[chumley]

I ferment ales in buckets, lagers in big mouth bubblers. Why, I don't know. I brew 10 gallon batches mainly, each fermentation vessel is 6.5 gallons.


The keg is my secondary, although I did use a 5-gallon glass carboy for a couple of months for a 1.095 quadrupel I brewed in December, kegged in March.

[Village Taphouse]

Village - buckets, but Williams - I still have my Williams Buckets - need to inspect, but they might get put back into service.

I should have mentioned that I use these because 1) I had them and 2) they had a spigot which would allow for a closed-loop transfer of the beer into the keg and at the time I started this I was looking into low(er) O2 techniques.  At the same time I can purge the keg with CO2 created during fermentation.  This could be done with any bucket that had a port on it .. I just happened to use these Williams jobbies because I had them. 

One more thing:  When I say "it's about the beer", that equates to "I really like my beer" and that is true for me.  If I was finding flaws in my beers that could be remedied with something a little more whiz-bang, I would look into it.  But I have to admit that I really, really like my beer and I think I'm spoiled by it when I find myself out somewhere and looking for a beer to drink.  There are A LOT of questionable commercial beers out there and I don't have to tell you guys.  If I can make my beer simply, enjoy the process and also be satisfied with my beer, that's winning to me. 

[denny]

Village - buckets, but Williams - I still have my Williams Buckets - need to inspect, but they might get put back into service.

I should have mentioned that I use these because 1) I had them and 2) they had a spigot which would allow for a closed-loop transfer of the beer into the keg and at the time I started this I was looking into low(er) O2 techniques.  At the same time I can purge the keg with CO2 created during fermentation.  This could be done with any bucket that had a port on it .. I just happened to use these Williams jobbies because I had them. 

One more thing:  When I say "it's about the beer", that equates to "I really like my beer" and that is true for me.  If I was finding flaws in my beers that could be remedied with something a little more whiz-bang, I would look into it.  But I have to admit that I really, really like my beer and I think I'm spoiled by it when I find myself out somewhere and looking for a beer to drink.  There are A LOT of questionable commercial beers out there and I don't have to tell you guys.  If I can make my beer simply, enjoy the process and also be satisfied with my beer, that's winning to me. 

The best beer possible with the least effort possible while having the most fun possible.

[majorvices]

I actually have the conical version of the FermZilla with the yeast collection/dump on the bottom. I think it was $125 when I bought it. And yeah, it's a little pricey but it works.

However, if you wanted to keep it simple just go with the big mouth bubbler with the side port/racking arm. Makes like super easy to rack beer. I attach Co2 and push the beer from the FV. Works great. And to keep the valve clean during fermentation, just wrap a plastic sandwich bag over it and secure with rubber band.

[fredthecat]

Village - buckets, but Williams - I still have my Williams Buckets - need to inspect, but they might get put back into service.

I should have mentioned that I use these because 1) I had them and 2) they had a spigot which would allow for a closed-loop transfer of the beer into the keg and at the time I started this I was looking into low(er) O2 techniques.  At the same time I can purge the keg with CO2 created during fermentation.  This could be done with any bucket that had a port on it .. I just happened to use these Williams jobbies because I had them. 

One more thing:  When I say "it's about the beer", that equates to "I really like my beer" and that is true for me.  If I was finding flaws in my beers that could be remedied with something a little more whiz-bang, I would look into it.  But I have to admit that I really, really like my beer and I think I'm spoiled by it when I find myself out somewhere and looking for a beer to drink.  There are A LOT of questionable commercial beers out there and I don't have to tell you guys.  If I can make my beer simply, enjoy the process and also be satisfied with my beer, that's winning to me. 

The best beer possible with the least effort possible while having the most fun possible.

lol, just spitballing but 2 of these things are transient - one is not permanent, but could last months or even years (best beer quality).

there is a triangle for tanks - armour vs speed vs weapon power and in general if you have more armour you will have lower speed and/or a lower calibre/less powerful weapon and vice versa for the others.

its a triangle one can choose for themselves. as well i dont have "fun", i feel like its satisfaction of a job well done

[Richard]

I actually have the conical version of the FermZilla with the yeast collection/dump on the bottom. I think it was $125 when I bought it. And yeah, it's a little pricey but it works.

