Fermentation bucket

[An Ankoù]

Why? You dont NEED a SS fermenter. This is of course completely different from WANTING a nice shiny, shiny SS fermenter

You're spot on there. The purveyors of said bright-and-shiny, however, would have us believe that it's only possible to get SS really clean and that monstrous things are going to leap out of plastic's nooks and crannies and snap at our ankles.
Never had any trouble yet, though.
Still, it would be nice.

 

[MyQul]

You're spot on there. The purveyors of said bright-and-shiny, however, would have us believe that it's only possible to get SS really clean and that monstrous things are going to leap out of plastic's nooks and crannies and snap at our ankles.
Never had any trouble yet, though.
Still, it would be nice.

The perceived wisdom of chucking your plastic buckets as soon as they get scratched because the scratches can harbour microbes doesn't seem to hold true, for me at least. I've been stacking my FV's inside one another (along with mashing buckets and brew pots) for storage for years. Doing this of course causes some serious scratching, but I've never had an infection (well, I've had one but I know what caused it). Perhaps it because I sanitse them using boiling water, plus I no chill in them. So boiling water and/or wort will be able to get in any scratches and kill most microbes

 

[dad_of_jon]

The perceived wisdom of chucking your plastic buckets as soon as they get scratched because the scratches can harbour microbes doesn't seem to hold true, for me at least. I've been stacking my FV's inside one another (along with mashing buckets and brew pots) for storage for years. Doing this of course causes some serious scratching, but I've never had an infection (well, I've had one but I know what caused it). Perhaps it because I sanitse them using boiling water, plus I no chill in them. So boiling water and/or wort will be able to get in any scratches and kill most microbes

Whilst I desire SS - If I had an issue with a plastic FV (I've not so far in 4 years of brewing) It's no big deal to replace it, I replace my buckets every 2 years or so and a sour is the last one I brew before I chuck it our the door. I worked out an SS FV is around 12x the cost of a plastic fv so that makes 12x2 yr replacement = 24 years. I will not be brewing in a 25 litre fv then so the figures don't work out for me so I stick with plastic and lust after SS from afar!

I also worked out ingredient's wise its cheaper to replace a plastic fv than lose £40 of ingredients so all my taps, wands etc are no more than a few years old.

but we should still worship all that is SS

 

[MyQul]

Whilst I desire SS - If I had an issue with a plastic FV (I've not so far in 4 years of brewing) It's no big deal to replace it, I replace my buckets every 2 years or so and a sour is the last one I brew before I chuck it our the door. I worked out an SS FV is around 12x the cost of a plastic fv so that makes 12x2 yr replacement = 24 years. I will not be brewing in a 25 litre fv then so the figures don't work out for me so I stick with plastic and lust after SS from afar!

I also worked out ingredient's wise its cheaper to replace a plastic fv than lose £40 of ingredients so all my taps, wands etc are no more than a few years old.

but we should still worship all that is SS

I can tell you put all that maths graft in to justify to Mrs D_o_J why you need to buy a shiny Brewtech FV. Unfortunately the maths didn't support your argument

 

[An Ankoù]

but we should still worship all that is SS

Should we indeed! SS Brewtech, for examples makes is products from 304 grade SS, while if it used 316 instead, it would be much more corrosion resistant. I'd love to leave a bleach solution overnight to get the brown stains of the bottom of my boiler, but am reluctant to do so. Similarly as I often add a small quantity of CaCl2 to the mash- and hence to the boil- I wonder why chloride resistant SS isn't used universally for brewing.

 

[foxbat]

I've often considered upgrading my cheap plastic buckets with something a bit swisher, however my brewfridge is only 50 cm high inside. Once you have included even a modest handy airlock, it doesn't leave a lot of leeway.

If the size limit is all that's holding you back have a look at the brewbuilder flat bottom SS FV. I have the 33l in a tight space like you in a brewfridge and it fits snugly with a blowoff tube on the top. The triclamp fittings on the side stick out significantly but doesn't stop the fridge door closing.

 

[melhaer]

Recently I bought from amazon.de the following https://www.amazon.co.uk/Klarstein-Mashfest-Fermenter-Fermentation-Stainless/dp/B07NJ8SWB9/ - for 82 euros. The price was reduced because it was listed as used, but came form Klarstein packed and in perfect condition, I suppose it was used in a showroom or something. The normal price is 109 euros.

I think it was the cheapest stainless 304 option with tap I was able to find.

 

[Alside101]

Love brewing sell some that are solid and airtight

 

[nottsbl]

Any container, plastic or metal, will get scratched by use and can harbor infection. Proper sanitation will mean you can use and reuse your all your scratched containers, lids, taps, stirrers, bottles, caps etc. for years, without risk of infection. The idea that scratched plastic or metal is going to infect your beer, regardless of sanitation methods, really is nonsense on stilts. If it was true, the NHS (and all baby care) would collapse in a mega-death apocalypse.

 

[nottsbl]

The perceived wisdom of chucking your plastic buckets as soon as they get scratched because the scratches can harbour microbes doesn't seem to hold true, for me at least. I've been stacking my FV's inside one another (along with mashing buckets and brew pots) for storage for years. Doing this of course causes some serious scratching, but I've never had an infection (well, I've had one but I know what caused it). Perhaps it because I sanitse them using boiling water, plus I no chill in them. So boiling water and/or wort will be able to get in any scratches and kill most microbes

yes, the "perceived wisdom" is (very, very basic) anti-science nonsense; bit like climate change denial.

 

[foxy]

I have the snub nose fermentasarus nothing wrong with the bog standard HDPE fermenters but.
The snubnose is versatile, comes with a pressure kit, you can pressure ferment and transfer to keg or secondary oxygen free, or just ferment as normal.

 

[Cwrw666]

Personally I can't see why anyone would bother with anything except a cheapo plastic bucket for fermenting. I've got a couple of Youngs ones the oldest of which is at least 20 years old. Both are scratched to b*****y inside.
Fact - you don't need an airlock, just let the CO2 push itself out round the lid.
Fact - chuck your fancy chemical sanitisers and just rinse your bucket out with boiling water. Heat penetrates scratches that chemicals don't touch.
I do insist on having a tap though, as I can't be arsed mucking about with syphons.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Mum spit is what you need, in the owd days every mum had a hanky if you had a dirty face or what ever she would put a little spit on it and hey presto clean face even cleaned tellys with it owt really, nowadays its all wet wipes and stuff lol

 

[MyQul]

Mum spit is what you need, in the owd days every mum had a hanky if you had a dirty face or what ever she would put a little spit on it and hey presto clean face even cleaned tellys with it owt really, nowadays its all wet wipes and stuff lol

Whilst I dont use spit, I often use wet wipes to wipe the krausen ring off a just racked FV