23 litres Wine Fermenter

[country joe]

i do like the kits, but as im just making a batch of Beaverdale Barolo, 6 bottles, I have decided my next kit will be the 30 bots,
I will need a 23L wine fermenter, theres a few out there, anyone recommend which one i should go for?
I take it, i would brew in the Fermenter then transfer to 5 demijohns?
Sorry for the silly questions its 30 years since I brewed, so im back to being a novice.

 

[Cononthebarber]

THESE are what I use for fermenters, they work a treat and are also good for storing grain in too :thumb:

Oh and best of all, they are cheap!

 

[ohbeary]

Joe, the 23lt fermenters are much of a muchness, whichever one you go for get two and you can ferment all the way in them, make sure they have a tap on (for easy racking) and calibrate them with permanent marker because the measurements on the side really are a "guide" I ran a 23lt batch of wine during "degassing" into one of a different make and began to wonder where 4lts of wine had gone, :wha: but it was all there when I ran it back to the original vessel.
PS I have a Sheraton, a Youngs and a Youngs 6gal fermenting bucket.

 

[LeithR]

I have a few of these, they work well for beer second fermentations and also for wine.
http://www.wilko.com/home-brew/wilko-fermentation-vessel-screw-top-25l/invt/0075885
You can easily fit an airlock into the lid.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I have the richies version below with a hole and grommet (see black ring on lid) for an airlock in the lid.

 

[country joe]

What about the glass
fermenter, any good?

 

[Moley]

If you're making a 30 bottle wine kit then you can start it off in a lidded bucket but it would be better if you also had one of those screw topped fermenters for when it came to racking and clearing. The down side is that you can't see through them so you need an extended racking cane and the last bottle is always likely to get some sediment carried over unless you're very careful or don't mind wasting a bit.

I disagree with the bear (hi OB, is the Harris site down again?) as I dislike taps on fermenters, but he's right about ignoring the printed markings and calibrating your own.

Incidentally, those "25 litre" screw topped fermenters actually hold 30 litres if filled to the neck, when it is safe to do so without risk of overflowing.

Glass carboys - personal preference - I have never owned one and never will, plastic can take a few knocks and I can be a bit cack handed at times.

For me, 30 litre screw-tops, 15 and 19 litre office water cooler bottles :thumb:

 

[MandiNKel]

Start in a bucket and then rack to a plastic carboy.
My sister has a glass carboy which she got at a carboot for £5 weighs a ton empty and no chance of moving it when full, also not as clear as plastic with the thickness of the glass.

 

[bobsbeer]

I'm with Moley on this one. 25lt screw top fermenters and no taps. They are just and extra thing to clean and there is too much dead space to be of any use. As I generally make 25lt batches they work perfectly and have enough headspace for the initial fermentation without need to top up later.