tanks available for sale
Special price for brewing - 15L $110 (RRP $143), 30L $140 (RRP $198)
The lid is seal with an o-ring and can handle 15 psi, the bottom is threaded to 25mm
15lt - Height - 490mm 30lt - Height - 770mm


----------



## winkle (16/4/10)

Looking good!
And now for my reality check - sigh - what's the freight cost?


----------



## komodo (16/4/10)

freight to melbourne?


----------



## ampy (16/4/10)

Komodo said:


> freight to melbourne?



+1


----------



## dabre4 (16/4/10)

ampy said:


> +1


 +2

Is that angle 60? It looks less, by could be just me.


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

hi all,

sorry dont want to piss on anybodys party but, why do i want one of these? ok i can suck off (he he) the spent yeast? but for the cost couldnt i filter or rack? (costs considered). i posted y'day (on another topic) half cut and maybe misundestood then, but i'm fully cut now, and dont understand how i would benefit from a conical ferementer @ home purposes. will happily be proven otherwise, any suggestions.

cheers
matt


----------



## Siborg (16/4/10)

looks pretty cool. I'd consider one of those 30L ones. How much would freight to Melb be?


----------



## Siborg (16/4/10)

thesunsettree said:


> hi all,
> 
> sorry dont want to piss on anybodys party but, why do i want one of these? ok i can suck off (he he) the spent yeast? but for the cost couldnt i filter or rack? (costs considered). i posted y'day (on another topic) half cut and maybe misundestood then, but i'm fully cut now, and dont understand how i would benefit from a conical ferementer @ home purposes. will happily be proven otherwise, any suggestions.
> 
> ...


because they look cool


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

Siborg said:


> because they look cool




agreed, they definately do look great

matt


----------



## dabre4 (16/4/10)

thesunsettree said:


> hi all,
> 
> sorry dont want to piss on anybodys party but, why do i want one of these? ok i can suck off (he he) the spent yeast? but for the cost couldnt i filter or rack? (costs considered). i posted y'day (on another topic) half cut and maybe misundestood then, but i'm fully cut now, and dont understand how i would benefit from a conical ferementer @ home purposes. will happily be proven otherwise, any suggestions.
> 
> ...



Main advantage is because you don't have to bother racking to secondary, the whole lot is done in the one fermented. Thats one less vessel to sanitise, siphon to, clean, etc. You can culture some yeast for the next brew, and its as easy as opening a tap.  Also because its fun seeing all that yeast oozing out the bottom valve! I made one of these a while back (http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=34065), and got three brews out of before the silicon start to give way. I loved it, theres something much nicer about it, and once its fermenting you can just let it be until youre ready to rack to the kegs (with a few yeast dumps in between).


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

Siborg said:


> because they look cool




but whats the benefit?

cheers
matt


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

Doog said:


> Main advantage is because you don't have to bother racking to secondary, the whole lot is done in the one fermented. That's one less vessel to sanitise, siphon to, clean, etc. You can culture some yeast for the next brew, and it's as easy as opening a tap. Also because it's fun seeing all that yeast oozing out the bottom valve! I made one of these a while back (http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=34065), and got three brews out of before the silicon start to give way. I loved it, there's something much nicer about it, and once its fermenting you can just let it be until you're ready to rack to the kegs (with a few yeast dumps in between).




yeah, but (i succesfully) dont rack to a secondary

cheers
matt


----------



## rotamoulding (16/4/10)

The main cone bit is at 90 deg acute angle (45deg)
freight door to door via TNT is $40 to Melbourne Metro
Regards
Troy


----------



## dabre4 (16/4/10)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> We now have these tanks available for sale
> Special price for brewing - 15L $110 (RRP $143), 30L $140 (RRP $198)
> The lid is seal with an o-ring and can handle 15 psi, the bottom is threaded to 25mm
> 15lt - Height - 490mm 30lt - Height - 770mm



Do these have threaded hole to attached a racking valve around half way up the cone? Thats a pretty critical component!


