Larry, I gotta say, no matter how many new channels I try to find, while researching everything I can before starting up my own home brewery, I just keep coming back to yours at the end of each day. Your channel has provided me with so much info that I'm starting to realize I should just search your channel for the whatever answer I'm looking for in the moment. So, thank you for being here and doing what you do. Also, I can't wait to start getting some BBQ tips from you too. Homemade bacon sounds like my kind of eating!
Sir, you are right. Larry is no nonsense and he thinks like we do. And certainly, he knows how to articulate all the info in videos in a way that is easily understandable.
I was fully prepared to move to a conical fermenter at some point in my brewing equipment upgrades, but after watching your video, I agree, it probably isn't worth it. Thanks for saving me $$$!
I have to agree. I learned a lot of good stuff all from just this one video. Great first video for any beginner. Informative and thorough. Good job , good sir!
Thank you again Larry! Since buying a carboy/keg washer, the danger of using the glass carboys has significantly dropped (pardon the pun). Your videos have saved us time and money and we can't thank you enough.
Great advice and I'm still using my glass carboys that I purchased 32 years ago. If it's not broke don't fix it and drive on and save the money for more brews
Ive been distilling for the past 14 years and have the mile high 8 and 16 gallon pro still which I highly recommend for anyone from new distillers to even seasoned vets like me. For use of Fermenters. I started using 5 gallon plastic brew bucket for fermenting and it does the job but then I bought a the 8 gallon Fastfermenter conicle that was a game changer for me and ive been using that for the last 5 years now and I have 3 of them. I highly recommend them for fermenting your distillers wash. For the price its perfect and I dont think thats ever going to change. I might buy the SS stainless steel fermenter in some time but for the price I still think the fastfermenter beats it for fermenting a distilling wash
I have been using boil kettles as fermenters. On sale they are cheaper than a keg but still Stainless. You can get them with ports if you want or use them with an auto syphon. If you alternate between boil kettle and fermentor or just cool in the pot and pitch you don't have a sterilization issue. I use clear food wrap to cover the top and the O ring from a 5gal bucket to hold the plastic in place.
Really enjoy your videos Larry. Just started my first home brew last night with the confidence I gained watching your BEER N BBQ videos. Thanks so much
I have gone from carboy to conical and back to carboy (glass) again. The conicals you displayed can all be picked apart, but they each have good points as well. I do a primary and a secondary. And I prefer to use the six or six and a half gallon Big Mouth Bubbler as a primary fermenter. They make cleaning easier and they have more head space to help prevent blow off. Secondary is a regular five gallon glass carboy.. I like to see inside.
Great video, Larry, I have two points I'd like to make: For pressure fermenting in a 5 gallon corny keg, One can immediately pressurize the keg with CO2, then maintain that pressure with a spunding valve as the yeast ferment. This way the krausen formed will be reduced and less headspace is required. Or you could add fermcap, but I prefer to limit the number of additives. For avoid pulling the trub, one could replace the dip tube with a floating dip tube so the beer pulled goes from the top down. That way no beer is left behind, and the floating dip tube would just be sitting on top of the tube cake.
I actually have a cider finishing in a Catalyst I got for my birthday in 2018. I enjoy the ability to harvest my yeast and whatnot, but I also like the appeal to simplicity that is the carboy. As for light, I haven't been able to get the sleeve for it yet, so I use a large shirt to go over the top and it reaches well down the floor. I like the idea, though, that I could get a couple of carboys and the equipment I need to ferment in them for less than half of replacing my Catalyst, and that they would last.
I eventually got rid of it. Was too much trouble messing with the lid gasket falling off, and it didn’t do closed system transfers like I prefer. I use a Kegmenter now as my fermenter for beer.
@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY I'm relatively new to it all, still, so the ease of single-vessel plus the ease of yeast harvest keeps me using the Catalyst right now. I assume a "Kegmenter," as you put it, is the system you mentioned with the converted keg?
@@TeacherinTraining39 it’s not a converted keg. It is its own product that happens looks like a keg. (Makes it fit into a kegerator for temperature control easy.) You don’t need a trub jar and dump valve to harvest yeast. You can do it in a carboy or any vessel. Us old time home brewers didn’t have the fancy shiny gadgets available nowadays and we still made great beer on the cheap.😉 we just pour the yeast directly from the mouth of the vessel after sanitizing it.
@@TeacherinTraining39 Also, any fermentation can (should IMO) be done in a single vessel. That’s all I do today. Made a video and blog on that topic a while back explaining why. No need for a dump valve IMO except for ease of cleaning.
@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY True, I don't *need* a trub valve. I do like it, though. That said, what is your opinion of the wide mouth Kegco carboys? I'm looking at the possibility of getting a couple (probably 7 gallon, because I like the idea of having sufficient headspace for a 5-gallon batch), but I'd like to hear the voice of experience first.
Getting going with homebrew (just my 3rd grain brew) and Larry your videos are a revelation and a welcome distraction from the current worries of the world. Clear and concise advice on fermenters - this is just what I needed thanks!
