14 gallon fermenter

[Rastus]

well i was on the amazon site, and found these babies, best of all for me was free shipping. seems a miracle. i ordered 2 . figure they will last a long while.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026GO5CA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Brand new HDPE.

looks like a narrow footprint and stack-able.

i could see storing grains in them also to keep the bugs out.

just gotta share ...

[carbohydratesn]

Neat, that's a pretty good price for narrow, stackable fermenters. I wonder if they have a rated weight capacity, or if not, what they'd support...stacking them three high, full of water, the one on the bottom would have to support 250lbs 24/7, so two high is probably the limit. That'd give a much narrower but taller footprint than a 32gal Brute can, at about double the price per gallon of storage. Not too bad, for home delivery!

[acfixer69]

I have 2 of them they are nice size for a sugar wash. Matches up good to a keg run. Down side is there is no handles on them they are hard to move with the top off but are very useful just the same.

AC

[Bushman]

Thanks AC for the comments, I can't tell is the lid transparent so you can see what's happening?

[acfixer69]

Mine are translucent so not much looking in going on.

AC

[Rastus]

A little more info from the manufacture:


FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 Food Grade Quality
Stack Tested - three high a maximum weight capacity (24hrs.)

Maximum Capacity:
220 lbs. 100 kg

They shipped today, I am wondering how thick it is and if it will be suitable for a ball valve to avoid siphoning.
not necessary but would be nice.

i see the lack of handles , but my current 12 gallon pale has no handles and is softer...

i know could have been cheaper but given my remote location its worth it with the free shipping, being new is no worries about contamination from Prior unknown usage. and these babies look sturdy, so i figure they will last...

[Bushman]

I would see about building a dolly with 4 casters so it is easier to move around.

[firewater69]

Nice find Rastus, those will be great.

[Rastus]

yessir

after my last ferment that took forever and never finished, i am ready to change recipes and step into high gear.

and i may be doing the rye bread and a rum in the next 2 months... of course the Sweet feed was so good to me, I may get another round of that going...

heck i am so happy with how nicely everything comes out with my new flute. But,i am starting to think i over did it with 5 plates, the flavor is so clean i think i am loosing some of the good flavors. the tails divide out so precisely i cannot hardly believe it.

I dont have to move things around much when I ferment , but i think the size of these 2 containers will be good for my floor space, And because the floor gets so cold, i actually keep them up high enough off the floor so i can just run the siphon hose straight to the kettle. and i can find something else to do with that 32 gal brute i have.

Bushman, i cannot see clamping the lids shut while fermenting so probably a peek under the lid occasionally might be easy enough.
my 12 gallon pail i use now is translucent and i can shine the light on the side and see stuff as it swirls around playing yeasty games...

Not sure if i will cut a hole and add a bung for an overflow hose... we'll cross that bridge when it is time.

Regards

[Rastus]

well these babies Showed up today.

I can say they are heavy duty. the walls are thick.the metal locking band is heavy duty and surely intended for multiple uses, the lid has a gasket in it and it seals tight. so tight in fact that one of them had collapsed from being closed in the warmth of Texas, and being shipped to below freezing temps. so i commenced trying to straighten it out... not so easy.
I ended up sitting and bouncing on it to collapse the side that was bulged and thus pushing out the squeezed side... hard to explain other than it was like a kinked tube.
so in other words i believe you could stack these babies with liquid in them and not have a problem... i wouldn't do it, but you could.
the lid is heavy also, i have no plan to cut holes in it though, because i see it as an asset to be able to seal the container if ever used to store grains that I would want to keep bugs and moisture out of.

All in all i am happy with these, i may order more for other things besides fermenting but for now that is the intended purpose.

For what its worth

[Rastus]

Last night i washed one of the barrels out and started up a molasses sugar wash.

this barrel is solid enough i am using one underneath it to hold the full one up off the ground at a good working height...


one little thing i discovered that i really appreciate with these lids is that it has a flange that hangs down inside the rim, so as i was lifting the lid to smell the amazing bouquet of my newest ferment i noticed all the condensation on the lid stayed inside the barrel instead of dripping outside the rim and dribbling down the outside. I like that a lot... no more sticky mess on the outside of the barrels... my translucent 12 gallon pail is always dripping condensation and i have to keep a towel around to keep it dry on the counter it sits on

so now i can see a few more of these babies coming home to my stable of vessels.

just a note from the great white north.