----------



## rotamoulding (16/4/10)

no there is no holes beside the lid or 25mm outlet.
however we can drill and tap anywhere in the side wall to provide and outlet with sufficient thread to use


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

yes, but how will this improve my fermentation when i spend the extra $120. i know these conical ferementers will cost more to make so therefore more to sell, but what are the advantages?

cheers
matt


----------



## dabre4 (16/4/10)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> no there is no holes beside the lid or 25mm outlet.
> however we can drill and tap anywhere in the side wall to provide and outlet with sufficient thread to use



Cheers Troy. If you have a look on the web, all conical fermenters have a racking valve attached between 1/3 to half way up the edge of the cone, this allows clear beer to be removed from the fermenter when the time comes to kegging/bottling, away from any trub left in the bottom of the cone. Normally this would be a much smaller valve, around 1/2". 
If you ever make a V2, I recommend having a threaded section on the side, and increading the slop to 60C (this is another standard for conical fermenters)

Cheers.


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

Doog said:


> Cheers Troy. If you have a look on the web, all conical fermenters have a racking valve attached between 1/3 to half way up the edge of the cone, this allows clear beer to be removed from the fermenter when the time comes to kegging/bottling, away from any trub left in the bottom of the cone. Normally this would be a much smaller valve, around 1/2".
> If you ever make a V2, I recommend having a threaded section on the side, and increading the slop to 60C (this is another standard for conical fermenters)
> 
> Cheers.




umm, yeah but, but how will this improve my fermentation when i spend the extra $120. i know these conical ferementers will cost more to make so therefore more to sell, but what are the advantages?

cheers
matt


----------



## Thirsty Boy (16/4/10)

The advantage is there if you believe that beer needs to be separated from yeast as part of the process. If you don't think it does, then the advantage of a general conical fermenter is small. In the case of these particular fermenters though - considering they are pressurisable to 15psi, that opens up the possibility of their use as a unitank for lager beers at least, and it certainly makes them viable for transfers and filtering via C02 pressure.

I usually dont rack to secondary - but thats mainly because I dont think the exposure to oxygen and potential infection risk, is paid back by the benefits... in a conical I probably would drop the yeast at some point because doing so presents no downside, and it would perhaps help me to get a smoother filter run when I am transferring to keg.


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

Thirsty Boy said:


> The advantage is there if you believe that beer needs to be separated from yeast as part of the process. If you don't think it does, then the advantage of a general conical fermenter is small. In the case of these particular fermenters though - considering they are pressurisable to 15psi, that opens up the possibility of their use as a unitank for lager beers at least, and it certainly makes them viable for transfers and filtering via C02 pressure.
> 
> I usually dont rack to secondary - but thats mainly because I dont think the exposure to oxygen and potential infection risk, is paid back by the benefits... in a conical I probably would drop the yeast at some point because doing so presents no downside, and it would perhaps help me to get a smoother filter run when I am transferring to keg.




ok, thanks TB - someone 

lol, ignore


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

Thirsty Boy said:


> The advantage is there if you believe that beer needs to be separated from yeast as part of the process. If you don't think it does, then the advantage of a general conical fermenter is small. In the case of these particular fermenters though - considering they are pressurisable to 15psi, that opens up the possibility of their use as a unitank for lager beers at least, and it certainly makes them viable for transfers and filtering via C02 pressure.
> 
> I usually dont rack to secondary - but thats mainly because I dont think the exposure to oxygen and potential infection risk, is paid back by the benefits... in a conical I probably would drop the yeast at some point because doing so presents no downside, and it would perhaps help me to get a smoother filter run when I am transferring to keg.



ok, thanks TB, finally someone has given some sort of comment, thought it might come from the person plugging the product but anyway. so they may be of use for lager users and thats probably advantageous to them which is great. for ale brewers like me, perhaps dont worry??

cheers
matt


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

thesunsettree said:


> ok, thanks TB, finally someone has given some sort of comment, thought it might come from the person plugging the product but anyway. so they may be of use for lager users and thats probably advantageous to them which is great. for ale brewers like me, perhaps dont worry??
> 
> cheers
> matt



oh ok, thanks.you guys who are pitching this are offering no advice???

thanks
matt


----------



## jyo (16/4/10)

thesunsettree said:


> oh ok, thanks.you guys who are pitching this are offering no advice???
> 
> thanks
> matt



How pissed are you, Matt!


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

jyo said:


> How pissed are you, Matt!




a fair bit :icon_cheers: . but i'm still waiting for confirmation as to why i want one of these. if i'm missing something then great, i learn something new. but if not would i be wasting my money??

cheers
matt


----------



## peas_and_corn (16/4/10)

If you directed your eyes to the top of the page you would see that the person is not on the forum right now, so it doesn't matter how many times you ask, he isn't reading this thread right now.


