Stainless Conicals

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Wortgames

'Draught' is not a beer style - it's a lifestyle
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Hi everyone, just thought I'd post a quick update on these conicals. We are hoping to have the first prototype built within a week or so, and all details are still subject to change.

Basically the first model will be about 300mm in diameter and a bit less than 600mm tall without legs. The capacity will be about 28L to the brim, which gives you a 20% headspace on a 23L batch and 10% headspace on a 25.5L batch.

The lid is likely to be a 6mm polycarbonate disc with a silicone seal around the edge, which attaches with a stainless steel lever-lock ring.

The fermenter is constructed from 1.6mm 316 stainless (better than 304 due to improved resistance to caustic cleaners. Both are food grade). It will terminate in a 1.5" triclover ferrule at the bottom, and at this stage they will be supplied without a side port option, although we hope to have some good options for that by the time we are shipping them.

The prices are still yet to be confirmed and there are lots of variables, but the fermenter and lid arrangement (no tap or legs) will probably come in under $300. Not sure yet whether this will be for a 'raw' one or fully polished.

It looks like we've been able to get some good pricing on sanitary valves and fittings, and we will probably offer 5 bottom valve options:

Valve option 1: The cheapest option is to provide you with a threaded spigot that will clamp on, which can then accept any BSP threaded valve (eg $8 in Bunnings). This spigot will probably cost around $20.

Valve option 2: For around $100 we can offer a threadless, stainless 1" sanitary ball valve, with full teflon seals and fully dismantleable, which will clamp straight onto the fermenter. The outlet of this will accept 1" PVC tubing. They are very tight fitting seals and unlikely to harbour gunk, so dismantling the valve should only be required occasionally (certainly not every brew).

Valve option 3: For around $170 you can get a 1.5" version of the sanitary ball valve. This will also clamp directly to the fermenter but offers the largest throat of all the options (possibly too large). It will also need larger outlet tubing.

Valve option 4: For the same $170 (approx) you can get a 1" butterfly valve. These are a thing of awesome stainlessy beauty (I have a couple here) and they have no cavity for bugs to lurk. They are also fully dismantleable for seal replacement - you shouldn't need to dismantle them for cleaning, just flush. However, if you regularly have solids in your fermenter, the fact that the butterfly sits mid-stream may lead to occasional blockages.

Valve option 5: For about $180, you can get a 1.5" butterfly valve. This will certainly handle hop detritus much better than the 1", but again requires fairly large diameter tubing on the outlet side.

A fully optioned, gleaming fermenter with legs will hopefully come in between $600 - $700, and a basic raw vessel, ready for you to finish will hopefully be under $300.

I'll be offering a discount in the region of 10% to AHB folks who order and pay before Christmas (assuming things go well with the prototype!), as the early customers will obviously help us get it off the ground. We'd like to retail these through homebrew shops so we won't be discounting once we've set prices. They will be far better and far cheaper than anything else available. The build quality will be superb and we intend to back these things up with a lengthy warranty.

When I have a prototype and some piccies and better prices I'll let you know the details. Obviously we'd like to make a quid out of these for all the folks involved, and hopefully the customer will still get a great Aussie-built bargain. However, if the mods have an issue with this becoming commercial please let me know and we can take it offline.

Anybody drooling yet?

:beer:
 
Wortgames said:
Anybody drooling yet?

:beer:
[post="86086"][/post]​

Yep (where's the drooling smilie ?)
Xmas present wish list still on hold :p

Really looking forward to the next update and photos now.

Doc
 
drooling - you betcha

Self_Portrait_Drool.jpg
 
Fantastic News...
Really Looking Forward to the PICS....
 
You got it kenny, pics please!
Guess i'll have to start dropping hints to the missus.

The size sounds great too - will fit in the fermentation fridge no worries. In fact, are you planning a larger one? I ask as i want to move to double batches for lagers, as i only have a single fridge, and if it takes 5 weeks to brew and lager the damn thing, i don't want to finish it in a week.
 
Hi guys, larger sizes are on the drawing board for next year.

As they get larger in diameter we plan to offer custom heights - so if you want a wide, squat single batch one to fit a particular space we can do it. You could also go for a tall, thin one, but according to Fix you don't want the cylindrical part of the height to be too much taller than the diameter, otherwise you get poor circulation of both yeast and temperature (unless you circulate or agitate it mechanically). Having said that I'm tempted to go for 2 taller ones myself to fit side-by-side in my glass-doored commercial fridge...
:super:

Note that the 60cm height I mentioned doesn't include the valve, you'll need to add 10-20cm or so, plus room for the airlock above, so we're definitely talking about a standard upright fridge here. The legs will be individually adjustable though, so you'll be able to sit the rear leg(s) on the compressor hump in most fridges.

The lid will probably be made available with a central pilot hole, or undrilled (in case you want to mount the airlock off-centre). You can come up with your own arrangement for pressure transfer, but probably the easiest way would be to wedge a bit of plastic tube in the airlock hole connected to your regulator [legal disclaimer here!].

As for ordering, I won't have a firmer grip on prices until we have built a couple and know for a fact exactly how much is involved at each stage. We have also been very fortunate in being able to access some very elaborate fabrication facilities at a great rate, but we're yet to see how sustainable that is and what plan B would entail.

I'm really keen to be able to deliver some before Christmas, and fingers crossed that will be the case, but I don't want to let anybody down so it's still a bit premature to take any money.

I'll report back in a week or two how the prototype goes, I'll hopefully have some photos and firmer prices by then.

:beer:
 
I'll put my hand up to do some R&D on the implementation side of the units. ie. Capacity testing, pressure testing, stress testing, fermentation testing .....

Doc
 
Thanks Doc, for volunteering to explode your fermenter for the common good :p

I think we will have to say that they are definitely NOT pressure vessels, but we will probably sacrifice one in a mythbusters-style ceremony to see what does happen when you go over the line, and where that line is...
 
What a great guy you are Doc to put yourself out like that for us fellow brewers :p
 
You need someone to help with writing the WARNING section of the manual and the Specifications/Operating Limits section :p

Doc
 
I would certainly be interested in a bigger one (70 or so litres). I presume the price would be similar?
cheers
Darren
 
It's really difficult to say what the price will be for the larger ones until we get there, but at a rough guess I'd say a 70 litre one would be twice the price of the 28 litre. Obviously there is more material involved, more welding, and larger parts which we'd be buying in smaller quantities. A lot of the fittings would transfer over though.
 
im drooling also and hanging out for the pics wortgames.
 
The wonder of the modern world has struck again!!

Spun round and told the missus the cost....and got the OK!!

SO I'M IN FOR ONE!!!!

As big Kev says " I'M EXCITED! "
 
Were these going to have a cooling option?

Batz
 
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