KK - 'Fermentasaurus' conical PET fermenter

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Meddo said:
Has anyone had their fermentasaurus leak through the dump valve? I left my two unattended for a couple of weeks happily fermenting saisons (not under pressure), came back and they'd leaked about a litre each THROUGH the closed valves (no collection bottles attached) which was then fragrantly rotting in the base of the 26 degree fridges. The valves are both hard up against the stops - they're definitely "shut". Thoroughly cleaned before use too so there shouldn't be any grit or anything in the valve seats.
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I've been having leaking issues. Instead of the bottom of my fridge having sticky wort, I have a bottle attached with the valve closed @ 5psi. Check on it two days later and there's a good 50mL in the bottle...

From reading the other posts, might just leave a bottle attached and valve open. I think it's under warranty for another month, but unsure whether to pursue.
 
sp0rk said:
Yeah, I know PET is less oxygen permeable than HDPE, but for the ability to no chill in, I'll be sticking with HDPE or Stainless :/
an SS Chronical or DIY kegmenter is looking like my best choice


It's a pull type relief valve like on cornies, you can't set individual pressures
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Use a spunding valve on the gas post and set thr pressure you want
 
I'm considering getting a generation 2 Fermentasaurus and was wondering if anyone had any advice or negative experiences with dispensing straight from the Fermentasaurus.

The downtime between batches doesn't bother me; there are ways I can work around this. My main concern was with the ongoing quality of the beer. The oxygen free environment will be a huge bonus, but is enough of the yeast sufficiently isolated from the beer once the butterfly valve is shut that it doesn't negatively affect the beer?
 
RobB said:
I'm considering getting a generation 2 Fermentasaurus and was wondering if anyone had any advice or negative experiences with dispensing straight from the Fermentasaurus.

The downtime between batches doesn't bother me; there are ways I can work around this. My main concern was with the ongoing quality of the beer. The oxygen free environment will be a huge bonus, but is enough of the yeast sufficiently isolated from the beer once the butterfly valve is shut that it doesn't negatively affect the beer?
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Dump settled trub and yeast via that butterfly valve and you should be right.
 
I am looking at a Gen 2 as well, but my biggest concern is what would happen if you got an infection/contamination...

With a bog standard HDPE fermenter, if you can't be arsed nuking it with something like acidified bleach, then you can just chuck it and get another one for cheap (or use one of the other 5 or 6 that I have lying around :confused:).
Stainless is easy as you can just clean it with caustic.

What would be the extreme cleaning options for a fermentasaurus? Assuming that a basic PBW and sodium perc soak doesn't do the job, would it stand up to something like acidified bleach?
 
For cleaning a spray ball CIP with a compatible cleaner would be the go for the Fermentasaurus, could even be one being developed as we speak.:) But for me HDPE cube or fermenter is a simple, compact, unit. I can drink straight from a cube, stainless steel is a good option, but I am damned if I can tell the difference from a beer fermented in a PET, S/S or HDPE vessel.
 
goatchop41 said:
I am looking at a Gen 2 as well, but my biggest concern is what would happen if you got an infection/contamination...

With a bog standard HDPE fermenter, if you can't be arsed nuking it with something like acidified bleach, then you can just chuck it and get another one for cheap (or use one of the other 5 or 6 that I have lying around :confused:).
Stainless is easy as you can just clean it with caustic.

What would be the extreme cleaning options for a fermentasaurus? Assuming that a basic PBW and sodium perc soak doesn't do the job, would it stand up to something like acidified bleach?
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I had an issue with probable infection in mine, spoke to my lhbs and he suggested I boil the bits I could which is easy enough and the mix up a litre of sodium met and seal that into the fermentasaurus for a week, I took all the stainless bits off before I stuck the met in and capped the bottom and top and hey presto 1 week later no issues ! I also stuck a jug of met in my fermenting fridge for a week and closed it and left it closed on the lhbs advice and no more issues for me.
 
