Looking for secondary fermentor brand recommendations

[Mascrappo]

Hi all, only those who secondary need respond as I don't wish to argue on whether to do it or not as I still do (since 1998).

I am looking for an easier way to secondary as I'm still in the 1990's using carboy and transfer tube. So many new ideas these days.

I was looking at the Anvil 7.5 Fermentor, but was sad when users say leave the lid on while bottling, so you can't use the handy swivel spigot to stop before getting into the trub! Plastic Speidel has mixed reviews. Big Mouth glass has bad reviews. UGH

Please chime in and tell me what you use and why. Thanks!

 

[RPh_Guy]

I secondary wine in a 5 gal PET bottle so I can fill it right up to the top to minimize oxidation from headspace, and the lack of accessories makes it easy to clean.
It's reasonably sturdy as well.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/plastic-carboy-5-gal.html
I use an auto siphon to transfer.

No need to secondary beer.

 

[Mascrappo]

No need to secondary beer.

And it starts! LOL

Looking for something with a hose/spigot so I don't have to siphon

 

[RPh_Guy]

Looking for something with a hose/spigot

5 gallon narrow mouth:
https://www.morebeer.com/products/plastic-carboy-5-gal-spigot.html
Requires a tool to help install spigot:
https://www.morebeer.com/products/spigot-wrench-plastic-carboys.html

6 gal widemouth (Fermonster):
https://www.morebeer.com/products/fermonster-carboy-6-gal-spigot.html

Ported Fermonsters are my favorite (for primary) because they're lightweight, they're clear, they seal well, they have a wide mouth, they have a spigot option, and they're not overly expensive.
The main downside is that they're flexible, so carrying it is a little awkward when it's full. I use straps.

Speidel (HDPE) is fine too. Compared to PET, Speidel is more rigid and has attached handles, but is opaque and more expensive.

I don't care for glass because it's heavy and may result in dangerous catastrophic failure... Plus glass options with spigots are limited.

 

[mongoose33]

Why not just a fermonster with a spigot, or a Bigmouth Bubbler with a spigot?

 

[Mascrappo]

I like the hardness of glass, but yes its fragile. Will look into Fermonster

 

[mongoose33]

I like the hardness of glass, but yes its fragile. Will look into Fermonster

If you're aging in a secondary, glass is preferable, but if not, I can't see any advantage to glass. All you need to do is use a plastic fermenter one time and you'll wonder why you ever thought glass would be superior.

When I started brewing (somewhat later than you ), I looked at glass vs. plastic. I read through part of the broken glass carboy thread here, looked at the injuries people had suffered, the messes that were made, and that made my mind up for me.

 

[Mascrappo]

Cr@p when I started there where no carboy carrying straps! When I was 30 it wasn't a big deal, but now, even with straps it is a chore. I am still shying towards Anvil as stainless is superior and stainless is what "the big boys use". With Anvil, the price is reasonable too. I know about how many 1 liter bottles a batch makes and may just leave the lid off towards the end, after all O2 is still getting in with the bubbler off!

 

[RPh_Guy]

stainless is superior and stainless is what "the big boys use"

"Superior" is a strong word, and totally subjective.

Stainless has trade-offs just like anything else. It's heavy, opaque, and relatively expensive. The main tangible advantage is durability, while not necessarily cost-effective.

Pros mainly use stainless or oak because those are pretty much the only things they CAN use.

 

[Mascrappo]

I stand corrected, yes your statement is true. I prefer stainless for its durability would be a better way of wording it.

Like I said, secondary is what I'm seeking.

 

[McKnuckle]

I have the smaller Anvil fermenter, but same concept. You don't have to remove the lid just to use the handy swivel dip tube. Orient the tube straight down at the beginning of fermentation. Just before transferring, twist the tube just slightly (10 degrees?) clockwise. When you open the valve, you'll initially pull a smidge of stuff from the bottom - maybe - and then it should run clear.

Alternately, fill a hydrometer jar and let the bit of trub run off into there. Either way it's trivial.

I do remove the cover at the very end sometimes, so I can stop the flow just as muck begins to move off the side of the fermenter towards the dip tube inlet. But that's your last bottle anyway.

 

[Mascrappo]

I do remove the cover at the very end sometimes, so I can stop the flow just as muck begins to move off the side of the fermenter towards the dip tube inlet. But that's your last bottle anyway.

I was thinking the same, I kinda know by how many bottles I've filled when vat should be getting low. I would do the same as you and take a peek at the end.

 

[hopjuice_71]

Corny kegs would make great secondaries - easily adapted to minimize O2 exposure. No spigot though. Would have to siphon or use CO2 for transfer.

Edit: and they are a relatively inexpensive stainless steel option.

 

[Mascrappo]

I have used carboys since the 90's and it's no big deal if I continue, however, the Anvil is looking good at this point. Too bad I didn't have the $$$ when Anvils were 20% off at Christmas!

 

[jekeane]

Use corny kegs for secondary. You can trim an inch off the dip tube and avoid trub. corny kegs can also make great bottling buckets. Generally you can find kegs and a co2 tank used on fb marketplace or craigslist.

 

[SpikeBrewing]

If you haven't seen our new Flex line we'd recommend checking that out. We have our Flex and Flex+. The main difference is the Flex+ can handle 15psi of pressure so you can pressure transfer and/or carbonate inside the tank. We've had many people add a Flex to their brewery as a secondary fermenter. If you have any questions please drop us a line HERE or on our live chat!

 

[NewJersey]

I don't secondary as there is no need, but I just bought a Spike flex+ and it is a work of art with amazing functionality. I'd recommend it for primary or secondary if you wanna stay in the Stone age!

 

[Mascrappo]

if you wanna stay in the Stone age!

