Fermenters rated/compared

[Cowboy44]

Hi All

Hard to try and search for this subject, so I'm going in with eyes wide and prepared for anything. I have been using 30L plastic fermenters for years. They all ferment beer. I was wondering if there are tangible benefits to going stainless steel - I see some strong opinions on SS or plastic/glass carboys (I've been using the plastic 'buckets'), or go for conical glass...... (or is there 'other'?). I'm interested to know if there has been an empirical analysis across all forms of fermenters. I'm now trying to optimise (to the extent of my budget and lodgings) my brew capability/function/output. I'd thus welcome commentary

Thanks everyone

* currently drinking a Nelson Sauvignon ale and an American Pale Ale

[Crafty Tim]

Hi All

Hard to try and search for this subject, so I'm going in with eyes wide and prepared for anything. I have been using 30L plastic fermenters for years. They all ferment beer. I was wondering if there are tangible benefits to going stainless steel - I see some strong opinions on SS or plastic/glass carboys (I've been using the plastic 'buckets'), or go for conical glass...... (or is there 'other'?). I'm interested to know if there has been an empirical analysis across all forms of fermenters. I'm now trying to optimise (to the extent of my budget and lodgings) my brew capability/function/output. I'd thus welcome commentary

Thanks everyone

* currently drinking a Nelson Sauvignon ale and an American Pale Ale

Hi mate.

Thanks for asking this question as it's one I've been contemplating myself. Been using plastic for the last 8 years with no issues but now I'm starting to brew a bit more often I'm thinking do I need to upgrade or not? I'm a firm believer in "if it's not broke, don't fix it" but I'll be interested to see what the brewer's on here suggest .



Sent from my POT-LX1A using Tapatalk

[MashBag]

Hi All

Hard to try and search for this subject, so I'm going in with eyes wide and prepared for anything. I have been using 30L plastic fermenters for years. They all ferment beer. I was wondering if there are tangible benefits to going stainless steel .

None that I have found.

[Crafty Tim]

Hi All

Hard to try and search for this subject, so I'm going in with eyes wide and prepared for anything. I have been using 30L plastic fermenters for years. They all ferment beer. I was wondering if there are tangible benefits to going stainless steel .

None that I have found.

Sent from my POT-LX1A using Tapatalk

[Cobnut]

They're shinier?

Seriously, though, the usual argument is that stainless steel is much harder to scratch and thus much easier to clean.

I've used plastic buckets and a (plastic fermentasaurus), but bought a SS conical end of last year. It is certainly shiny.

The plastic buckets are harder to ensure they're properly clean.

The fermentasaurus I do like, but it's a pig to get clean as my arm is too fat to get through the screwtop hole at the top (and I'm not a big bloke!)*. I think I have managed to scratch the inside so a tad worried it will harbour nasties, but also it has a label on it saying "do not use under pressure after August 2020". I occasionally brew under pressure, so either I take the chance, buy a new fermenter (just the vessel, keeping all the accouterments), or stop pressure fermenting in it.

* I have though built a keg/fermenter washer (inspired by someone on here) which does a decent job if the percarbonate solution is hot enough and circulated for long enough. Pond pump plus various other odds and sods.

[An Ankoù]

Hi All

Hard to try and search for this subject, so I'm going in with eyes wide and prepared for anything. I have been using 30L plastic fermenters for years. They all ferment beer. I was wondering if there are tangible benefits to going stainless steel .

None that I have found.

Sent from my POT-LX1A using Tapatalk

Same here. The advantage of plastic over SS is that you can use bleach or chlorine-based products to clean it.
I haven't been convinced yet, of the arguments for pressure fermenting on a non-industrial scale.

[MashBag]

Shiney yes. Heavy yes. Cold yes.

Easier to clean. Grasping at straws!. Sorry.

Youngs wide mouth fermenter are as good as it gets. And using bleach! Why would you?

If you want a shiney pretty brewery food on you. They look lovely. Me.. I want beer

[IPA]

I have both. Four 60 litre plastic, four 32 litre plastic a 33 litre ss conical and a ss 6 gallon BrewBucket. Never used either of the shiney ones yet. They seem to be too heavy and difficult to clean compared to the plastic ones. I bought the conical a couple of weeks ago to ferment spirit washes and can now see a couple of disadvantages with it for this purpose. Both connected to obtaining a perfectly clear wash after the ferment. However there is no denying that they both look pretty compared to the plastic ones.
If you want something shiny buy a Braumeister. They look pretty and out perform any other one pot brewing systems.