Absolutely love these videos! Very thorough and straightforward. I am a beginning home brewer and I'm hooked. Your videos answer the exact questions I have...and I love how detailed the videos are. Thanks!
i agree with the carboy as the superior choice. however, i had a 6.5 gallon glass one shatter in my hands while washing in the sink. i don't remember even bumping it, but was taken totally by surprise. over a year later, and i still have no feeling in two fingers, so glass now scares the hell out of me. i still use glass for my long-term sour fermentations, but i now always wear kevlar gloves, jacket and boots when handling glass. i ferment now in fermonster carboys. to mitigate the scratching, i use a mark ii keg washer and pbw. that way i never put a brush or any other potential scratcher inside. i also use the keg washer with my glass carboys, to minimize the handling during the cleaning process. i had seriously considered a conical, but after your review, i believe i'll stay with the humble carboy. thanks for the review...
i use a piece of aluminum foil at the rear of the keg washer as a shield, which stops the splashing. fermonsters have a large enough opening so i can rub with a cloth to remove caked on grunge. glass carboys run an hour or longer. since i only use them for secondary now (yes, i know how you feel, but for me, a second racking makes clearer beer) they do not have the dried on grunge.
Hey Larry, I own a 1 barrel stainless steel conical fermenter and I love it to bits. However, your instructional video is totally true when it comes to brewing beer and cost savings. Given the same conditions, the beer will taste the same out of a plastic bucket of an expensive unit. But when you want certain conditions a properly fitted out fermenter can fairly accurately provide you with those. For instance, I recently brewed a Kveik Voss at 39 degrees Centigrade and I just set the temperature at that. After 3 days, and to keg the ale, I set the temperature to 10 degrees Centigrade. Cleaning after brewing is time-consuming since there are so many parts to clean but the advantage is that I don't need to brew often. Only once every 3 months. My setup consists of a one barrel conical stainless fermenter with a side-mounted stainless cooling coil attached to a glycol chiller. For my heating belt, I use a commercial oil barrel silicon heating belt that I bought on eBay which is rated at 120 degrees Centigrade. The chiller and heater are both plugged into a dual temperature controller which is really easy to use. BTW, I really enjoy your youtube videos.
I love your videos, especially this one. You talk plainly and cover the most common things most succinctly, and I really appreciate it. I've been brewing for years and still watch your videos for occasional tips and also because you often give me other good ideas to build upon.
I enjoy your videos. I was thinking about getting a conical. I think I will stick with the glass carboy. Also, I have washed yeast from the glass carboy. No conical needed for that. Keep brewing Larry!
Fermented my last batch in a keg and overfilled it a little. Knew that I would expect a fair bit of blow off so I rigged up the blowoff to first vent to an empty airtight bottle before gassing out into a second with starsan. While i wasted about half a litre of wort, one great benefit was that I had a second fermentation occurring in the blow off bottle, giving me a great idea of what was going on in the keg. Also purchased a floating dip-tube so that i could close transfer without picking up all the yeast and trub
I have all of them. The best thing to have (from start) a stainless steel fermenter with or without spigot. Buy the cheapest ss bucket like 30 litre milk bucket and thats it. Thanks for the good video. I am a fan :)
So I’m getting started and want to assemble a grainfather as no space. This really helped. I’ll buy the bucket and a used fridge and will see after 10 batches if I want to spend more. I owe you a beer 🍺
Great video. Especially as I'm always looking to evolve my set up. I particularly like your comments about keeping light off the glass carboys. I use a heavy duty, black rubbish bag; just cut the corner off so it slides over the neck of the carboy. Costs pennies, super effective.
I've watched a few of your videos - love them! I was toying with the idea of getting a conical sometime next year, but your video really put it into perspective. I have two plastic 6.5 gal wide mouth carboys, they're doing just fine and there's no reason to switch them up! Thanks, and keep making these awesome, informative videos!
Thanks Larry, love these videos. I was trying to figure out which conical to buy but now have decided to go with a glass carboy or maybe even the stainless keg idea. I have never been afraid of trub anyway😊
I personally like my plastic 7 gallon bucket with a Gamma Lid and spigot. I would love to have a Spike Brewing conical but will it make my beer 100 times better? Nope. My bucket has fermented me many good beers. Just got my Brother into brewing and we have a blast making beer! Thanks for the great videos! Keep on brewing Larry!!!
I did the stainless steel route for constancy, simplicity and making cleaning much easier. Also temperature control. When I have multiple beers going, I can control the temps easier and have them at different temperatures. I can also use a CIP and clean them out easily in my garage or on my laneway when it's warmer out (live in Canada). You can always do things cheaper, it's just like anything else, cars, homes etc. Do we all need the latest and greatest? No.
I haven't been able to find a 6 gallon bucket anywhere very cheap, yeah 5 gallon for a few bucks but 6 gallons seem to all be around 20-25 a piece. With just starting out i like the simplicity of a bucket as well as not having to worry about heavy glass shattering especially with having little ones around.
Thanks Larry! That's a great, honest overview. You make a lot of sense. Toying with the idea of a Fermenter King Junior, or 2, but have already invested in the Pinter system in the UK. Enjoy your videos and learn from you
Thank you for brining me back to reality! I have enjoyed using the FastFerment for two years. Unfortunately, I just stripped the threads between the main body and the valve at the base of the cone ....so, now it's garbage.
