TLDR conical is a waste for the home brewer.



Sadly I thought I needed on of these things. I have the SSbrewtech conical. Good price for what you get compared to the others. The SS fittings are nice, dump valve/fitting could be bigger, very thin sidewalls and top.







I made a couple fittings so I could transfer easier, but I have only done a couple fermentations with it. It mainly sits in the corner so it looks like I know what I'm doing.





I posted about how I brew with old kegs that I made "fittings" for transfer/pressurization. The cost was about 30 bux each after my initial R&D.



Here is what they look like







Dump wort in keg, hit with 02/pitch the yeast and done. I then add the fitting, through on its side and roll to the basement The beer never sees 02 again AND all the yeast gets left in the keg since I cut the dip tubes 3/4" short of the bottom. I only lose about .25-.5 gallons at the most over the entire process. I also over brew recipies by a gallon and when I transfer out I fill a couple 2 liter bottles as testing tanks while the serving kegs sit/carb.



If I want to wash the yeast from a keg, I just transfer in water/shake/transfer to a 2 litre bottle. Usually I just transfer the beer out, then dump another 11-12 gallons on top of the yeast cake on brew day.





Kegs are tough bastards, easily cleaned with PBW or oxyclean, and easily handled. Cleaning the conical is a pita and if you hit it, it will dent. Transfer from the fermentation kegs to the serving kegs is very easy hookup/wait about 5 minutes.



What the conical does



Looks cool

Could give a better yeast washing setup if you dont have one yet.



What I found it doesn't do



Too tall-can't gravity transfer to it from my brew kettle/brewstand-and its already real tall. Have to use a pump-which means more cleaning.

Too hard to clean. You have to take apart all the fittings, then cap the bottom, clean then wipe dry to not to get spots

Very thin metal/very thin top. The top will eventually bend as I pull the CO2 fitting on/off.

Cant transfer more than 2-3 psi=very slow transfer rates

dump yeast very well- the times I have tried it, I need to blast it with C02 to knock out the yeast. 1 1/2" fitting too small

If you want to wash yeast, you need to build a stand and yeast catcher for it as it sits too close to the ground.

transfer it while its full- the handles are too small/thin metal, need a dolly and guess what, and platform to carry it. You can add wheels, but the legs are so thin they will eventually crack the sides.

Really too big- If you run a keggle brew setup- you can't utilize the 17 gallon capacity

Dumping yeast doesnt matter on the small scale-doesnt affect taste/doesnt make it clearer

Only have one fermentation chamber at a time (biggest drawback)

I have a 6 gallon plastic conical.

Such a PITA to clean and assemble all those fittings so I just use glass carboys now.

I used to have one of those s/s conicle  fermenters. To much wasted beer trying to get the trub, and yeast off the cone to get clear beer. Unless you have a filter system they are a waste. I also went back to the converted keg. Mine is not so fancy, just a big hole and a rubber bung on top but it works.

I have a SABCO 15.5 gallon fermenter, the older version and it can be a PITA to use. They yeast dump doesn't work as well so I might as well have save the cash and done what you had done. It looks impressive, the good thing is I use C02 to push my beer to kegs simple as crap. I cobbled together something similar for carboys too using copper tubing. Works the same way. Hit it with gas and 2 minutes later the beer is in a keg getting artifically carbonated, Yeast cake is undisturbed, as I can adjust the height of my racking cane to the trub level.

Good work!

thats what I started with, a simple 2" sanitary weld fitting which a number 10 stopper will fit perfectly into






 
 

I wouldn't get a conical as a homebrewer.  What's the point if you don't have jackets for glycol?  



Does yours have a CIP spray ball?

dont need the jacket when you can put the entire thing in a cool chest or modded fridge

no CIP ball, why would I need it?

 




 

not much, 2-3 psi is the max. VERY THIN METAL

So give it to me?

its free w/ 550 shipping