Stainless drums

[tjc27]

Has anyone run into trouble with approval for stainless drums as a kettle, HLT, or mash tun?

I have found some good prices on 100 gallon drums and I was curious if this is feasible for a budget set up to start on around 2 BBL or so?



Thanks

[gointomexico]

I have had no problems using 55 ga ss drums. No problems with approvals that is. I would highly recommend some sort of tippy dump system for your mash tun, shoveling out of a drum is not as much fun as I make it look.

[TwistedSnout]

Too Funny

I have had no problems using 55 ga ss drums. No problems with approvals that is. I would highly recommend some sort of tippy dump system for your mash tun, shoveling out of a drum is not as much fun as I make it look.

Yeah - I think we ALL make that look fun.

We have our one barrel system made from drums similar to these. I'd heed the quoted comment. More than the one barrel on these and I would make it look REALLY fun to unload without a tip dump. Another thing to consider is a heat shield of some sort depending on your heat source - easily added on though.

I don't know that there is an issue with approvals. I never ran into any. Best thing I can say is it will allow you to start brewing and selling without breaking the bank. Bigger and better can come later. Get your product in some mouths.

Stu

[hokus]

Awww camon guys.... I have a 200 gallon tank converted into a MLT that I shovel out by hand. It is super fun when it has 450 pounds of grain in it! A tip mechanism is a good idea, but I just shovel. I am thinking about having a grain out manway installed soon though.

We used 2 200 gallon tanks from a flavoring plant, and a 55 gallon stainless drum when building our brewhouse. Didn't have any issues.

[myron33]

Stainless Drums

Do you have access to more drums? if so at what cost?

[tjc27]

thanks to all for the input.

[Kev7555]

don't say I didn't warn you...

I have two stainless drums this shape. Do not use one for a brew kettle unless you enjoy fighting hot breaks and re-occuring boil overs.... This is my nano system and I am searching daily for a replacement that is shorter and wider.

[gointomexico]

I have a 200 gallon tank converted into a MLT that I shovel out by hand

That's tough, phew! It takes me 15 minutes to shovel/clean out the MT with 120lb of grain between batches. I agree about the boil-over, anything over 1.060 boils over like crazy, several times a batch.

[Kev7555]

boil overs

I hear you! I have gotten in the habit of continuing to sparge after the 55-gallon kettle is full and reserving the extra wort in a 1/2 barrel. I boil that side by side with the main kettle and then top off the finished boil with wort from the 1/2 in order to get a true 1 1/2 bbls per batch.

This worked out by pure coincidence as my mash efficiency has gone up so much that I've been exceeding my target starting gravities, so.....it serves two purposes; to top off the kettle before casting out the wort to the fermenter and for diluting the wort to the proper gravity. Pretty crazy, eh? ...the world of nano-brewing!!

Cheers!


-Kev

I have a 200 gallon tank converted into a MLT that I shovel out by hand

That's tough, phew! It takes me 15 minutes to shovel/clean out the MT with 120lb of grain between batches. I agree about the boil-over, anything over 1.060 boils over like crazy, several times a batch.

[hokus]

Are you guys using foam control during boil? Something like Fermcap S? I use that and don't have any issues with boil overs. My reporpused tank is not quite as proportionally tall as the tank you have pictured above. My 200 gallon brew kettle (electric fired) is 35 inches in diameter and I think 4 feet tall.

[gointomexico]

" I have gotten in the habit of continuing to sparge after the 55-gallon kettle is full and reserving the extra wort in a 1/2 barrel."

That's a great idea! I have been dumping that down the drain and getting 75% efficiency on the imperials. Time to fire up the ol keggle.

I personal don't use foam control. I don't know enough about it.

[Kev7555]

I don't use anything for foam cotrol either. Reading a bit about it I discovered there are several diverging opinions about fermcap and whether certain agencies feel it is safe to use. I don't have an opinion about it myself but I've never used anything like that as an additive to my beer and see no reason to begin now. I've always steered away from anything un-natural in my brews.

" I have gotten in the habit of continuing to sparge after the 55-gallon kettle is full and reserving the extra wort in a 1/2 barrel."

That's a great idea! I have been dumping that down the drain and getting 75% efficiency on the imperials. Time to fire up the ol keggle.

I personal don't use foam control. I don't know enough about it.