Really really useful video. Honest and unbiased. Thank you, just sent you a beer on PayPal :-) Looking forward to watching more of your videos as an amateur, beginner, home brewer in the UK and also a gadget person so always looking for new stuff without breaking the bank. Thanks to you I now don't need to buy a plastic conical fermenter. The idea of using kegs sounds brilliant!
Great video Larry. I too also find my glass Carboy the easiest, but it does have limitations. I spent the bucks for a SS conical and to me, it was work it. I can sample with no effort, pressure transfer, harvest yeast and the one item you didn’t mention, I can control the fermentation temp down to +/- 1 degree. I find that very valuable. Over, great review!
Great Video Larry, I am looking into the SS conical. I guess you helped me understand why i am choosing that over the others even though the others ferment the beer just as good. I was intrigued by the suggestion of a keg! Thanks for sharing from a fellow homebrewer!
Great info, ageless. Know you are appreciated. I disagree about cleaning carboys, though! Had one slip and in slow motion, barely knick the pavement. After cleaning up the driveway of glass, realized a shard had punctured the car tire. Loved my glass carboys, but kegs have been king, since.
At the end of the day I think if you don’t have a good bucket and carboy, you need them. A lot of the benefits of having the more complex fermenters don’t matter if you have no idea why they’re a benefit, and it’s hard to understand why they are a benefit if you haven’t used the most basic fermentation vessels. Besides, if you’re not developing your own recipe and trying to really fine tune it there’s almost zero point in doing things like salvaging yeast or eliminating trub. For learning, the bucket is good enough, but the carboy is your best learning tool.
2 years later this is still one of the best videos out there for comparison of fermenters that's completely unbiased not like half these ones where they pick out the dumbest crap as a critique... thank you.
Good video, thanks Larry. Just what I needed right now, I’m convinced to upgrade from a plastic fermentor to a glass carboy instead of a conical. In Australia everything seems to be double or triple the price. Keep doing what your doing mate.
Larry, one that I would love to see you compare would be the use of a Sanke Keg as a fermentor. It checks a lot of boxes and would be a good comparison. NorCal Brewing sells (~$85.00) a tri-clover attachment that converts it to a full pressure system or you can use one of your carboy caps. Bonus is full 10 gallon fermentation. Love the vids. Thanks for all the info.
I've been using plastic buckets, even though I had a glass carboy (mostly because I used the glass to age cider), but I'm going to give that a try for awhile. Now that I found Brulosophy's recommendation for a "sterile siphon starter", it seems like it'll let me do everything I wanted a stainless fermenter (either an SS Bucket or the newer Anvil fermenter) for. Thanks for the video, it's helped in my thinking. :)
You're cool man. I just watched a few of your videos as I was curious about conical fermenter user reviews. I just wanted to say I appreciate you being you and doing what you do.
Conicals are great if you're doing large batches or want to step your game up before going pro/pro-am, if not a stainless bucket fermenter is the way to go and easier to clean. Glass carboys are perfect for starting out on a budget and for long term beers (wild ferment) so you can keep your short term (stainless conicals/buckets) free for turnover, and kegs are for beer, but work in a last ditch effort as a fermenter. Plastic saves money but longevity is tested immediately when cleaning, if you want consistent beer avoid plastics, if your friends can't tell the difference save the money. Starting on a budget get a 6.5 gallon glass carboy and a 5 gallon home-brew (cornelius) keg, an auto siphon and a beer gun. You're set for a while and can use everything in the future as you grow.
Great video.. thanks for the info.. I was getting ready to start brewing again and thinking of how to make good beer in the desert Southwest..looks like glass carboy in a DIY fermentation chamber made from a mini fridge and a upgraded temp control module is gonna be my best bet to make good beer.
Brilliant was going to buy a plastic conical but now I am going to continue with my plastic bucket until I can afford grainfather glycol set up .. Cheers
I know this is an older video, but you can get a glass saw drill bit for a few dollars. Just keep some water running over it and use a guide to get the whole started and you can add a spigot to a glass carboy. There's a bunch of tutorials out there.
Haha. My brew shop sells buckets for $12 and used kegs for $80. I like how the Fermentasaurus has the floating dip tub. I would love to get one of those working in a keg. Just discovered your channel, great stuff!
I use Anvil SS 7.5 gallon fermenters. Kind of middle of the road. I hadnt considered a corny for a fermenter before. Its a curious idea. May try that on my next batch with a blow off on the gas port. It sure would free up space in the fermentation and cold crash chambers.
I like using the 6 gallon buckets since when not in use you can just stack them. I have 10+ at any time. 4 unused that I can just grab if one of my used ones is unusable. Also, unfortunately, if you want more than a 1 gallon carboy you are looking at $60 each where I am.
