The anticipation to brew a beer and ferment it in the conical fermenter built day-by-day once it arrived in mid-December. I decided to brew a hoppy brown ale because I needed to get something hoppy on tap at the house. It would also let me take full advantage of the conical and using the 3″ port on the lid for the dry hop (which was really nice for the dry hop and adding the yeast). Here is a rundown of the major points for the conical.

Sanitizing

I bought a cheap 1-gallon weed sprayer to use to sanitize the conical. It would be easy to spray down everything inside. If it worked. I got it pieced together on brew day and it refused to hold pressure and actually spray. So to sanitize the conical I ended up just pouring it in the top with a measuring cup and using my hands to spread it around on the walls. I ended up with a clean beer so no harm, no foul this time. I did get the sprayer working later and it was helpful in spraying out the ports to keep things clean. Moving forward it will be a really easy method.

Transferring the Wort

It is recommended for the wort to be pumped into the conical from the bottom to fill. I didn’t have the fittings for that on brew day so I just pumped it in through the top. At least until my pump got air into it and I couldn’t get it going again. I ended up dumping the last 3 gallons into the fermenter from the kettle. There were a lot of hops that went with it, but I figured that wouldn’t be a problem since I can dump out the hops and trub (more on that later). I want to get the fittings worked out for pumping in through the bottom. I think that will be a nice clean way to deal with it.

Temperature Control

In my water tests with the heating wraps, I was able to maintain 67 degrees F in the fermenter. Having an actively fermenting beer in the conical was no different. The wrap kept the brown ale where I wanted it. The temperature was cold enough in the winter that I had no need for cooling. A cooling setup is next on my list. I’ll need it soon with spring arriving. Overall, this was a pain free part of the brew.

Dumping the Trub

This was one spot that was disappointing. I could not get the trub and yeast to drop out of the fermenter. Each time I tried I could only get a little bit of hops to come out. In hindsight, I think it may have been an issue with having the blowoff tube still in the liquid. It didn’t allow for a transfer and the pressure was keeping everything static. When I finally got it to dump at the end of fermentation, the hose was no longer in the blowoff sanitizer. When it happened, there was a ton of material (hops, yeast and proteins) that came out. If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if a robot could poop, dump thick trub out of a conical.

Transfer to the Keg

One of the reasons I got the conical was to be able to do pressurized transfers. I did purchase a second regulator to use away from the keezer, but I did not get the right fittings and hose combination put together before I had to transfer to the keg. I ended up doing a gravity transfer after getting the conical up on a low table. The transfer was fine, but I forgot to clear the racking arm before I started so I ended up with some sediment in each keg (some of the dry hop was still floating on top and kept the second keg from being clear).

When it came time to clean the conical I just sprayed it out with the hose. I was given the clean in place valve for the conical, but I am waiting on the delivery of the last few fittings for that setup so look for a post on that soon.

Overall it was a successful first beer in the conical. On my next brew I am going to be focusing on getting a good process in place for dumping the trub and yeast. That is one of the big benefits of having a conical so I need to get it figured out. I am happy with the conical so far and look forward to many more batches.

So I’ve got this conical fermenter and I want to put some wort in it right away. Then it hits me… the garage is 47 degrees. So I need to figure out how to heat this thing. I need to get a temperature controller hooked up, a heating method and I need to make sure it works. Even though I bought a conical fermenter, I’m still cheap at heart and I don’t want to waste a batch that will not ferment because it is too cold.

So the first step is getting the temperature controller figured out. In my current setup I am using a borrowed Ranco controller on a wine fridge to temp control a 6-gallon Better Bottle. The Ranco temperature probe fits snugly in the Chronical thermowell. For now, that is what I will be using. However, I also have all the parts to build my own temperature controller with an STC-1000. When I make the transition to that controller, I will be able to use both the controller and the LCD thermometer that is included with the Chronical. With the Ranco, the only thing that fits in the thermowell is the temperature probe. So I will have to check the controller to know what the temperature is in the fermenter.

My heating method in the wine fridge was two 20-watt Flexwatts sheets hanging on the wall. This was not overly efficient because it was just heating the air in the fridge, but it made it easier for me to get the Better Bottles in and out of the fridge. For the conical, I took the Flexwatt sheets and cut them apart. I figured I would only need one wrapped around the cone of the conical. I was wrong. One sheet only provided an internal temperature 10 degrees F higher than ambient (with 12-gallons of water in the conical).

My garage has been sitting around 48 degrees F on our cooler days so I figured if I could get two sheets wired together I would have enough heat for a standard ale fermentation. My first attempt at wiring them together did not work. I thought I had clamped them together well enough, but one of the sheets was not getting power. So I completely tore it apart and redid the wiring.

These Flexwatt sheets get power using a clamp style connector. The clamp punctures the plastic coating on the sheet to reach a metal strip that runs on each side of the sheet. So when I rewired the sheets I took it completely apart and made sure the sheets were lined up and used a pair of pliers to make sure the clamp fully punctured. When I tested it with 12-gallons of water in the conical, I was able to hold an internal temperature 18 degrees F over ambient. I did some testing of water at the top, middle and bottom of the conical and the temperature was consistent throughout the vessel. Although heat rises, I was worried having the heat all at the bottom would cause the base of the conical to be very hot and gradually get cooler. I’m glad that is not a concern.

