Keg King S/Steel Uni tank

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I emailed KK last week and they didn't have a timeframe on this new SS fermenter and as such couldn't give any info on the pressure kit :(.

Thinking i might go the snubnose now though.. the price is definitely right and it comes with a pressure cap. Just doesn't have the traditional conical dump valve, but that isn't of huge importance to me.
 
I would suggest that the only difference due to materials is that SS allows a more aggressive cleaning and sanitation process, and reduced (nil) oxygen permeability for longer-term storage. A conical vessel with a dump valve, regardless of material, allows removal of yeast to prevent autolysis effects without the exposure risk of racking off the yeast to a different vessel. And a pressure-rated vessel (e.g. unitank) allows complete closed transfer to kegs, again reducing exposure risk. So yes, I believe there's opportunities to improve your beer through the use of these types of vessels (or approximations), but they're not a magic bullet that just does the job for you.
 
Fermzilla :p
Yes or the Fermzilla if it ever eventuates, I wouldn't be surprised if the KK version 2 gets out of the trap quicker the way KL have stuffing around. Someone said something about a 90 degree included angle on the zilla when a picture was posted of one next to a dumpster. Maybe they are still trying to get the design right.
I emailed KK last week and they didn't have a timeframe on this new SS fermenter and as such couldn't give any info on the pressure kit :(.

Thinking i might go the snubnose now though.. the price is definitely right and it comes with a pressure cap. Just doesn't have the traditional conical dump valve, but that isn't of huge importance to me.
They are in stock now, the pressure lids aren't but looking at them the lid on the one in stock looks like it could easily be made into a pressure lid it has the one hole for an airlock where a spunding valve could be fitted, just needs drilling out for the liquid and gas posts. It would be good if anyone who had one could do a pressure test though. The snubby is more than adequate, and a great price.
I would suggest that the only difference due to materials is that SS allows a more aggressive cleaning and sanitation process, and reduced (nil) oxygen permeability for longer-term storage. A conical vessel with a dump valve, regardless of material, allows removal of yeast to prevent autolysis effects without the exposure risk of racking off the yeast to a different vessel. And a pressure-rated vessel (e.g. unitank) allows complete closed transfer to kegs, again reducing exposure risk. So yes, I believe there's opportunities to improve your beer through the use of these types of vessels (or approximations), but they're not a magic bullet that just does the job for you.
I have done pressure transfers using two $9.00 25 litre cubes into a sanitary co2 filled cube, ideal for anyone worried about letting beer sit on yeast beer still comes out great for a pressure fermented beer. It isn't the equipment that makes a good beer it is the brewer, breweries need stainless fermenters and stainless steel bright tanks the home brewer doesn't, at the end of the day the same brewer will produce the same beer whether it be a plastic fermenter or a stainless steel conical with all the bells and whistles, the only difference being is the money outlaid. As you suggest there are no magic bullets involved just the brewers cold side process.
 
Wasn't quite next to the dumpster WEAL but it did look like a candidate for the dumpster.
GetAttachmentThumbnail
 
Wasn't quite next to the dumpster WEAL but it did look like a candidate for the dumpster.
GetAttachmentThumbnail
Interesting, I wonder why the cone is positioned at the top of the fermenter?

Looks to me like KL may be thinking about taking on KK in a lets develop something completely useless race and have gone a step further. Not only do they have a cone without a dump valve but a cone that can’t even collect yeast!:D
 
I have done pressure transfers using two $9.00 25 litre cubes into a sanitary co2 filled cube, ideal for anyone worried about letting beer sit on yeast beer still comes out great for a pressure fermented beer. It isn't the equipment that makes a good beer it is the brewer, breweries need stainless fermenters and stainless steel bright tanks the home brewer doesn't, at the end of the day the same brewer will produce the same beer whether it be a plastic fermenter or a stainless steel conical with all the bells and whistles, the only difference being is the money outlaid. As you suggest there are no magic bullets involved just the brewers cold side process.
Yep, what you've described is what I mean by approximations of these vessels. Having an actual off-the-shelf shiny SS unitank with a thousand ports and a periscope isn't the important point, but some of the features are - and can be implemented in other systems like your modified cubes. But there's a difference between stating that homebrewer doesn't NEED an SS unitank to make great beer (which of course is true), and arguing that there aren't benefits in terms of potential beer quality, or ease of use, or flexibility, or whatever metric (and also cons - complexity, size, etc.) to using an SS unitank in making your best possible beer.

I disagree that a brewer will make the same beer regardless of fermentation vessel. Better or worse or just different will depend on the brewer's familiarity and processes with a given vessel, its geometry, its sanitation, its process capabilities, and the brewer's desire to make use of the strengths of the vessel (a dump valve is not going to have any effect on the beer if you can't be ****** dumping the yeast, for instance). There are so many knobs that we tweak as brewers to get as close as we can to the beer we want, and different fermentation vessels absolutely provide different knobs to the brewer. The value proposition of purchasing any given set of knobs is up to the individual brewer.
 