The only thing I would add is that if you are wanting to move to bigger batches, there are not many options for 10, up to 20 gallon fermenters like a cheap bucket or a glass carboy, that I am aware of as a new brewer. I'm seeing that when I get ready to move up to 20 gallon all grain brews and fermenting those, about my only option is to move up to the expensive stainless steel conicals and brewbuckets. I'm guessing once you step past that hobby 5 gallon batch mark, equipment costs start to rise sharply. I've brewed about 6 batches now of 5 gallon kits. Bottling is a pain. And it seems 5 gallons disappears in no time. So, I want to go to 20 gallon brews, and start kegging. Time to take out a second mortgage LOL
Boom Head shot! You sold me on just rolling with the Car Boy! I'm looking at drinking beer not getting a second Job to afford all the bling. Good Vid! New Sub
@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY I just did a brew today.. I don't need to make the Job any more cumbersome to deal with cleaning and buying more Stuff. I got a Beer Budget and champagne taste's. I'm doing just fine with what I do. Cheers!
The 5 gallon keg make a 3.5 or 4 gallon brew when dune add water and sugar and now its 5 gallons of beer. That is good for making a all round summer parys beer.
Never had a problem with plastic buckets even with secondary rack. I use spray bleach and rinse, beers come out excellent. One week between rack, never open before that.
LOVE the video. IF and i domain if, you were moving past the 5 gallon batch and wanting to cement larger, say 10 or even 15 gallon batches, which direction would you go? I see where the Glass carboy is still a good way to go, except the multiple yeast pitching issue. What would you recommend as a Larger batch fermenter vessel?
I have been harvesting yeast out of my carboys for years, I run the whole trub cake through a washing and decanting process and end up with many small jars of yeast with minimal trub. It has saved me a lot of money. I still love my glass carboys the most
Good video..I have the MiniBrew conical and really like it but, wish I could see the yeast in action. I may have to purchase a clear conical fermenter now..
It's good to have someone actually give his recommendations. I've been thinking about getting a second fermenter. I am new to the hobby and have the Southern Brewer 6.5 gallon buckets. But I'd like to brew another batch while one is fermenting so I'm thinking of getting something. What I worry about with glass is the weight. I'm old and weak. LOL But after listening to this presentation I'm considering it anyway. You DO feel the same still right?!
I still prefer bucket style fermenters over conicals whether they be glass, plastic, or stainless steel. I have examples of all three materials. Plastic is still the lightest. Stainless steel isn't any lighter than glass due to the weight of all the accessories that attach to them, so if going for lightweight, plastic is still king although some plastic are better than others (i.e. PET vs HDPE).
Great video as ever Larry. I’m with you on the futility of secondary fermentation. I used to do it all the time but since getting more serious about my home brewing in the last few years I’ve not bothered and haven’t seen any deterioration in the quality of the end brew. In fact my recent brews are constantly improving. I’d be interested to see anything you may have on using gas heating to do the mash as I’ve always used electric heating. I used to use a burko boiler and then bought a Cordon Brew Bruheat boiler to do the mash and the boil. The electrics need changing so I’m interested in investigating using an alternative. It seems to me that over in the US many people use adapted plastic cool boxes and gas to control the temperature of the mash. Do you have a video that follows the process from mash to boil with info on the parts needed to set up the brew? Thanks, Gareth
My beers actually improved after skipping secondary transfers. No infections and little to no staling over time. I have lots of gas fired brew videos. It's how I brewed exclusively for probably 17 years or so. Only got into electric the past few years for small batches and just a year ago for larger 240V brew days. I too use coolers for mashtuns and HLTs. It so much cheaper since it only required one burner and one kettle. I have a very detailed video on my original all grain setup including equipment and process: ua-cam.com/video/ikNXi50icm0/v-deo.html
Larry, I gotta say, no matter how many new channels I try to find, while researching everything I can before starting up my own home brewery, I just keep coming back to yours at the end of each day. Your channel has provided me with so much info that I'm starting to realize I should just search your channel for the whatever answer I'm looking for in the moment. So, thank you for being here and doing what you do.
Also, I can't wait to start getting some BBQ tips from you too. Homemade bacon sounds like my kind of eating!
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Sir, you are right. Larry is no nonsense and he thinks like we do. And certainly, he knows how to articulate all the info in videos in a way that is easily understandable.
I was fully prepared to move to a conical fermenter at some point in my brewing equipment upgrades, but after watching your video, I agree, it probably isn't worth it. Thanks for saving me $$$!
What a cool guy. Totally genuine. Great info. Thank you Sir.
I have to agree. I learned a lot of good stuff all from just this one video. Great first video for any beginner. Informative and thorough. Good job , good sir!
2:06 plastic bucket
5:40 the carboy
9:58 the cornelius keg
14:44 conical brewers referenced from other videos
thanks for the vid Larry!
Thank you again Larry! Since buying a carboy/keg washer, the danger of using the glass carboys has significantly dropped (pardon the pun). Your videos have saved us time and money and we can't thank you enough.
Great advice and I'm still using my glass carboys that I purchased 32 years ago. If it's not broke don't fix it and drive on and save the money for more brews
Do you have a brand made in the USA you can recommend? Thank you.
@@buggyridge I haven't purchased any in forever, but I know that Northern Brewer has them the last time I checked.
I did plastic carboy for a long time, finally made the switch to buckets. Saves time on clean up on kegging day.
