As a homebrewer, all my fermenters have a tap at base. Dead yeast cells and sludge settles to the bottom. This is left behind to allow a cleaner taste to beer/wine removed. I let removed liquids settle out in another fermentor and repeat the draining and leaving the sludge behind. This I stir up and add to 1/2 gallon jar and store in beer fridge. I use this to yeast-up next batch. Allow the yeast to warm up slowly to room temp. before pitching. The dead yeast also acts as yeast nutrients. You will have yeast that is perfect for your recipe's fermenting after a few generations.
I bought several of those identical to yours that all had garlic in them. I did the same exact thing and took them to the car wash, and they still smelled like garlic. I put about three gallons of water with baking soda in them, and then I set them out in the sun last summer with the lids loose. I rolled them around every day or two. It took all of the smell out.
With the extra you got in the bottom you can always just add a little more water and sugar and make a sour mash it'll help it out you're doing a fine job I like the way you did that and I think I'm going to try it I appreciate it keep showing them videos
I love this !! If you were really concerned about the quart of wash, you could always make a stand with a hole in the top ( think bar stool with a hole in the seat ) and cut your hole through the bottom of the fermenter rather than through the side, and set up your drain piping right on the floor of the unit. Put a 1 gallon paint strainer over your pipes and then you have clean wash going into your still or collection container. With the hole in the stand, all your plumbing fits right down through everything. Now, the down side is that you can no longer just set it on the floor. There always seems to be a pay off somewhere doesn't there ? Ha ha. Keep up the great work. I love watching your projects and looking at the potential of your designs. -- den " cornbread "
Hey Cornbread, I've thought about putting a shower drain in the bottom of a barrel. This would certainly get nearly all the wash out. I may build the design just to see how well it works and what y'all think about it.
@@StillnTheClear exactly !! reduce the drain down to whatever copper size you want to work with and add your shut off. Love your work and how you are able to share it with others. -- den aka " cornbread"
@@StillnTheClear I think for efficiency that might be a good idea but as someone who makes wine I know the huge benefit of a drain off the bottom is allowing you to not suck up all the yeast.
Hello, just a thought why not leave most of the interior connections unglued, like the end caps and the other end of the pipe in order to make cleaning easier? If those leak it will just improve the output right? I understand the need to connections at the outlet leak proof , and any connections outside of the ferment vessel, that would be a tragedy to loose your contents.
Good stuff. At the moment i have a coke bottle full if micro holes and just stick the siphon pipe in that. Does the trick at a push ... will do this soln though when decent container shows up. Decent plastic containers like hens teeth in UK.
This was awesome. 3.2 ounces is not a lot to be concerned with and a lot of people tend to add some mash to either boiler and/or thumper to get even more flavor out of it. Another thing you could do is add some window screen at the bottom just above the sparge arms to help keep it from getting clogged. I've got some supplies and a still spirits air still coming from Mile High Distilling.
That vessel looks like it has relatively flat sides to install your bulkhead. I have acquired some 15 gal barrels that are round. Any ideas on how to install a bulkhead on a round barrel or any other ideas on how to adapt to accept pipe fittings? Thanks. I've never even 'stilled nothin but am gathering materials.
yup, good thick gasket, if really paranoid hit the silicone. You can get a food grade one if worried. Tip: once you open the silicone, seal/tape the top and keep it in the freezer ... lasts for at least a year like that!
What size barrel is thar behind you? Looks like something I'm wanting to try making, a barrel inside a barrel with foam spray insulation between the two.
@StillnTheClear How does it hold the heat in? I'm looking at putting a 20 gallon inside a 45 gallon and using the spray foam between them, then add a 15 gallon barrel with a air tight lid with ring, adding water between the 20 and 15 that I can use my aquarium heater to keep mash nice, happy and warm without having to worry about scorching the mash with a heater in it.
@@TheKerstingm it worked really well, but the heating pad that I use stopped working in short order. I think it had too much weight sitting on it, so I think your idea is probably a better design.
@StillnTheClear I seen a post a couple years ago where someone put his barrels in a small pool and heated that water, just expanding off that idea. Why i love this crazy hobby, I get to play mad scientist everyday. Lol
@@TheKerstingm no doubt, brother. The experimentation is this hobby is only limited by your mind. I would love it if you could share your progress with us. Maybe you could even share some pics of the project.
