[ibru]

I've had a Stout 14.5 conical for about 4 years. I have been very happy with it. I know there are better conicals out there for more money, but I'd do it again. I love the ease of dumping yeast and clean up with the tri clamps. As stated earlier, there isn't a lot of room under the dump valve but putting 2 X 4 blocks under the legs solve that. I can get a quart jar under it.
At the time I bought mine pushing with CO2 was an option with this model so I put the conical in a converted freezer that sits on top a Harbor Freight scissors cart so I use gravity to fill kegs. This also allows me to wheel it around my shop.

[gymrat]

Thankyou Ibru. I have been googling and reading everything I can find on Stout, Blichmann, and Stout vs Blichmann. One thing I have noticed consistently is that Stout owners are anywhere from satisfied to happy with them. One guy on the beersmith forum owned both a stout and a Blichmann. He didn't think one was any better than the other. He said each had advantages and disadvantages. One advantage he gave to the Stout was that it comes off of the legs which makes it easier for him to clean than the Blichmann with the legs attached.

The only negative reviews I have found on them have been from non owners. So I am convinced I won't be disappointed and went ahead and ordered a 10 gallon one last night. The biggest downside I could see is that, as another responder in this thread pointed out, it doesn't have a relief valve. My regulator has one so I am going to look into finding out whether or not I can get a 5lb relief valve to change out on my regulator when pushing my beer into my bottling bucket or keg.

[micsager]

I just bought a couple used 42 gallon Blichmann's.  Of course I had to spend some time cleaning, but Love these things.  But, I have nothing to compare to, other than a plastic bucket.  LOL

[corkybstewart]

The biggest problem with owning a conical is that temperature control just got complicated.  I had to build my fermentation chamber with a window AC mounted on an insulated plywood box the size of a fridge.  It works great, especially with a thermowell and digital temp controller, but it's a pretty big space waster if you don't have plenty of room.

[BrewArk]

The biggest problem with owning a conical is that temperature control just got complicated...

Precisely the reason I stuck w/a 7 gallon over a 14.  I can fit the 7 in my beer fridge.

[gymrat]

My question is, all things being the same, why is temperature control a problem with a conical but not with a bucket?

[BrewArk]

My question is, all things being the same, why is temperature control a problem with a conical but not with a bucket?

I'd say temperature control IS important with a bucket.  (That is why I used my limited funds to get a beer fridge a couple years before I got a conical.)   I think most would agree that temperature control has more impact than fermenter shape.

Steel conicals can conduct heat quicker than plastic buckets, but over the time the beer ferments, I don't expect that to be much of an impact.

[gmac]

Can someone tell me more about the Brewhemoth?  I go to St Louis regularly and I'm thinking about 3 of them. I like the price and the 1/2 barrel capacity.
Pressurize?  Clean out? Anything else? 
For the money I can't a lot more capacity compared to the Blichmann and Stout never returned my inquiries.
Thanks

[gymrat]

Can someone tell me more about the Brewhemoth?  I go to St Louis regularly and I'm thinking about 3 of them. I like the price and the 1/2 barrel capacity.
Pressurize?  Clean out? Anything else? 
For the money I can't a lot more capacity compared to the Blichmann and Stout never returned my inquiries.
Thanks

I never heard of these before I bought my Stout. Looking at it I am amazed at the price for the capacity. Though you do have to buy all of your fittings separately where all of mine came with my conical. But for a 22 gallon capacity that you can pressurize that would certainly be worth it.

http://brewhemoth.com/tri-clover-brewhemoth

Theirs even has an immersion chiller attachment.

[gymrat]

My question is, all things being the same, why is temperature control a problem with a conical but not with a bucket?

I'd say temperature control IS important with a bucket.  (That is why I used my limited funds to get a beer fridge a couple years before I got a conical.)   I think most would agree that temperature control has more impact than fermenter shape.

Steel conicals can conduct heat quicker than plastic buckets, but over the time the beer ferments, I don't expect that to be much of an impact.

This makes complete sense to me. I had a lot of people on different forums telling me if I get a conical I need to find a way to keep it cool. I never could figure out what would make the conical any different than the bucket. They are both doing exactly the same thing. They are just different shapes and different materials. I reasoned that if my beer seems fine now coming out of a bucket why would it be any different, in the same conditions, coming out of a stainless steel conical? I have never checked the fermenting temperatures on my buckets as I always felt there really wasn't much I could do about them without buying a freezer or building an insulated room for them and cooling it. They sit in 67 degrees ambient temperature and the finished product comes out just fine other than a few of my American Wheats having a Hefewiezen character to them. Now I know that from time to time I must have had some warm fermentations that caused that.

[repo]

My question is, all things being the same, why is temperature control a problem with a conical but not with a bucket?

I believe what the person who made that comment was referring to was the size and shape of the conical. It does not easily conform to the usual fridge/freezer options for temperature control. It does require more space and lifting it into or out of a freezer is not an option, and it is too tall for most fridges.  I have not noticed any difference in the temperature of the beer when fermenting side by side, a bucket and conical.

[corkybstewart]

My question is, all things being the same, why is temperature control a problem with a conical but not with a bucket?

I believe what the person who made that comment was referring to was the size and shape of the conical. It does not easily conform to the usual fridge/freezer options for temperature control. It does require more space and lifting it into or out of a freezer is not an option, and it is too tall for most fridges.  I have not noticed any difference in the temperature of the beer when fermenting side by side, a bucket and conical.

That's exactly the issue I meant to raise, not that it's more important for a conical, it's just more complicated.  You have lots of options for cooling buckets and carboys, but conicals are large and just don't fit inside many standard appliances or tubs of cool water.

[AmandaK]

That's exactly the issue I meant to raise, not that it's more important for a conical, it's just more complicated.  You have lots of options for cooling buckets and carboys, but conicals are large and just don't fit inside many standard appliances or tubs of cool water.

I believe this is why many people use a stainless steel coil with circulating ice water inside their conicals.

[klickitat jim]

I was about to start a thread asking why I need to switch to conicals and now I know the answer. I don't. I'll bet they're awesome if you're doing nano or bigger, but for 5 gallon batches I can't see beating a bucket

[morticaixavier]

I was about to start a thread asking why I need to switch to conicals and now I know the answer. I don't. I'll bet they're awesome if you're doing nano or bigger, but for 5 gallon batches I can't see beating a bucket

heck there are a lot of nano's that have come to the same conclusion as you for 20 gallon batches.