First video if yours ive watched , as a total amateur who is starting on a brewing journey , i have learned so much from you !
Ive been distilling for the past 14 years and have the mile high 8 and 16 gallon pro still which I highly recommend for anyone from new distillers to even seasoned vets like me. For use of Fermenters. I started using 5 gallon plastic brew bucket for fermenting and it does the job but then I bought a the 8 gallon Fastfermenter conicle that was a game changer for me and ive been using that for the last 5 years now and I have 3 of them. I highly recommend them for fermenting your distillers wash. For the price its perfect and I dont think thats ever going to change. I might buy the SS stainless steel fermenter in some time but for the price I still think the fastfermenter beats it for fermenting a distilling wash
I have been using boil kettles as fermenters. On sale they are cheaper than a keg but still Stainless. You can get them with ports if you want or use them with an auto syphon. If you alternate between boil kettle and fermentor or just cool in the pot and pitch you don't have a sterilization issue. I use clear food wrap to cover the top and the O ring from a 5gal bucket to hold the plastic in place.
Really enjoy your videos Larry. Just started my first home brew last night with the confidence I gained watching your BEER N BBQ videos. Thanks so much
I have gone from carboy to conical and back to carboy (glass) again. The conicals you displayed can all be picked apart, but they each have good points as well. I do a primary and a secondary. And I prefer to use the six or six and a half gallon Big Mouth Bubbler as a primary fermenter. They make cleaning easier and they have more head space to help prevent blow off. Secondary is a regular five gallon glass carboy.. I like to see inside.
Great video, Larry, I have two points I'd like to make:
For pressure fermenting in a 5 gallon corny keg,
One can immediately pressurize the keg with CO2, then maintain that pressure with a spunding valve as the yeast ferment. This way the krausen formed will be reduced and less headspace is required. Or you could add fermcap, but I prefer to limit the number of additives.
For avoid pulling the trub, one could replace the dip tube with a floating dip tube so the beer pulled goes from the top down. That way no beer is left behind, and the floating dip tube would just be sitting on top of the tube cake.
I actually have a cider finishing in a Catalyst I got for my birthday in 2018. I enjoy the ability to harvest my yeast and whatnot, but I also like the appeal to simplicity that is the carboy.
As for light, I haven't been able to get the sleeve for it yet, so I use a large shirt to go over the top and it reaches well down the floor.
I like the idea, though, that I could get a couple of carboys and the equipment I need to ferment in them for less than half of replacing my Catalyst, and that they would last.
I eventually got rid of it. Was too much trouble messing with the lid gasket falling off, and it didn’t do closed system transfers like I prefer.
I use a Kegmenter now as my fermenter for beer.
@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY I'm relatively new to it all, still, so the ease of single-vessel plus the ease of yeast harvest keeps me using the Catalyst right now. I assume a "Kegmenter," as you put it, is the system you mentioned with the converted keg?
@@TeacherinTraining39
it’s not a converted keg. It is its own product that happens looks like a keg. (Makes it fit into a kegerator for temperature control easy.)
You don’t need a trub jar and dump valve to harvest yeast. You can do it in a carboy or any vessel. Us old time home brewers didn’t have the fancy shiny gadgets available nowadays and we still made great beer on the cheap.😉 we just pour the yeast directly from the mouth of the vessel after sanitizing it.
@@TeacherinTraining39 Also, any fermentation can (should IMO) be done in a single vessel. That’s all I do today. Made a video and blog on that topic a while back explaining why. No need for a dump valve IMO except for ease of cleaning.
@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY True, I don't *need* a trub valve. I do like it, though.
That said, what is your opinion of the wide mouth Kegco carboys? I'm looking at the possibility of getting a couple (probably 7 gallon, because I like the idea of having sufficient headspace for a 5-gallon batch), but I'd like to hear the voice of experience first.
Getting going with homebrew (just my 3rd grain brew) and Larry your videos are a revelation and a welcome distraction from the current worries of the world.
Clear and concise advice on fermenters - this is just what I needed thanks!
Absolutely love these videos! Very thorough and straightforward. I am a beginning home brewer and I'm hooked. Your videos answer the exact questions I have...and I love how detailed the videos are. Thanks!
Favourite home brew channel 😁
i agree with the carboy as the superior choice. however, i had a 6.5 gallon glass one shatter in my hands while washing in the sink. i don't remember even bumping it, but was taken totally by surprise. over a year later, and i still have no feeling in two fingers, so glass now scares the hell out of me. i still use glass for my long-term sour fermentations, but i now always wear kevlar gloves, jacket and boots when handling glass. i ferment now in fermonster carboys. to mitigate the scratching, i use a mark ii keg washer and pbw. that way i never put a brush or any other potential scratcher inside. i also use the keg washer with my glass carboys, to minimize the handling during the cleaning process. i had seriously considered a conical, but after your review, i believe i'll stay with the humble carboy. thanks for the review...
i use a piece of aluminum foil at the rear of the keg washer as a shield, which stops the splashing. fermonsters have a large enough opening so i can rub with a cloth to remove caked on grunge. glass carboys run an hour or longer. since i only use them for secondary now (yes, i know how you feel, but for me, a second racking makes clearer beer) they do not have the dried on grunge.
