Conical FVs?

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Anything that says 'biodiesel' tends to be 'food grade' dont take my word for it. However IF you want to use conical fermenters... then surely you want something thats fully conical shaped? The lip in these ones (that holds it on the stand) will let yeast settle and bugger any further racking?... and also negate the point of the shape!?
 
I've sent them an email:
Dear Smiths,

Could you please advise whether your 120l conical would be considered food safe for use as a fermenting vessel.

It isn't easy to make out from your internal photograph, but is there a pronounced step where the vessel rests on its stand, or is that smoothed out internally?

I would also appreciate prices for the conical and the stand.

If this vessel is suitable for purpose I would be able to collect, but there could be wider interest
and then I pasted a link to this thread and invited them to post comments here.

I may have to drive through Monmouth next Saturday so I could go and take a look, and would probably be interested in one myself if the price is right.
 
There are conicals about that do not have the lip (I have one . . .got it from eBay Seller Oilybits)

Having the lip does not negate using them as an FV . . . as long as you use a racking arm, as once the liquid level drops below the lip some sediment will be pulled down along the sides of the cone. If you have a rotating racking arm (Nice use for a SS Bulkhead :whistle: :whistle: ) you can still use them. In fact having the lip makes it easy to build a support for them just a sheet of Ply with a suitable hole routered / cut out of the middle . . . Instant Shelf . . . And then can fit in a fridge with a bit of cunning planning

And Yes the Smiths HDPE conicals are virgin HDPE and are food grade ;) . . I was going to buy one before I found my Oilybits one
 
I got 2 x 40ltr conicals from here which is the e-bay shop of UK Biofuel Systems
They are HDPE, so suitable for brewing as are most (check first). They have changed the design slightly since I purchased my first one, now they no longer have a flat area around the base where the 1" port is located, which is a nice touch. IIRC the new ones don't have the lip either, but it's been so longer since I've seen mine I'll have to double check that.
The lip isn't really much of a problem provided you rack in one go. The yeast tends to track only slightly down the edge of the conical on racking, if you stop it carries on and may muddy the bottom few inches, which in a conical is not a lot, as Tony has said, if that bothers you, use a racking arm.
 
I am on the point of ordering from the supplier that V mentions. The guy there said that they are fully draining, no lip is my interpretation which the guy there knew all about. The design is different to some others about which have threaded socket for leg mounting. The Dundee ones, Vs type are designed to fit in a rolled ring so I will check that this deduced diameter is blended in, as mentioned up post, and not a trap, but as V say not really a problem ;)
S
 
The guy there said that they are fully draining, no lip is my interpretation which the guy there knew all about.
Ian's a really nice guy, I've had a fair few chats with him about the conicals.
I'll check my conicals later and let you know for sure :thumb:
 
Just checked the conicals.
The new 40ltr design has no interior lip where the frame band seats, it's a nice smooth curve from body to cone. The old design has a 5mm is lip where the frame seats which is nicely curved from body to cone, so not much of an issue either. Below this in a band 1" deep around the conical there are 2 smaller indentations in the moulding which have no purchase for yeast.
My 110ltr conical (I think from a different supplier) definitely has a horizontal lip around 5mm deep.
 
Vossy, are these the conicals that are only temp rated to 55C?? . . . I have seen some like that design that have all sorts of restrictions as to temperature and torque settings for fitting the bottom tap. . . . and also reports of scratches on the inside
 
Vossy, are these the conicals that are only temp rated to 55C??
Sorry T, I won't be using them to that sort of temp so it never occurred to me to ask.
I have seen some like that design that have all sorts of restrictions as to temperature and torque settings for fitting the bottom tap
Pass :grin: TBH, do they really apply to us (torques) I can see heat being a potential issue, maybe for some
and also reports of scratches on the inside
I made it very clear to Ian that I wanted ones without scratches, I would advise anyone else to do the same. I did look into repairing scratches in HDPE...a long time ago...a heated flat (bar) seemed to be the best option, the wider the better to avoid 'localised' ridges, if that makes sense. Naturally, there are probably lots of options I haven't found :hmm:
 
I presume that any HDPE conicals could have scratches, will check this out. The ones from Ian, now have a brass bush moulded in for the bottom connection, hence your comment about not going wild with a big spanner A, but this is also applicable to a plastic thread. :?
As V said, why might you need to go above or anywhere near 55 degrees, I plan to use oxy, videne and antiformin :?
So is it down to scratches, if any, in which conicals then :? , are we saying that sanitisers do not get into scratches :?
S
 
Wow, thanks for all the replies! just looked at the oilybits 120l conical, £115 without stand or £200 with plus P&P.

