Fermenters

[Shaun]

Ok for anyone looking at buying their first or upgrading and existing fermenter.

There are two common styles available on the market, carboy and pail.

First the Carboy style.
This is the most common fermenter available. It is a round container that closers in towards the top, has a screw on lid and handles that are moulded into the sides of the fermenter.

This fermeter has many problems with it;
1. They are harder to clean as the sides are not straight and flat, the top closers in and the handles are moulded into the sides.

2. They do not seal well for many reasons;
a, The O-ring in the lid wears out,
b, The lid does not get screwed on properly,
c, The thread gets crossed, and
d, Users forget to grease the O-ring.

3. The lids become stuck due to it never fitting properly in the first place or because it has been overtighted to stop a leak.

Advantages;
Easy to find and purchase

The second is a pail style.
This fermenter is a bucket with a clip on lid and tap at the base.

Problem;
1. If the lid is not clipped on with care the lid can be damaged ruining the seal.
2. Harder to find not sold buy a lot of HBS

Advantages;
1. Straight sides make for easier cleaning,
2. Larger opening at the top makes for easier mixing and cleaning,
3. Once the lid is clipped on the fermenter is sealed, and
4. No O ring that needs replacing or greasing.

My advice is buy the pail style, if your HBS does not stock them make them order one in for you or find a HBS that does.

For Dogger there is then Glass fermenters.

[Matty]

Shaun,

I for one have no problems with the Carboy style fermenter.

No problems at all cleaning it.
Very rarely have a problem with them not sealing.
O-rings are cheap and easy to replace.
I always screw my lid on properly.
Never had a crossed thread or needed to 'grease' the O-ring.

An easy way to get the lid to come off is to not over tighten it. If you need to over tighten it to make it seal, maybe you need to replace the O-ring. Simple.


If simply not clipping the lid on properly is enough to ruin the seal and the lid of the pale style fermenter, they sound a bit to easy to break to me.
If they are hard to purchase and easy to break lids on, how do you manage to replace the lid if the whole thing was hard to get in the first place?

Seems to me that the carboy style makes a lot more sense.

Just my 2¢ worth.

Cheers,

Matty

[Antsvb]

Hey guys
Have both kinds that get used similar amounts of brews. Carboy's good because it's 30litres as opposed to 25litres so its useful when you think a brew is going to climb out of the airlock but the pale is easier as far as the lid goes.

[Dogger Dan]

Two stage fermentation folks, try it you wont be dissappointed

Dogger

[Shaun]

Matty I have had two for a long time now and have never damaged a lid. If you are aware of it when you purchase the fermenter you have to go out of your way to do the damage. I have priced the lids and they are under $10 to replace and if you have found a pail style fermenter you will find a lid if needed.

As for carboys being reliable I think this forum on its own disproves this, have a look at other forums and see how many problems come back to the carboy style fermenter “My air locks not bubbling what’s the problem” “I can't get the lid off” “Bubbling in the air lock has stoped after 1-2 days has it stoped brewing” ext.

As for the brew bubbling over one thing to say you use coopers yeast it is the only yeast, on its own, that I have heard of coursing a bubble over. This is due to its aggressive nature.

If you are going to use it be aware of the problem and take steps to prevent it in the first place, use a run off tube, 5P's (Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Pour Performance). If you need a 30l fermenter simply to stop bubbling over you need to look at what you are doing.

I have had a carboy style fermenter and do not use it anymore. I gave it away for someone to use as a water container.

It is like comparing VHS Video recorders and Beta Recorders when they first came out. Why did VHS take off when Beta was the better product by a country mile? Advertising and marketing the VHS was better marketed, as has been the carboy fermenter.

[Matty]

Well l guess it comes down to the individual. Don't worry about what other ppl say, just use what works best for you.

[Dogger Dan]

Nail on Head

Dogger

[shornsheep]

hello fellas
hey Shaun
i have had trouble with coopers yeast and bubhble over what yeast do you suggest.

[NRB]

As for the brew bubbling over one thing to say you use coopers yeast it is the only yeast, on its own, that I have heard of coursing a bubble over. This is due to its aggressive nature.

I don't want to cause any trouble, but that just shows limited reading. It's not uncommon for liquid yeasts in high gravity beers to have an absolutely ballistic fermentation.

[Shaun]

shornsheep safale/saflager if it is not already in the kit. Or stick with the yeast from the kit and have a run off tube from the airlock hole to a bucket half full of water.

[Matty]

The krausen will blow through the air lock if your brew is to warm aswell.

Cheers,

Matty

[shornsheep]

thanks shaun i give them ago

[Shamus]

Whats the general view on glass fermenters

I just recently started brewing again and got a glass fermenter cause the guy at the HB shop recomended it - crisper flavour. Am I wasting my time with it or is it a good thing? (I wont be able to taste the brew for several weeks and the anticipation is killing me!)

[Guest]

The fact of the matter is no matter what method you use with your homebrewing you're gonna end up with different results/flavours to everyone else. There are so many variables (water, temp, etc) and individual taste preferences out there that a glass fermenter will be better suited to one brewer while a plastic fermenter will be suited to another.

I was told when I started brewing that it's best to do primary fermentation in a plastic fermenter (coz it's easier to clean the crud out of) and then a secondary in a glass carboy before bottling/kegging. Can't vouch for this either way coz I can't wait that long before bottling my beer

Cheers,
Jay.

PS what's the name of the hard crud that builds up in a ring around the top of the fermenter.

[Matty]

I think it's called a krausen ring, but I could be wrong.

Cheers,

Matty

[normell]

Whats the general view on glass fermenters

I just recently started brewing again and got a glass fermenter cause the guy at the HB shop recomended it - crisper flavour. Am I wasting my time with it or is it a good thing? (I wont be able to taste the brew for several weeks and the anticipation is killing me!)

They don't bounce like the plastic ones


Normell