Hey Larry, I own a 1 barrel stainless steel conical fermenter and I love it to bits. However, your instructional video is totally true when it comes to brewing beer and cost savings. Given the same conditions, the beer will taste the same out of a plastic bucket of an expensive unit. But when you want certain conditions a properly fitted out fermenter can fairly accurately provide you with those. For instance, I recently brewed a Kveik Voss at 39 degrees Centigrade and I just set the temperature at that. After 3 days, and to keg the ale, I set the temperature to 10 degrees Centigrade. Cleaning after brewing is time-consuming since there are so many parts to clean but the advantage is that I don't need to brew often. Only once every 3 months. My setup consists of a one barrel conical stainless fermenter with a side-mounted stainless cooling coil attached to a glycol chiller. For my heating belt, I use a commercial oil barrel silicon heating belt that I bought on eBay which is rated at 120 degrees Centigrade. The chiller and heater are both plugged into a dual temperature controller which is really easy to use. BTW, I really enjoy your youtube videos.
I love your videos, especially this one. You talk plainly and cover the most common things most succinctly, and I really appreciate it. I've been brewing for years and still watch your videos for occasional tips and also because you often give me other good ideas to build upon.
I enjoy your videos. I was thinking about getting a conical. I think I will stick with the glass carboy. Also, I have washed yeast from the glass carboy. No conical needed for that. Keep brewing Larry!
You are a gold mine of information. Nice work.
Fermented my last batch in a keg and overfilled it a little. Knew that I would expect a fair bit of blow off so I rigged up the blowoff to first vent to an empty airtight bottle before gassing out into a second with starsan. While i wasted about half a litre of wort, one great benefit was that I had a second fermentation occurring in the blow off bottle, giving me a great idea of what was going on in the keg. Also purchased a floating dip-tube so that i could close transfer without picking up all the yeast and trub
I have all of them. The best thing to have (from start) a stainless steel fermenter with or without spigot. Buy the cheapest ss bucket like 30 litre milk bucket and thats it. Thanks for the good video. I am a fan :)
So I’m getting started and want to assemble a grainfather as no space. This really helped. I’ll buy the bucket and a used fridge and will see after 10 batches if I want to spend more. I owe you a beer 🍺
Great video. Especially as I'm always looking to evolve my set up. I particularly like your comments about keeping light off the glass carboys. I use a heavy duty, black rubbish bag; just cut the corner off so it slides over the neck of the carboy. Costs pennies, super effective.
I've watched a few of your videos - love them! I was toying with the idea of getting a conical sometime next year, but your video really put it into perspective. I have two plastic 6.5 gal wide mouth carboys, they're doing just fine and there's no reason to switch them up! Thanks, and keep making these awesome, informative videos!
Thanks Larry, love these videos. I was trying to figure out which conical to buy but now have decided to go with a glass carboy or maybe even the stainless keg idea. I have never been afraid of trub anyway😊
I personally like my plastic 7 gallon bucket with a Gamma Lid and spigot. I would love to have a Spike Brewing conical but will it make my beer 100 times better? Nope. My bucket has fermented me many good beers. Just got my Brother into brewing and we have a blast making beer! Thanks for the great videos! Keep on brewing Larry!!!
I did the stainless steel route for constancy, simplicity and making cleaning much easier. Also temperature control. When I have multiple beers going, I can control the temps easier and have them at different temperatures. I can also use a CIP and clean them out easily in my garage or on my laneway when it's warmer out (live in Canada). You can always do things cheaper, it's just like anything else, cars, homes etc. Do we all need the latest and greatest? No.
I haven't been able to find a 6 gallon bucket anywhere very cheap, yeah 5 gallon for a few bucks but 6 gallons seem to all be around 20-25 a piece. With just starting out i like the simplicity of a bucket as well as not having to worry about heavy glass shattering especially with having little ones around.
Super! because you are using all of them, the actual example with you gave me the best understanding!
Thanks Larry!
That's a great, honest overview. You make a lot of sense.
Toying with the idea of a Fermenter King Junior, or 2, but have already invested in the Pinter system in the UK.
Enjoy your videos and learn from you
Thank you for brining me back to reality! I have enjoyed using the FastFerment for two years. Unfortunately, I just stripped the threads between the main body and the valve at the base of the cone ....so, now it's garbage.
Really really useful video. Honest and unbiased. Thank you, just sent you a beer on PayPal :-) Looking forward to watching more of your videos as an amateur, beginner, home brewer in the UK and also a gadget person so always looking for new stuff without breaking the bank. Thanks to you I now don't need to buy a plastic conical fermenter. The idea of using kegs sounds brilliant!
I have two of the Catalyst's. I find them very easy to clean.
Great video Larry. I too also find my glass Carboy the easiest, but it does have limitations. I spent the bucks for a SS conical and to me, it was work it. I can sample with no effort, pressure transfer, harvest yeast and the one item you didn’t mention, I can control the fermentation temp down to +/- 1 degree. I find that very valuable. Over, great review!
