Need More Beer!

[xknifepointx]

I've just started another K&K recipe and I am thinking that one fermenter is not enough, by time it's ready to drink it's gone so quickly then I have to wait another 3 or 4 weeks to have drinkable beer again.

I've searched the forums all morning for a place to buy a cheap fermenter and have sifted through heaps of posts, one said Bunnings was the best for a 25 litre bucket, I'm in Sydney and found that most LHBS sells fermenters for about 40-50 bucks, which is a bit more than I wanted to spend on a plastic container.

anyone know where I can get one cheaply? I want to get at least 2 or 3 going at once in the house so I have a constant supply of beer brewing and conditioning in bottles.

 

[HeXa]

I only have one fermenter and normally have a brew being bottled every 2 weeks from it. At 21-22L coming out at a time, that normally lasts me the two weeks without drama (household consumption is around 1.6L a day).

Only "drama" was waiting for the first few brews to bottle condition.... at least a month of waiting, in which time I just did a quick Lager to satisfy the beer thirst (5 days ferment -> 1 week in bottle -> 20 minutes in frosty mug).

 

[microbe]

I got a camping water drum 25L from Bunnings with bung (ie no tap but space for one) for $17-$18 (can't remember exactly) just had to drill a hole in the top for the air lock and grommet.

Just put the second brew down in it today. It has slightly thinner walls than the older one I had from thr LHBS but as long as you're not going to carry it too far by the side grips I can't see too much problem with it.

No affiliation etc just happy to get change from a $20 note.

 

[boingk]

Knifepoint - good to see you getting into it! I found that if you buy a case or so and drink that while the first batch is carbonating and aging, you are off to a headstart. Also, I tend to brew non-stop: bottling one batch from the fermenter then immediately rinsing, sterilising, and re-brewing. This was a good way to keep up the stocks with only one fermenter.

I've now got two and could not recommend it more! I went the $$$ way and bought it from the local HB store. Good pay that week so I guess I didn't mind it. Anyways, whats I do now is rack to secondary so the beer is dead clear on bottling, and then start another brew in the empty fermenter if my stocks are low or I feel I need to replenish them. If I really am running out I'll fire up both at once and to blazes with secondary! At the moment I'm surrounded by 130+ longies of beer and 1 bubbling fermenter, so I will be set for a while.

Speaking of which, you're really going to need around 150 bottles if you are going through the beer as I am [which it sounds like you are]. I've found this a comfortable mark, as it lets you have 5 brews in various stages of carbonating, aging, and being consumed. Then you can have another in the fermenter(s) if you need to. A big part of the reason I got a second fermenter was for its capacity to do secondary fermentation - so I can still brew if I don't have as many empty bottles as I need, and just prolong either or both primary and secondary fermentation until I do.

Cheers - boingk

EDIT: To answer your question, I've heard of people using plastic jerry cans designed for water [food grade, in other words] as fermenters by whacking a tap into them in the screw-point they have and then stretching gladwrap pver the lid hole and pricking with a pin as an air-lock. Apparently it works well, the only problem is if you get lazy with cleaning and let something hard get stuck to the sides - but this is remedied with a soak in napisan.

 

[bconnery]

A flea market is another good place. People are always selling off ones they've been given.

I think I've bought one out of 5 in an actual HBS...

 

[frogman]

$28.50 for the old coopers snap on lid type fermenter from my LHBS $6.50 for the tap.
Bloddy good investment still have one in use after 7 years.

Keeping 3 fermenters on the go here at all times trying to replenish stocks after the old mans party back in November.

9 kegs now full, now starting some ciders ready for the inlaws visit at X-Mas.

Go buy yourself another fermenter and enjoy it.

Cheers FROGMAN.

 

[bonj]

I agree with the second fermenter. I have one of the bunnings water container specials. I don't bother with an airlock, just screw the lid on, and back it off a bit. They don't seal all that well anyway. I've got two AG pilsners fermenting concurrently at ~10*C. With three, you can brew 2 concurrently, and rack to the third, clean the primary fermenter and rack the second brew into that. I may back off a little now though. I had to get the stocks up for my 30th, and an extra batch for the case swap. I need to finish a keg so I have enough empty kegs to put the pilsners in.