# 50l Keg As Fermenter...what Lid?



## Fingerlickin_B (31/10/05)

To all those using 50L kegs as fermenters.

How have you made your lids, what materials did you use, etc ?

Pics would be great too  

PZ.


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## JasonY (31/10/05)

Search is a wonderful thing try -this thread.

I also have akeg lying about and am thinking of making something, will definately be trying to copy the pickup tube of the SABCO fermenter so I can use CO2 to pump the beer into kegs - too bloody heavy to be moving once its full. My only issue will be doing it weldless.


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## ausdb (31/10/05)

JasonY said:


> I also have akeg lying about and am thinking of making something, will definately be trying to copy the pickup tube of the SABCO fermenter so I can use CO2 to pump the beer into kegs - too bloody heavy to be moving once its full. My only issue will be doing it weldless.
> [post="87152"][/post]​



Stay tuned Jason,

I am on the same track and managed to get a few dead corny's off Brian at the right price for access hatches and ball lock connections as well. I have a triclover fitting and blank plug which is going to become a rotating racking arm when I can get my hands on some offcuts of 1/2" stainless tubing

ausdb


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## Fingerlickin_B (31/10/05)

Thanks Jason...I'm crap at searching :lol: 

PZ.


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## aspro (1/11/05)

G day 

I use 12 mm hardend glass its round same as perspex , and any glass mob will cut it to any size and also drill the hole for the airlock not sure how much 1 would cost mine was mates rates



Cheers


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## Trough Lolly (2/11/05)

You can always get by with some gladwrap and a few pinholes in it - a lot cheaper, just as clean and you can readily see the fermenting wort at any time.

Cheers,
TL the frugal.


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## Fingerlickin_B (2/11/05)

Yeah, I should have posted in this thread as well:


Fingerlickin_B said:


> Got a lid sorted for my keg fermenter...thanks to the old saucepan that left it's lid hiding in the back of the cupboard when thrown out
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Chuck (17/7/06)

Here are some pics of the fermenter I'm currently making , still have to drill a hole for the air lock and give it a clean.


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## FNQ Bunyip (18/7/06)

Chuck said:


> Here are some pics of the fermenter I'm currently making , still have to drill a hole for the air lock and give it a clean.




AHhh this is exactly what I've been thinking of useing , BSM dairy fittings ... Is that a 150mm end cap Chuck? Thinking of going 2 SS vessels cut and welded together and then have 90lt brews fermenting . Drop the temp after FG for a day or so then filter out to kegs...

I have 4 SS fermenters now with perspex lids but dont get a good seal very often and have been thinking of this for a few months .. Where did you sorce the weld on fittings ? $ ?? or is it another mates deal..

:beer:


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## ausdb (18/7/06)

FNQ Bunyip said:


> I have 4 SS fermenters now with perspex lids but dont get a good seal very often and have been thinking of this for a few months .. Where did you sorce the weld on fittings ? $ ?? or is it another mates deal..



Hi Bunyip

I picked up some 4" ones from ebay in the states a while back, the shipping ended up being more than the item! but I still got 3 flanges and nuts over here for $80 plus some 3" bits and pieces. The ones I got were triclover bevel fittings which are similar to a BSM fitting but dont use a sealing washer (just a machined face seal). I plan on using some clear acrylic with an o ring for the lids which should still hold a little bit of pressure.

I just emailed the guy before I bid and aklsed if he was prepared to ship usps surface to australia as it was not listed as a worldwide item.

HTH


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## Tony (18/7/06)

can i ask a silly question?

Why not get a 60 liter plactic firmenter?

I like the idea of the SS firmenter but a plastic one does the job. i've got 4 of them.

cheers


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## Chuck (18/7/06)

FNQ Bunyip said:


> Chuck said:
> 
> 
> > Here are some pics of the fermenter I'm currently making , still have to drill a hole for the air lock and give it a clean.
> ...



I actually used only 100mm fittings, plenty big enough I thought and yes I got them off a mate. Ilike the idea of welding two together but how will you chill it? coolroom?


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## FNQ Bunyip (18/7/06)

ausdb, Thanks, thats somthing for me to look into... I think I want to go to 6" or 150mm so I can get my arm in if needed and just to have a feel around every now and then..  


Tony, PM sent... and are we to assume that because YOU have 4 plastic ones that thats better. I want all bling .. Ha Ha 

woops get a hold of my ego :huh: 


Chuck , I recently built a brew box Linky... This will need to be replaced soon as the temps warm up. I will build a 2 levle fermenter box / cold conditioning box out of 50mm cold room panels. I am working out final specs with a fridgy bloke I know.. He's starting to get interested in all this the more ideas I throw his way... there is a long way to go yet and it needs to stop raining so I can do some work and make all this happen... 

:beer:


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## Justin (18/7/06)

How do you get a sanitary weld on the inside when joining two kegs? All the welding I have seen done on stainless sheet has needed a fair bit of tidy up work on the inside because of slag, pits and blebs of melted metal-not dissimilar to what you can see on the inside of the dairy fitting on the modified keg above.

Can you do a sanitary weld from the outside by hand?

I'm just a little nerverous, that you might have contamination issues in the weld that you will have trouble cleaning and sterilizing. If you have a nice clean 50L stainless fermenter why marr the surface inside-essentially undoing all the benefits of the SS fermenter in the first place? I'd have to say 2X 50L separate fermenters would be a better options than one 90L one.