However, if you wanted to keep it simple just go with the big mouth bubbler with the side port/racking arm. Makes like super easy to rack beer. I attach Co2 and push the beer from the FV. Works great. And to keep the valve clean during fermentation, just wrap a plastic sandwich bag over it and secure with rubber band.

I rack from a ported Fermonster into a keg in a similar way. I use kegs purged by fermentation gas. I put the Fermonster on a table and the keg on the floor. I connect the spigot on the Fermonster to the liquid post on the keg, and the gas post on the keg gets connected to a bulkhead gas QD on the lid of the Fermonster (the same one used to purge the keg). Then just open the valve and let gravity do the work in a system closed to air. You can purchase a solid lid for the Fermonster and add any kind of airlock, blowoff, gas QD or whatever  you want to it. The Bigmouth Bubbler doesn't offer that, as far as I know.

[majorvices]

I actually have the conical version of the FermZilla with the yeast collection/dump on the bottom. I think it was $125 when I bought it. And yeah, it's a little pricey but it works.

However, if you wanted to keep it simple just go with the big mouth bubbler with the side port/racking arm. Makes like super easy to rack beer. I attach Co2 and push the beer from the FV. Works great. And to keep the valve clean during fermentation, just wrap a plastic sandwich bag over it and secure with rubber band.

I rack from a ported Fermonster into a keg in a similar way. I use kegs purged by fermentation gas. I put the Fermonster on a table and the keg on the floor. I connect the spigot on the Fermonster to the liquid post on the keg, and the gas post on the keg gets connected to a bulkhead gas QD on the lid of the Fermonster (the same one used to purge the keg). Then just open the valve and let gravity do the work in a system closed to air. You can purchase a solid lid for the Fermonster and add any kind of airlock, blowoff, gas QD or whatever  you want to it. The Bigmouth Bubbler doesn't offer that, as far as I know.

I have a couple of those too. And I do like them better than the BMB! I was throwing BMB in there more as a generic term for a wide mouth plastic carboy FV. I love the siphnless valves. I used to be scared of them because of contamination but the newer design are easier to take apart and clean. Easier racking means less potential for oxidation during racking IMO.

[waltsmalt]

I'm a YouTube junkie and I keep watching videos on the Brew Built X3 conical and I really want one.  Then I take a step back and realize what's holding my brewing back is really not the tools or gadgets, but time (similar to my other hobbies of fishing, hockey and BBQ). 

With that, I stay settled on my 16 gallon Sanke Keg with a corny lid welded into it (had it fabricated before they were selling them on MoreBeer for around $200-250).  It works for everything I need when I pair that with my fermentation chamber.  I can pressure ferment (although I see limited need to do that), closed transfer to kegs, cold crash and easily clean with a pump by removing the lid and using a spray ball.  Only downside is that I can't dump trub and drop hopping means I'm going to open the lid. 

[BrewBama]

…what's holding my brewing back is really not the tools or gadgets, but time ...

+1


One day, you’ll wake up and there won’t be anymore time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Don’t wait. Do it now.

[goose]

So to summarize thus far we have:

Denny - Grainfather - 700 ish bucks - (you can't hide money!!!)

Ynot/major - Kegland - Fermzilla flat - 40 beans, Fermzilla Rounder/Conical - 150 bucks (ouchy on the 150)

Neuse/dmtaylor/redrocker/hopfen/reverse - buckets - seems like a solid primary fermenter. I like the way you think!

erock/china/hopfen/reverse - kegs - solid suggestion, already purged those puppies

Richard - Fermonster - sub 40 bucks - kinda digging it!

Kev/Andy - Anvil buck fermenter - 185 bucks - Denny Jr kinda pricing

Bama/Kevin/Andy - SS Brewbucket - 150 bucks and up - Denny III kinda pricing

fred/goose - PET Carboys - solid suggestion, hoping for a larger opening

Jeffy - Brewcraft - seems like they only make liners now. Can't actually find one for sale

John - Speidels - 80 beans - been eyeballing them

Village - buckets, but Williams - I still have my Williams Buckets - need to inspect, but they might get put back into service.


