[cheba420]

I've been looking at these for a while. Apparently, my wife noticed because this morning she gave me one for my birthday! Really looking forward to fermenting all 10 gallons in the same vessel!

http://www.brewershardware.com/American-Sanke-Keg-Fermenter-Kit-with-Thermowell.html

Anyone out there have any experience with this kit?

[tschmidlin]

Nice, I'd love to read a review after you've had a chance to use it.

[fightdman]

I just started fermenting in a keg using  a heated and stretched carboy cap over the keg opening.  Let me tell you, transfering under pressure IS THE BOMB! (and not meaning the keg is exploding  )  I just purchased a 1/4" barb to 1/4" female NPT and connected that to a 1/4" male flare fitting and my CO₂ line's female flare fitting connects to that.  The barb goes into the small carboy cap tube and of course, the stainless racking cane goes into the large carboy cap tube.  Both the barb and the racking cane are secured to the carboy cap with screw clamps.  The tube from the racking cane connects to a ball lock disconnect, so the whole process is under CO₂.   2 psi gets everything moving with the pressure relief valve left open during the process.  I'll never rack again any other way!  So easy!

My set-up is a lot cheaper that $80, so why am I still considering the tri-clamp solution?  Well, the internal thermowell is nice. The ability to hold the racking steady is also nice.  Is it $80 worth of nice?  I don't know.

[gimmeales]

I too, would love to hear a report on how this thing works.

Until I can afford the above gadget, anyone know if a stick-on thermometer would give an accurate reading for fermentations?  Concerned the keg walls would be too thick to measure accurately.

Loving the idea of closed C02 transfers, both from process control and back-saving standpoints (i.e. lifting a full fermenter to siphoning-height), but don't use carboys.  However, with these couple sankeys sitting here...

[tschmidlin]

Heat transfer through a stainless keg will be better than through a glass carboy.

[gimmeales]

Excellent - that answers my question.  Thanks, Tom!

Of course, one benefit of the keg fermenter is being able to boil to sanitize - not gonna work well with a stick-on thermometer, me thinks 

[jimrod]

How do you get the keg clean? Especially underneath the lid.
I've got an old keg that just doesn't want to come clean.
Any suggestions?

[Pinski]

How do you get the keg clean? Especially underneath the lid.
I've got an old keg that just doesn't want to come clean.
Any suggestions?

This is why I'm leaning towards converting a 10 gallon Corni into a fermenter.  I like the idea of being able to scrub the inner surfaces.  Any suggestions on material/sources to build a thermowell?

[bluesman]

Just as you would clean a Corny keg, you'll need to use a hot PBW soak overnight then a hot rinse and sanitizer to get the keg clean for use during the next ferment. It's certainly doable. There are pros and cons just like anything else. It's a personal choice.

[tom]

I just started fermenting in a keg using  a heated and stretched carboy cap over the keg opening.  Let me tell you, transfering under pressure IS THE BOMB! (and not meaning the keg is exploding  )  I just purchased a 1/4" barb to 1/4" female NPT and connected that to a 1/4" male flare fitting and my CO₂ line's female flare fitting connects to that.  The barb goes into the small carboy cap tube and of course, the stainless racking cane goes into the large carboy cap tube.  Both the barb and the racking cane are secured to the carboy cap with screw clamps.  The tube from the racking cane connects to a ball lock disconnect, so the whole process is under CO₂.   2 psi gets everything moving with the pressure relief valve left open during the process.  I'll never rack again any other way!  So easy!

My set-up is a lot cheaper that $80, so why am I still considering the tri-clamp solution?  Well, the internal thermowell is nice. The ability to hold the racking steady is also nice.  Is it $80 worth of nice?  I don't know.

+1, I use the tall "slim" quarter kegs - 7.75 gallons each. I found a single piece 1/4" hose barb to 1/4" male flare fitting that works great. I had some thermowells made out of old diptubes so I can control the fermentation temperature with a RANCO.  I clean them by filling them with hot PBW.  A lot of the gunk is at the top so I use a carboy brush to clean the top just to be sure.

[tallcall]

I have one that I have used for 5 or so batches works great. The only problem that I had was the first time I used it the clamps I had on the blow off tube weren't tight enough. Thought I had a bad batch of yeast because I wasn't getting any bubbles. Checked SG and it was lower than when I started. Tightened the clamps and started bubbling away. Yes, it is a bit pricey but it is really pretty.
 As far as cleaning the keg I have a 1/16 horsepower submersible pump with a piece of 3/4" copper pipe that sticks about 18" into the keg. I put the pump into a bucket of PBW and the keg upside down over it.Turn on the pump and come back in an hour or two and the keg is sparkling clean. Also works great for carboys and corny kegs.