KK - 'Fermentasaurus' conical PET fermenter

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My original FS is still going strong 8 months past its 'used by date'.
Thinking about upgrading though.
 
Fro-Daddy said:
My original FS is still going strong 8 months past its 'used by date'.
Thinking about upgrading though.
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Turn it into a granary and get a gen 3 with the thermowell. I love the thermowell. Made picking up clear beer a ******* simple process. Legit very happy with it.
 
wide eyed and legless said:
Have got the Apollo, was one of the prototype, handles are part of the body, cut down one of my old snub nose stands and fitted a tap, don't pressure ferment so not needed.
Overall height on the stand 575mm, they would normally come with a collection bottle so some extra height there. I like the improved design of the lid, not only the larger size but sealing with an O ring, those flat gaskets seem/do stretch over time.
Will get some PVC end covers for the legs.

View attachment 119632
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@wide eyed and legless @CEO Keg King @Keg King are these "Apollo" forms going to be released in "Fermenter King" versions with bottom valves? ETA if so, for both FK and Snub versions? Is the lid the same size/form as the current 60L Fermenter King?

I'm pretty keen on both snub and FK versions of these, the height and small lid on the 35L FK and snub has been my only real issue with that model.

Cheers,
 
Meddo said:
@wide eyed and legless @CEO Keg King @Keg King are these "Apollo" forms going to be released in "Fermenter King" versions with bottom valves? ETA if so, for both FK and Snub versions? Is the lid the same size/form as the current 60L Fermenter King?

I'm pretty keen on both snub and FK versions of these, the height and small lid on the 35L FK and snub has been my only real issue with that model.

Cheers,
Click to expand...
As far as I know the snubbies are being phased out in favour of the Apollo, could have got me wires crossed and the snubbies could still be around with the bigger opening. They all will have the bottom valve as the 60 litre. Makes sense not having a 35 litre if that is going to be the case, I would say a lot of brewers would make 23 and 21 litre batches which makes the Apollo ideal.
I recently made 36 litres of Ordinary Bitter had to be split between two snubbies.

wide eyed and legless said:
Maybe it requires extra tooling or just different pre forms. I have seen some fancy work done with para cord, I might have a go at making something.
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Made up a carrying handle with para cord, not enough room to do the fancy loops and knots, so I crimped in two loops works OK, I was worried about those 4 thin lugs not being able to take the weight but the did.
011.JPG
 
Mate, it's potentially 35kg (wort being heavier than water) it needs handles, either part of the mould or a stainless clamp on thing similar to the glass fermenter things, in all honesty bits of rope wrapped around the neck is a ghetto fix, no offence but who did the R&D on this?
Make it with the bigger lid (better seal, thermowell/tethered dip tube) and some way of moving it around, I'm over the separate stainless stands and would happily buy 3 or 4 of these things to replace my conical fermenters, but not if I can't move them in and out of my fermenter fridge.
I think it's a fair call so say a good percentage of HBer's are past their physical prime, and whilst I can see a strapping 25yr old bear hugging this thing around, it would be beyond my abilities, I can move my firkins around (roll then heave) and that's 40L, plus about 10kg keg weight, but they are roll able and have hand holds, so it's not just a weight issue, more a design one, it's almost as if these things have been designed as a one way keg (minimal production cost) but are now being marketed as a fermenter.
I support made in Australia (especially now China has shown its true colours) and have yet to hear of a KK PET vessel exploding, but it needs to be practical not just indestructible.
Chubby 30L, gen 3 lid, handles. Sign me up for four.
 
Grmblz said:
Snip
...holds, so it's not just a weight issue, more a design one, it's almost as if these things have been designed as a one way keg (minimal production cost) but are now being marketed as a fermenter.
I support ...
Snip
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This is exactly where it's come from isn't it?
 
20201019_180624.jpg
Grmblz said:
Mate, it's potentially 35kg (wort being heavier than water) it needs handles, either part of the mould or a stainless clamp on thing similar to the glass fermenter things, in all honesty bits of rope wrapped around the neck is a ghetto fix, no offence but who did the R&D on this?
Make it with the bigger lid (better seal, thermowell/tethered dip tube) and some way of moving it around, I'm over the separate stainless stands and would happily buy 3 or 4 of these things to replace my conical fermenters, but not if I can't move them in and out of my fermenter fridge.
I think it's a fair call so say a good percentage of HBer's are past their physical prime, and whilst I can see a strapping 25yr old bear hugging this thing around, it would be beyond my abilities, I can move my firkins around (roll then heave) and that's 40L, plus about 10kg keg weight, but they are roll able and have hand holds, so it's not just a weight issue, more a design one, it's almost as if these things have been designed as a one way keg (minimal production cost) but are now being marketed as a fermenter.
I support made in Australia (especially now China has shown its true colours) and have yet to hear of a KK PET vessel exploding, but it needs to be practical not just indestructible.
Chubby 30L, gen 3 lid, handles. Sign me up for four.
Click to expand...
I honestly don't know why they changed or are getting rid of the Snubby. 35L, cone shaped, with the Gen 3 lid its ******* mint. Thermowell right to the bottom gives tethered dip tube, good temp probe spot. The design of the gen 3 lid means gasket is on the sides and part of the lid.

In all honestly the 'Apollo' should stay as a keg. The snub-nosed fermenter is great.
 
Meddo said:
This is exactly where it's come from isn't it?
Click to expand...
No idea mate, just looked at it and used my sometimes questionable logic.

