SS Brewmaster bucket OR SS Chronical

[Obfu]

Morning all,

I've spent too long deliberating over which my next fermenter should be and I need some help...
I use a Youngs 25litre wide neck fermenter and have been happy enough with it doing kits, but recently I've stepped up to full grain with a Braumeister 20L. I'd like to go stainless steel with the fermenter and have been eyeing up both the Brewmaster bucket and the chronical from SS (looked at standard and Brewmaster edition). Obviously I want the Brewmaster Chronical because of all the features but I don't think I'll get the chance to use them any time soon - I have no current ambition on harvesting yeast and I don't have the space for chilling systems (don't even have space for a fermenting fridge). Also looking at it, it seems a lot more hassle to clean than the bucket (particularly with unused temp control coil)...
Have I talked myself into the bucket?
I'd appreciate your thoughts, particularly if you use either or better yet, both.

Thanks,
Obfu

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

Get the all singing and dancing one. Even if don't use all its features to start with at least it's there when you do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SteveNieve]

I had the same dilemma, and the deciding factor was my better half pointing me in the direction of the bank balance!
Now have a very shiny and lovely Brewmaster bucket fermenting away with my very first AG recipe. Still hoping Father Christmas get my Chronical letter though....

 

[TartanSpecial]

I have the chronical 7 (US) gallon fermenter and I love it... but you do have to strip the ball valves and clean/sanitise and reassemble after each brew (I actually quite enjoy doing it..and you know everything is spotless when its reassembled). If you don't want to harvest yeast, and if there is any pressure on the bank balance I'd go for the Brewmaster bucket for £185....the thermowell inc. thermometer is well worth the extra £20 i.m.o. since seeing the temperature inside the fermenter was an eye opener for me (3-4deg C above room temp in initial stages of fermentation for all grain brews with decent pitching rate....my chilling system is to take it into a cooler room for first couple of days of fermentation....low tech but it works).
Having said all that, I guess it depends how strong the want is, and maybe one day you will want to start harvesting yeast. I never planned to harvest yeast but now I regularly do. If there's no pressure on the balance I'd go for the chronical.

 

[Gerryjo]

I'm thinking that myself and would assume this is it
http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=585

Sent from my ALE-L21

 

[TartanSpecial]

that's the brewbucket at £165...check out the brewmaster bucket at £185 with the thermowell and thermometer...that would be my budget stainless choice. (its the next one down on the malt miller site)

 

[Fuzzy-felt]

I have a couple of the Brewmaster buckets and I find them to be pretty good. They are immensely easy to clean - far, far quicker that my large fancy conical fermentor, but nowhere near as versatile. Bear in mind, though, that they are not very big. When they say 25 litres, that is almost to the very top, so I find that the practical limit to be around 22/23 litres, and then a blow-off tube becomes essential as the Krausen typically spills over.

 

[Gerryjo]

Cheers shall look into that for Santa lol😀

Sent from my ALE-L21

 

[Obfu]

TartanSpecial - wrt Fuzzy-Felt's observation on the practical limit of the bucket, is that the same for the conical too?

 

[TartanSpecial]

TartanSpecial - wrt Fuzzy-Felt's observation on the practical limit of the bucket, is that the same for the conical too?

Yes..my '7 us gallon' chronical =26ltrs, the 7 gallon is right to the lip of the fermenter, so I only brew with 22.5ltr (6 US gallon) batches to allow some space above (which is bang in the middle of what Fuzzy Felt said as a practical max). I use brewers antifoam during my oxygenation of the boiled wort (i do all grain) which has probably helped in me never having a problem with the Krausen spilling over.

 

[Obfu]

Brewers antifoam... I have literally never heard of that... Should I be heading to the HBS and asking for a 'long weight and some brewers antifoam' on my way to the DIY shop for some 'Tartan paint'?:lol:

 

[TartanSpecial]

I was having problems with masses of foam when I was doing my vigorous oxygenation and saw the homebrew shop stocked brupaks antifoam so tried it and have never looked back.

 

[Obfu]

Top tip. Thank you sir.