Fermzilla vs bucket and king keg

Laner · Oct 7, 2024

Looking for advice from those much more experienced than me..

I’m very space limited, brew and store in my garage, currently bucket fermenting and then bottling ( not yet at the drinking stage ) with no room for a fridge. I’ve toying with the idea of a king keg set up instead of bottling, but then looked at the Fermzilla 27l gen 3.2.

Thinking I could use the fermzilla as an all in one by dumping the trub and then dispensing, down side is only can’t do a new brew until empty but space saving is good. With the King Keg I can dispense but have a new brew on the go when the timing is right, need space for it.

What are your thoughts / advice?

This is for Cider / Lager and possibly Stout.

Larse · Oct 7, 2024

Another option is to get a corny keg (or a couple) and a CO2 bottle and then you can closed transfer from the Fermzilla to the Corny and free up your Fermzilla. You can even ferment in cornys if you have a mind to. Corny kegs are easy to get second hand and easy to clean and refurbish, parts are cheap - mostly o-rings and seals. And they take up very little space (max 23cm diameter). You can get dispensing taps for the corny so it's an all in one system.

And if you ever get to a stage where you can get a fridge, the cornys fit in neatly.

Rwilts · Oct 7, 2024

Think long and hard about how you intend to use the Fermizilla, I bought one a few years ago (so prev gen) and whilst I love it and use it all the time I thought I would be dumping the trub so went for the one with the collection jar, AND bought a second jar to swap over - IN two years I have never dumped the trub, the additional complication of the jar makes it more complex to clean and also prone to getting stuck - So whilst I wasn't planning on dispensing from it I wish I had bought the cheaper round bottom version just for fermentation. Just some thought s

Larse · Oct 7, 2024

Rwilts said:
Think long and hard about how you intend to use the Fermizilla, I bought one a few years ago (so prev gen) and whilst I love it and use it all the time I thought I would be dumping the trub so went for the one with the collection jar, AND bought a second jar to swap over - IN two years I have never dumped the trub, the additional complication of the jar makes it more complex to clean and also prone to getting stuck - So whilst I wasn't planning on dispensing from it I wish I had bought the cheaper round bottom version just for fermentation. Just some thought s

+1 to this. I have the all rounder and it's all you'll ever need. If you spend a bit of time getting as little trub as possible from your mash tun, the trub collector is redundant. Never mind the fact that it's so easy to draw only the clear beer from above the trub level with the Fermzila anyway. And that tri-conical Fermzilla looks like a pig to handle or move. Oh, and it's twice the price and holds less.

Laner · Oct 7, 2024

Larse said:
Another option is to get a corny keg (or a couple) and a CO2 bottle and then you can closed transfer from the Fermzilla to the Corny and free up your Fermzilla. You can even ferment in cornys if you have a mind to. Corny kegs are easy to get second hand and easy to clean and refurbish, parts are cheap - mostly o-rings and seals. And they take up very little space (max 23cm diameter). You can get dispensing taps for the corny so it's an all in one system.

And if you ever get to a stage where you can get a fridge, the cornys fit in neatly.

The Fermzilla, Corny and CO2 bottle is beyond budget…. If I go fermzilla I will be using a sodastream bottle due to space

Laner · Oct 7, 2024

Larse said:
+1 to this. I have the all rounder and it's all you'll ever need. If you spend a bit of time getting as little trub as possible from your mash tun, the trub collector is redundant. Never mind the fact that it's so easy to draw only the clear beer from above the trub level with the Fermzila anyway. And that tri-conical Fermzilla looks like a pig to handle or move. Oh, and it's twice the price and holds less.

Rwilts said:
Think long and hard about how you intend to use the Fermizilla, I bought one a few years ago (so prev gen) and whilst I love it and use it all the time I thought I would be dumping the trub so went for the one with the collection jar, AND bought a second jar to swap over - IN two years I have never dumped the trub, the additional complication of the jar makes it more complex to clean and also prone to getting stuck - So whilst I wasn't planning on dispensing from it I wish I had bought the cheaper round bottom version just for fermentation. Just some thought s

I’m a kit brewer so mash control is not something I need to worry about.. how long is it practical to leave the cider/lager on the trub if dispensing direct from the all rounder?

Apprecaite the info guys

Larse · Oct 7, 2024

Laner said:
I’m a kit brewer so mash control is not something I need to worry about.. how long is it practical to leave the cider/lager on the trub if dispensing direct from the all rounder?