@kadmium Yeh but it's still got that ******* stainless stand, MORE! storage space, no way stackable, and not the easiest of things to move around, I suppose it depends on your setup, and the amount of gear you have, I've got half a dozen fermenters, 17 kegs (of various types) and I'm sick of moving stuff around to "make space" I'm in the process of a spring clean, gone the fermenters, gone the kegs, except my two firkins and three 23L cornies, stackable is what I'm looking for, and the whole stainless stand conical thing is fine if you have one, maybe two, but any more than that, and they're just start taking up valuable floor/shelf space.
The 30L chubby COULD be the answer to my prayers, just not as it is currently.
 
Grmblz said:
No idea mate, just looked at it and used my sometimes questionable logic.

@kadmium Yeh but it's still got that ******* stainless stand, MORE! storage space, no way stackable, and not the easiest of things to move around, I suppose it depends on your setup, and the amount of gear you have, I've got half a dozen fermenters, 17 kegs (of various types) and I'm sick of moving stuff around to "make space" I'm in the process of a spring clean, gone the fermenters, gone the kegs, except my two firkins and three 23L cornies, stackable is what I'm looking for, and the whole stainless stand conical thing is fine if you have one, maybe two, but any more than that, and they're just start taking up valuable floor/shelf space.
The 30L chubby COULD be the answer to my prayers, just not as it is currently.
Click to expand...
Yeah that makes total sense. Only 1 fermenter for me so that makes sense what you're saying.
 
Meddo said:
@wide eyed and legless @CEO Keg King @Keg King are these "Apollo" forms going to be released in "Fermenter King" versions with bottom valves? ETA if so, for both FK and Snub versions? Is the lid the same size/form as the current 60L Fermenter King?

I'm pretty keen on both snub and FK versions of these, the height and small lid on the 35L FK and snub has been my only real issue with that model.

Cheers,
Click to expand...
Yes they will be the same as for the 60 litre with only difference being volume.
 
Grmblz said:
Mate, it's potentially 35kg (wort being heavier than water) it needs handles, either part of the mould or a stainless clamp on thing similar to the glass fermenter things, in all honesty bits of rope wrapped around the neck is a ghetto fix, no offence but who did the R&D on this?
Make it with the bigger lid (better seal, thermowell/tethered dip tube) and some way of moving it around, I'm over the separate stainless stands and would happily buy 3 or 4 of these things to replace my conical fermenters, but not if I can't move them in and out of my fermenter fridge.
I think it's a fair call so say a good percentage of HBer's are past their physical prime, and whilst I can see a strapping 25yr old bear hugging this thing around, it would be beyond my abilities, I can move my firkins around (roll then heave) and that's 40L, plus about 10kg keg weight, but they are roll able and have hand holds, so it's not just a weight issue, more a design one, it's almost as if these things have been designed as a one way keg (minimal production cost) but are now being marketed as a fermenter.
I support made in Australia (especially now China has shown its true colours) and have yet to hear of a KK PET vessel exploding, but it needs to be practical not just indestructible.
Chubby 30L, gen 3 lid, handles. Sign me up for four.
Click to expand...
Why do you have to lift a full fermenter?
When I transfer my wort out of the (Guten) brewery after cooling I pump it directly from the tap (with helix coil) directly into the fermenter which is either in the fermenting fridge or into the fermenter that I have on the bench
There is no way in hell this old fart is going to try to lift a full fermenter
 
Grmblz said:
Mate, it's potentially 35kg (wort being heavier than water) it needs handles, either part of the mould or a stainless clamp on thing similar to the glass fermenter things, in all honesty bits of rope wrapped around the neck is a ghetto fix, no offence but who did the R&D on this?
Click to expand...
Actually I quite like the rope handles, I can just fold them together and carry it like a shopping bag. I haven't used it as a fermenter as yet but I do have two doors to open to get to the fermenting room. I understand where your coming from regarding space saving and the frames especially having 3 or four in use at the same time.
Maybe they will get a new pre form and die and make it the same as the junior, I don't know.
 
Ballaratguy said:
Why do you have to lift a full fermenter?
When I transfer my wort out of the (Guten) brewery after cooling I pump it directly from the tap (with helix coil) directly into the fermenter which is either in the fermenting fridge or into the fermenter that I have on the bench
There is no way in hell this old fart is going to try to lift a full fermenter
Click to expand...
#829
 
malt and barley blues said:
There are stainless steel handles coming in for the chubby.
Click to expand...
And the gen 3 lids? It's horses for courses, I just thought out loud what MY ideal fermenter would be, the handle is but one part of the equation (a good one mind you) I've no interest in pumping wort, done my time with 3v systems trying to emulate the big boys, so single vessel/or biab and picking it up and moving it is where I'm at, closed transfer from fermenter to keg no prob, but kettle to fermenter, and fermenter to fridge is gravity and muscle (what little I have left)
 
wide eyed and legless said:
Maybe they will get a new pre form and die and make it the same as the junior, I don't know.
Click to expand...
In a perfect world lol.
I'm just mystified that a new design lid (and pretty bloody good from what I can make out) is incorporated into the fermenters and yet not available on the re-purposed one way kegs marketed as fermenters, sure it's all about economics, and ROI and people have fermented in re-purposed 50L commercial kegs for years.
I just think we are entering a new era of HB where HB specific gear (not scaled down commercial) is being brought to market and of course there will be miss steps but I get frustrated by things being half way there.
It's the old chestnut, who's doing the R&D, the guys that know about the subject, or the bean counters?
As an ex publican I even struggle with the concept of a 30L none stackable one way keg that has no handles, WH&S would have a field day, dunno maybe it's just an end of life crisis for a contumelious curmudgeon. Cheers ;)
 

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