Best (plastic) Fermenter For Longer Storage?

[Tony_N]

Apart from my fermenters (I want 3x30 L ones) I am now set up for my first AG experience

I have rejected the conical ($$$s), Better Bottles (hot water intolerance and flex when full) and glass (weight and safety) leaving me with plastic.

Two options there I think

1 The screwtop lid carboy (some say a pain to sanitise?)

2 The click on pail and lid (some say not a good enough seal)

Im thinking that my brewing schedule might call for me to ferment and store a couple of brews in the fermenting fridge before my two keg system is empty.

Sooo.... maybe I should go for the screwtop because its less prone to let air in (storing for a month or two)?

Alternatively could I store fermented beer at 17-18 degrees in a cube purged (I dont mean pressurized) with Co2 if I want to store for that time? Or is this too long without carbonation for fermented beer?

I really dont want to bottle and atm not inclined to go the no chill route for storage.

Any advice gratefully received including suppliers of quality 30L fermenters.

Many thanks

Tony

 

[milob40]

hi tony, is ther a reason for wanting 30ltr ones?
i'd go with the 25ltr ones from bunnings, about 15 bucks and a dollar something for the tap (most kegs only hold 19- 23 litres)
or if you want to have multiple fv's in the fridge use 25 ltr willow blue rectangular jerry cans, i can fit 6 in my fridge :icon_drool2: , use glad wrap on either for the lid with a rubber band, this also saves height in the fridge or you can use as a storage cube by squeezing the air out and using the blue cap just don't let air mix with your fermented brew.
use unscented home brand nappy san to soak used containers o/night and crud just falls off. finish with a rinse in starsan.
i store my excess? :lol: beer in a keg and purge out headspace with co2 and keep in the fridge till needed.
p.s. i soak any new plastic fermenters in nappy san for a few days to remove any unwanted smells from the new plastic.

 

[Tony_N]

Thanks for the reply milob

Somebody suggested 30 L is better because the larger size helps to prevent over-bubbling if you have a really vigorous fermentation.

I had a look at those Bunnings jobbies and rejected them because they looked a bit difficult to clean - Unscented nappi-san sounds like an answer.

I'm too much of an aesthete to consider the jerry cans.

My fridge is so small it will hold 2 kegs only - not even sure if I can squeeze in the gas bottle. Would extra kegs be the most fail-safe way of keeping that "excess" beer (SWMBO wld suggest it is all a bit excessive) and if so - could they be stored at 17-18degrees? ie in my fermentation fridge which is bigger. The obvious solution is to swap them over - but not even sure 2 jerry cans would fit as fermenters - floor space is only 32x44cms x approx 1m h.

again thanks - food for thouight

 

[kelbygreen]

yeah get the 25lt ones from bunnings. as milo said just put a cap full of napisan or sodium perc in there and fill to the brim, I just leave it till I need it again or until it gives me the craps from being in the way lol. you can tip the liquid into another fermenter and it will work on that to, also throw all your loose bits from the brewery that needs cleaning into the ferementer and it will clean them (just watch out as it will rust metal very fast if its not SS or brass I found).

Just tip the solution out and give a good rinse and its clean as, never had a infection yet using this method.

 

[milob40]

Thanks for the reply milob

Somebody suggested 30 L is better because the larger size helps to prevent over-bubbling if you have a really vigorous fermentation.

I had a look at those Bunnings jobbies and rejected them because they looked a bit difficult to clean - Unscented nappi-san sounds like an answer.

I'm too much of an aesthete to consider the jerry cans.

My fridge is so small it will hold 2 kegs only - not even sure if I can squeeze in the gas bottle. Would extra kegs be the most fail-safe way of keeping that "excess" beer (SWMBO wld suggest it is all a bit excessive) and if so - could they be stored at 17-18degrees? ie in my fermentation fridge which is bigger. The obvious solution is to swap them over - but not even sure 2 jerry cans would fit as fermenters - floor space is only 32x44cms x approx 1m h.

again thanks - food for thouight

i've never had a kraussen explosion yet and i use nottingham yeast which is fairly vigorous, ferment at 18 or less and you shouldn't have too many probs, make sure you don't pitch the yeast above 24deg. my fridge is 400 deep x 500 wide but all fridge so i can get 6 jerries in there if i really needed to? take out the door shelves and you should fit 2 jerries in there. jerry is 160 wide x 320 long x 490 high. aim for 23 ltrs batch this will give you 23 lts in kettle 20.5 ltrs in fermenter and 19 lt in your keg. storing beer in burped keg is best but make sure you use a silicone hose to fill keg from bottom up to keep oxygen out, put a layer of co2 in keg first and then burp it when full. :icon_cheers:
oh and mix nappysan in hot water to dissolve it first to avoid chunky bits.

