Stainless Steel FV

[Saisonator]

I wondered if anybody has come across a 25l stainless steel FV that fits in an average size under counter fermentation fridge?

 

[foxbat]

I wondered if anybody has come across a 25l stainless steel FV that fits in an average size under counter fermentation fridge?

Yes, the 33l Brewbuilder flat-bottom FV fits with enough space for a blowoff tube on the top port and a butterfly valve on the bottom port. My fridge is the Currys Essentials undercounter fridge so it's probably as space-restricted as they come. The fittings are 1.5" tri-clamp which are an industry standard for sanitary use but you'll have to budget about £50 for all the parts you'll need.

 

[BarnBrian]

SS Brewtech brew bucket.

 

[Saisonator]

Thanks guys, i’ll take a look at them both

 

[Dutto]

Food for thought indeed.

I've looked at all the options and the thought of spending over £100 to replace something that costs me £10 ...

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-fermenting-bin-lid-25l/p/0022555

... just does my head in!

However, I quite like shiny things (as well as £1 coins) so I've had a look around and found this ...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-30-35...DEEP-STOCKPOT-BOILING-CASSEROLE-/172598504160

... at £36.36 and Free Postage.

It's the same size as my Wilco FV, it doesn't have a tap (neither does my Wilco FV) it doesn't have a hole in the lid (neither did my Wilco FV) and it won't give me an air-tight seal (occasionally, neither does my Wilco FV).

I'm still pondering because all of these are "solvable" or "not necessary" so "The jury is still out." as they say.

 

[-Bezza-]

Good idea to just use a SS stock pot @Dutto. Not sure I'd fancy those handles holding good when full though!

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi @Dutto
Ooooh! That looks very nice - a shiny, shiny FV that doubles up as a boil kettle.
I'm very tempted, but I've told myself that I have everything that I need to brew; anything else is what I want.

 

[Bigcol49]

Good idea to just use a SS stock pot @Dutto. Not sure I'd fancy those handles holding good when full though!

Hi!
Simple enough to knock up a carrying doobrie.

 

[foxbat]

it won't give me an air-tight seal (occasionally, neither does my Wilco FV).

A tube of silicone gasket maker and a steady hand might solve that for you and if you know someone with a Q-max cutter you can add the necessary hole(s) for free.

 

[Dutto]

Good idea to just use a SS stock pot @Dutto. Not sure I'd fancy those handles holding good when full though!

First thing I looked at - riveted handles!! Ten times safer than spot-welded handles; but they will have to be sanitised up the yin-yang so that there won't be anything nasty hiding at the back of the rivets on the inside!

BTW don't forget that these pots are designed to be humped about full of old bones and boiling water.

 

[Saisonator]

Yes, the 33l Brewbuilder flat-bottom FV fits with enough space for a blowoff tube on the top port and a butterfly valve on the bottom port. My fridge is the Currys Essentials undercounter fridge so it's probably as space-restricted as they come. The fittings are 1.5" tri-clamp which are an industry standard for sanitary use but you'll have to budget about £50 for all the parts you'll need.

I wondered if you could tell me the fittings on that site that I would need to order on that site?

 

[foxbat]

I wondered if you could tell me the fittings on that site that I would need to order on that site?

Sure. The FV has two 1.5" tri-clamp ports. Assuming you want to make use of them by fitting a valve on the bottom and a blow-off tube on top:

On the bottom port you would have:

Port-on-FV -> Butterfly valve -> blanking plate​

On the top port you would have:

Port-on-FV -> hose barb​

Where there's a "->" above that indicates a join and will require a silicone gasket and clamp to make said join. The parts list is therefore:

3x Silicone gasket
3x Clamp
1x Butterfly valve
1x Blanking plate
1x Hose barb (10mm: geterbrewed) *

* The 8mm ebay barb fits the semi-rigid 3/8" gas/beer line tubing. The 10mm geterbrewed barb fits the wider silicone hose that comes with the bottling sticks.

You ferment with the above arrangement, then when it's time to bottle/keg you remove the blanking plate from the valve, replace it with the barb from the top and bottle/keg through it. The blanking plate rests on top to stop more air getting in than is required to replace the volume coming out the bottom.

 

[Saisonator]

Foxbat
Many thanks for going to the trouble of providing all that information. I would have bought all the extras from Brewbuilder and spent considerably more. Could well have not got all I needed as well.

 

[cheeseyfeet]

A tube of silicone gasket maker and a steady hand might solve that for you and if you know someone with a Q-max cutter you can add the necessary hole(s) for free.

I don't have experience but wouldn't gasket maker stick the lid to the pot?

 

[Dutto]

I don't have experience but wouldn't gasket maker stick the lid to the pot?

In the bad old days, (when I was using kitchen equipment to brew "own recipe" LME beer) I used silicone tubing (laboriously cut along its length with a pair of the wife's nail scissors) from an aquarium shop to get a seal on the lid of an ordinary SS pan that I used as an FV.

I sealed the "join" with a bit of insulating tape and it worked very well.
.

 

[Batlugs]

I got two of these some time ago and they have been brill. Bit of a problem when they arrived but that was DHL meatheads chucking them around.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/stainless-fermenter.71545/#post-684201

 

[Saisonator]

I got two of these some time ago and they have been brill. Bit of a problem when they arrived but that was DHL meatheads chucking them around.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/stainless-fermenter.71545/#post-684201

Look like great value for money/

 

[Batlugs]

They are, no complaints whatsoever, I noticed that they do even cheaper ones without the tap.

Buy them soon as after Brexit we may be saddled with import duties and VAT.

 

[Saisonator]

They are, no complaints whatsoever, I noticed that they do even cheaper ones without the tap.

Buy them soon as after Brexit we may be saddled with import duties and VAT.

Unfortunately they are out of stock.