This is a nice build. Be careful with your material choices. PVC pipe and cement is not considered food safe. Just something to consider. Again, nice build.
Ihave 4 of those barrels. One is for well water,one for yellow,the other is yellow corn last one is for mash barrel ,have a electric pump to transfer mash tostill.at my age lifting pails that high hurts my back
I get these barrels locally. I live in an area where these barrels are at every mom and pop feed store or hardware store. You might check Facebook marketplace first.
I ferment on grain to. I started a mash 2 days ago and I'm using xL brew bags to hold the grains. I haven't tried this method before. Should be ok I guess 🤷♂️ I normally just pour everything into the fermenter and forget it.
If you already have XL brew bag, I would use it with the on-grain fermenter. Better filtering and you can raise the bag after majority of liquid drained to get more liquid out of spent grain.
So my question is if you have grain in the fermenter how much liquid is being displaced by the grain? Does that come into play as to whether or not you ferment on the grain?
Brand new so, sorry if this is a stupid idea but, why dont you just put something (2x6, etc) under the far side of the fermenter and allow all the sediment to collect at the other side of the spigot during this process? Obviously you cant fill it to the brim but nobody fills it to the brim anyway.
You could certainly do that with recipes that had grain amounts low enough for that to work. Most recipes have more grain than that. Plus, there is still alcohol in the liquid that is surrounding all that grain. Thanks for the comment.
@@StillnTheClear I am honestly completely new to all this. My grandparents made shine but never really shared it with us. My biggest issue is figuring which yeast to use. I get how to make a mash but the yeast throws me. I will be building a fermenter as here in Ohio the temperature is unpredictable
There are a bunch of options when it comes to yeast. Like everything else I do, I keep it simple. For grain recipes I use Red Star DADYamzn.to/3l2MBHl When I do Fruits I use Lalvin 1118 amzn.to/3N8NiLh . Have you joined our Moonshine For Beginners group yet? The folks there are sooo helpful. I think you would really like it. Here's an invitation link if you want to check it out. mewe.com/join/moonshineforbeginners
I got it at my local Farmers co-op. They sell them used. The area I live in has a lot of commercial food plants. There is a large market dealing in used food-grade containers.
Depending on the recipe it typically isn't very much. I just pressed out the grains of a bourbon mash and got an extra 3/4 gallon. For me, that just isn't worth the time, but for some it is.
Great question, I think every variable affects the end product. IMHO, I think fermenting on the grain improves flavor slightly, but that's just my taste. You have to do your own experimentation to find out what you prefer. Thanks for the comment.
@@StillnTheClear I'll get around to it one day, I need a fermentor big enough, I'd also like a still that would allow me to distill on the grain (oil jacket). But another question, how does fermenting on the grain go in term of mash efficiency, if I don't sparge my mash efficiency nose dives, does fermenting on the grain overcome that?
Naw, take a look in what they sell liquids in in supermarkets. Store them in platic for years. If its fresh pipe then I do wash and leave it in water for a few weeks just to leech out anything that it may have picked up.
As a homebrewer, all my fermenters have a tap at base. Dead yeast cells and sludge settles to the bottom. This is left behind to allow a cleaner taste to beer/wine removed.
I let removed liquids settle out in another fermentor and repeat the draining and leaving the sludge behind. This I stir up and add to 1/2 gallon jar and store in beer fridge. I use this to yeast-up next batch. Allow the yeast to warm up slowly to room temp. before pitching. The dead yeast also acts as yeast nutrients. You will have yeast that is perfect for your recipe's fermenting after a few generations.
That sounds awesome. Thanks for the tips.
I'm suprised and happy to hear that doesn't get clogged
I bought several of those identical to yours that all had garlic in them. I did the same exact thing and took them to the car wash, and they still smelled like garlic. I put about three gallons of water with baking soda in them, and then I set them out in the sun last summer with the lids loose. I rolled them around every day or two. It took all of the smell out.
Nice, thanks for sharing that tip.
I made one like that put cuts on bottom it helps keep grain from pushing into the cuts
I was wondering if that would make a difference. Thanks for the tip.
