So I Got A Conical Fermenter

Ever since I started brewing one of the things I always coveted was a conical fermenter. I could never justify the cost for one. Buckets and carboys are cheap. Beer ferments just fine in those vessels. The desire for a conical persisted in the face of rational reasons not to buy one. They’re shiny.

So I finally rationalized getting a conical. Biggest reason: because I want one and I can. However, if I am going to spend the money on a conical I don’t want to be making a lot of compromises. The things I was looking for in a conical:

• Integrated temperature control
• Ability to do pressurized transfers
• Ability to do 5 and 10 gallon batches
• Sanitary fittings
• Shiny

As my wife could attest, I do way too much research before making a purchase. This is especially true when the purchase is large like a conical. Without going into a dissection of all of the homebrew conical fermenters on the market, I can break down how I landed on the SS Brewtech 14 Gallon Chronical – Brewmaster Edition. Here is how it stacks up against my criteria:

Integrated Temperature Control: SS Brewtech first caught my eye on their standard line of Chronical fermenters with the lid immersion chiller they offered. One thing that stopped me from pulling the trigger on that set up was that by using the lid chiller you lose the ability to do pressurized transfers. The chilling coil in the Brewmaster Edition of the Chronical is side mounted which allows the use of the domed lid and pressurized transfers. Some are now thinking that I could have installed a coil like this in any conical, and they are right. However, I installed a coil in my hot liquor tank and it was the most nerve wracking part of my system build. Happy to have someone else drill those holes.

Pressurized Transfers: The Chronical Brewmaster Edition comes standard with the domed lid and pressure relief valve to protect the fermenter from over pressurization. A few fittings are required to connect the CO₂ tank to the fermenter, but that would be required regardless of the fermenter chosen.

5 and 10 Gallon Batches: The chilling coil in the 14 gallon Chronical – Brewmaster Edition is installed from about 4 gallons to 10.75 gallons. With a 5 gallon batch, about 2 gallons will be in contact with the chiller. This will definitely decrease the efficiency of the chilling, but being in Seattle I expect no issues maintaining temperatures because extreme temperatures are not normal.

Sanitary Fittings: Brewmaster Edition Chronicals come standard with sanitary tri-clamp butterfly valves on the racking arm and dump valve. These fittings will help keep everything clean and sanitized. They also open the door for yeast harvesting with greater peace of mind.

Shiny: The fermenter is shiny out of the box. Then the neoprene insulation sleeve is installed and the lid and fittings are the only shiny parts still standing. It is a little disappointing that it does not fully gleam in the garage, but if I have to make a compromise, this is the category I’ll take it.

Additional pros for the Brewmaster Chronical are the sample port and the 3 inch tri-clamp on the lid. The sample port provides a quick method to take gravity readings and taste along with the beer. Using the sample port eliminates the risk of introducing contamination with a thief. The 3 inch tri-clamp allows for easier hop and miscellaneous additions. I am looking forward to this because lately I’ve been adding hops and coffee beans in the Better Bottles and that can be difficult with an inch and a half opening.

There are a couple cons for the Brewmaster Chronical. The neoprene sleeve is a huge pain to get on and off. In theory this should not be a problem long term because I should not be removing the sleeve very often. Another con that many have with the Chronical line of fermenters is the use of weldless fittings. The concern is that these fittings introduce places for bacteria and wild yeast to hide. Personally they are not an issue. I thing they are easy to manage and if I perceive a problem it takes 5 minutes to remove, clean and reinstall.

At this time, I have not put any beer into the fermenter yet. I am still working out the details of temperature control. I’ll have a post on temperature control for the conical once I have if figured out (at least the first iteration). I’ll also put up a more thorough review of my thoughts after using the fermenter for a couple batches. For now, I’m excited about the future of my brewing.