----------



## jyo (16/4/10)

thesunsettree said:


> a fair bit :icon_cheers: . but i'm still waiting for confirmation as to why i want one of these. if i'm missing something then great, i learn something new. but if not would i be wasting my money??
> 
> cheers
> matt



I do like the idea of being able to take yeast during ferment without having to take the lid off. They do look cool also :icon_cheers:


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

peas_and_corn said:


> If you directed your eyes to the top of the page you would see that the person is not on the forum right now, so it doesn't matter how many times you ask, he isn't reading this thread right now.




i'm not necessarily asking the question of the plugger (however my first post was within a half an hour of the pluggers post, must have just missed him). however i was also requesting eveyones experiences, anything to add on the topic peas and corn??

matt


----------



## peas_and_corn (16/4/10)

Not really, I don't own one.


----------



## thesunsettree (16/4/10)

peas_and_corn said:


> Not really, I don't own one.




ok, thanks

matt


----------



## Kleiny (16/4/10)

thesunsettree said:


> i'm not necessarily asking the question of the plugger (however my first post was within a half an hour of the pluggers post, must have just missed him). however i was also requesting eveyones experiences, anything to add on the topic peas and corn??
> 
> matt



Matt

I dont think he is a plugger, a product was asked for in the first place and then he took the initiative to make the product. 

A conical fermenter allows the brewer to remove cold break and settled yeast from the bottom valve at will. Although it is not an absolute requirement of beer production it is said to help the clean flavor of lagers and to help basically rack a beer from primary to secondary without moving the actual volume. The removal of yeast also allow the vessel to be used for conditioning without leaving the beer on the yeast cake. Clearer beer at the end of the day by removing anything that settles out. 

You need to remember the product is mimicking the commercial setting and people like to be able to do what the big boys are doing although at a fraction of the cost ($140 for plastic $1000 for SS). If you dont know how conicals can benefit your brewing do some research, if you just dont want to spend the extra $$ dont. I use just the plain old plastic fermenters with great results but if i had a conical it would allow me to rack or separate or save some yeast. Think about it the big boys use a conical bottom for a reason.

Kleiny


----------



## wakkatoo (16/4/10)

What Kleiny said  

Around the corner from where I work is a business dealing in all sorts of stuff (manual handling, whatever that is :blink: )

I bought 2 30L screw top 'drums' with a seal for the lid, a thread to put a tap and moulded into the side, markings from 1-30L. Was most impressed with my find as they are only $16 each. All I have to do is drill a small hole in the lid for a grommet and airlock.

Really cheap and exactly what I need, for now.

If my brewing was at the stage that required it, I'd have one of the 30l conicals in a flash. They look great, are a fraction of the cost of stainless and they will improve my beer.

Perhaps most importantly, they appeal to my beer geek side. For now I will marvel at my $16 beauties, but I can guarantee I'll own a conical in the not-too-distant future.

oh, and no affliiations etc etc


----------



## manticle (16/4/10)

Sunsettree is now sleeping it off.


----------



## katzke (17/4/10)

Kleiny said:


> A conical fermenter allows the brewer to remove cold break and settled yeast from the bottom valve at will. Although it is not an absolute requirement of beer production it is said to help the clean flavor of lagers and to help basically rack a beer from primary to secondary without moving the actual volume. The removal of yeast also allow the vessel to be used for conditioning without leaving the beer on the yeast cake. Clearer beer at the end of the day by removing anything that settles out.
> 
> 
> Kleiny



All of this really only makes it easier to harvest yeast for reuse. And they look cool.

You would have to spend a lot of $ on conicals if you were going to leave your beer in them to age. I had 3 beers going last week, all ales. I can only imagine how many a dedicated lager brewer would need if they were going to only use them because it made it easy to rack with out moving the beer.

I do not use a conical fermentor so am only going on what I have been told by those that do. I do not recall hearing of anyone that has more then one. Maybe 2 but I sure do not remember anyone having 3 or more for the purpose of leaving their beer in them to age for weeks. I am sure with the numbers of home brewers out there someone does. There are also people out there that own their own jet instead of renting a seat like most of us do.

So if you harvest yeast or feel the need to rack off the yeast as soon as possible then get one.


