Conical Fermentors

[Alex Daniel]

Does anybody know if there is someone who makes conical fermentors on the homebrewer scale in nz? or does anyone have expereince with ordering these from overseas? what sort of prices etc

[Liam Callaghan]

Ordered my first stock :)

Got some great deals on keg fittings and labware, hopefully the negotiations for kegs comes off just as good!  Be a while before I can afford to stock them I think but will build up capital as I go.  Nice and steady!

Thanks for the support and comments, making the bags under my eyes almost worth it haha

Nice one Nathan.  Every man should have a brewery in the garage!

Prototyping the cooling units this week, if your in Auckland Jess we could give it a run on your fermenter if you like?

Zane, got the new slants in, flick me your address and I'll send you one in the post to have a look at, I am stoked with em!

[Jess9]

Cheers Liam - unfortunately Palmy North.

[vdog]

Website's looking good Liam - just a couple of questions that I couldn't answer with the info there:

- What are the dimensions of the 100L version (so I can check if it'll fit in the fermentation fridge I have)

- I already have cooling/heating sorted, is there anything I'd need in addition to what comes with the fermenter to start using it? Maybe a sample port?

[Liam Callaghan]

We are still working on the design for these atm.  Bit of pain making them all modular but gives the end user enough savings to make it worth the effort.

It should be in the region of 600mm wide and 700mm high including room for the dump valve.

Might be a while before we make them though, my capital is not high and start up costs are HUGE!

[vdog]

Bugger - from the website it looked like they were already good to go! Keep me updated though - I'll take one as soon as you're ready to make them. 

[Liam Callaghan]

yeah i managed to find the button that takes them off the list of goods.  I am still learning on the web thing.  Looks like it can't do the shipping so all the time I have put in is now wasted...

Have to find a new web shop and see if that will do the shipping any better.

Gutted, a heap of time wasted to fail at the last hurdle, at least I know to start with the shipping first now haha

[Vincent]

I'll be interested in one of the plastic 35 litre Conical Fermenter, when will the site be up and running? Have you got any photos of the complete starter kit?

• 35 litre Conical Fermenter
• 3x Stainless Legs
• Stainless utility collar
• Lid
• Seal
• 6x Lid Clamps
• Stainless Blowoff Fitting and Thermowell

Also, if I was to buy one of these what are my options for cooling? I'm relatively new to brewing and I don't have a dedicated brewing/temp controlled fridge yet.  With the standard 30L barrel fermenters I just place them in a shallow water bath with a wet/dam towel wrapped over/around them to keep the temp down, could be a bit more of a challenge with a conical fermenter? What do you guys use? 

Cheers. 

[Liam Callaghan]

I should have photos now but a few delays again this week.  I am getting used to them now which is a shame.

Best cooling you can get is in a fridge currently, certainly harder with the conical but draped with a wet towel would still do the trick.  

I've detailed up a small cooling unit and thermal jacket .  Jacket is made but we now need to customise it to suit the legs, sockets for the pressure lid and collar.  The cooling unit should work - it does on paper but again with the delay I can't test it.  Not too expensive but again depends a little bit on what I can afford to make up within the initial costs.

The parts to build way cheaper if you buy in the 100's of course but then you have to pay for 100's too haha.

Will get there in the end.

[Liam Callaghan]

Hit a bit of a sticky wicket on Friday with the shipping and some clunky software but hopefully if that is fixed this week and site will be up and running soon after.  Didn't realise shipping would be such an issue but its a very complicated bugger to fix as each of the orders will be different sizes, weights and volumes.  I think we have a good work around though thanks to Damian.   Hopefully the software can deliver what I need otherwise I have to switch the site off and head to Trademe.

First stuff available will the lab glassware, slants, keg connections, gas and beverage fittings plus a few sundries.  Gas burners and regulators should be ordered and shipped soon once I get sign off.  Got some great feedback on the slants from the club members (Auckland Brewers Guild) on Wednesday night.  Stoked with that :)

The small stuff gives me a chance to sort out all the packaging and shipping for real before the bigger stuff is ready.

35 litre fermenter shouldn't be far away, tank is ready, legs are ready, non pressurised lid and seal are ready.  Just the collar and pressurised lid to go.

70 litre was ready this week too but I didn't like it so might be back to the blackboard with that one.

[Liam Callaghan]

Prototype for the pressure lid, blow off assembly and beverage delivery should be finished next week along with the costs...  Currently they are all being made out of stainless.  Is there any reason why these couldn't be made out of aluminium?

Most of them dont come in contact with the beer - just the delivery fitting, which is awesome btw, a miniture jet engine for shifting beer (or any liquid) without air contact from fermenter to keg, bottle or bottle filler. 

Not sure how aluminium reacts with star sans or oxi cleaners but can't see them as a risk. 

Will save a lot of cost which is good and savings on shipping which is a bonus.

[Ralph]

Hmm I am not sure how Alu goes with the starsan etc? 

I would think the non-contact bits like lid, blow-off etc would be fine? Beverage delivery it would be good to have stainless for peace of mind. From all I have read Alu is fine for pots for brewing and the Alzheimers link has been disproven but there is still a large negative view of it in the market...

[Liam Callaghan]

Yeah I would buy stainless for myself and just save up for it.  Saying that all my canning gear is aluminium which is what gave me pause to query.

I'll run with stainless but might look at the costs of ali and see.  I could always offer it and see if people prefer one or the other.  No issues for me just the cost of it.  Alu is probably 1/2 the price of stainless.  Might be $200 - 300 for lid, legs and all the pressure fittings in Stainless.  Which is a good saving.

Can't get my head in gear for the issues with corrosion and cleaning agents though.  I'll have a proper research this weekend when I have some down  time.  Yeah right haha!

Thanks Zane