[MashBag]

I am not sure if we can talk about your spirit mash,but is it tomato paste and lentil? Certainly would not buy stainless for that... Not in it long enough

[Jocky]

I've been through most of the options (Fermentasaurus/Fermzilla type things excepted) in 11 years of brewing. There's no ideal fermenter for any one brewer, it very much depends upon your needs and what you enjoy using.

Here's what I've been through:

Plastic buckets:
Where I started, and used for about 5 years. I'd advise most newbies to start here too.

Advantages:

• Cheap and you can get them in a myriad of sizes.

Disadvantages:

• The lids aren't always air tight so I'd be wary of leaving beer in there for much time post fermentation.
• Once they are full they're a pain to move - the handles are rubbish.
• Easy to scratch with metal utensils or scourers leaving surfaces infections can hide in (so don't use them!)
• No tap, but it's cheap to install one for less than £5.

Speidel HDPE Fermenter
Like a plastic bucket, but better. Cost under £30.

Advantages:

• Air tight. I even added an S30 valve to the lid so I could inject CO2.
• Strong, with good handles for moving.
• It has a tap.

Disadvantages:

• Still plastic - and easy to scratch with metal utensils or scourers leaving surfaces infections can hide in (so don't use them!)

Grainfather conical
I won this as a prize in a brewing competition. I held onto it for 18 months in hope I could find room for it, but eventually sold it after brewing with it once.

Advantages:

• It has a built in temperature controller and heater.
• Like any good conical it has a bottom dump valve and racking tap, although in one assembly which makes cleaning easier.
• Made of steel, so largely scratch resistant and easy to keep sanitary.

Disadvantages:

• Expensive!
• For cooling the controller only works with the Grainfather glycol chiller, although with a bit of electrical know how and hacking you could probably rig it up to something else.
• It's far too big to fit in an undercounter fridge - the main reason I never used it.
• The outlet is very low to the floor, so how do you empty it into a keg or bottling bucket? Lifting it is difficult because...
• It's heavy when full.

Steel flat bottomed fermenter
I bought this from Brewbuilder, and I changed the barb on the top to a bigger one to take 1/2" ID silicone tubing.
https://brewbuilder.co.uk/mini-fv.html

Advantages:

• It fits in my fermentation fridge.
• Air tight, but not pressure capable.
• Built in ball valve tap, with a racking arm inside that you can rotate to keep above trub.
• Made of steel, so largely scratch resistant and easy to keep sanitary, and will last a lifetime

Disadvantages:

• Expensive for a bucket with a tap.

[An Ankoù]

I'm intrigued by a seemingly universal fear of scratches. Don't commercial fermenters get scratched inside? Chipping off beer stone and shovelling out trub and yeast etc? My plastic "7-gallon" buckets are at least 20 years old and they're scratched to buggery, but I sanitise with bleach, rinse and store with Na metapbisulphite solution and rinse out before use. I don't seem to get any problems.
As for Yorkshire squares, aren't they made of slate?

[chris2012]

I believe Samuel Smith's use slate for their Yorkshire squares. However others like Theakston's use stainless steel squares. And black sheep has round ones interestingly.

[Jocky]

That's true. I mostly used iodophor to sanitise plastics and never had an infection, so maybe it's the approach.

Equally re Sam Smith's Yorkshire squares - commercial brewing practices do not always hold for home brewing scale.

[vacant]

Although I went through a shiny boiler and mash tun phase, I never considered a stainless FV.

My FVs over the years include 30 ltr buckets, 25 ltr jerrycans (with a blow off tube in the cap), 40 to 80 ltr Wilko's storage containers - always looking food safe plastic. The storage containers are the best value.

I'm currently using a 50 ltr drum that just fits in my fridge.

[Cowboy44]

Thanks for everyone taking an interest and providing some very insightful perspectives. Appears that 'whatever floats your boat', is the fermenter de jour. I see (and read) no reason to change from my plastic fermenters. They work for me and any failures or less than desirable outcomes are my fault not that of the products.

I did read about 'Yorkshire squares' and apart from Googling some amazing sausage recipies, I have no idea what these are. I am from the antipodes you see, so very far removed from Yorkshire, and anything square that may reside within its boundaries.

Can someone please elucidate!!!!

Thanks!!!