Fermenters what are you using?

[djc]

I'm looking to replace my fermenters and am looking for something in the 10 to 15 gallon range, for ease of transporting them around.
What are you using? I'm looking at these https://www.zoro.com/eagle-transport-dr ... /G1683507/
and maybe these https://www.webstaurantstore.com/contin ... T10WH.html

Thanks

[zed255]

I have been using 20 gallon brute trash cans. Rubbermaid makes a wheeled base if you need to move it around. Might be a little bigger than you are looking for but I have found in many cases bigger is better. My rum is finishing up in a 55 gallon drum now.

[Demy]

The largest fermenter I have is a 50 liter plastic screw cap (food grade) fermenter, although I have never filled it. I believe the first link you posted is ok.

[Expat]

33 & 44 gallon brutes mostly.

The wheels are handy but the 44g is too heavy for them when full.

[Beerswimmer]

I use two 50 gallon Rubbermaid totes I bought for $8 each. I never put more than 35 gallons in them, work great. Not air tight, but enough to keep bugs out.

[NineInchNails]

Your links aren't working for me.

I use 15 gal food grade blue poly drums with removable lids with clamp. I build 2x4 frame, plywood top and four 3" swivel castors for them both to sit on. They roll around very easily. I modified the lids to accept bungs & airlocks. You can usually find these locally on FaceBook Marketplace.

I also use 55 gal food grade poly drums with 4" or 5" swivel caster bases to roll them around too. I installed bungs & airlocks on these too. Easy to find online too.

I have some of those 5 gal plastic water bottles that look just like carboys, but they have handles. I bought appropriate size bungs with holes for 3-piece airlocks. Your local water care company may sell you these pretty cheap. I'd stick to mom & pop places rather than big stores like Culligan. Worst case, you might have to buy a jug already filled with RO water.

[NineInchNails]

These look great for the price, but would be nice to be able to have free shipping or pick them up locally. The shipping costs more than the item. I suspect they may not seal well enough to use airlocks. I know airlocks aren't necessary, but I like to see them bubble away vs having to pop the top to confirm it.

[Durhommer]

I use the 30 gallon and 55 gallon blue barrels with clamp lid as well nin I use a .5 hose thru the lid into a gallon milk jug as an airlock

[Yummyrum]

Don’t use it now but had this old 68 litre wash tub in use for a while .

[Deplorable]

You really cant go wrong with the Brute trash cans. Either two 20s, a 32 or a 44 gallon. I use the 32g. Two 10 gallon stripping runs and about 1.5 gallons for to add to the spirit run. Works great with my 13 gallon boiler.

[djc]

Let me try again. https://www.zoro.com/eagle-transport-dr ... /G1683507/ and https://www.webstaurantstore.com/contin ... T10WH.html\

[acfixer69]

You asked what are YOU using. What are YOU asking.

[Deplorable]

When you say "transporting them around", what exactly do you mean? Full? You'll want something with a liquid tight lid. You should be looking at HPDE drums, either open or closed top. Preferably open top with a good clamp. If you mean transporting them empty, there are hundereds of options on the market.
YOU need to decide a) How much you want to ferment at once. b) how much you want to pay. and c) how air tight do YOU want it to be.

Taking the advice of those on this forum, your fermenter sould be large enough to give you at least two stripping runs, so you have enought LW to do a spirit run.

[The Baker]

The easy to carry around ones would be what I used for a good while:
20 litre (varies from 10 to 25) 'cubies'.
Square plastic (whatever) containers used in the food industry for the delivery of consumables.
They are easily carried and they are stackable.
And you can often get them free from a restaurant or a bakery or whatever.

If you sit nine together and remove the middle one (easiest way to explain it);
then you can drill a hole in the lids (hopefully you end up with unmolested lids for transport)
and pull a tight fitting plastic tube through, then put a stand of some sort in the empty middle of the square
and run the eight tubes into a raised little bucket of water (hold them under the water somehow) and there is your airlock.

There will be a prize for working this out but it is good.

Geoff

[seabass]

I use a 25gal food grade fermenter similar to the brute trash bins but it's white. They're sold at most home brew shops. It's not easily moveable once full though.

Other than that, I use 1/2 barrel kegs with the spear removed. I modified a triclamp cap adding a racking cane, ball lock gas in, and thermowell. I use the ball lock to connect a blow off and to push the liquid out with co2. A hoist can be used to lift the full kegs into a chamber. Also with fermenting on the grain, I can just put the thumper connect directly into the keg without transferring.

[Chucker]

I use a 55 gal poly drum with removable top and it has been a big improvement over using the keg. The open top makes it very easy to use a powered mixer in the larger volume needed for an AG. The clamp down lid with standard bung fittings allows them to be the relief so no airlock is needed. The open top makes it easy enough to use a siphon to rack, though a simple fitting through the side is even easier to rack with a valve. I am usually begging people to take drums like this from work so that I don’t have to cut them up for disposal.