Conical Fermenter

What are the benefits you're thinking you'll get?

 

I would suggest you get multiple 6 gallon carboys if you are interested in larger batches. It is a little more work to handle the multiple carboys but can also offer flexibility. Think 1 batch, 3 different yeasts or dry hops or adjuncts.

6 gallon carboys are also fairly ubiquitous and easily had. I would not want to move around a full 16 gal carboy...

Goodluck!

 

This one has been spammed here before. Surprising how many first time posters happen to mention this particular product they happened to run across. Yawn.

 

Buckets with spigots are a lot cheaper and offer most of the same benefits.

 

I think it would be too challenging to beat the wort with a big egg beater in this conical. Not a problem with buckets!

 

A conical fermentor would be low on my priority list. Do you already have a fermentation chamber, extra fridge for lagering, aeration setup, keg setup? These would all be higher on my list than a conical. Plus many of these benefits in this conical ad are exaggerations at best.

 

How do you control your fermentation temperature? One issue with this product is that it seems poorly suited for a lot of the methods that homebrewers use. I personally agree with @brightcloud313's suggestion of using multiple 6-gallon fermenters (5-gallon carboys would work too - maybe a variety of sizes is best, you could throw some 3-gallons in as well - and there's nothing wrong with buckets, except that they can't be used for long-term aging).

As to your question about plastic, personally I am comfortable using food-grade plastic like the kinds used in any container sold for homebrewing (in the U.S., anyway). A lot of brewers prefer plastic because it is unlikely to break, and if it does break, the worst that happens is that it spills a bunch of beer (which, don't get me wrong, could be quite a pain in the ass). Glass could cause a serious injury. Plastic is also lightweight, so I find it easier to clean than glass. Some people worry about oxygen permeability, but unless you are aging your beer for a very long time, a plastic carboy is pretty much as good as glass. (A bucket is not appropriate for long-term aging, though.) @OldSock called glass carboys a "waste of your beer money" for similar reasons.

 

After I rack, (from a large pickle bucket), I slosh the yeast around in the bottom of my fermenter. I pour gently into a funnel that spouts into a sanitized mason jar. I save hundreds of dollars. I can't fit a conical like that into my fermentation chamber (small fridge with an external thermometer). I can fit a pickle bucket in there. Possibilities are endless for homebrewing. Just try to see the end goal and make it what you want it. Try to buy a little bigger than you think you need and try to only buy ONCE.

 

Wow, never heard of this. Now that you posted all this amazing info I am going to buy one and tell all my friends about it.

 

I've seen this advertised multiple places elsewhere. My LHBS has them for sale so I've looked at them in person. I like the concept, but given the size, it won't fit into my chest freezer/ferm chamber. You would need a converted fridge as your ferm chamber to make this work. Unless you don't care about controlling temps, but then it isn't an upgrade is it.

 

Can anyone tell me how you are supposed to perform steps 8 through 9 without introducing a metric f*ckton of oxygen into your beer?

 

Perform when primary fermentation is ALMOST done...and/or drain to purged keg...the amount of ingressing O2 is grossly exaggerated by many. I just bought a "SS BrewBucket" which has no yeast/trub collection valve... I am about to remedy shortly for long term secondary fermentation.

 

I still would not want to add that much O2 after peak fermentation. Is there any reason you couldn't just use this without the "collection ball", and just dump the trub like with a regular conical?

 

Sure you could...but after fermentation, there is still a fairly intact CO2 blanket that does not just instantly disappear. With careful handling, massive O2 ingress is mostly a myth in my experience. Do you keg? If not, bottling/packaging (and racking/siphoning) has a lot more chance of introducing O2, IMHO. Cheers

 

The problem is that O2 will be sucked into the fermenter. After that, the natural motion of the molecules of O2 gas will ensure it eventually reaches the beer, in spite of any CO2 it may randomly bounce against. The gas molecules are much smaller than the average spaces between them.

 

I think most sane people would choose not to blow a big bubble of air though their mostly finished beer.

 

Blow is just a figure of speech...any air is being SUCKED in as the bottom valve is (slowly) opened : )
amazing that bottled or racked beer is even drinkable with your level of Oxygen paranoia. : )

 

Thanks for the lesson on the difference between blow and suck, I guess?

My oxygen paranoia and subsequent oxygen pick up prevention methods have improved the flavor and aroma stability of my beer. YMMV