[FryGuy1424]

I am looking to upgrade my setup and would like some opinions on this product? Does anyone have any experience with this product? If so, what are the pros/cons? Is it worth the cost? What are the challenges with it? Will it help in streamlining post-brew day activities?

[narcout]

The 15 psi max pressure rating would be a deal killer for me.

[FryGuy1424]

What would you recommend in its place?

[chinaski]

Cornelius kegs make tremendous fermenters.  You can get a lot of them for the price of unitanks and conical fermenters.

[narcout]

What would you recommend in its place?

What are you fermenting in now?

There are conicals on the market that are rated for 30 psi, but I don't personally use one.  I've been fermenting in 10 gallon corny kegs since like 2008, but I just starting using one of these and have been very happy with it so far.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/kegmenter-fermentation-keg-76-gal.html

[ynotbrusum]

I use the 13 gallon kegmenter for my 10 gallon batches.  It is my “go to” fermenter.  I have been using it with a Tilt hydrometer and floating dip tube for quite some time. 
I pressure ferment and I have a Komos fridge that it fits just perfect in.  I have considered unitanks, but the kegmenter works so well that I can’t justify a conical.

[FryGuy1424]

What would you recommend in its place?

What are you fermenting in now?

There are conicals on the market that are rated for 30 psi, but I don't personally use one.  I've been fermenting in 10 gallon corny kegs since like 2008, but I just starting using one of these and have been very happy with it so far.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/kegmenter-fermentation-keg-76-gal.html

Right now it is a plastic bucket in a freezer converted to a fermentation chamber since I just got started. However, I have brewed several batches this year and I am ready to upgrade. My dad uses an Anvil 7 gallon conical and he loves it. However, I was thinking of something more versatile like the SsBrewTech Unitank to reduce multiple vessels and to streamline the process a little bit with being able to carb the beer before it's transferred to corny kegs. I am not set on the SSBrewTech, but looking for opinions and any other viable options.

[NadoBrew]

I am looking to upgrade my setup and would like some opinions on this product? Does anyone have any experience with this product? If so, what are the pros/cons? Is it worth the cost? What are the challenges with it? Will it help in streamlining post-brew day activities?

I bought the 7 gallon Unitank at HBC that is on sale for 800.

First, I definitely will start with the biggest con and it applies to all stainless steel conical fermenters. Price. Most of my brews have been in plastic buckets that cost me at most 15 dollars back in the day and I had great beer brewing in those. Compare that to conical fermenters that start out at 600+ and can go to a couple thousand dollars. And as mentioned before, you can brew in corny kegs for much cheaper....I currently ferment my meads in corny kegs, but am tempted by BrewTools Mini-Unitank.

For pro/cons, I am going to compare the SS BrewTech to the Spike CF5 I bought last year.

Pros:
Most of what I need is included. All I need to buy is a temperature controller (I have a spare InkBird already for that purpose), a glycol pump, tubing for the glycol, and some connectors for the outports.
The tri-clamp opening at the top is so much easier to use than the Spike's band-clamp (I've actually injured myself trying to get the band clamp on the CF5 before)
The pressure rating is 30 PSI (just confirmed the warning sticker states not to exceed 30 PSI) vs Spike's 15.
It comes pressure ready with a PRV. I had to buy a PRV just to make the CF5 pressure ready.
I could be wrong on this one because I made a lot of adjustments to my CF5 that I don't plan on with the SS, but I believe it takes up a smaller footprint.


Cons:
Even on sale, it costs $200 more than the CF5, but that evens out when you need to buy all the accessories for the CF5 to match
There are no real options for accessory ports (I have a hop dropper on my CF5 and that won't work with the SS Brewtech Unitank)
The SS Brewtech's proprietary heating/cooling system (the coil is included with the fermenter though) is very expensive $250 for the control unit and pump plus an additional $50 for the heating pad. Even being in a fun state of mind at HBC, I couldn't justify buying it. You can use an InkBird instead for that application.

Do I recommend one over the other? No. I am glad I have both. Go with Spike if you want more options and a less expensive entry, but know you will be spending much more money in the end barring the SS Brewtech's temp control unit. Go with SS Brewtech if you want a conical that will work as expected from the get go, but know you will spend more money upfront.