60lts Frementer Any Hints

[jeddog]

Hi all,
Just need advice on using a 60lt fermenter instead of the 2 x 30lts numbers i am using at the moment for my double batches. I was told it is harder to control the heat as the yeast with heat thing differently to a 30lt fermenter. My fermenting fridge will handle the 60lt no problem
.
What i have been doing is sticking the probe of the Tempmate to the side of my 30lt under a cut up neoprene stubby holder.

Will this work with a 60lt or do i need to put the probe inside the fermenter?.
If i do, what is the best way to do this?

cheers Jeddog

 

[Pumpy]

Jeddog ,

I wish I could fit two fermenters in my fridge as it is not very easy to lift my 60 litre fermenter containing 40 litres 40 kilos dead weight

love the glass front to your fridge

Pumpy

 

[jeddog]

Pumpy,
I thought the 60lt could fit in my fridge and i could pump from my kettle to the fridge with ease (saving me the lifting, then ferment and then feed to my kegs or keg). I tend to get about 45 lts per batch and would be looking at getting closer to 50lt to fit in THOSE 50lt kegs you see around h34r: .

So, what do you think the best way is to measure the temp?

 

[troopa]

Funny.. i was just looking at 60L "fermenters" at mitre 10 today and dreaming about the 100L stainless/ally pot thats next on the shopping list
$70 for a fermenter i think is a little rich though and i think ill be havin a chat with my local HBS first up

Apart from the weight of a full fermenter i think your temp control wouldnt be any different as long as your fridge has the cooling capacity to keep up (Which if your already able to do that with 2 fermenters certainly shouldnt be a problem)

A stainless temp probe from the sponsor would be your best bet for direct temp control but i dont like sticking things in places i wouldnt ...

Just been spraying Enamel in the shed(with mask on) so i might have to come back and have a look at this later as the heads a little fuzzy still

Tom

 

[Pumpy]

Pumpy,
I thought the 60lt could fit in my fridge and i could pump from my kettle to the fridge with ease (saving me the lifting, then ferment and then feed to my kegs or keg). I tend to get about 45 lts per batch and would be looking at getting closer to 50lt to fit in THOSE 50lt kegs you see around h34r: .

So, what do you think the best way is to measure the temp?

Ok Get a keg SS dip tube seal with food grade silicone or spot weld end.

Drill hole in top of your fermenter lid, put in rubber grommet, push diptube through grommet, drop sensor into the diptube which will be sitting directly in the beer

pumpy

 

[Batz]

What i have been doing is sticking the probe of the Tempmate to the side of my 30lt under a cut up neoprene stubby holder.

Will this work with a 60lt or do i need to put the probe inside the fermenter?.


cheers Jeddog

That's what I do with my 60lt Jeddog.
I find lifting it onto my brewing table so I can rack is becoming increasing difficult the older I get.
Batz

 

[dicko]

I find lifting it onto my brewing table so I can rack becoming increasing difficult the older I get.
Batz

:lol: :lol: I am having the same problem,
I am seriously considering fitting a boat retrieval(sp) winch to a spot above the bench so I can lift these suckers.
For one weak moment I even considered cutting my brewery size back to achieve 20 litres

Cheers

 

[jeddog]

So Batz,
You obviousely think the stubby holder trick is OK......?


Or to put it another way, is the dip tube idea that necessary?

 

[canon1ball]

$70 for a fermenter i think is a little rich

60 l fermenters appear regularly on ebay, fixed price. Got mine for about $20 + freight.
C1B

 

[Batz]

So Batz,
You obviousely think the stubby holder trick is OK......?


Or to put it another way, is the dip tube idea that necessary?

That's what I do anyway, I stick in on with a couple of bits of duct tape.
The dip tude idea is good as well and those using it I'm sure swear by it, matter of choice really, I tend to go for easy.

Batz

 

[Batz]

:lol: :lol: I am having the same problem,
I am seriously considering fitting a boat retrieval(sp) winch to a spot above the bench so I can lift these suckers.
For one weak moment I even considered cutting my brewery size back to achieve 20 litres

Cheers

I have a boat winch and a pulley for this very project Geoff, trouble is I had it for sometime and as yet haven't got around to it. The last thing I need is a stuffed back and if I did it while brewing :angry: would not go down well at all.

Batz

 

[Darren]

I have a boat winch and a pulley for this very project Geoff, trouble is I had it for sometime and as yet haven't got around to it. The last thing I need is a stuffed back and if I did it while brewing :angry: would not go down well at all.

Batz

Batz, Dicko,

Use your March pump to pump directly from the kettle to the fermenter at its kegging height.

cheers

Darren

 

[technocat]

Batz, Dicko,

Use your March pump to pump directly from the kettle to the fermenter at its kegging height.

cheers

Darren

Or if you are using kegs use your CO2 gas at low pressure to move it into your kegs.

 

[dicko]

Batz, Dicko,

Use your March pump to pump directly from the kettle to the fermenter at its kegging height.

cheers

Darren

Hi Darren,

My problem is not putting the 60 litre fermenter in the fermentation fridge but is lifting it up onto the bench after fermentation is completed for racking to cube/keg/bottle etc.
I am like Batz, I cant afford to do the ole' back in lifting beer. I would never hear the end of it! :lol:

Cheers

 

[enoch]

My problem is not putting the 60 litre fermenter in the fermentation fridge but is lifting it up onto the bench after fermentation is completed for racking to cube/keg/bottle etc.
I am like Batz, I cant afford to do the ole' back in lifting beer. I would never hear the end of it! :lol:

Shifting the 60 litre jobs is a pain - particularly when you don't want to stir up the sediment.
I have been toying with the idea of putting the fridge up on chocks so the fermenter ends up at a good keegging height.

 

[David Sinclair]

I just recent aquired a 60L from a guy down the road who was moving house and he had it in his ute to be thrown out!!

Just did a double in it and didn't really think of the weight or how im going to lift it high enough to keg...

But i just taped the probe to the side and that's it, pehaps i will tape some foam around it now and see how much temp difference it makes. I'll be right back ..

 

[Darren]

Hi Darren,

My problem is not putting the 60 litre fermenter in the fermentation fridge but is lifting it up onto the bench after fermentation is completed for racking to cube/keg/bottle etc.
I am like Batz, I cant afford to do the ole' back in lifting beer. I would never hear the end of it! :lol:

Cheers

Hi Dicko,

Put your fermenting fridge up high so you can simply transfer to your kegs without lifting at all.

cheers

Darren

 

[yardy]

60 l fermenters appear regularly on ebay, fixed price. Got mine for about $20 + freight.
C1B

gday canon1ball,

got a pic with some dimensions ?

cheers
Yard

 

[Midnight Brew]

I wouldn't mind getting a 60L fermenter, how many slabs do you make out of a batch, would it be about 7 slabs? lol you'd hate to make a bad batch

 

[glaab]

I tried taping the probe to the fermenter but it seemed to be about 1 degree C different at the most so I just have the probe hanging in the fridge and dont touch it. I'm fermenting Lager now with the tempmate set at 11C so I reckon the swill is at about 12C. Maybe I'm just a rough ******* but that seems plenty good enough to me. I thought it was more about consistent temp than exact temp. Having said that, if anyone says I'm doing it all wrong I'm prepared to try something else, I haven't been brewing long. Anyone in Adelaide after a 60 l fermenter they have them at GAGANIS' for $50. I knocked up a timber stand so I could fill my kegs without moving the thing out of the fridge, my backs rooted already!. Cheers.