If I had more room I wouldn't mind keeping up with the times, but I don't, so stone age it is.

If you haven't seen our new Flex line we'd recommend checking that out

I will look into these, thanks!

 

[Mascrappo]

We've had many people add a Flex to their brewery as a secondary fermenter.

No offense, but I've not seen your product(s) until today via your link. It looks impressive and the clear cap is something I like!

 

[NewJersey]

If I had more room I wouldn't mind keeping up with the times, but I don't, so stone age it is.



I will look into these, thanks!

Doing a secondary takes up more space than not doing it.... Not sure what you're getting at

 

[SpikeBrewing]

No offense, but I've not seen your product(s) until today via your link. It looks impressive and the clear cap is something I like!

Thanks for considering our products! If you have any questions our Customer Support team is always happy to help!!

 

[Jayjay1976]

I'm in the market for a good buggy whip...

 

[sleev-les]

If you haven't seen our new Flex line we'd recommend checking that out. We have our Flex and Flex+. The main difference is the Flex+ can handle 15psi of pressure so you can pressure transfer and/or carbonate inside the tank. We've had many people add a Flex to their brewery as a secondary fermenter. If you have any questions please drop us a line HERE or on our live chat!

I have a flex plus as I didn't secondary, but the beer I'm fermenting now I need a secondary due to a puree and dry hop time. I ended up going to my local HBS to grab another flex plus, but they were out so I ended up with a Spike Conical CF5. With the dump port, I can secondary right from the same tank. Went with the F+ due to the ferment under pressure or transfer option. Can't go wrong either way. I just need the conical heat pad and jacket.

No offense, but I've not seen your product(s) until today via your link. It looks impressive and the clear cap is something I like!

You won't be disappointed. FYI, the clear cap is nice, but if you get condensation it is useless. Just depends where you ferment. Since I'm in a colder garage and using heat this time of year to keep temp, the clear sight lid is so full of condensation it's not easy to see anything. If I was inside or temps were a bit warmer it would probably be a different story.

 

[Mascrappo]

Doing a secondary takes up more space than not doing it.... Not sure what you're getting at

If I had a dedicated brew room I would have a nice, new shiny stainless brew system.

 

[Dgallo]

And it starts! LOL

Looking for something with a hose/spigot so I don't have to siphon

Well you had to know you would get this response when your post is asking for recommendations on a piece of equipment that has been proven to provide more negative impact on beer than positives.

That being said, I also recommend fermonsters with a spigot. That’s all I use and I actually just ordered another one earlier this week.

 

[ITV]

My go to fermenter is my spiedel. The handles can handle the full weight and it has an oversized airlock.

I also have a Spike CF10 conical that is great for dry hopping and closed pressure transfers.

 

[Bobby_M]

Hi all, only those who secondary need respond as I don't wish to argue on whether to do it or not as I still do

Just an observation about human nature I suppose. You signaled that you are aware that the merits of using a secondary vessel are in debate here but you are requesting anyone opposed to doing so refrain from responding. I dont think that is possible.

Its like attending a medical convention in the 1920s and casually asking a group of doctors what gauge needle they prefer for bloodletting.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

[OP] signaled that you are aware that the merits of using a secondary vessel are in debate here ...

Wait, what? the merits of a secondary vessel are in debate?!? I thought that the "Oxygen Ingress Awareness Team" had this under control.

but you are requesting anyone opposed to doing so refrain from responding. I dont think that is possible.

Probably not (see xkcd: Duty Calls).

 

[day_trippr]

Considering the topic is like a freakin' grenade around here I'm surprised the pin has stayed in place this long

Cheers! (not that I disagree. And I'm still curious why the OP's space problem can be resolved by using secondary vessels when kegs are likely cheaper...)

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Well, this time around, we may have a new analogy

Its like attending a medical convention in the 1920s and casually asking a group of doctors what gauge needle they prefer for bloodletting.

which is much more versatile than

eeeewww tastes like left-overs

which was occasionally seen in threads talking about extract brewing before "no-boil" NEIPAs came along.

 

[jrgtr42]

If you are going to be secondarying for a fairly short time (say, under a month,) pretty much any material will do, as long as the headspace is minimal - oxygen ingress through the actual material is minimal compared to absorption from the air in the headspace.
If you're going for long term, then glass is the way to go.
I have carboys of glass and plastic. If I want to bulk age, say a stout on wood chunks, I'll use the plastic, but if I am doing a sour that will be there for a year, I go to the glass.
The thing with glass, of course, is breakage. Personally, I use leather gloves when handling it, long pants and closed shoes. I have handles on a couple, but never pick it up using them - I will tilt using it, pick it up from the bottom and use the handle as a second grip. I usually leave them strapped into milk crates, especially when full.
And don't drink and handle glass. Other than that, the pros of it are easy to clean, very resistant to O2 getting in, and so on.
If you like that Anvil, go for it. Maybe it's recommended to leave the top on, but it's no law - and no one will be jumping through the window of your brew room to arrest you if you do take the top off.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

From the /r/homebewing Daily Q&A - Jan 3, 2020:

Any tips, techniques or advice on how to reduce the risk of oxidation during primary, racking, or even secondary fermentation?

Low hanging fruit: (1) Skipping racking to a "secondary" vessel gets you 80% of the way there. (2) The other big thing is during the limited times you rack (once into bottling bucket or keg), rack under the rising beer, not down the side of the vessel where every ounce is mixing with air.

Beyond that, you're looking at closed transfers into CO-purged vessels, ideally pushing with CO2 (or using gravity in a closed loop so the CO2 circulates back). If you have a CO2 tank and regulator, you can look into or ask about those techniques.

Basic (question). Friendly (advice). Actionable (but no blood letting).