Great Video Larry, I am looking into the SS conical. I guess you helped me understand why i am choosing that over the others even though the others ferment the beer just as good. I was intrigued by the suggestion of a keg! Thanks for sharing from a fellow homebrewer!
Great info, ageless. Know you are appreciated. I disagree about cleaning carboys, though! Had one slip and in slow motion, barely knick the pavement. After cleaning up the driveway of glass, realized a shard had punctured the car tire. Loved my glass carboys, but kegs have been king, since.
Thanks for the honest reviews! Carboy fan here.
Thank you for your advice and nice videos Larry. Soon I'll have my setup complete and start my first brew. Greetings from the Netherlands 👍🏻
thank you for sharing your knowledge without restaint i enjoy seeing your science on brew making. i truly appreciate you.
At the end of the day I think if you don’t have a good bucket and carboy, you need them. A lot of the benefits of having the more complex fermenters don’t matter if you have no idea why they’re a benefit, and it’s hard to understand why they are a benefit if you haven’t used the most basic fermentation vessels. Besides, if you’re not developing your own recipe and trying to really fine tune it there’s almost zero point in doing things like salvaging yeast or eliminating trub. For learning, the bucket is good enough, but the carboy is your best learning tool.
I’m happy with my 6.5 gallon glass carboys as well. Great video.
Great video. I'm sitting outside of my lhbs debating fermenters and this really helps.
I ended up with the anvil stainless fermenter. I'll update where I'm done with my first batch.
2 years later this is still one of the best videos out there for comparison of fermenters that's completely unbiased not like half these ones where they pick out the dumbest crap as a critique... thank you.
Thanks, Larry. This video was full of useful information and practical advice.
Good video, thanks Larry. Just what I needed right now, I’m convinced to upgrade from a plastic fermentor to a glass carboy instead of a conical. In Australia everything seems to be double or triple the price. Keep doing what your doing mate.
Larry, one that I would love to see you compare would be the use of a Sanke Keg as a fermentor. It checks a lot of boxes and would be a good comparison. NorCal Brewing sells (~$85.00) a tri-clover attachment that converts it to a full pressure system or you can use one of your carboy caps. Bonus is full 10 gallon fermentation. Love the vids. Thanks for all the info.
Such a genuine and helpful video. Thank you for posting.
You’re welcome. Glad you found it useful.
I've been using plastic buckets, even though I had a glass carboy (mostly because I used the glass to age cider), but I'm going to give that a try for awhile. Now that I found Brulosophy's recommendation for a "sterile siphon starter", it seems like it'll let me do everything I wanted a stainless fermenter (either an SS Bucket or the newer Anvil fermenter) for. Thanks for the video, it's helped in my thinking. :)
Great points Larry. Carboy is gonna be it for me.
I like the Kegco wide mouth fermenters. They are really priced right and easy to clean. You should check them out.
wow, that's a heck of a selection, but worth the watch. Thanks Larry
You're cool man. I just watched a few of your videos as I was curious about conical fermenter user reviews. I just wanted to say I appreciate you being you and doing what you do.
Just the information I needed, thanks so much for the explanations
Conicals are great if you're doing large batches or want to step your game up before going pro/pro-am, if not a stainless bucket fermenter is the way to go and easier to clean. Glass carboys are perfect for starting out on a budget and for long term beers (wild ferment) so you can keep your short term (stainless conicals/buckets) free for turnover, and kegs are for beer, but work in a last ditch effort as a fermenter. Plastic saves money but longevity is tested immediately when cleaning, if you want consistent beer avoid plastics, if your friends can't tell the difference save the money.
Starting on a budget get a 6.5 gallon glass carboy and a 5 gallon home-brew (cornelius) keg, an auto siphon and a beer gun. You're set for a while and can use everything in the future as you grow.
Great video.. thanks for the info.. I was getting ready to start brewing again and thinking of how to make good beer in the desert Southwest..looks like glass carboy in a DIY fermentation chamber made from a mini fridge and a upgraded temp control module is gonna be my best bet to make good beer.
Brilliant was going to buy a plastic conical but now I am going to continue with my plastic bucket until I can afford grainfather glycol set up .. Cheers
I really enjoy videos as well. Thanks for sharing your information with the home brewing community.
For the kegs you can just get a floating dip tube, pretty much identical to what you would use in a fermentasaurus.
I know this is an older video, but you can get a glass saw drill bit for a few dollars. Just keep some water running over it and use a guide to get the whole started and you can add a spigot to a glass carboy. There's a bunch of tutorials out there.
Haha. My brew shop sells buckets for $12 and used kegs for $80. I like how the Fermentasaurus has the floating dip tub. I would love to get one of those working in a keg. Just discovered your channel, great stuff!
you can make a floating dip tube for the carboy or the plastic bucket pretty easily.
Very informational and very well broken down....I am subscribing!
I have bought tons of the glass carboys on Craigslist and marketplace
great passionate honest presentation!
I use Anvil SS 7.5 gallon fermenters. Kind of middle of the road.
I hadnt considered a corny for a fermenter before. Its a curious idea. May try that on my next batch with a blow off on the gas port. It sure would free up space in the fermentation and cold crash chambers.
I like using the 6 gallon buckets since when not in use you can just stack them. I have 10+ at any time. 4 unused that I can just grab if one of my used ones is unusable.