The opening may be a bit small for cleaning easily. I'll wait until there's a price and more details for the smiths ones first as these have bigger openings.

I may need a smaller one too. I'm going to get a 100l system so the 120l will be fine when liquoring back for a session beer and then a smaller one for when i'm making rocket fuel. Ideally something like an 80 and a 50 I think would be perfect if they made them. However I've never brewed more than a burco before so not sure - any thoughts?

Cheers
NB
 
The ones from Ian, now have a brass bush moulded in for the bottom connection, hence your comment about not going wild with a big spanner A
You can bi pass the brass by using a flanged ss 1" threaded fitting like Tony has done, they basically screw into the brass thread from the inside with a seal between ss flange and conical body, I had these made also, but you don't have to have them.
As V said, why might you need to go above or anywhere near 55 degrees
Some folk steam sanitise.
are we saying that sanitisers do not get into scratches
Potentially. I just open any tight scratches out to ensure the sanitiser/cleaner can get in, well I did in my 60ltr fv, worked for me. It would be very hard to do this on buckets which are too thin, but easy on a HDPE 5mm wall.
 
My 110ltr conical (I think from a different supplier) definitely has a horizontal lip around 5mm deep.
No it doesn't :lol: :roll:
Had a look at it yesterday and inside it has re-enforced/thickened circular protruding areas of HDPE where the bolts screw into the conical for frame mounting, so no lip.
 
Moley said:
I've sent them an email:
Dear Smiths,

Could you please advise whether your 120l conical would be considered food safe for use as a fermenting vessel.

It isn't easy to make out from your internal photograph, but is there a pronounced step where the vessel rests on its stand, or is that smoothed out internally?

I would also appreciate prices for the conical and the stand.

If this vessel is suitable for purpose I would be able to collect, but there could be wider interest
and then I pasted a link to this thread and invited them to post comments here.

I may have to drive through Monmouth next Saturday so I could go and take a look, and would probably be interested in one myself if the price is right.

Hi Moley - any luck with a price? If not I'll call them tomorrow.
Cheers
NB
 
:oops: Sorry, I forgot to report back :oops:

I didn't have to drive down to S. Wales but did get an email reply.

Yes, they are food grade. There is a fairly pronounced step on the inside.

Conical and stand are £96 + VAT each.
 
Thanks Moley - so about £120 + delivery inc stand. - that's not bad.

Showing my ignorance now, next question is about racking arms, seems to be a bent tube on the back of the tap used to drain off the ale. The tube can be rotated I'm guessing so that it stays below the surface to avoid sucking up yeast dislodged for example off the pronounced ledge in this FV as the beer level falls below the ledge. The racking arm fits in the tap on the side of the FV, not at the bottom. Here's one I found on the web, http://www.deerislandbrewery.com/rotati ... ng_arm.htm

Is that about right? I use something similar in my current 22L better bottle FV. http://www.better-bottle.com/products_m ... right.html

Cheers
NB
 
Northern Brewer said:
so about £120 + delivery inc stand. - that's not bad.
I think that would be pretty bloody remarkable, but I'm afraid it's £96 + VAT (=£115.20) for the conical and the same again for the stand.

At that, the conical seems reasonable but the stand strikes me as somewhat excessive, and I would fabricate something myself out of timber for a fraction of that price.
 
Aah! Back to the drawing board. I misinterpreted your mail, probably wishful thinking :|

Thanks Moley, probably buy one from elsewhere without the inner ledge at that price and just cut a hole in the worktop to stand it in.

Cheers
NB
 
Northern Brewer said:
next question is about racking arms, seems to be a bent tube on the back of the tap used to drain off the ale. The tube can be rotated I'm guessing so that it stays below the surface to avoid sucking up yeast
Here is the post I made about making my own Racking Arm
 
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