SS Brewtech now sells a heating/cooling kit that is designed for their Chronical line. They have a heating pad that wraps around the cone in a similar method that I used. Their heating pad is 60-watts. My two sheets are a combined 40-watts and are capable of barely holding the temperatures I need in my standard low temperature scenario. Depending on how the first couple beers go, I may have to get an additional sheet to wire in parallel with my current two to give myself some extra cushion.

Another option for additional heat would be to pump hot water through the coil to get the temperature higher. This could be beneficial for cold winters or beer styles that have a higher fermentation temperature like Belgians. A heat stick could be used to maintain the temperature of the water. Currently, I do not have a pump to use for this setup. SS Brewtech recommends a pump with a flow rate of 8-10 L/min and a head of roughly 4-6 meters. This is essentially what they sell in their kit and individually. However, their pump uses a connector that is specific to their FTS temperature control system. It is not a standard plug that could be used on any system.

Heating is the only temperature control I need in the winter. However, by the time spring arrives I will need to have my cooling setup figured out. In the spring and fall I will definitely need heating and cooling. When I have the cooling setup figured out I will detail it here. In the meantime, I can report that the first beer is currently in the fermenter and holding steady at 67 degrees F in first stages of fermentation.

Ever since I started brewing one of the things I always coveted was a conical fermenter. I could never justify the cost for one. Buckets and carboys are cheap. Beer ferments just fine in those vessels. The desire for a conical persisted in the face of rational reasons not to buy one. They’re shiny.

So I finally rationalized getting a conical. Biggest reason: because I want one and I can. However, if I am going to spend the money on a conical I don’t want to be making a lot of compromises. The things I was looking for in a conical:

• Integrated temperature control
• Ability to do pressurized transfers
• Ability to do 5 and 10 gallon batches
• Sanitary fittings
• Shiny

As my wife could attest, I do way too much research before making a purchase. This is especially true when the purchase is large like a conical. Without going into a dissection of all of the homebrew conical fermenters on the market, I can break down how I landed on the SS Brewtech 14 Gallon Chronical – Brewmaster Edition. Here is how it stacks up against my criteria:

Integrated Temperature Control: SS Brewtech first caught my eye on their standard line of Chronical fermenters with the lid immersion chiller they offered. One thing that stopped me from pulling the trigger on that set up was that by using the lid chiller you lose the ability to do pressurized transfers. The chilling coil in the Brewmaster Edition of the Chronical is side mounted which allows the use of the domed lid and pressurized transfers. Some are now thinking that I could have installed a coil like this in any conical, and they are right. However, I installed a coil in my hot liquor tank and it was the most nerve wracking part of my system build. Happy to have someone else drill those holes.

Pressurized Transfers: The Chronical Brewmaster Edition comes standard with the domed lid and pressure relief valve to protect the fermenter from over pressurization. A few fittings are required to connect the CO₂ tank to the fermenter, but that would be required regardless of the fermenter chosen.

5 and 10 Gallon Batches: The chilling coil in the 14 gallon Chronical – Brewmaster Edition is installed from about 4 gallons to 10.75 gallons. With a 5 gallon batch, about 2 gallons will be in contact with the chiller. This will definitely decrease the efficiency of the chilling, but being in Seattle I expect no issues maintaining temperatures because extreme temperatures are not normal.

Sanitary Fittings: Brewmaster Edition Chronicals come standard with sanitary tri-clamp butterfly valves on the racking arm and dump valve. These fittings will help keep everything clean and sanitized. They also open the door for yeast harvesting with greater peace of mind.

Shiny: The fermenter is shiny out of the box. Then the neoprene insulation sleeve is installed and the lid and fittings are the only shiny parts still standing. It is a little disappointing that it does not fully gleam in the garage, but if I have to make a compromise, this is the category I’ll take it.

Additional pros for the Brewmaster Chronical are the sample port and the 3 inch tri-clamp on the lid. The sample port provides a quick method to take gravity readings and taste along with the beer. Using the sample port eliminates the risk of introducing contamination with a thief. The 3 inch tri-clamp allows for easier hop and miscellaneous additions. I am looking forward to this because lately I’ve been adding hops and coffee beans in the Better Bottles and that can be difficult with an inch and a half opening.

There are a couple cons for the Brewmaster Chronical. The neoprene sleeve is a huge pain to get on and off. In theory this should not be a problem long term because I should not be removing the sleeve very often. Another con that many have with the Chronical line of fermenters is the use of weldless fittings. The concern is that these fittings introduce places for bacteria and wild yeast to hide. Personally they are not an issue. I thing they are easy to manage and if I perceive a problem it takes 5 minutes to remove, clean and reinstall.

At this time, I have not put any beer into the fermenter yet. I am still working out the details of temperature control. I’ll have a post on temperature control for the conical once I have if figured out (at least the first iteration). I’ll also put up a more thorough review of my thoughts after using the fermenter for a couple batches. For now, I’m excited about the future of my brewing.