The gen2 is 'supposed' (who knows till it comes out) a different form of polymer, not PET. This newer polymer has got a higher temp resistancy than PET. So it might be more resistant to harsher cleaners too.

Once it comes out we'll know for sure. I've been waiting for the release of this new model, was hoping before chrissy but is not looking good.
 
markp said:
I also stuck a jug of met in my fermenting fridge for a week and closed it and left it closed on the lhbs advice and no more issues for me.
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What on earth do they think that was supposed to do, magically come out of solution and spread through the air? Sodium met in solution doesn't work like that, does it?

The rest of it is great to know though, cheers!
 
goatchop41 said:
What on earth do they think that was supposed to do, magically come out of solution and spread through the air? Sodium met in solution doesn't work like that, does it?

The rest of it is great to know though, cheers!
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I’m only taking advice from a guy that has been in the home brewing game for probably longer than most of us have been alive (Roy at twoc Bibra lake), what I Will say is that when the fermenter was opened after a week the fumes nearly bowled me over and since doing this I’ve had no more issues ! So did it work ? Well it did for me !
 
markp said:
I’m only taking advice from a guy that has been in the home brewing game for probably longer than most of us have been alive (Roy at twoc Bibra lake), what I Will say is that when the fermenter was opened after a week the fumes nearly bowled me over and since doing this I’ve had no more issues ! So did it work ? Well it did for me !
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Interesting. I would love for someone with a chemistry background to explain why it works/if it doesn't work
 
Sodium metabisulphite + water gives of sulfur dioxide. That's the nasty smell that makes you cough when you get a lungful, and can trigger asthma attacks.

It's the gas that does the business, not contact with the liquid. As most of us can testify, you do NOT need to touch the liquid for that **** to have an effect!

Hence, putting a hot jug of it in a sealed chamber (like a fridge, or a fermenter with a working airlock) will kill most things in there.
 
goatchop41 said:
What on earth do they think that was supposed to do, magically come out of solution and spread through the air? Sodium met in solution doesn't work like that, does it?

The rest of it is great to know though, cheers!
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So apparently it does magically jump out of solution !
 
markp said:
So apparently it does magically jump out of solution !
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Yep, that's right. I couldn't explain the science behind it so stayed quiet.
Such a pity Lyrebird cycles isn't active here any more.
He's a winemaker and would have provided a complete scientific explanation.
 
I used to use sodium met back in the day. One whiff and you'll know about it. Seriously.
 
I pulled the wallet out and have a Gen 1 Fermentasaurus on the way, got sick of waiting for Gen 2. I have a question regarding yeast reuse. I have never reused my yeast before.
If you want to reuse the yeast you collect, do you just use the collected yeast straight from the collection bottle by putting it on and opening the butterfly valve or do you put it in on top of the Wort as normal, also how much of the collected yeast would you use. I use mainly do 23L batches with Ale yeast.
 
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Neil Buttriss said:
I pulled the wallet out and have a Gen 1 Fermentasaurus on the way, got sick of waiting for Gen 2. I have a question regarding yeast reuse. I have never reused my yeast before.
If you want to reuse the yeast you collect, do you just use the collected yeast straight from the collection bottle by putting it on and opening the butterfly valve or do you put it in on top of the Wort as normal, also how much of the collected yeast would you use. I use mainly do 23L batches with Ale yeast.
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You can just close the valve, transfer beer off / package and then put fresh wort into the fermenter, open valve and the yeast will go to work. Typically when you have yeast post ferment of a 23L batch, you will have way to much for the next batch and it will ferment super fast, not a bad thing but you will have to try it to see how your beer turns out.

I usually just close the valve, remove it from fermenter ( spray with starsan the top ) and cap it off until the next batch ( give it a rinse with starsan, dry it and place into fridge ) keeping it in the fridge. Prior to the next bacth remove from fridge and bring to room temp and then just pour enough yeast into a sanitary metric cup ( from the kitchen ) into the next beer, that is suggested to be 250 billion viable yeast cells which will comfortably ferment a 1060 beer out.
 

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