Also, unfortunately, if you want more than a 1 gallon carboy you are looking at $60 each where I am.
This was the most helpful video. Thanks!
The only thing I would add is that if you are wanting to move to bigger batches, there are not many options for 10, up to 20 gallon fermenters like a cheap bucket or a glass carboy, that I am aware of as a new brewer. I'm seeing that when I get ready to move up to 20 gallon all grain brews and fermenting those, about my only option is to move up to the expensive stainless steel conicals and brewbuckets. I'm guessing once you step past that hobby 5 gallon batch mark, equipment costs start to rise sharply. I've brewed about 6 batches now of 5 gallon kits. Bottling is a pain. And it seems 5 gallons disappears in no time. So, I want to go to 20 gallon brews, and start kegging. Time to take out a second mortgage LOL
I’ve learnt a lot from your channel, thanks Larry.
Great videos LArry!, I keep watching your old ones!
Great honest video. Like the keg idea.
Boom Head shot! You sold me on just rolling with the Car Boy! I'm looking at drinking beer not getting a second Job to afford all the bling. Good Vid! New Sub
@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY I just did a brew today.. I don't need to make the Job any more cumbersome to deal with cleaning and buying more Stuff. I got a Beer Budget and champagne taste's. I'm doing just fine with what I do. Cheers!
The 5 gallon keg make a 3.5 or 4 gallon brew when dune add water and sugar and now its 5 gallons of beer. That is good for making a all round summer parys beer.
Never had a problem with plastic buckets even with secondary rack. I use spray bleach and rinse, beers come out excellent. One week between rack, never open before that.
Keep up the good work mate, I love your videos
man, yo beady engineer eyes (potential marketing graphic?) tell the real deal - awesome video and reviews - thanks!
You mentioned harvesting yeast. Do you harvest yeast? Are you a fan? Do you recommend it?
LOVE the video. IF and i domain if, you were moving past the 5 gallon batch and wanting to cement larger, say 10 or even 15 gallon batches, which direction would you go? I see where the Glass carboy is still a good way to go, except the multiple yeast pitching issue. What would you recommend as a Larger batch fermenter vessel?
Thanks for a useful overview
Really good info. Thanks Larry!
Great explanation man! Carboy master race!!
great information thinking of starting my own brewing
Please do a video on the fermentasaurus 2!
Thanks Larry! You are always helpful!
Nice overview!
Excellent, thanks for this.
I have been harvesting yeast out of my carboys for years, I run the whole trub cake through a washing and decanting process and end up with many small jars of yeast with minimal trub. It has saved me a lot of money. I still love my glass carboys the most
thanks for the experience you shared!
Great content! Thanks for the very informative video. Helps a lot!
Great video. Lots of good information.
Good video..I have the MiniBrew conical and really like it but, wish I could see the yeast in action. I may have to purchase a clear conical fermenter now..
Great video. Just Subbed ya. It does take a lot of work to film, edit, add music and upload videos so I appreciate what you do.
Very good Presentation thank you
It's good to have someone actually give his recommendations. I've been thinking about getting a second fermenter. I am new to the hobby and have the Southern Brewer 6.5 gallon buckets. But I'd like to brew another batch while one is fermenting so I'm thinking of getting something. What I worry about with glass is the weight. I'm old and weak. LOL But after listening to this presentation I'm considering it anyway.
You DO feel the same still right?!
I still prefer bucket style fermenters over conicals whether they be glass, plastic, or stainless steel. I have examples of all three materials. Plastic is still the lightest. Stainless steel isn't any lighter than glass due to the weight of all the accessories that attach to them, so if going for lightweight, plastic is still king although some plastic are better than others (i.e. PET vs HDPE).
@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY Plastic it is!
What about the ss brew buckets I'm sure a lot of folks are considering theme as well
Mind blown! Love your channel!!
Thanks Larry, great video.
Great video as ever Larry. I’m with you on the futility of secondary fermentation. I used to do it all the time but since getting more serious about my home brewing in the last few years I’ve not bothered and haven’t seen any deterioration in the quality of the end brew. In fact my recent brews are constantly improving. I’d be interested to see anything you may have on using gas heating to do the mash as I’ve always used electric heating. I used to use a burko boiler and then bought a Cordon Brew Bruheat boiler to do the mash and the boil. The electrics need changing so I’m interested in investigating using an alternative. It seems to me that over in the US many people use adapted plastic cool boxes and gas to control the temperature of the mash. Do you have a video that follows the process from mash to boil with info on the parts needed to set up the brew?
Thanks,
Gareth
My beers actually improved after skipping secondary transfers. No infections and little to no staling over time.
I have lots of gas fired brew videos. It's how I brewed exclusively for probably 17 years or so. Only got into electric the past few years for small batches and just a year ago for larger 240V brew days.
I too use coolers for mashtuns and HLTs. It so much cheaper since it only required one burner and one kettle. I have a very detailed video on my original all grain setup including equipment and process: ua-cam.com/video/ikNXi50icm0/v-deo.html
@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY thanks Larry, much appreciated. I'll checkout the link.