Any advice would be awesome!
If you have the money…Blichmann Fermenators are great and I’m biased towards them.
http://www.blichmannengineering.com/fermentor/fermentor.html
…but some folks prefer the morebeer version.
The advantages of using conical fermentors are the following:
- Ability to get most of beer in fermenter
- Ability to remove trub (allowing for a secondary fermentation in the same container)
- Ability to harvest yeast
The main disadvantage is the cost but I think the advantages can justify the cost. YMMV.
Pros: They are great for dumping cold and hot break material. They are great for collecting yeast.
Cons: Unless you have temperature control on them, such as a fridge you can put them in, or a basement that is at a constant fermenting temp they will be somewhat useless. I have two morebeer 12 gallon conical fermenters, but I have a big Trauslen two door fridge to stick them in.
Conclusion: It’s a luxury item that only benefits those with temperature control. There are other inexpensive and practical fermenters, such as carboys or other 15 gal stainless steel kegs that can be converted into fermenters.
My question was more of tips on use. I bought a 14 gallon temp controlled conical from more beer. It’s beautiful. Sunday is the maiden voyage.
haha, oh! Make sure all valves are sealed, and all tri-clamps and tri-clamp gaskets are snug before filling. You might want to mark the rotating racking arm so you know when it’s in the up position and when it’s in the down position.
I always wait about 2 hours after filling for everything to settle and then dump the trub just before oxygenating and pitching.
It takes a couple of tries to learn when the best time to harvest the yeast for each strain. (If you are going to harvest from the bottom.) With a real flocculent strain (like WLP002) I will harvest the day I start to cool or the next day, or the yeast will be too thick to come out. With a medium flocculent strain (like WLP001) I will wait a couple of days and so on. You will need to figure out what’s best for the yeast you like.
+1 on temp control, but I am from Vegas and it is almost impossible to make a good beer without temp control.
Matt
fixed that for ya! 
I like the new More Beer temp controlled conicals. the tri clamp fiting make it way better than the blickmann’s IMO (and I have 4 blichmann’s that I installed tri-clamp finttings on). Good choice and report back on how well it works.
There is a third option, Brewhemoth. There is a chilling option with them also, and the price is fantastic.
THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON to use a stainless conical over a glass carboy is the improved safety. I really like my Blichman conical. But does it make better beer? Probably not. But I don’t have to worry about severing a limb.
So I was to hungover to brew today so next Sunday will be the maiden voyage. Everything looks good, all seals hold, all controls work. Built an easily cleaned transfer line with quick disconnects. The conical is awesome. can’t wait to use it.
weak.
SS is pricey! Anybody have any thoughts about this? I’ve looked at them for awhile now, and my 6.5 gal carboy died in a tragic accident…
That seems pretty pricey for a plastic one - of course it’s far less than the price for the stainless ones from MoreBeer (The 7.5 gallon one w/o any of the heating/cooling extras runs $895.)
It is pricey for what seems to be an upside down bucket with a nose. Was wondering if anyone went for it and what they think.
Wait. What? Have there been reasonable glass carboy brewers that have sacrificed limb for their craft?
I have a friend who almost lost his hand (and an awful lot of blood) once from a broken carboy. Imagine one shattering when you are holding it upside down to drain. All it takes is a little bump. I’ve broken 2 in 20 years, but never injured myself.
he’s exaggerating a little (I think toes and fingers more common than limbs), but there have been plenty of horror stories posted on the forums about broken carboys and the trips to the emergency room.
the only nice thing about carboys is the voyeuristic aspect. otherwise, they are an obsolete relic of late 20th century brewing
One of these days I’ll get that darn Blichmann conical. 11 yrs brewing, 300+ batches all in carboys, 1 close call. I was rinsing a 6.5g carboy upside down in my laundry sink. It slipped and hit the top corner of my 40 yr. old Maytag washer. I held my breath and waited for the explosion of shards. Nothing. It hit the corner right in the middle of the carboy. Damage: none to the carboy, dented the corner of the washer in, knocking off a chunk of the porcelain? paint. I shoulda bought a lottery ticket that day…
Why buy a lottery ticket? You used your luck for the day.
Luck is just probability taken personally.