----------



## Wolfy (17/4/10)

katzke said:


> All of this really only makes it easier to harvest yeast for reuse. And they look cool.


Actually if you have a CFC or plate chiller it would also be very useful to remove the cold break after it has settled.
I'll be interested to see how they go when people start using them, however the cost and logistics (size/shape would be more difficult to manage/maintain) means it has not yet made it to the top of my 'wish list'.


----------



## thesunsettree (17/4/10)

hi all,

thanks for the responses. and yes i was pissed and apologise for prattling on like a twit and hope i didnt offend anyone related to these fermenters. what i was trying to get at,in my own stupid inebriated way, was what are the benefits - which have since been explained and a clearer head can now absorb the info B) . anyway note to self - dont post while pissed (or at least while shitfaced anyway  )

cheers
matt

p.s. to the people who made these congrats on what looks like a top replication of a conical fermenter


----------



## benno1973 (17/4/10)

thesunsettree said:


> dont post while pissed (or at least while shitfaced anyway  )



Pfft... most of the threads on here get good when people post pissed. Although hitting the 'Add Reply' button repeatedly probably doesn't do much for the thread.  

So in summary, the benefit of a conical is to remove the yeast and trub from the beer after primary fermentation easily. It means you don't need to rack t a secondary vessel, possibly exposing the beer to infection. If you don't put your beer in a secondary fermenter, you probably won't see a benefit, but there are people who do.

This product looks great, and considering a regular fermenter is $30-50, it puts a conical in the reach of regular tight-arse homebrewers.


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## Siborg (17/4/10)

thesunsettree said:


> hi all,
> 
> thanks for the responses. and yes i was pissed and apologise for prattling on like a twit and hope i didnt offend anyone related to these fermenters. what i was trying to get at,in my own stupid inebriated way, was what are the benefits - which have since been explained and a clearer head can now absorb the info B) . anyway note to self - dont post while pissed (or at least while shitfaced anyway  )
> 
> ...


I know this argument has been resolved, but I had a look at the website, and these guys aren't home brew suppliers. They do a shitload of plastic containers and have had a go at applying their products to some other markets.

Good on em, I say. I've been drooling at the thought of a conical for a while now, but can't justify the $700-1000 for one. These seem like a great budget option for those who want to add a touch of 'pro' to their brewing (me).


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## goomboogo (17/4/10)

thesunsettree said:


> hi all,
> 
> thanks for the responses. and yes i was pissed and apologise for prattling on like a twit and hope i didnt offend anyone related to these fermenters. what i was trying to get at,in my own stupid inebriated way, was what are the benefits - which have since been explained and a clearer head can now absorb the info B) . anyway note to self - dont post while pissed (or at least while shitfaced anyway  )
> 
> ...



Matt, it's good to see you are now absorbing the information clearly. Don't feel bad about the inebriated posting; there was a very funny thread on this board recently and I suspect the contributors were all well past shit-faced. Virtually all the posts were deleted as quick as they were posted. I guess not everyone thought it was humorous.


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## jivesucka (18/4/10)

just further proof of suckers buying crap that isn't needed. ffs they look like water cooler towers.


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## thesunsettree (18/4/10)

goomboogo said:


> Matt, it's good to see you are now absorbing the information clearly. Don't feel bad about the inebriated posting; there was a very funny thread on this board recently and I suspect the contributors were all well past shit-faced. Virtually all the posts were deleted as quick as they were posted. I guess not everyone thought it was humorous.




lol, i suspect i know the one your talking about. your right it did seem to disapear all of a sudden. anyway lesson learnt on my behalf  . 

cheers
matt


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## pbrosnan (19/4/10)

jivesucka said:


> just further proof of suckers buying crap that isn't needed. ffs they look like water cooler towers.


Just more proof that novices should keep their mouths shut. I assume this guy's a known troll?


