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Author Topic: Fermentor Upgrade  (Read 3275 times)

Offline klickitat jim

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Fermentor Upgrade
« on: January 10, 2014, 10:25:06 pm »
Picked up 4 of these. Love them! The lid seal is J shaped with an inner lip and has 3 sealing ridged. To test airtightness I blew through the blow off tube, no air escapes and eventually with enough pressure it blows the lid off.

Made by Cambro and about $40 with lid.


Offline yso191

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2014, 10:52:26 pm »
That's a great idea Jim!  I have one of those for brining a turkey for smoking.  It never occurred to me to turn it into a fermenter.  Food safe, and easy to clean.  Very nice.
Steve
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Offline euge

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2014, 11:27:34 pm »
Nice. Lots of potential there. Price is not enough to push me to move this way currently- but starting out this would work well. I like restaurant grade equipment. Durable and safe.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2014, 11:44:56 pm »
Yup, and their polycarbonate is tough stuff. So long as you don't attack it with a scotch brite they are pretty hard to scratch.

Offline Pinski

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2014, 12:16:37 am »
Cool Jim, glad to hear those lids form a seal. You got your clear bucket, best of both worlds.
Steve Carper
Green Dragon Brewers
Clubs: Oregon Brew Crew & Strange Brew
BJCP Certified

Offline james

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2014, 12:48:13 am »
I've got a bunch of those containers I use in the kitchen.  The small 4L size is perfect for brining a chicken and rising dough.  Props on using them for a brewing use

Offline Jeff M

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2014, 08:19:08 am »
Take pictures of your fermentation's and post them!
Granite Coast Brewing Company.
Building a clone of The Electric Brewery to use as a pilot system for new recipes!

Offline beersk

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2014, 09:56:07 am »
I was reading about polycarbonate not being 100% food safe somewhere. But I really don't know. If I wasn't so afraid of plastic, I'd go this route, too.
Jesse

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2014, 02:46:03 pm »
Take pictures of your fermentation's and post them!


Offline Jeff M

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2014, 02:58:45 pm »
Neat:) i had figured that since they are in the 6g range you would get lots of blowoff.
Granite Coast Brewing Company.
Building a clone of The Electric Brewery to use as a pilot system for new recipes!

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2014, 03:46:57 pm »
A big beer with a crazy yeast and/or high temps and yes, big blowoff.

These were pitched yesterday around noon. The lager at the top was 5 gallons plus, 1.042 with WY2112. The other is a 1.062 IPA that came out just shy of 5 gallons, with WY1728. Temp is 55°. They appear to be reaching high krausen. Normally for me I get a little krausen on the lid, and on occasion about 10-30 ml in the tube.

I'll be adding a 60/- next week. If I move the keg out I can fit 4 buckets at a time.

Many feel that you should tape the temp probe to the fermentor covered with an insulator to get true fermentation temp. I don't argue that, but if you're running different beers at different stages of fermentation, IMO fermentation chamber ambient temp is just fine.

Sometimes I'll brew 3 in one day, when the last one is within 2°p of FG, I'll ramp up the temp. I'll do that plan if it's going to be a while before my next brew day. But I prefer brewing once a week and just keep it at 55° all the time. Not much difference in the final product.

Offline el_capitan

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2014, 07:09:09 pm »
How easily do the lids come off?  Are they like bucket lids, tighter than heck?  Do you think your stiffer polycarbonate lids will ever crack on you if you have to horse them off? 

What's your source for those? 

Offline euge

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2014, 07:36:49 pm »
F'ng tight lids. So my method is to just lay the lid on with no lock. I've been doing primary this way forever. Occasionally the yeast climbs out with a hefe-yeast. But never an infection.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #13 on: January 11, 2014, 08:05:33 pm »
How easily do the lids come off?  Are they like bucket lids, tighter than heck?  Do you think your stiffer polycarbonate lids will ever crack on you if you have to horse them off? 

What's your source for those?

The lids are not polycarbonate, typical clear plastic. They go on and off just fine

Offline euge

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Re: Fermentor Upgrade
« Reply #14 on: January 11, 2014, 08:10:33 pm »
Hah! I use cloth tape from work to write info on. Goes on the fermenter and ends up on the keg.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis