Stainless Steel Fermenters

[Mash Monster]

An all-rounder.

You should be fine with what you’ve got then.
Don’t forget to cut the thermowell down in length. Just to avoid stabbing yourself in the eye when taking the lid off and on etc.
It’s bloody painful

 

[Druncan]

I base my fills on weighing scales and a potable water meter.

@Martin Kernick - I connect a clear hose to one of the TC connections on the cone. Lift the other end above the tank top. Slowly open valve and the hose becomes a liquid level indicator.

 

[MrJay83]

You should be fine with what you’ve got then.
Don’t forget to cut the thermowell down in length. Just to avoid stabbing yourself in the eye when taking the lid off and on etc.
It’s bloody painful

Yeah definitely will be cutting it down. Not sure if it was yourself or another that mentioned that happened. Sounded awful!

 

[Clint]

Talking of PBS I've been down to my brew shed in recent days to collect equipment as I've got my brewing mojo back...on the shelf are three PBS which I thought were empty..one is about a quarter full but I suspect its 6 months old! I can't even remember what's in it! Should I try it?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Talking of PBS I've been down to my brew shed in recent days to collect equipment as I've got my brewing mojo back...on the shelf are three PBS which I thought were empty..one is about a quarter full but I suspect its 6 months old! I can't even remember what's in it! Should I try it?

Yes! What’s the worst that could happen?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Yes! What’s the worst that could happen?

 

[Deadhead]

Talking of PBS I've been down to my brew shed in recent days to collect equipment as I've got my brewing mojo back...on the shelf are three PBS which I thought were empty..one is about a quarter full but I suspect its 6 months old! I can't even remember what's in it! Should I try it?

Go for it? Might be minging, might be the best thing you have ever made. HA

 

[Clint]

Well...it was black,had a bit of serving pressure,was flat,smelled ok but had a slight off taste I didn't like so tipped the glass.

 

[MashBag]

Sort of off topic - ish.

But is there a good plan around here to convert a stainless
Steel keg into a fermentation vessel? I have seen them converted into a few things so surely.....

Just dawned I me I have 3 gathering dust? Might have a play.

 

[Walden]

I love the transparency of the plaggi fermzilla.
I love looking at it every day during fermentation with a torch- it’s like space exploration! One of the best bits of the brewing for me.
Also when transferring I can smoothly tilt it when I’m near the sediment and see that the intake is not sucking it up.

No experience of the stainless steel ones.
Why would you?

Vibes

 

[Alastair70]

I have a couple of each and use both types on and off. The simple answer is that for most styles there is no difference between them.
However, for some lager yeasts and for wheat beers, being able to stop the temp rising when fermentation takes off seems to make a big difference. So the conical FV with glycol wins hands down in those scenarios.

 

[stripeyjoe]

I think a quick peek will make hardly any difference (set up dependant). I used to put a blanket of tissue & tinfoil over the probe (tapped to the side of the fermenter) for insulation. Just got a thermowell for the FZ lid so the probe will be right in the beer and a quick peek will affect it even less now. Just praying I don't ruin the lid!

I added a thermowell to my all rounder lid but stopped using it after a couple of brews, I was getting much larger temperature swings than just having the probe on the side with some insulation over it.
If you are using a fridge/tube heater then, by the time the wort in the centre of the FV has heated up to the right temp the wort at the edges is too warm, it overshoots temp and then goes into cooling where the opposite happens.
I now control temps via the side mounted probe and also monitor temps in the wort via an iSpindel. They are usually only 1/2 to 1C different once the temps have averaged out inside the fridge and rarely goes more than 1C over or under the temp I’ve set.

 

[hoppyscotty]

I love the transparency of the plaggi fermzilla.
I love looking at it every day during fermentation with a torch- it’s like space exploration! One of the best bits of the brewing for me.
Also when transferring I can smoothly tilt it when I’m near the sediment and see that the intake is not sucking it up.

No experience of the stainless steel ones.
Why would you?

Vibes

yep, got a fermzilla for my smaller brewzilla system and a larger stainless fermenter on my larger 3vessel system and I miss the transparency of the fermzilla when using the stainless fermenter.

 

[hoppyscotty]

You should be fine with what you’ve got then.
Don’t forget to cut the thermowell down in length. Just to avoid stabbing yourself in the eye when taking the lid off and on etc.
It’s bloody painful

Yep...been there done that. spent 5 hrs in A&E. Only a mm away from doing permanent damage. Have since cut the thermowell down.

 

[MrJay83]

I added a thermowell to my all rounder lid but stopped using it after a couple of brews, I was getting much larger temperature swings than just having the probe on the side with some insulation over it.
If you are using a fridge/tube heater then, by the time the wort in the centre of the FV has heated up to the right temp the wort at the edges is too warm, it overshoots temp and then goes into cooling where the opposite happens.
I now control temps via the side mounted probe and also monitor temps in the wort via an iSpindel. They are usually only 1/2 to 1C different once the temps have averaged out inside the fridge and rarely goes more than 1C over or under the temp I’ve set.

I have a brew on right now and I've noticed that the inkbird measured temp and ispindal measured temp are much tighter than when I stick it on the side. I do use a belt rather than a tube so that might be making a difference.
I have a lager on at the moment so it will be interesting to see how it performs next time I'm doing an ale and a high temp fermentation using Kveik.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Well the liquid in a fermenter is not exactly static during fermentation. Especially during the first half to three quarters of the way through fermentation. There is a lot of movement going on which you can see visibly if you have a transparent fermenter. Not quite turbulent but a lot of action going on so the temp within the body of the wort will be mixing quite well. Also fermentation in itself generates heat so the heat transfer is not all from the outside in. In the early part of fermentation I’d imagine the challenge is keeping it cool rather than trying to heat it up. My fermentation fridge was playing up during the beer I have on the go right now and I had to manage almost manually to prevent the temp from running away.

I don’t believe any of the numbers from my ispindel. What simply monitor the trend of fermentation.

 

[MrJay83]

I don’t believe any of the numbers from my ispindel. What simply monitor the trend of fermentation.

I think the temperature from mine is generally true. Gravity just gives an idea of progress.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Sort of off topic - ish.

But is there a good plan around here to convert a stainless
Steel keg into a fermentation vessel? I have seen them converted into a few things so surely.....

Just dawned I me I have 3 gathering dust? Might have a play.

This guy did a very nice job.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/anyone-ever-convert-corny-opening-to-4”-tc.725881/post-10246666

 

[Bzee]

So how many of us drink out of plastic glasses. Some I know don't even like thier beer out of a can, preferring glass.

 

[MashBag]

This guy did a very nice job.

Thanks. That has given me an idea.