With the extra you got in the bottom you can always just add a little more water and sugar and make a sour mash it'll help it out you're doing a fine job I like the way you did that and I think I'm going to try it I appreciate it keep showing them videos
Yep, this works great for sour mashes also.
Great video. I ferment on the grain because I try to catch every last bit of flavor I can get.
Great vid! I must admit my mind went straight to an angel yellow wash idea with this - you have inspired me!
Awesome! Let us know how it goes.
Bro Cyrus, try running the hole saw in reverse in plastic for a cleaner hole. Enjoy!!
Thanks for the tip, brother.
You could empty the everything then take a gallon or two of water and pour in to barrel to get the rest of the wash out basically sparging.
You're absolutely right. I don't find it to be worth the extra time and effort so I don't do that.
I love this !! If you were really concerned about the quart of wash, you could always make a stand with a hole in the top ( think bar stool with a hole in the seat ) and cut your hole through the bottom of the fermenter rather than through the side, and set up your drain piping right on the floor of the unit. Put a 1 gallon paint strainer over your pipes and then you have clean wash going into your still or collection container. With the hole in the stand, all your plumbing fits right down through everything. Now, the down side is that you can no longer just set it on the floor. There always seems to be a pay off somewhere doesn't there ? Ha ha. Keep up the great work. I love watching your projects and looking at the potential of your designs. -- den " cornbread "
Hey Cornbread, I've thought about putting a shower drain in the bottom of a barrel. This would certainly get nearly all the wash out. I may build the design just to see how well it works and what y'all think about it.
@@StillnTheClear exactly !! reduce the drain down to whatever copper size you want to work with and add your shut off. Love your work and how you are able to share it with others. -- den aka " cornbread"
@@everydayden5826 thanks, brother.
@@StillnTheClear I think for efficiency that might be a good idea but as someone who makes wine I know the huge benefit of a drain off the bottom is allowing you to not suck up all the yeast.
Hello, just a thought why not leave most of the interior connections unglued, like the end caps and the other end of the pipe in order to make cleaning easier? If those leak it will just improve the output right?
I understand the need to connections at the outlet leak proof , and any connections outside of the ferment vessel, that would be a tragedy to loose your contents.
Love the video! This type of fermenter is the way to go. It makes everything so much easier
I just filled it for the first time yesterday on the livestream. I did a brandy. We'll see how well this one works.
Good video. I would be interested in seeing this in action, ie. draining a grain wash.
Sure, I'll include it in an upcoming video. 👍
I want to see this too. I'll be watching
Good stuff. At the moment i have a coke bottle full if micro holes and just stick the siphon pipe in that. Does the trick at a push ... will do this soln though when decent container shows up. Decent plastic containers like hens teeth in UK.
That's a brilliant idea.
great video as usual .. my only grain run was on the grain , I was going to use bags for next one but may have to rethink that now :)
Thanks, Tom. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you build one.
I just tried making mash for the first time and can say with a bag it’s never as easy as they make it seem in videos. (At least for the first time)
NICE!! I hope to see it in action!
I just filled it with a brandy mash on the livestream yesterday. We'll see how well it works.
This was awesome. 3.2 ounces is not a lot to be concerned with and a lot of people tend to add some mash to either boiler and/or thumper to get even more flavor out of it. Another thing you could do is add some window screen at the bottom just above the sparge arms to help keep it from getting clogged. I've got some supplies and a still spirits air still coming from Mile High Distilling.
That's awesome.
Great video Cyrus.
Thanks, Jason.
Put a hop sock around d the drain tubes
Great idea. Thanks for the tip.
I've seen you make 2 versions one with pvc drain and one with bazooka screen which works better.
@@horseshoe3747 I don't know yet. I haven't drained either one yet. By the way, your kits shipped today.
That vessel looks like it has relatively flat sides to install your bulkhead. I have acquired some 15 gal barrels that are round. Any ideas on how to install a bulkhead on a round barrel or any other ideas on how to adapt to accept pipe fittings? Thanks. I've never even 'stilled nothin but am gathering materials.
I would go ahead and try it. I bet it will still work.
Same process the plastic will flatten out when you tighten it up
yup, good thick gasket, if really paranoid hit the silicone. You can get a food grade one if worried. Tip: once you open the silicone, seal/tape the top and keep it in the freezer ... lasts for at least a year like that!
where is a good place to get the barrels?
