Conical fermenters

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What do you do for temp control for these? I like them, but they wouldn't fit in my brew fridge
 
Mine will fit in my brewfreezer,it's a lift the lid job,chuffed 🙃

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After a few years this is what can happen to all that "shiny" stuff. Once a bit of "wouldn't it be nice if..." gets applied.

It's "work-in-progress" but hashed together for now because 45 litres of "London Porter" needed its services.

All that neoprene insulation was quite a feat to measure out, cut and fit. It still needs the joints taping and a jacket making (neoprene is a fabulous insulator, but not very resistant to damage).

The shelf cooler does a fine job getting the temperature down, and for warmth a "brew-belt" is currently maintaining temperature (it barely gets switched on). All controlled by an Inkbird ITC-308. I'm showing it just to show a "brew fridge" isn't essential if you can put some work in (and for a monstrosity like this a "brew-fridge" just isn't an option).

It originally came from this lot: Willis European. But I don't think they do them anymore? But if you want a really big one I'm sure they'd love to hear from you.

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... Peebee ,

What size is your cornelius Maxi?

Did you consider trace heating cables?
It's not a Maxi, but it is about the same capacity as the Maxi 310 I use for dispense: Two product coils (connected together for maximum cooling) and a "Python" feed. The python line feeds the cooling coils on the fermenter. The product coils cool the newly boiled wort rapidly to fermenting temperature - it is coming out of the counter-flow cooler at full bore, at about 30-40C (pointless trying to get down to 17-18C with the CFC 'cos it takes too long).

I'm getting the bits together to recirculate the fermenter through the product coils to potentially get it down to sub 12C (it's asking a bit much to do that with the cooling coils around the fermenter - there is only 6-7 wraps of 3/8 PVC tubing which is more than adequate for controlling temperature to about 14-20C). It is unlikely I'll need sub 12C for primary ferments, but might be handy during secondary time (the beer stays in the conical for secondary ferment, the fermenter is just reconfigured).

"Trace heating cables"? I had a brew belt so used that. It isn't predicted to be used much, but was initially switching on this time because the chiller product coils had dropped the unfermented wort to 15C.


(EDIT: A Maxi 310 is a little bigger, but has the advantage (?) that it can be fitted with two more smaller product coils - if you can ever find them for sale).
 

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