DIY Chilled Conical/Keg Fermenter

[Yuri_Rage]

It's butt welded. No, I haven't put any beer in it, yet. I've barely brewed at all this year!

 

[Snowhere]

I am thinking of trying something simular and found your thread Yuri! I want to build a 15+ conical with bottom dump too!



So have you got a batch in it yet?

 

[daveb123]

Amazing!.....i love the attention to detail and the whole concept....makes me wish i could weld like that....am attempting something less sophisticated and more basic but its a pleasure and inspiring to see people doing great projects like this...

 

[wyzazz]

So since this thread has already been brought back from the dead... ...how did this turn out? Did you ever get any wort in this thing? Has it held up over time?

 

[Flsurfdog]

I am thinking of trying something simular and found your thread Yuri! I want to build a 15+ conical with bottom dump too!



So have you got a batch in it yet?

No Kidding. Two days ago I was thinking about this and wondered why it hadn't been done. Sure looks like it has, and I'd love to see how it came out too.

 

[gyropilot1]

I see you use the corny keg latch. is this direct to the keg or you modified the base? I have 2 15.5 as fermenters and will like to go conical as you did

ChuckP

Some of you may remember my last DIY conical thread. The old design worked great, but there really wasn't a practical way to get it to hold pressure (for transferring the contents without a pump or gravity). Well, here's the solution!

Parts:
1/2 bbl keg (thanks again, Boston!)
TMS Conical Hopper (21 gal)
Corny lid
Corny post fitting
Gas-in post
Ball valve/fitting for dump/transfer (not shown in this post)

Assemble as shown below. The keg is upside down because the bottom of the keg had no ridges to interrupt the Corny lid seal. I've pressure tested it to 10 psi with no issues at all. The total volume is 18 gallons.

I'm going to use the rest of the TMS hopper to make a cooling jacket around the straight sides of the keg. My old kegerator will serve as the glycol chiller.

Expect progress to be painfully slow (as has been the case with most of my projects over the past year). I've gotten pretty busy! I promise to keep the thread updated as the project unfolds.

 

[gyropilot1]

I have a sullair dryer use to extract moist from air lines. I plan to use glycol in line with the sullair. I think I need an inline pump to circulate the glycol. photos attached

 

[gyropilot1]

test today with water and pump. it came cool an instance then fresh. I think is not cooling at a range I need . any suggestions

 

[gyropilot1]

I started my conical convertion last night now waite for TMS hopper

 

[gyropilot1]

yuri got the hopper but I think you cut it down see my photo

 

[commander flatus]

This looks great, gyropilot. What ever happened to yuri, anyway?

 

[gyropilot1]

i got the feeling I have to vut a strip on top there is like 1/4 inch separation betrween hopper and keg

 

[Islandboy85]

So, anyone ferment in one yet? I have a coworker that's our senior tool and die and aircraft welder that'll weld anything up I need. I'm just not sure if its worth adding the cone. I might just add a 4-8" triclover on top of the keg for easy cleaning and run a racking cane through a compression fitting that's bored out. Whichever way I end up going the vessel has to pull double duty as a HLT on brew day.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

In the interest of full disclosure, I've pretty much given up on it. My weld has some flaws, but that's the least of my worries. I was never able to charge the refrigerant system properly, and I think it has a slow leak. I could take it to an HVAC shop and get it done right, but then I'd still need to insulate it. I don't really have a good spot for a makeshift fermentation chamber big enough for the damn thing right now (I've been on the road a lot, brewed very little, and have moved to a new house since the initial build). So...the idea has promise, but I failed to live up to it. I may still ferment a few batches in the vessel, knowing full well that I have potential sanitation issues.

 

[Islandboy85]

Sorry it didn't work out well. I may just have my Sanke modified with a big triclover on top for ease of access,band so I can make a chiller coil to fit inside of it. Best if luck.

 

[225]

Yuri,

I have/use a TIG welder pretty often. I'm curious to know why there would be sanitation issues.

How was everything welded? Did you use filler metal?

If everything was butt welded, and using no filler, I can't see how there would be gaps for bacteria to grow.

I have a 1/4 keg I plan on making one out of.

 

[Brian4x4]

it was a great idea and all your work inspired me. Even your brew shed. did you move away from that house with the brew hut? Also I have a True refrigerator it is large enough to fit a keg. I am considering making my own conical and keeping it in my True refrigerator. with a temp probe I should be able to heat (using my small heater.) or chill (using the fridge it self) correct?
I mean i do that now but with buckets. just wonder why all the trouble of the refrigeration stuff. just stick it inside a fridge.? right?? no need for "Jackets" or refrigeration lines.
thanks.

 

[juic]

I've gotten a little more done. The jacket makes it look a little like a rocket ship from a bad 60's movie. It needs one more major piece to seal up the jacket, but you probably get the idea now.

Where did you get the ss hopper?

 

[juic]

After doing a little math on the volume of glycol required for that hefty jacket and resulting cooling system, I decided to do something different. I think I have it figured out, but I'm not quite done ironing out the details. For now, here's what it looks like:

How did you weld the cone on? From the outside or inside??

 

[Layne]

Very cool!

 

[buddy_brewer]

Check out this Corny Conical