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## yardy (28/11/10)

Mr Cone Bottom said:


> We now have these tanks available for sale
> Special price for brewing - 15L $110 (RRP $143), 30L $140 (RRP $198)
> The lid is seal with an o-ring and can handle 15 psi, the bottom is threaded to 25mm
> 15lt - Height - 490mm 30lt - Height - 770mm



*G'day MCB,

a couple of questions, whats the wall thickness of these ?

is the 'brewers' deal of $140 still current ?

whats the postage to Qld 4670 ?

cheers

Dave
*


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## yardy (29/11/10)

*BUMP*


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## Online Brewing Supplies (29/11/10)

My 2 cents for what its worth, these fermenters should have had some basic proven conical design factors included. The hight to width ratio is way out on the larger one (too narrow), it will take forever for the yeast to drop in that one. They may have been restricted by the manufacturing process to make them wider?
The smaller one is a better ratio but way to small to be any thing other than a yeast propagation unit.
GB


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## Eater (29/11/10)

Gryphon Brewing
Can you do me a favour and check if the height width ratio is good for the 40 litre one?

Code	SP40CB
Description	40 Litre Cone Bottom Tank
Dry Weight	4.5kg
Height	500mm
Width	460mm
Length	Diam
Lid Size	255mm

seems to have slightly less angled bottom bits as well


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## Online Brewing Supplies (29/11/10)

Eater said:


> Gryphon Brewing
> Can you do me a favour and check if the height width ratio is good for the 40 litre one?
> 
> Code	SP40CB
> ...


There is some dispute about the ideal ratio but most favoured wort to diameter ratio is 1:1 to 1:1.5 , this is the cylinder part excluding the lower cone section so going on that, the example you have shown is within this range. I couldnt find any cone angle on the sp40cb but between 60 to 70 degree is the norm for fermentors and a total wort height (not fermentor height ) including the cone of 1:2.
Hope this helps.
GB


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## Eater (30/11/10)

Thanks GB, much appreciated
In previous posts 45 degrees was quoted for the other tanks, this one just seems to be a little stubbier in pics, but i shall assume 45 degrees.
Ill fire off an email to them tomorrow to see what rating the unit has for degredation and food handling rating if available.

Foles
Not sure if it is "the Way" but with possibility of fitted stand and fitting into a large fridge cabinet and a fair bit cheaper than the cheapest stainless (OMG the BRew Pr0n) i could find, and they (blingtastic lovely stainless) are rekoned to be the shiz (if created as per GB's figures), ill ask and see. Worst case is they say its not food safe and that will be that.


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## Eater (7/12/10)

Ok got a reply back from Troy at Rota Moulding

"Tank is made from Food Grade material (specs sheet attached)
Tapping the tank is free of charge
Stand to suit the tank is $110"

Whilst i understand that the angle at the bottom of the tank is not optimum, it could still be an interesting test to see what it actually does under fermentation conditions.

Before i take that step, need to get the owner of the house to agree to a fermentation room setup with an aircon and freezer panel  

View attachment Vanglobe_11UV_2009.pdf


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## chaos666chris (29/7/12)

thesunsettree said:


> hi all,
> 
> sorry dont want to piss on anybodys party but, why do i want one of these? ok i can suck off (he he) the spent yeast? but for the cost couldnt i filter or rack? (costs considered). i posted y'day (on another topic) half cut and maybe misundestood then, but i'm fully cut now, and dont understand how i would benefit from a conical ferementer @ home purposes. will happily be proven otherwise, any suggestions.
> 
> ...


i know not much of an issue with ale drinkers but for us lager drinkers the minimal contact of the yeast to the surface reduces added flavors that are not wanted for some beers also also primary secondary fermentation i admit its more effective in larger scale but im sold now im seeing how much im up for lol

by the way has anybody actually brought one if i wasn't just reduced to 15 to 20 hours a week i would just order it and test but i just cant afford the risk of a none working unit i would grab it straight away if it was proven but because of the ratios im a bit wary of it sorry cone guy


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## adama_bill (12/8/12)

Is there going to be a problem if a small ferment volume is put in a large conical?

I see the rotamoulding folks have a *60L* for *$308* and the *150L* is $396
Would a 25L brew in the 60L lead to problems?
Likewise a 60L brew dumped in the 150L conical?


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## IainMcLean (12/8/12)

Eater said:


> Ok got a reply back from Troy at Rota Moulding
> 
> "Tank is made from Food Grade material (specs sheet attached)
> Tapping the tank is free of charge
> ...




I've been following this thread for a while and have some experience in industry with polymer design, but not specifically polyethylene. HDPE - what our standard fermenters are made form are safe for food use AND for alcohol. I notice in the specs attached to your post while it says FDA approved, it does also state SOME RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY - and mentions nothing about acids/ alkalis or alcohols...

Before jumping in I'd be wary until this was clarified...


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