 

[Greg.L]

I would recommend screw to fermenters for the better seal. If you are worried about sanitising them use hot (boiling) water. You don't have to fill with boiling water, just pour 5 or 10 L in then swirl around and leave the top on for an hour or so - will kill most germs.

 

[Tony_N]

i've never had a kraussen explosion yet and i use nottingham yeast which is fairly vigorous, ferment at 18 or less and you shouldn't have too many probs, make sure you don't pitch the yeast above 24deg. my fridge is 400 deep x 500 wide but all fridge so i can get 6 jerries in there if i really needed to? take out the door shelves and you should fit 2 jerries in there. jerry is 160 wide x 320 long x 490 high. aim for 23 ltrs batch this will give you 23 lts in kettle 20.5 ltrs in fermenter and 19 lt in your keg. storing beer in burped keg is best but make sure you use a silicone hose to fill keg from bottom up to keep oxygen out, put a layer of co2 in keg first and then burp it when full. :icon_cheers:
oh and mix nappysan in hot water to dissolve it first to avoid chunky bits.

I'll take all that on board thanks - at the finish I feel sure you are saying that I can store beer in xtra kegs at 17-18 degrees for a long period if I follow the procedure you outline ?- I would use the CraftBrewer beer-filter - gravity connector.

Not sure about "avoiding chunky bits" - do you mean mixing the napisan in boiling water to get rid of the chunky bits in the fermenter you are cleaning?

 

[QldKev]

I use the Bunnings fermentors, can't beet them for value.

How long do you plan on leaving the fermented beer in the fermentor? Leaving it too long on the yeast cake is bad. Even if you racked it into a secondary would help.

QldKev

 

[Tony_N]

I use the Bunnings fermentors, can't beet them for value.

How long do you plan on leaving the fermented beer in the fermentor? Leaving it too long on the yeast cake is bad. Even if you racked it into a secondary would help.

QldKev

Thanks Kev a secondary will be my procedure always. Length of time - a week to 3 months

 

[milob40]

I'll take all that on board thanks - at the finish I feel sure you are saying that I can store beer in xtra kegs at 17-18 degrees for a long period if I follow the procedure you outline ?- I would use the CraftBrewer beer-filter - gravity connector.

Not sure about "avoiding chunky bits" - do you mean mixing the napisan in boiling water to get rid of the chunky bits in the fermenter you are cleaning?

yep but make sure you purge the filter with co2 prior to filtering and mount filter upside down.
i was refering to the granules in the nappy san as chunky bits. cheers.
remember oxygen is your enemy one fermentation is complete

 

[Hawko777]

Hi
Check out a company called Plasdene, they are in Perth, Canningval and have all sorts of containers, fermenters, jars, bottles, Chem bottles, you name it, they probably got it and at a cheap price too. Check em online first. Good luck

 

[jyo]

Hi
Check out a company called Plasdene, they are in Perth, Canningval and have all sorts of containers, fermenters, jars, bottles, Chem bottles, you name it, they probably got it and at a cheap price too. Check em online first. Good luck

Fantastic, Hawko! I have been looking for some new cubes.
Cheers.

 

[Tony_N]

Fantastic, Hawko! I have been looking for some new cubes.
Cheers.

Yes Hawko thanks - Plasdene seem to be in all states - it is a big company and has an array of products that are interesting for home brewers.

And thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply to my request for info. Some great advice.

Tony

 

[going down a hill]

The problem with Plasdine is that they only deal in orders of $100 or more.

 

[seemax]

shame you're not in melbourne, crown concepts has 20,25,30L cubes ... for about $6 each direct from the warehouse !! perfect for no chill , i've even fermented in them
soak with sodium percarbonate or PBW and it's clean in few days

 

[dr K]

plastic (HDPE) is not good for long term beer storage it is highly permeable to oxygen, and , as we all know, oxygen after fermentation is very bad for good beer.
for straight ou 1 week ferments though, yes the Bunnings ones (made in Australia by BMW plastics) are a steal. I used them all the time till I switched to stainless.K