Apprecaite the info guys

Not sure how you would intend to move it from the trub if you're not going to invest in another container to take the beer/cider off the trub. You can do it with any cheap fermenter/bottling bucket, but you'd lose all your carbonation from the Fermzilla (assuming you are using it in order to naturally carbonate your beer). Which is why I suggested a corny keg since you can do a closed transfer to it from the Fermzilla.

To answer your question, there are lots of different schools of thought out there, but basically if your trub is mainly yeast, then there seems no harm in leaving it there for months. Other stuff like lots of hop trub, maybe not so much.

Laner · Oct 7, 2024

Larse said:
Not sure how you would intend to move it from the trub if you're not going to invest in another container to take the beer/cider off the trub. You can do it with any cheap fermenter/bottling bucket, but you'd lose all your carbonation from the Fermzilla (assuming you are using it in order to naturally carbonate your beer). Which is why I suggested a corny keg since you can do a closed transfer to it from the Fermzilla.

To answer your question, there are lots of different schools of thought out there, but basically if your trub is mainly yeast, then there seems no harm in leaving it there for months. Other stuff like lots of hop trub, maybe not so much.

If the timescale is months rather than days then I’d happily dispense from the all rounder after fermentation. Would look to add the sodastream kit for the extra gas.

I ws thinking then gen3.2 would be the best bet as I could dump the trub and use it as a pressure barrel, but the all rounder does sound like a viable option.

Laner · Oct 7, 2024

Just seen this.

https://brewkegtap.co.uk/products/m...6&_sid=99c4441e9&_ss=r&variant=47670285271318

Now my head is burst over the option

Larse · Oct 7, 2024

Laner said:
Just seen this.

https://brewkegtap.co.uk/products/m...6&_sid=99c4441e9&_ss=r&variant=47670285271318

Now my head is burst over the option

Yeah, that's what I was saying about fermenting in a corny. The advantage of the corny is it's very mobile and because the liquid out post has a dip tube that goes right to the bottom, you can dispense your trub at the beginning and have clear beer thereafter.

Monitoring your fermentation is done by dispensing enough to get a reading from your hydrometer.

If I was getting that, I'd choose the keg-mounted nukatap rather than the party tap. Less messy and by all accounts it works well.

Laner · Oct 7, 2024

Took the plunge on the Corny kit plus spunding valve.

Larse · Oct 7, 2024

Best of luck with it. It's a very neat solution all round.

fluketamer · Oct 7, 2024

Laner said:
Took the plunge on the Corny kit plus spunding valve.

you wont be disaapointed.

i ferment in an oxebar 20 liter keg and and serve out of it. then i have a spare one in a temp controlled ferm chamber to ferment while i drink the firstone. when the server gets low i transfer it to a minikeg to free up the first oxebar for another round of fermentation. in this way i have shelved all or most of my mini kegs , kegs and FV's.

so for a minimal approach, 2 oxebars, two mini fridges and gas will get you there.

Davegase · Oct 8, 2024

Laner said:
Took the plunge on the Corny kit plus spunding valve.

You'll still need to put it in a fridge or run your beer line through a chiller unless you like drinking your beverage at room temperature.

Laner · Oct 8, 2024

Davegase said:
You'll still need to put it in a fridge or run your beer line through a chiller unless you like drinking your beverage at room temperature.

Garage is currently 11c and getting colder so I’ll have to work with that for now. Once it arrives I’ll check if the large, very expensive, never been used cool box we have is suitable, as it can be run 240v or 12v and goes down to -12c

I may plan ahead and bottle some when the warmer weather returns.

Laner · Oct 9, 2024

Excellent service from BKT, the kit arrived safely this morning.

Cleaned, sanitised and now holding 15ltrs of coopers lager at 3psi. Sadly doesn’t fit in the coolbox.

Its 6pm somewhere · Oct 10, 2024

Laner said:
Excellent service from BKT, the kit arrived safely this morning.

Cleaned, sanitised and now holding 15ltrs of coopers lager at 3psi. Sadly doesn’t fit in the coolbox.

One of these served me well until space came available for a fridge which was just recently, pop the keg in, top the tub up with water and throw in and rotate some ice packs. It's a bit of a hassle but works.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/red-gorilla-polyethylene-tub-black-26ltr/723hl

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