Keep the suggestions coming. I'm kinda digging bringing out my old buckets for primary, just need to decide what to use for secondary. A keg would work for that if I was serving a batch and only made 5 gallons. If memory serves PET has lower oxygen permeability than HDPE, but most of the time secondary wouldn't last very long. Decisions, decisions!

You can get Better Bottles with larger openings.  Check out More Beer for Fermonster fermenters.

[Village Taphouse]

Then I take a step back and realize what's holding my brewing back is really not the tools or gadgets, but time

Not to hijack the thread but sometimes when I go to brew a batch .. it turns out that I'm just not in the mood for it and so I pass.  It's supposed to be fun and if I had any amount of superstition I would assume that a batch of beer brewed while I was in a good brewing mood would be the best beer.    If it happens that way, I wait until I have another opportunity.  Sometimes I just brew to have beer.  Period.  But the whole thing is supposed to be enjoyable.  Now back to our regularly-scheduled programming. 

[pete b]

FWIW I bought the Speidel 15ish gallon plastic fermenter and don't like it. The o-ring around the cover falls out easily, often into the wort/beer, and the strap around the cover to hold it tight is just an unnecessary feature that is more hastle than just a lid that snaps on.
My favorite fermenters thus far are plastic buckets with spigots that come apart easily and stay tight. And yes, that can mean a "bottling" bucket.
That's with [price in mind, the same in SS would be ideal.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/speidel-plastic-fermenter-60l-159-gal.html

[MDixon]

FWIW I bought the Speidel 15ish gallon plastic fermenter and don't like it. The o-ring around the cover falls out easily, often into the wort/beer, and the strap around the cover to hold it tight is just an unnecessary feature that is more hastle than just a lid that snaps on.
My favorite fermenters thus far are plastic buckets with spigots that come apart easily and stay tight. And yes, that can mean a "bottling" bucket.
That's with [price in mind, the same in SS would be ideal.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/speidel-plastic-fermenter-60l-159-gal.html

A vote against the Speidel is enough for me to select something else so I'll quit eyeballing those.

[Megary]

FWIW I bought the Speidel 15ish gallon plastic fermenter and don't like it. The o-ring around the cover falls out easily, often into the wort/beer, and the strap around the cover to hold it tight is just an unnecessary feature that is more hastle than just a lid that snaps on.
My favorite fermenters thus far are plastic buckets with spigots that come apart easily and stay tight. And yes, that can mean a "bottling" bucket.
That's with [price in mind, the same in SS would be ideal.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/speidel-plastic-fermenter-60l-159-gal.html

A vote against the Speidel is enough for me to select something else so I'll quit eyeballing those.

Not trying to convince you as I have no stock in the company.   
But...
For my 2.5gal batches, I use the small 3.2gal/12L Speidel and love it.  Super easy to clean.  All o-rings stay right where they ought.  If you were looking at the 7.9gal Speidel, I believe that lid is the same as mine, not like the one pete b is describing.

[pete b]

FWIW I bought the Speidel 15ish gallon plastic fermenter and don't like it. The o-ring around the cover falls out easily, often into the wort/beer, and the strap around the cover to hold it tight is just an unnecessary feature that is more hastle than just a lid that snaps on.
My favorite fermenters thus far are plastic buckets with spigots that come apart easily and stay tight. And yes, that can mean a "bottling" bucket.
That's with [price in mind, the same in SS would be ideal.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/speidel-plastic-fermenter-60l-159-gal.html

A vote against the Speidel is enough for me to select something else so I'll quit eyeballing those.

Not trying to convince you as I have no stock in the company.   
But...
For my 2.5gal batches, I use the small 3.2gal/12L Speidel and love it.  Super easy to clean.  All o-rings stay right where they ought.  If you were looking at the 7.9gal Speidel, I believe that lid is the same as mine, not like the one pete b is describing.

Looking at the 7.9gal model Megary suggested I can see it does NOT have the problematic cover that my 15.9 gallon has.