Fermenter alternatives

[grutnip]

Hi

I have the opaque plastic fermenters and have had one crack because i dropped it 3 inches, and another one the tap popped out when a beer was almost done.

Are there better alternatives? I don't want to spend megabucks.

Bunnings have these which look like they just need a hole drilled in the top?
http://www.bunnings.com.au/icon-plastics-25l-blue-tint-wide-mouth-water-storage-drum-with-bung_p3240533

Are they any better?

Thanks

 

[slcmorro]

Or, use them without an airlock and just wrap the top in glad wrap.

 

[SBOB]

Hi

I have the opaque plastic fermenters and have had one crack because i dropped it 3 inches, and another one the tap popped out when a beer was almost done.

Are there better alternatives? I don't want to spend megabucks.

Bunnings have these which look like they just need a hole drilled in the top?
http://www.bunnings.com.au/icon-plastics-25l-blue-tint-wide-mouth-water-storage-drum-with-bung_p3240533

Are they any better?

Thanks

Dont even need to drill a hole. Take the rubber seal from the lid, throw a layer or 2 of glad wrap over the top and use the seal to hold it in place

Way easier than an air lock

 

[grutnip]

can you see the liquid level well enough?

 

[MickGC]

I use the square 30l version of those from bunnings.
Can see liquid level easy. also just use glad wrap and the lid seal to hold it in place.
never had any issues with em

 

[Bribie G]

I still have one of the original square Bunnings 30L, before they went to blue plastic and it's still going just fine. They are perfect for cling wrapping as the opening is smaller than the LHBS style fermenters so easier to stretch the wrap over and secure with O ring.

 

[Matplat]

I also use the blue square one from bunnings, only problem with it is that the mold seam runs onto the sealing surface for the lid and ruins the seal.

Glad wrap fixes this problem for most beers, but if you are expecting volcanic krausen (wheat yeast) you might want a lid with a blow-off tube attached.

I have used a scalpel to cut the sealing surface and remove the 'divot' made by the mold seam, replacing it with a more favourable 'slope' and have achieved a seal this way. I am however dubious about how sanitary the finish is...

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Are there better alternatives? I don't want to spend megabucks.

We know you secretly want to get some really shiny expensive stainless steel conical's

 

[Blind Dog]

Cubes work well. Usually. No airlock or gladwrap required, just loosen the lid a quarter turn to allow the C02 out. Lettign the CO2 out is fairly importnat if you want to stop the cube expanding so much it pushes the fridge door open when the temp in the garage is over 40C, and then carries on expanding so that the cube splits and dumps 20L of part-fermented wort all over the inside of the fridge, the other cubes that were merrily fermentign away and the garage floor. That was a fun day

 

[grutnip]

We know you secretly want to get some really shiny expensive stainless steel conical's

Can you see through stainless ?

 

[grutnip]

Cubes work well. Usually. No airlock or gladwrap required, just loosen the lid a quarter turn to allow the C02 out. Lettign the CO2 out is fairly importnat if you want to stop the cube expanding so much it pushes the fridge door open when the temp in the garage is over 40C, and then carries on expanding so that the cube splits and dumps 20L of part-fermented wort all over the inside of the fridge, the other cubes that were merrily fermentign away and the garage floor. That was a fun day

ouch. i had mine fill the fridge and then cover my workshop floor. Now it smells like rotting fruit.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Can you see through stainless ?

Sure, if you drill a hole through it

 

[Siborg]

We know you secretly want to get some really shiny expensive stainless steel conical's

or a williamswarn B)

sorry....had to be done

 

[sp0rk]

Can you see through stainless ?

Do you need to?

 

[TidalPete]

Bribie G, on 18 May 2016 - 09:44 AM, said:

I still have one of the original square Bunnings 30L, before they went to blue plastic and it's still going just fine.

Even though you have corners to clean, the square 30 litres is a better fermenter than the round 25 IMHO.
Another fan for winding back the lid on any fermenter to prevent volcanoes here..

 

[grutnip]

bought three square ones. still using airlocks as it is what i am used to. A stout and a porter are on.

Yes, you can see the liquid level easily in the blue ones. They have convenient L marks on the square, not the round. The tap threads actually feel stronger than other proper fermenters. All good.

Thanks guys.

 

[Yob]

why is seeing the volume important?

genuine question, as a cuber I know what voumes are going in, I recently gave away all my plastic FV's (during the great stainless cravings/rush of 2015) in lieu of the olive oil drums (see bulk buy threads)

sure more expensive but I'd never go back, a worthwhile investment even on a long term plan. So very easy to clean.. so very easy..



dont get me wrong, spent quite a few years on plastic, loved them... love these more... sure, not conical, but I dont need them to be. h34r:

 

[VP Brewing]

Mmmmm fondue.....

 

[technobabble66]

why is seeing the volume important?

...h34r:

So you know how much you've lost to "hydro samples" [emoji185]

By the way, those vol markings on the side of the square containers are ~1L out (at ~20L). So you need to slowly measure out your volumes and re-mark them if you're using them.

I prefer my square FVs as they're easier to oxygenate/agitate/rouse the wort - because of the corners a quick bit of twisting does the trick, unlike the round containers.

Ps: you really should be using the squares if you're brewing a Yorkshire Bitter.

 

[grutnip]

which way are the square volume measurements out? I will find out in a week I suppose when my 21L gets tx to keg!

I like to see the volume when I am transferring, to make sure I don't draw it too far down. Not certain on how deep my yeast cake is going to be yet. Although those olive drums do look nice.