Will you "always" brew 90L batches? If you have separate 50L ones you can at least move one into or out of the fridge.

Dunno, a few issues here in my book. 

Cheers, Justin


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## homebrewworld.com (18/7/06)

S.Steel conical fermenters i can see the benifits.
S.Steel fermenter (not conical) whats the benifit ??
:blink:


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## ausdb (18/7/06)

FNQ Bunyip said:


> ausdb, Thanks, thats somthing for me to look into... I think I want to go to 6" or 150mm so I can get my arm in if needed and just to have a feel around every now and then..



The 4" is fine to get an arm into up to at least shoulder level, its bigger than an oval corny opening


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## Chuck (18/7/06)

Justin said:


> How do you get a sanitary weld on the inside when joining two kegs? All the welding I have seen done on stainless sheet has needed a fair bit of tidy up work on the inside because of slag, pits and blebs of melted metal-not dissimilar to what you can see on the inside of the dairy fitting on the modified keg above.
> 
> Can you do a sanitary weld from the outside by hand?
> 
> ...



You should probably purge the kegs with Argon gas as you weld this creates a nice weld inside the seam as you weld around the outside. NOT FOR AMATURE WELDERS


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## lou (18/7/06)

homebrewworld.com said:


> S.Steel conical fermenters i can see the benifits.
> S.Steel fermenter (not conical) whats the benifit ??
> :blink:



Huge benefits - can be scrubbed clean - very clean - doesn't break down - doesn't absorb smells

personally I am sick of plastic fermenters. They are very permeable - I have abandoned the typical 'fermenter' style container altogether - now using food grade buckets with a siphon - much cheaper - smoother walls for cleaing - no dodgy taps threads - those crapo $30 fermenters should never have been sold for beer IMO. Still dreaming of a SS fermenter (non conical - where would I put the bugger :unsure: )

Lou


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## lou (18/7/06)

Chuck said:


> Here are some pics of the fermenter I'm currently making , still have to drill a hole for the air lock and give it a clean.




What Piccys ? - I can't see any :unsure: 

lou


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## FNQ Bunyip (19/7/06)

Justin : yes good food grade welds are what I am after and have been told that it can be done with out to much $ and a bit of a work exchange... 


lou: Im with you , stuff the plastic . I like the sound of food grade pails thow and might grab one for a few experimentals. 50lt is a lot to get through if its just not what you want. 

As for no benifits by not being conical I have found that now I'm useing better yeast I can tap the sides with a rubber mallet (as sugested somewhere here) and the yeast cake is very tight on the bottom when I rack off so if I fit a rotating racking arm I dont think I will have many probs with the last 3lt or so...


:beer:


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## homebrewworld.com (19/7/06)

Huge benefits - can be scrubbed clean - very clean - doesn't break down - doesn't absorb smells

personally I am sick of plastic fermenters. They are very permeable - I have abandoned the typical 'fermenter' style container altogether - now using food grade buckets with a siphon - much cheaper - smoother walls for cleaing - no dodgy taps threads - those crapo $30 fermenters should never have been sold for beer IMO. Still dreaming of a SS fermenter (non conical - where would I put the bugger )

Lou


Each to their own i guess ?
I dont scrub my food grade fementers, never had a leaky tap.
Six lightweight fermenters stored when i need them.
Give me a conical plastic fermenter and i will be very happy !

:beerbang:


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## Trough Lolly (19/7/06)

homebrewworld.com said:


> ...Give me a conical plastic fermenter and i will be very happy !
> 
> :beerbang:



Done:
8 Gallon plastic conical fermenter from the US
Or a 6.5 Gallon unit if you want a smaller one...
They're cheaper on E-Bay of course!
Here's another cheap one from beernut.com!!

Cheers,
TL


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## Lukes (19/7/06)

Trough Lolly said:


> homebrewworld.com said:
> 
> 
> > ...Give me a conical plastic fermenter and i will be very happy !
> ...




And the one's from W.A.
*Roatamoulding Conicals*
(has any one tried in on these yet?)


Luke


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## Chuck (19/7/06)

lou said:


> Chuck said:
> 
> 
> > Here are some pics of the fermenter I'm currently making , still have to drill a hole for the air lock and give it a clean.
> ...



The moderators took my pictures off because they showed brand names I will re-post them shortly :unsure:


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## Chuck (19/7/06)

Here are those edited pics for ya lou. (and anyone else)


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## chimera (19/7/06)

I've got a couple of 50L kegs and an angle grinder, hmm


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## warrenlw63 (19/7/06)

These have had me curious for some time. Would they make good fermenters? :unsure: 

Warren -


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## Chuck (19/7/06)

Dont see why they wouldnt


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## Justin (19/7/06)

The ones I have seen Warren have been bloody expensive. They are used a lot as Olive oil containers. Seen them at CellarPlus in melbourne and they were quite dear. If you were going to go this route you might as well get a 50 or 60L stainless steel pot/kettle and ferment in that (and boil in it when it's free).

Or, ferment in corny's. I wish we could get the 10 gallon corny's over here like they have in the states. That's your problem solved in one go. SS, push beer under CO2 etc. I have seen one that was used for cleaning the beer lines in a pub. If I could pick the damn thing up I would grab it but full of cleaner  Kidding. But that is the only one I have seen in Australia. They would be the holy grail of stainless fermenters if you weren't going to a conical.


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## homebrewworld.com (19/7/06)

Hmm......
Plastic conicals! now ya talking boys......
Thanking you.


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