Score! 55 gal SS drum for $10

[Bu77hed]

I just picked up a 55 gal Stainless steel drum off of Craigslist for $10. What to do with it?
Right up front I'll say I DO NOT want to use it as a boiler. Way to big for me.
My first thought was to use it to ferment in, but it's still too big for me for that.
Another thought is to cut it in half and weld a SS cone to each one and make a pair of 30 gal conical fermenters. I see very expensive fermenters for sale for beer and wine making but do conical fermenters benefit our hobby? ( I don't make beer or wine)
I could cut it in half and weld a flat piece of SS to make two 25 gal containers to ferment in. Or make a mash tun and a matching fermenter.
I could also just cut it down to one 30-35 gal container that would be easier to deal with than 55 gals.
I can tig weld and I have access to a sheet metal shop for bending and rolling.
What would you do with it?

[DAD300]

I advise against cutting a keg so I'll stick to that here....build a really nice rack for it and have a great fermenter for ever...maybe add a vale on the bottom.

[Prairiepiss]

Would make a nice brew rig for all grain. A 25 gal boiler pot and a 25 gal mash tun.

[Bu77hed]

Maybe a little more info to help.
A) I'm new at this. (distilling)
B) I'm most interested in getting into AG bourbons,
C) I have an unmolested keg for a boiler,
D) I have a keg with an open top and false bottom for cooking mash in,
E) Right now I ferment in 5-6.5 gal plastic buckets and glass carboys.
F) Metal working is also a hobby of mine and cutting and welding a drum together is well within my skills set.
G) I only have $10 in this, it can always sit for a while as I grow into this hobby.
Thanks all for the input.

[bellybuster]

ohhhh, conical fermenter. ya, that one.

[rad14701]

Two conical fermenters sounds like a plan...

[Prairiepiss]

Two conical fermenters sounds like a plan...

I would like to see this too. And would probably be a better idea then the mash tun.

[bellybuster]

I've been jones'n for a conical for many years. Not because they do it better but just because they're perty

[Husker]

They do a better job also. Concentrate, and allow all that trub to get out of the way.

Wow, 2 of them, for on the cheap. Lucky you (if you go that way).

[Halfbaked]

No BU you can't use that 55 gal SS drum!!!! Being the nice guy that I am I will offer you and extra $5 for your trouble. Blalahahhahhahahahaha Wonderful find you lucky SOB! I see a wonderful fermenting barrel in your future.

[Bu77hed]

OK, I like the idea of conical fermenters.
Would I still be in the good graces of the hobby world if I ran 2- 30 gal fermenters at a time?

[mtnshiner85]

I been thinking i would like to have a SS barrel to boil water in then dump my grain to cook and then mash and ferment, i currently have a 25 gallon SS pot but it a pain transfering the mash to my wood barrels

[oldgrouch62]

The old man I used to get corn liquor from had some of these. He cooked and fermented in 'em. When I said something about how he kept 'em from rusting was when he explained that they were stainless...they'd had ketchup shipped in them, according to him. That was the one time he let me see his set-up (for about 30 seconds before he chased me out of the shack ). R.I.P.

Great find!

[bearriver]

I have been checking CL every other day for over a year for one of those.

My hat is off to ya bu77head