Fiberglass Conical Fermenter?

[northbrew]

Hi there, has anyone made a fiberglass fermenter??
Im thinking about making a mould and using a food grade/ chemical resistant Gel coat (polly or epoxy) im after a molded finish so it can be cleaned and sanitised easily.
Would be interested in hearing if any one else has gone down this route.

Cheers Northbrew.

 

[lael]

I'll check with some people I know who work with it. But I suspect it is not food grade. Knowing some of the chemicals used to finish gel coat I wouldn't dream of it.

 

[mr_wibble]

Wonder if you could line it with a drinking-water grade rubber liner ?

That'd be a bugger to clean though, and you'd be terrified of putting a hole in it.

 

[sp0rk]

There's a bit of discussion about it in here
http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/62249-food-grade-epoxy/

 

[northbrew]

Cheers lads i have made some enquires with FGI will see what they come back with will let you know how i get on.
Im a boatbuilder by trade and have experience with grp. The standard stuff i wouldn't even dream of using but i believe there is a new generation of non toxic resins (Green epoxy) not sure about polly. There must be a product used in food processing that can stand up to sanitation chemicals and full contact with food. How expensive it will be is another matter.

 

[Helles]

.

 

[Helles]

Im a boatbuilder by trade

I need some marine carpet can you help me out with a good price for a few beers

 

[northbrew]

How much where you after?
There might be a few off cuts kicking around in the shed.

 

[Helles]

How much where you after?
There might be a few off cuts kicking around in the shed.

probably 5-6 metres (not offcuts)
will pay retail if i have too
but prefer wholesale price
best ive seen is about $ 30-40 metre retail

for the none rubber bottom stuff

 

[StalkingWilbur]

I need a boat. Can you help me out with a good price for a few beers?

 

[northbrew]

lol

 

[northbrew]

lol
I will check the price for ya mate when i get a chance, But would rather talk fermenters.

 

[Helles]

Isn't fibreglass Permeable / porous
Not sure just putting it out there

 

[northbrew]

yep thats why glass boats can suffer osmosis but there may be a compatible product that isint like some sort of hard silicone

 

[dicko]

To get back on topic, some rain water tanks are made from fibreglass

http://www.tankswest.com.au/tanks/domesticagriculture

 

[wereprawn]

I worked as a fibreglasser .Was about 25 years ago so specifics are a bit hazy but we used to make a shitload of rainwater tanks out of the stuff. Can't see why it couldn't be used as a fermenter material. Put on a good layer gelcoat an it should be a piece of piss to clean. Don't know what temperature range would be to avoid leaching , or if it is even an issue.

 

[seamad]

I'm not a pro boatbuilder, but have almost finished building my own 12.5m schionning sail cat which is all epoxy. When building in tanks I looked at using epoxy and made only the diesel tanks, not water as some of the harderner components are water soluable. . You can slightly lower the hardener content in the final layers ( @ 6 coats required for waterproofing) to reduce the chance of any excess unbound hardener ( you normally never alter resin/ hardener ratios with epoxy) and also use higher temps to cure.
The biggest problem maybe that cured epoxy although resistant to many chemicals is prone to attack by some alcohols, whether these are in brewing I don't know, but since ethanol has been added to petrol I've read of problems with older boats with built in tanks.
My only poly experience is in surfboard repairs from my younger days, so no idea if any of them may be suitable.
I reckon a carbon fermenter would look even cooler than a SS one, so if you find a solution I'd like to give it a crack.

 

[northbrew]

Well im starting to think polly with a moulded gelcoat finish then lining by spraying a food contact epoxy, might be the way forward.
Just a matter of sussing out the right product.
some interesting info from this mob in S.A link


and here link cool finaly figured out how to do that

 

[New_guy]

I'm not a pro boatbuilder, but have almost finished building my own 12.5m schionning sail cat which is all epoxy. When building in tanks I looked at using epoxy and made only the diesel tanks, not water as some of the harderner components are water soluable. . You can slightly lower the hardener content in the final layers ( @ 6 coats required for waterproofing) to reduce the chance of any excess unbound hardener ( you normally never alter resin/ hardener ratios with epoxy) and also use higher temps to cure.
The biggest problem maybe that cured epoxy although resistant to many chemicals is prone to attack by some alcohols, whether these are in brewing I don't know, but since ethanol has been added to petrol I've read of problems with older boats with built in tanks.
My only poly experience is in surfboard repairs from my younger days, so no idea if any of them may be suitable.
I reckon a carbon fermenter would look even cooler than a SS one, so if you find a solution I'd like to give it a crack.

Carbon would be the ducks nuts! Would it be expensive ?

 

[northbrew]

it would cost alot more than the chop strand i plan on using plus i find that stuff bloody itchy that might be in my head but im scratching thinking about it. Personaly i dont like the carbon look but thats just me im more concerned with a good finish on the inside and will just flowcoat the outside for a tough and easy finish would most likely insulate to so wouldent see the carbon anyway. But a carbon one would go faster.