10 gallon batches - what are you guys using to ferment in

[Grinder12000]

Just looking ahead and wondering what choices are.

 

[flyangler18]

Two BBs or two ale pails.

 

[Gordie]

15.5 gal sanke kegs. Work like a dream and you can move everything with CO2.

 

[Jaybird]

15.5 gal sanke kegs. Work like a dream and you can move everything with CO2.

Damn I want to get into doing this!!!! Do you save your yeast? If so how do you get it out of the keg?
Cheers
JJ

 

[Baron ken]

Here's a thread with some more answers.

 

[Medo]

Ahoy hoy,
I use my SS femenator 14.5 gallon conical fermentor. Pricey, but sweet as sugar.
I bid you all a great day.

 

[monty73741]

my bro used a 15.5 sanke

 

[Brewing Clamper]

15.5g sanke. Pretty easy to use...

 

[STAD]

A friend of mine suggested (if I ever want to go to 10 gallons, doubtful), that if you brew a 10 gallon batch, use two five gallon carboys and test different types of yeast. That way if you are trying to develop a new recipe, you can really compare and contrast between the two and figure out which one works better.

 

[jtvinny]

I use two ale pales or my 13 gal carboy. My friend has a Blichman conical and a Sabco converted keg. All have their advantages. My goal is being able to move my beer with gas when I am finished and keeping it away from O2.

 

[flyangler18]

Those who are fermenting ten gallon batches in a single vessel, how are you achieving temperature control? I can see that at least one of you is dropping a Sanke into a chest freezer. With a ten gallon volume, I can imagine that the exothermic reaction of the yeast working would be significant.

 

[jacksonbrown]

I use two 6.5 gal carboys.

 

[Brewing Clamper]

Those who are fermenting ten gallon batches in a single vessel, how are you achieving temperature control? I can see that at least one of you is dropping a Sanke into a chest freezer. With a ten gallon volume, I can imagine that the exothermic reaction of the yeast working would be significant.

If you can see in my pic, my fermenters are in a chest freezer which stays at a perfect 63F...

 

[Gordie]

I really need to get some pics together but...

I put my sanke's in the chest freezer (two fit perfectly in a 15 sq ft Kenmore) with the valve and spear in and secured, and take the check valve out of the beer port and gas port on the sanke coupler. I pump the wort through the coupler and into the keg and then rig an airlock to my keg coupler and just tap the keg. Once fermentation is done, I use CO2 and pump out the beer into a secondary like you would move any other kinda beer.

Harvesting yeast involves pumping boiled and cooled water into the keg like in the first step, shaking the keg a bunch and then pumping out the slurry into another vessel that I let settle in the fridge. Or - I can just pump more wort on top of the yeast cake without opening the keg. At any rate, I never have to lift a full keg anywhere.

Wortmonger is the true genius in this area. He may have something to add. I'm using corneys as clearing tanks since I've found it easier to manage beer by thinking about it in 5g units and its easier to dry hop. Tell you one thing - I'll never go back to carboys. (And the kegs are a far sight cheaper than a conical or a Sabco fermenter...)

Gordie

 

[Baron ken]

Those who are fermenting ten gallon batches in a single vessel, how are you achieving temperature control? I can see that at least one of you is dropping a Sanke into a chest freezer. With a ten gallon volume, I can imagine that the exothermic reaction of the yeast working would be significant.

I use these:

in this:

Frozen 2-liters work ok. Temp. not exactly stable, but with that amount of liquid, it doesn't change rapidly so I can change the ice out in the morning and evening and maintain it around 65F - 70F (usually hovers around 68F).

I also now have a temp controlled keg cooler that I will be using to ferment in.

 

[DrunkTrucker]

Baron what kind of styrofoam is that and where do u get it? Now that I have a house that isn't so hot I would like to make something like that.

 

[BierMuncher]

I split the batch into two 5-gallon fermenters.

Easier to transport.
Flexibility if I want to dick around with half a batch (oaks chips, dry hopping...etc)
Plus...it's what I have to work with.

 

[kappclark]

Has anyone used one of these ?

Delex 15 Gallon Closed Top Container - US Plastic Corporation

My wife just picked one up at the dump ... seems like a PITA to clean

 

[Anbrew]

Two carboys I love being able to use different yeasts, dry hops, etc.

 

[Baron ken]

Baron what kind of styrofoam is that and where do u get it? Now that I have a house that isn't so hot I would like to make something like that.

Home Depot. It's 2" thick foamboard(?). I sketched around on a piece of paper trying to come up with dimensions that would maximize use of almost all of the foamboard. It's basically the poor bastard son of the fermentation chiller, meaning I didn't do the cooling chambers and fans, etc.