What size barrel is thar behind you? Looks like something I'm wanting to try making, a barrel inside a barrel with foam spray insulation between the two.
It's a 15 gallon barrel inside a 50 gallon barrel.
@StillnTheClear
How does it hold the heat in? I'm looking at putting a 20 gallon inside a 45 gallon and using the spray foam between them, then add a 15 gallon barrel with a air tight lid with ring, adding water between the 20 and 15 that I can use my aquarium heater to keep mash nice, happy and warm without having to worry about scorching the mash with a heater in it.
@@TheKerstingm it worked really well, but the heating pad that I use stopped working in short order. I think it had too much weight sitting on it, so I think your idea is probably a better design.
@StillnTheClear
I seen a post a couple years ago where someone put his barrels in a small pool and heated that water, just expanding off that idea.
Why i love this crazy hobby, I get to play mad scientist everyday. Lol
@@TheKerstingm no doubt, brother. The experimentation is this hobby is only limited by your mind. I would love it if you could share your progress with us. Maybe you could even share some pics of the project.
This is a nice build. Be careful with your material choices. PVC pipe and cement is not considered food safe. Just something to consider. Again, nice build.
Except for the pvc and glue used for water lines running to your faucets on your sink.
pvc generally is. There may be some outliers which have special additives.
Very good
Thank you. I have a new and improved version coming shortly.
Ihave 4 of those barrels. One is for well water,one for yellow,the other is yellow corn last one is for mash barrel ,have a electric pump to transfer mash tostill.at my age lifting pails that high hurts my back
And had the water tested so the ph is right
Where do you fi d these buckets?
I get these barrels locally. I live in an area where these barrels are at every mom and pop feed store or hardware store. You might check Facebook marketplace first.
Do you clarify after fermentation to separate the yeast from the mash?
Yes, I typically prefer to ferment "on-the-grain" then separate before fermentation.
I can't find a 15 gal food grade barrel near me for cheaper than 60 lol... I'll have to keep looking as I assume it has to be food grade
Food grade is best, that way you know that it wasn't used for chemical or petroleum type products previously.
@Still'n The Clear I agree.... they are real proud of them around me .... great video I'll be making 1 or 2 when I find them
Great idea!!! Where can i find a container like that?
I got this one at my local farm coop.
I ferment on grain to. I started a mash 2 days ago and I'm using xL brew bags to hold the grains. I haven't tried this method before. Should be ok I guess 🤷♂️ I normally just pour everything into the fermenter and forget it.
If you already have XL brew bag, I would use it with the on-grain fermenter. Better filtering and you can raise the bag after majority of liquid drained to get more liquid out of spent grain.
you didn't need to glue your racking arm it's low pressure, now you can't disassemble to clean it
True, but I can disassemble it at the bulkhead to clean it. Thanks for the tip, John.
Right the only thing I thought of would be a bit easier to clean without glueing. Besides that great fermenter and great videos
@@chrispeterson3309 yes, I've now built another one since and I didn't glue it. It is easier to clean without the glue.
I’m super new to this interest but what is the glass piece that’s in the top of the main lid? Also where can I get one?
Hey Jo, that's an air lock. It's plastic and I get mine from Amazon.
amzn.to/3KbBhCP
So my question is if you have grain in the fermenter how much liquid is being displaced by the grain? Does that come into play as to whether or not you ferment on the grain?
I just guestimate the displacement when I'm building a recipe. I'm sure there's a scientific way to do it though.
Brand new so, sorry if this is a stupid idea but, why dont you just put something (2x6, etc) under the far side of the fermenter and allow all the sediment to collect at the other side of the spigot during this process? Obviously you cant fill it to the brim but nobody fills it to the brim anyway.
You could certainly do that with recipes that had grain amounts low enough for that to work. Most recipes have more grain than that. Plus, there is still alcohol in the liquid that is surrounding all that grain. Thanks for the comment.
I want to build the other barrel you have
Yeah it works great.
