Stainless Steel Fermentor (maybe Conical, Maybe Not) How Much Would Yo

[djneli]

Hi Guys,

I'm starting to get sick of the trusty old plastic fermentors and would love to go out and replace the six of them with 4 x 30 L and 1 x 50 L stainless ones but I'm sure my financial advisor (she thinks she is the controller but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve) would rip my balls off... sooooo... I'm going to look in to designing and making my own utilising my resources in the sheet metal industry and my shed (about time the $3,000 welder did a little more than a table and a mill stand). Obviously I am not talking one piece extruded stainless steel conical but rather something a little more low tech like a cylinder (sanitary but not to xray standard) seam welded to a cone of sorts with a clamp down lid. The question is - what would people be willing to pay for a 30 L and a 50 L stainless conical (probably) fermentor taking in to account it wouldn't have anything fancy like a swiveling pickup tube or tri-clover fittings as if I can make a handful for myself and they A) don't fall to shit, and B) are cost effective then I might make a few more for the greater community.

Be interested to know the general thoughts.

Neli

 

[hirns]

Would not be that interested, but thought that I'd suggest that you look into used S/S hotwater tanks. I know of people that use these for boilers, but if you can aquire some they may be an easy start for the fermenter that you have in mind.

Hirns

 

[dabre4]

I've been interested in going down this path, but don't have the skill or equipment to weld up my own. I recon you could sell them for a bit, depends on the final product. I'd pay around $100 - $200.

 

[amiddler]

I could see $200 to $300 not being unreasonable for a quality job on such a fermenter. Your welding and polishing skills will get a real work out but presuming you have done some S/S work in the past you should be able to do it. What type of welder do you have? $3000 I'm thinking comes with the necessary TIG attachments.

Drew

 

[djneli]

I could see $200 to $300 not being unreasonable for a quality job on such a fermenter. Your welding and polishing skills will get a real work out but presuming you have done some S/S work in the past you should be able to do it. What type of welder do you have? $3000 I'm thinking comes with the necessary TIG attachments.

Drew

Yeah it was a BOC (Elite Multi Process 180) branded EWM (they are the brains behind the welders used in BMW, Ferrari, Aston Marton etc...) which does MIG, TIG and Stick. I like TIG welding but also like the versatility of MIG so I decided to go for an all in one that wasn't a piece of imported crap. But I cheat too and have mates who are boiler makers come over on the weekends for a couple of beers and some welding. So long as they leave with a full corny for a rainy day (or upcoming party they wish to throw) they don't notice I am using them as cheap labour... Muhahahaha

 

[kymba]

Hey Neli

I'd have a semi interest if they weren't cylindrical. I can only fit 2 x 25L buckets in my current fermenting fridge, but can easily fit 6 x 20L jerry's in there

Surely it would be easier to fab a big rectangular shape than a cylindrical shape. And you could whack on a tapered sump similar to a oil/water/solid separator and all this without doing any conical work

Seeing as though most of us (?) ferment in modded fridges, this may appeal to a lot of ppl - just need to find a size to suit the masses i suppose

my 2c anyway

kymba

 

[djneli]

Hey Neli

I'd have a semi interest if they weren't cylindrical. I can only fit 2 x 25L buckets in my current fermenting fridge, but can easily fit 6 x 20L jerry's in there

Surely it would be easier to fab a big rectangular shape than a cylindrical shape. And you could whack on a tapered sump similar to a oil/water/solid separator and all this without doing any conical work

Seeing as though most of us (?) ferment in modded fridges, this may appeal to a lot of ppl - just need to find a size to suit the masses i suppose

my 2c anyway

kymba

Funny you should mention that as I was wondering why fermentors are round and not square... is that just a cleaning thing or is there some science to it like the even distribtution of ambient temperature to the fermenter etc... ?

