Wheelie Bin Fermenter

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

QldKev

Brew Dude
Joined
21/6/05
Messages
7,478
Reaction score
1,034
Location
Bundy
I've got a cool idea, a Wheelie Bin Fermenter. Looking at the shape of a wheelie bin VS my fermenting fridge, it would fit. The bins are 240 odd litres, and made of HDPE. If means I could comfortably ferment a 100 to 150L batch within my fridge of my house beer, and have a bulk keg fill. Even if I got one of the smaller 100L (from memory) bins, that would be a good sized fermenter for a 3 keg fill.

QldKev
 
Are they actually food grade HDPE though?
 
That's going to be rubbish beer! :lol: :lol: :lol:

(Sorry couldn't resist)
 
Will a 200 litre ex-pickle barrel fit in your fridge? Might be a better option.
 
I think it would work.

The best thing about the idea is, no need for an airlock. I'm guessing the pressure of the Co2 will lift the lid so it will escape out the sides.

If you decide to experiment with this, progress pictures would be good.
 
"Hey! Where's ya bin?"

"I bin asleep"

"No where's ya wheelie bin?"

"Ok ya got me. I wheelie bin shaggin' the missus"
 
+1 Wheelie Good....lol.

Idea, if your thinking big eg Wheelie bin....why noy just get a chest freezer and convert the thermostat and add a temp control = Chest Freezer Fermentor!

:lol:
 
You're going to have to ring the local council and say your existing wheelie bin as been knicked and get a new one dropped off. ;)

And don't take the new fermentor up to the kerb on bin night by mistake.
 
I've got a cool idea, a Wheelie Bin Fermenter. Looking at the shape of a wheelie bin VS my fermenting fridge, it would fit. The bins are 240 odd litres, and made of HDPE. If means I could comfortably ferment a 100 to 150L batch within my fridge of my house beer, and have a bulk keg fill. Even if I got one of the smaller 100L (from memory) bins, that would be a good sized fermenter for a 3 keg fill.

QldKev



The birth of the Kev Cube.

Bunnings are selling them already
 
You're going to have to ring the local council and say your existing wheelie bin as been knicked and get a new one dropped off. ;)

And don't take the new fermentor up to the kerb on bin night by mistake.


It would make it easy to get rid of if you got an infection in the brew!
 
You can actually get food grade ones in various sizes, they are white, used in food industry. They're not even that expensive.

Only trouble I see is that you can only fill them up so far and still be able to use the wheels.
 
The guy I bought my grain bins from sold water tanks that were 100 litres and onwards, square/rectangle, they had a screw on airtight lid on top and he had fitted a tap to them. I looked on EvilBay and he's got none there at the moment, but might be one better than a bin?
 
Liking that idea, but would be heavy to lift into fridge when full, and how will you transfer the fermented beer to secondary or to kegs?
Might have to remove the wheels, as I doubt they or the axle/s would be strong enough to hold 100-150 kgs of beer. I have some litte (60 litre) ones to keep grain in. The wheels break through the bottom of the bins with 25 kg's in them if I don't remove them first, but they are only cheap "kids toybox" type bins.
 
If you know they are food grade go for it... But on that note when I was a meat surgeon (blowing smoke up my ass) we used to soak our hams in them and they would handle the 18 odd hams in them plus the soaking pickle.

And no one that I know of at the time got sick from it. Plus wine gets kept in black poly barrels so all should be fine unless your adding monstrous amounts of alcohol to act like a solvent to strip unwanted products from the plastic.
 
bleh%20moving%20image.gif


QldKevs yeast harvester ?


nice link on the food safe how-ya-bins
 
Off Topic Question: QldKev How do you bring your strike water up to temp quickly with a wheelie-bin-worthy batch ? I'm in the market for a burner that will bring about 160L of water to 70 degrees in a 44gallon drum (for a non beer related hobby) in a short space of time.
 
Back
Top