Last edited:
Interesting, I wonder why the cone is positioned at the top of the fermenter?

Looks to me like KL may be thinking about taking on KK in a lets develop something completely useless race and have gone a step further. Not only do they have a cone without a dump valve but a cone that can’t even collect yeast!:D
Its upside down.
 
Yes or the Fermzilla if it ever eventuates, I wouldn't be surprised if the KK version 2 gets out of the trap quicker the way KL have stuffing around. Someone said something about a 90 degree included angle on the zilla when a picture was posted of one next to a dumpster. Maybe they are still trying to get the design right.

They are in stock now, the pressure lids aren't but looking at them the lid on the one in stock looks like it could easily be made into a pressure lid it has the one hole for an airlock where a spunding valve could be fitted, just needs drilling out for the liquid and gas posts. It would be good if anyone who had one could do a pressure test though. The snubby is more than adequate, and a great price.

I have done pressure transfers using two $9.00 25 litre cubes into a sanitary co2 filled cube, ideal for anyone worried about letting beer sit on yeast beer still comes out great for a pressure fermented beer. It isn't the equipment that makes a good beer it is the brewer, breweries need stainless fermenters and stainless steel bright tanks the home brewer doesn't, at the end of the day the same brewer will produce the same beer whether it be a plastic fermenter or a stainless steel conical with all the bells and whistles, the only difference being is the money outlaid. As you suggest there are no magic bullets involved just the brewers cold side process.
I can see these on the Keg King website. Where can I see them?

Cheers
 
I disagree that a brewer will make the same beer regardless of fermentation vessel. Better or worse or just different will depend on the brewer's familiarity and processes with a given vessel, its geometry, its sanitation, its process capabilities, and the brewer's desire to make use of the strengths of the vessel (a dump valve is not going to have any effect on the beer if you can't be ****** dumping the yeast, for instance). There are so many knobs that we tweak as brewers to get as close as we can to the beer we want, and different fermentation vessels absolutely provide different knobs to the brewer. The value proposition of purchasing any given set of knobs is up to the individual brewer.

In my own case, I've been trying to brew a good NEIPA for a while, as I have struggled to find good commercial/craft examples here in Australia (well, that I like and feel are true to style anyway but that is another rant). The oxidisation during fermentation/cold crash and transfer in my current processes means they go poo brown/off banana coloured in a few weeks, so I am looking for something that can be pressurised once the big dry hop has been chucked in. I considered the whole pressured cube before, but if there is a commercial option available that isn't insanely expensive (looking at you SS brewtech unitank) I might just go for that for ease.

For almost every other style that I usually brew, the plastic buckets are fine and I am happy to oxidise the hell out of them as they still turn out completely fine. I do wonder how much permeability the PET conical have though, but visibly of the brew is a nice feature for me over the SS fermenters.
 
In my own case, I've been trying to brew a good NEIPA for a while, as I have struggled to find good commercial/craft examples here in Australia (well, that I like and feel are true to style anyway but that is another rant). The oxidisation during fermentation/cold crash and transfer in my current processes means they go poo brown/off banana coloured in a few weeks, so I am looking for something that can be pressurised once the big dry hop has been chucked in. I considered the whole pressured cube before, but if there is a commercial option available that isn't insanely expensive (looking at you SS brewtech unitank) I might just go for that for ease.

For almost every other style that I usually brew, the plastic buckets are fine and I am happy to oxidise the hell out of them as they still turn out completely fine. I do wonder how much permeability the PET conical have though, but visibly of the brew is a nice feature for me over the SS fermenters.
If the permeability of PET or for that matter HDPE was a problem there wouldnt be ' no chill ' carbonated drinks in PET bottles or FWK.
I can see these on the Keg King website. Where can I see them?

Cheers
As they are recent on the market the wholesaling isn't in gear yet ask your local HBS are they going to stock them.
 
I got tired of waiting for a certain Gen2 to be released so gave KK a call and ordered one of these yesterday. Price point was pretty awesome sitting between Fermzilla and Brewbucket - even with freight to Canberra. Hoping to have before weekend so I can start using it!!
 
I got tired of waiting for a certain Gen2 to be released so gave KK a call and ordered one of these yesterday. Price point was pretty awesome sitting between Fermzilla and Brewbucket - even with freight to Canberra. Hoping to have before weekend so I can start using it!!

Hey Mate did you get the SS unitank ?
I can't see anything like this on the KK website
 
Hey Mate did you get the SS unitank ?
I can't see anything like this on the KK website
That's the one! Nothing on website so ended up flicking them an email and got a quote. Got confirmation about lid not having the cooling coils and paid over phone.
 
Has the uni tank come into stock yet? I can’t find them on the kk web site
 
Are the threaded ball valves removable?

Is it pressure rated?
 
Back
Top