Can someone please persuade me to buy this?

[guypettigrew]

Hello all

I have an overwhelming urge to buy a Chronical fermenter from the Malt Miller.

There's no reason to buy one. A plastic bucket does just as well. But this has lots of taps on it, and clamps, and moveable bits. Most importantly, it's shiny!

Can someone convince me to spend £320 on it-please, please, please!

Guy

[seymour]

If you've got the money, buy it. It makes yeast harvesting a dream.

[guypettigrew]

Hi Seymour

Talk to me about yeast harvesting.

My usual method is to rack the beer off the sediment from my plastic bucket. Then I tip some cooled boiled water into the bucket and stir it with a sanitized plastic spoon to produce a slurry. Then it's tipped into sanitised glass containers (pint glasses, in fact!) and left to settle. Etc, etc.

Other than the tipping part, how would it be better with a Chronical fermenter, please?

Guy

[MTW]

There is now a cheaper option by the way: >these< on pre-order

[seymour]

...how would it be better with a Chronical fermenter, please?

Guy

You can skip all those steps. You wait for fermentation to complete, when the yeast drops to the bottom. Yeast is heavier than ale, so it compacts into the cone. You put your sanitized container under the valve and all the first-runnings are pure yeast for your next brew. When the stream starts turning into clear beer, you turn off the valve, tuck the yeast in cold storage, and switch into bottling/kegging mode just like a commercial brewery. Super easy peasy.

The CO2 was scrubbing the headspace of your conical fermentor all along, remaining sanitary, so if you've brewed a similar beer you can pour it right into the cylindroconical fermentor without even worrying about much deep cleaning in between! Or clean-in-place, that's easy too with a pump. They're as close as a homebrewer can get to an efficient pro-brewer workflow.

[guypettigrew]

You're beginning to convince me I need to get one!

Do you use a conical fermenter? If you do, how much better is it than when you used a plastic bucket? Which I guess we all started off with. And if it's better, how?

Need to nip out now to pour another pint of my dark bitter. Or strong mild. Not sure what to call it. Mild ale malt with loads of crystal and black malt. Low hopping. Fuggles, Goldings and Challenger to about 20 IBU.

Tastes gorgeous. But only brewed in a bucket. Would it taste better in a shiny thingummyjig?

Guy

[Belter]

You're unlikely to produce better beer. And the cost saving over buying yeast will take years. But years of pure joy. Just remember it doesn't stop with the conical. You need heating/cooling. MrLard has conicals coming out with a coil fitted in the lid but they're a way off I think.

I'm undecided yet as to wether to wait or buy one from Rob.

In theory with a conical oxidation should be a think of the past. With sample ports etc. Yeast harvesting is a doddle. Dumping trub also. You can go from boiler to conical. Oxygenate with pure O2 or filters pumped air, leave it closed under airlock for the fermentation and then go sealed into a keg. Far less chance of infection. Less chance of scratching (unlike a plastic bucket).

The answer is staring you in the face. BUY ONE! But even I haven't managed to convince the Mrs I need one yet. Particularly a 20odd Litre one. As opposed to a 5bbl or something where the benefits are far greater and more obvious.

[50quidsoundboy]

do it! here's why:

- harvesting yeast is easy and fun
- dumping trub (do primary and secondary/dry hopping in the same vessel)
- the joy of cleaning stainless instead of the fear + uncertainty of keeping plastic buckets hygienic "down there"
- stainless conicals look cool as heck. this is a hobby, so your enjoyment DOES matter
- better beer. trust me, when you ferment in these things, you can really taste the cone. the guys fermenting in buckets will tell you otherwise, but ignore them! they are haters
- you'll be more popular, probably get promoted at work, and get your leg over more often

have another couple of beers and get your credit card out! IGNORE THE HATERS!

[chris2012]

Haha 50quidsoundboy! I agree entirely.

I'm so tempted by the slightly bigger version.

Also it means you can easily sample your beer more often, which must be a good thing!

[Coffeeuk]

They arrived today apparently. I'm sorely tempted too, the half barrel is 1/2 inch too big for my fridge which is so annoying.

Our lass says she will buy me one of the 7 gallon ones, but I normally make 25 litre batches and I'm not sure that leaves enough headspace.

[bryanferry]

Would the stainless brew bucket http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.ph ... ductId=585 be a better option as its half the cost of the 7 gallon chronical but still has a conical base?

[cellone]

Is it for fermenting chronic?

[Coffeeuk]

Ordered one, I was rude to say no lol

[50quidsoundboy]

Ordered one, I was rude to say no lol

congrats mate

[seymour]

congrats mate

+1 of course, we're gonna need pictures of your setup, eventually