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Budget Bunnings Fermenter

PostPosted: Friday Nov 17, 2006 2:27 pm
by geoffclifton
Just had a tour through the new Bunnings in S. Nowra and spotted 25 liter fermenter style plastic drums with tap hole and large round screw on lid and rubber seal - $16.95. Just need a hole and grommet in the lid.

Cheers, Geoff.

PostPosted: Saturday Nov 18, 2006 11:08 am
by Chris
Just be careful, as the don't always seal very well- especially around the tap, which can come loose. That's a terrible way to lose 20L of beer.

PostPosted: Saturday Nov 18, 2006 5:54 pm
by pure_stoke
I made one of these recently to use as my secondary. i put a grommet and airlock in the lid and a tap in the bottom and it worked fine. i do agree that the tap threads are a bit dodgy tho. i find with mine i cannot do it up too tight, but have had no trouble with leaks

PostPosted: Sunday Nov 19, 2006 11:25 am
by atropine
I had a look at them. My home brew shop sells 27.5l fermenters for $20 and appear to be of much better quality. (the ones with the square bases), so for the extra $3 I"ll buy the better quality one.

PostPosted: Monday Nov 20, 2006 11:35 am
by Cortez The Killer
I use a bunnings one for secondaries

I discarded the lid and am using glad wrap

you are right about the tap

i need to screw it on pretty tight

but haven't had any leaks though

it does the job

cheers

PostPosted: Monday Nov 20, 2006 1:56 pm
by Aussie Claret
I've had 2 of the bunnings jobs and I've given up using both of them because, 1 I was unable to get a perfect seal around the tap, Once whilst moving the fermenter I ripped the tap out and lost a few litres of beer, whilst hopping around trying madly to get the tap back in place, and 2. the plastic isn't as good as the ones sold in the HBS.

You can pick up spare gromets from most supermarkets that sell home brew, a couple of bucks for 3.

AC

PostPosted: Thursday Dec 07, 2006 3:50 pm
by Longrasser
Looked at 25L fermenter style here for $32 in Bunnings
They look like Tooheys fermentor and are for water storage with tap and are blue in colour.Thought be good for secondary/bottler?
Anyone try these?
Darwin we is used to getting ripped off price wise you would be hard pressed to find a fermetor under $50

PostPosted: Thursday Dec 07, 2006 4:25 pm
by Pale_Ale
Haven't tried those but for bulk priming or lagering/cold conditioning you might have more luck at a camping store, they sell the 20 or 22L cubes with tap threads. For SA brewers I have a thread in The Store section along these lines, which is probably where this thread belongs.

The cubes are $12.99 at my local sports/camping store.

PostPosted: Friday Dec 08, 2006 9:30 am
by Scatts
I use the Bunnings 'fermenters' with no problem. - I remove the ring seal from the lid and then discard the lid. Cover the 'fermenter' with gladwrap and use the ring seal to hold it in place (elastic band works just as well). 'Burp' the seal every couple of days. - I found this method somewhere on this forum about a year ago.

PostPosted: Friday Dec 08, 2006 9:41 am
by Chris
You don't even need to 'burp' the fermenter- it does that itself.

PostPosted: Friday Dec 08, 2006 11:58 am
by pixelboy
Scatts wrote:Cover the 'fermenter' with gladwrap and use the ring seal to hold it in place (elastic band works just as well). 'Burp' the seal every couple of days.


You can put one or two pin holes in the glad wrap and no need for burping.

I often do this with my secondary when I rack into a couple of 15l fresh wort containers

PostPosted: Friday Dec 08, 2006 12:03 pm
by Scatts
pixelboy wrote: two pin holes in the glad wrap


Great Idea! Thanks 8)

PostPosted: Friday Jan 05, 2007 1:45 pm
by Tickstar
Picked up one of the bunnings 25l round drums. For $16 can't complain. And the girl at the register didn't scan the tap so got it for free :) Might try using a bit of plumbers tape around the tap thread if the seal's a bit loose.

Now I can rack and bulk prime. Woohoo!

PostPosted: Friday Jan 05, 2007 2:18 pm
by buscador
quick question and cant believe im asking really but,

how do you burp?
:lol: :lol:

i mean how do you burp a non-lid gladwrapped and band over that sealed on top- how do you burp? :lol:

got me up late at nite thinking about these things...
b

PostPosted: Friday Jan 05, 2007 3:08 pm
by KEG
:lol:

just pull the rubber band out a bit to let some of the CO2 'whoosh' out?

PostPosted: Friday Jan 05, 2007 3:34 pm
by buscador
oh a "whoosh"
i read "burp" earlier..

those are 2 completely different sounds in a Batman fight scene! :twisted: :!:

PostPosted: Friday Jan 05, 2007 3:56 pm
by KEG
:lol:

PostPosted: Friday Jan 19, 2007 9:34 pm
by shane_vor
I was gonna mention the white plumbers teflon tape around the thread of the tap as well....seems to work on the dodgiest of fermenters I've had, though having said that, you screw that puppy too far and it's stripped thread city!

PostPosted: Saturday Jan 20, 2007 8:08 am
by Hashie
If your worried about the tap, you could always leave the plug in and just siphon out.

A fermtech auto siphon will do it a treat.

PostPosted: Monday Jan 22, 2007 9:33 am
by Cortez The Killer
Have a look at aussie disposals they have a 25L + 30L fermenter style water container

It appears to be of a higher grade plastic than the bunnings version

They are a bit taller + skinnier than the coopers ones

I had a leak with my 25L bunnings one the other day - very messy - it appears to be of very poor workmanship - but isn't everything at bunnings :twisted:

Cheers