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I am considering purchasing a conical fermenter but I'm not sure if it would be worth the cost. I feel like it would allow me to make better beer with less effort, but it would be nice to hear from some of you who actually own and use a conical to see if it is really worth it.

I am thinking about either a 14 or 7 gallon Fermenator with sanitary tri clamp fittings.

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I have a conical that a welder friend made me and I love it. The only problem is that it's not temperature controlled and it's too big. I can't fit it in my fermentation chamber and I have to brew 12 gallons to come close to filling it.

If you have the money, get one. Someday I hope to have a fleet of them.

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    Size limitation for cooling seem to be the biggest issue with owning a conical. And the bigger fermenter generates more heat in 12 gallons than in 5, so I imagine that also makes temp control more critical.
    – brewchez
    Jan 22, 2010 at 18:10
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    I've noticed with most of my beers, a fermentation temperature swing of even 2F will change the flavor profile of the beer. I plan putting a glycol jacket on it at some point.
    – Tim Weber
    Jan 22, 2010 at 21:14
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I've been really tempted to get one of those plastic 7.5 gallon conicals I've seen. They are much less expensive than steel and I brew 5 gallon batches. The only thing keeping me from it is that if it gets one good scratch inside, it's worthless.

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    I picked up a few MiniBrew conicals from EBay. They were great for a while, then got an infection in one that I have not been able to shake. My last resort is acidified bleach, but I'm hesitant to throw away 10 gallons of beer just to see if I killed the infection. If you decide to get one, take everything apart every time and boil the threaded parts before taping them back up.
    – Dean Brundage
    Jan 24, 2010 at 16:01
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I recently picked up a Fermenator and brewed my first batch in it. I like it for the convenience factor, but I ended up having to dump out the first batch I brewed in it. Some black scum formed on the sides above the line the krausen leaves. Some quick research indicated that this could be from some residual oils leftover from the machining process that didn't get removed during my pre-wash and sanitation routine and were extracted by the alcohol or the heat generated during fermentation. I've never had a problem like this with glass. The beer tasted metallic or medicinal as well.

Batch #2 is fermenting in there now. This time I hit it hard: washed it with hot water and dish soap as per the instructions that came with it, the hit it with a winemaking sanitizing agent (Proxiclean), followed by a citric acid soak and then the usual BTF soak. We'll see if the problem recurs in a few days.

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  • The off aromas are less this time and I think they'll blow off once I bottle.
    – Juanote
    Jul 10, 2010 at 3:52

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