 

[kymba]

surely as with most things homebrew, it is a carryover from what the big-boys do (apart from BIAB h34r: )

the FV shape & depth has an influence when you are doing a bazillion litres a time, but for 40 odd litres i doubt much

also from what i understand, the monopoly ferment under pressure in those big FV's, and cylinders are the only shape that when pressure is applied it is applied equally to all sides - so no weak spots. fermenting under pressure also adds a certain flavour to the final product

but then i've had a few beers, so...

 

[schooey]

I'd pay around $100 - $200.

That's almost an insult. You'd be lucky to buy the stainless for that...

 

[Wolfy]

Something else to consider is that you'll have to provide for fittings etc, I can't imagine someone wanting to siphon out of a conical, and so that will add to the costs a fair bit.

 

[Mclovin]

Something else to consider is that you'll have to provide for fittings etc, I can't imagine someone wanting to siphon out of a conical, and so that will add to the costs a fair bit.

Isnt the whole purpose of a conical to have a valve on the bottom for extracting your next batch of yeast.

 

[Maheel]

IMO tri-clover are not that expensive

you could add a SS triclover flange on the bottom for $10 (2" ones are $10) plus welding... then the buyer can add whatever suits their needs like triclover valves or extra pipes etc.

price is going to be the big issue as i cannot see you doing and mass production (sadly )

be interesting to see some sort of pricing once you sort your ideas

 

[notung]

:huh: I don't see what's desirable about a stainless fermenter, except for scratch resistance and cleanability I suppose. It just seems like a bit of a waste of precious steel to end up with heavy, clunking vessels that you can't even see into. Better bottles are more my style, but different strokes...

 

[ekul]

I was looking at some stainless vessels from china a few months ago, and it was still going to cost me $300-400 (without shipping). If they can't do it one the mad cheap, i reckon you'll be underpaying yourself.

Saying that, if i had the skills, i would def make myself up some conicals, it would make harvesting yeast so bloody easy.

 

[Sprungmonkey]

stainless vessels would be awsome - cleaning is a breaze / you can steam tanks which ensures sterility. I believe one reson why they are cylindrical other than cleaning is also the pressure due to the head is less in cylindrical vessels.

 

[MHB]

Im not suggesting that you go and steal them, but there are plenty of legal kegs around, BYO even ran an article recently on converting a keg into a fermenter, if you arent going to go all out and buy a conical a keg would be the obvious choice.
There is no way you can match the pressing and welding quality of a commercial keg and believe me that is really important.
Find the BYO article, if youre looking for a home business maybe putting together the top fitting would be a better place to start.
MHB

Edit
Actually its the current issue of BYO so should be easy to find.
M

 

[Jarthy]

is it something like this MHB?

http://www.homebrewing.com/articles/keg-fermenter.php

 

[argon]

Im not suggesting that you go and steal them, but there are plenty of legal kegs around, BYO even ran an article recently on converting a keg into a fermenter, if you arent going to go all out and buy a conical a keg would be the obvious choice.
There is no way you can match the pressing and welding quality of a commercial keg and believe me that is really important.
Find the BYO article, if youre looking for a home business maybe putting together the top fitting would be a better place to start.
MHB

Edit
Actually its the current issue of BYO so should be easy to find.
M

Yep that's what i'd do... 50L commercial or even i've been thinking about the 23L kegs. They're both very easily converted to become a fermenter. Obviously wouldn't have the easy yeast harvesting of a conical, but you could easily harvest some with a pick up tube and a bit of pressure to push it out.

 

[goomboogo]

is it something like this MHB?

http://www.homebrewing.com/articles/keg-fermenter.php

That is the same article as the one MHB referred to from the latest BYO magazine. This does look like an efficient and reasonably priced option if fermenting in stainless is your desire.

Now back to the topic. I'm interested to know what options and costings come out of this investigation.

 

[MHB]

Yes thats the same story as the one in BYO
There is no way you can make a reasonably priced stainless fermenter at a home handyman level, for a fermenter to be functional and hygienic the standards you have to work to are just too high.
The idea that we can get cheap stainless fermenters and variations on it have come up regularly and the result has always been the same a big fat nothing.
MHB