@@StillnTheClear I am honestly completely new to all this. My grandparents made shine but never really shared it with us. My biggest issue is figuring which yeast to use. I get how to make a mash but the yeast throws me. I will be building a fermenter as here in Ohio the temperature is unpredictable
There are a bunch of options when it comes to yeast. Like everything else I do, I keep it simple. For grain recipes I use Red Star DADYamzn.to/3l2MBHl When I do Fruits I use Lalvin 1118 amzn.to/3N8NiLh . Have you joined our Moonshine For Beginners group yet? The folks there are sooo helpful. I think you would really like it. Here's an invitation link if you want to check it out. mewe.com/join/moonshineforbeginners
Does anyone know where to get a barrel like this?
How fine do you grind your grain. I have tried to drain a mash and it clogs everything up.
I grind to a coarse meal and I replaced the slitted PVC with a bazooka filter from Amazon. amzn.to/3y2kjU0
Where did you get the 15 gal fermenter I can only find the 50 gal blue plastic ones
I got it at my local Farmers co-op. They sell them used. The area I live in has a lot of commercial food plants. There is a large market dealing in used food-grade containers.
What about all the liquid held in the grain? How much is that?
Depending on the recipe it typically isn't very much. I just pressed out the grains of a bourbon mash and got an extra 3/4 gallon. For me, that just isn't worth the time, but for some it is.
No idea where to find a used tub like that. Been looking for years. Might have to just buy a new one. Which aren’t cheap.
We have a lot of local large scale commercial food companies. These types of containers are pretty easy to by around these parts.
Facebook market place is where I get mine
Where did you get the barrel I can only find a 55 gallon one
I found it at my local farmers co-op.
Does fermenting on the grain change the flavour at all?
Great question, I think every variable affects the end product. IMHO, I think fermenting on the grain improves flavor slightly, but that's just my taste. You have to do your own experimentation to find out what you prefer. Thanks for the comment.
@@StillnTheClear I'll get around to it one day, I need a fermentor big enough, I'd also like a still that would allow me to distill on the grain (oil jacket).
But another question, how does fermenting on the grain go in term of mash efficiency, if I don't sparge my mash efficiency nose dives, does fermenting on the grain overcome that?
How did you eventually get rid of the garlic smell
I haven't yet. My first batch is going to be a sugar wash. I'm hoping that does it.
How does this work with a lot of corn?
Only time will tell, but my suspicion is that it ill work fine.
couldnt you use the left over to run a sour mash?
Absolutely.
@@StillnTheClear about how long would you let it sour before adding to a new batch? just wondering about to go for my first sour mash run
@@qwertyuiopasdfghjkl7422 you can start your 2nd generation as soon as you rack off the wash to go in the still.
@@StillnTheClear awesome thought i would have to wait a few days for it to sour Thank you
Each convective generation will sour a little more.
? put a screen in it ?
What size hole saw?
It depends on the size of the plumbing bulkhead. You need a hole just large enough for the bulkhead to fit through.
I’m a beginner and about to make my first batch. Bought the beginner kit from you. Also gonna buy the bulkhead that you sale. Love the videos!
@@johnwillbrown the bulkhead in the fermenter parts kit that I sell requires a 1 3/4" hole saw.
Wont the wash taste like plastic when you run it thru the still
No. I've used plastic fermenters for years. Never a plastic taste.
Naw, take a look in what they sell liquids in in supermarkets. Store them in platic for years. If its fresh pipe then I do wash and leave it in water for a few weeks just to leech out anything that it may have picked up.
Why not make a rectangle with the inside pvc? Just asking….
It can surely be done that way. I don't think it would be any better or worse. Thanks for the comment, Cliff.
@@StillnTheClear sir I thank you for the videos!! I didn’t have any caps but plenty of 90° I guess is why I was thinking along those lines.
with cuts down gravity will help keep them clear
Cool.
why not use copper instead of PVC?
Nothing wrong with using copper if you want.
You don't need any Glue
Your problem is your faucet should have used a ball valve
Thanks for the info.
Where'd you get the permit or at I like to buy one
What permit? I think auto-correct might have got ya. Lol
@@StillnTheClear maybe he meant ferment or. lol
I got the blue container at my local farm coop.
Just about like a wellpoint placed horizontally.
Yeah, I didn't think about it like that, but you're right.
Plastic leeches on fermentation. If for human consumption its not good. For animal use let's pigs then it might be great