The 5 Best Conical Fermenters for Beer
We’re rounding up our favorite fermenters on the market today with a short buyer’s guide to help you compare products and make the best choice for your needs.
Our Top List
# | Image | Product | Our Rating | Link |
1 |  | BrewDemon Craft Beer Brewing Kit with Fermenter | ||
2 |  | Craft A Brew - Conical Fermenter | ||
3 |  | Plastic Conical Fermenter With Floor Stand | ||
4 |  | Brew Bucket - Stainless Steel Conical Fermenter | ||
5 |  | Fast Ferment - 3 Gallon Conical Fermenter |
Contents
1. BrewDemon Craft Beer Brewing Kit
This conical fermenter from BrewDemon offers two-gallon recipes that take minutes to create with tasty results that will trick you into thinking they took weeks. This is a professional-grade setup that uses handcrafted recipes from New Zealand that feature step-by-step instructions, and this ensures that you get excellent results each time you use it with refreshing and well-balanced beer.
This kit allows you to brew your beer in as little as 15 minutes from start to finish, and this leaves you with enough time to add your own twist to the recipe like honey or apple. You get a two-gallon kit with this purchase that allows you to create one-quart bottles, and the bottle filling valve makes the bottling process quick, easy, and virtually free of messes. All you have to do is flip on the valve and fill each bottle.
The unique venting system allows for CO2 to escape while blocking contaminants from getting in your beer, and it has an amber coloring that will block harmful UV rays while allowing you to see the fermentation process in action. The volume measurement markers allow you to remove any guesswork from creating your recipe, and it has a smooth inner surface that makes cleanup a breeze.
Features
- Brand – BrewDemon
- Material – Plastic
- Size – Two Gallons
Pros
- It’s a whole kit that already comes with a fermenter
- Unique venting system
- Bottle filling valve
- Volume measurments
- Easy recipes included
Cons
- Tap is a bit flimsy
2. Craft-A-Brew – Conical Fermenter
This products tank comes make out of a BPA-free polymer that is safe for food, and it seamlessly combines the smoothness and clarity of glass while being resistant to shattering. This makes it durable enough to outlast other types of plastic that you find in home brewing, and you can place it and the silicone gasket into your dishwasher to make it easy to clean. It has a very sturdy stand with a honeycomb and I-beam construction that won’t tip over when you use it.
The three-inch Trub Traps Butterfly Valve with the 6.5-gallon tank are some of the biggest on the market, and all of these items combine to create a durable system that will slide under your table or on your countertop without taking up a lot of space. You won’t need any special equipment to run it, and you can use this system with any large-mouthed mason jar to make it easy to store and catch yeast or separating out your sugar.
The clear design on this conical fermenter allows you to watch your brew as you work with it in this product, and the valve is easy to work when it’s time to move your beer. The stable base ensures that this product won’t tip over or wobble as you use it.
Features
- Brand – Craft-A-Brew
- Material – BPA-free polymer
- Size – 6.5 gallons
Pros
- Very stable base
- Larger tank
- Easy to clean between uses
Cons
- Latches can accidentally open
3. Plastic Conical Fermenter With Floor Stand
You’ll be able to brew to your heart’s content with this product, and it has a six-inch removable screw lid that makes it easy to reach in and clean between batches to keep your beer tasting great. You can make up to 6.5-gallons with blow offs with this product as it can hold up to 7.9-gallons. This is more than enough room to brew a decent-sized batch of beer without spilling.
There is an easy wall mounting system with this product that allows you to mount it directly to a standard 16-inch wall stud, or you can use it in the stand if this setup works better for you. There is a flat-bottomed collection ball to allow you to quickly and efficiently harvest your yeast, and you can easily save money by harvesting your own yeast strains. This is a one-stage system that eliminates racking or transferring your product between buckets to reduce waste.
This product eliminates exposure to oxygen and sediments while allowing you to harvest your yeast, and the stand has a broad base that is very stable and sturdy. This product is easy to clean and maintain, and this allows it to last for years at a time without breaking down.
Features
- Brand –FastFerment
- Material – Plastic
- Size – 7.9 gallons
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Can mount to the wall
- Includes a metal base
Cons
- Finish isn’t the greatest
4. Brew Bucket – Stainless Steel Conical Fermenter
This fermenter features a 304 stainless steel material with a fully steel structure that resists rust and corrosion, and it comes outfitted with sterile venting holes hat give you the highest protection for each batch you brew. This product as a seven gallon capacity, and you can add blow off tubing through the lid hole without compromising the size.
The body of the can and the upper and lower cones get processed by spinning R angle, and the inner walls feature a mirror polish that reduces areas for bacteria to grow and thrive to make cleanup easy. There is an integrated bracket arm that is very sturdy to grab when you use it, and it comes with three thick legs that provide excellent stability for this product.
You can use this tank for a host of uses ranging from the dairy industry to pharmaceuticals, and each tank has layers that provide heating and cooling insulation to help keep the temperature consistent. You get a brew bucket, rotating bracket, two gaskets, a copper joint, one quick clip, one set of exhaust valves, a silicone pad, and a valve plug in each order.
Features
- Brand – N/A
- Material – 304 stainless steel
- Size – 7 gallons
Pros
- Food-grade stainless steel
- Mirror finish on the inside
- Integrated arm
Cons
- Clips can get hot
5. Fast Ferment – 3 Gallon Conical Fermenter
The final conical fermenter on the list is a one-stage setup that allows any brewer to do your primary and secondary fermentation inside the same unit. This effectively eliminates transferring between buckets and racking, and this helps to reduce waste and spillage. It will save you up to 80% on labor and time with each batch you brew when you compare it to traditional methods, and this is a professional-grade system.
Cleanup is very easy with this product, and it has a design that makes it difficult to miss anything that could result in bacteria growth. The conical design limits oxygen exposure and allows you to harvest your yeast, and the end result is a high-quality wine or spirits each time you use it. You can make one or two-gallon batches, and it has a very snug but sturdy metal stand.
This product is easy to set up and tear down between uses, and you get step-by-step instructions that allow you to set it up and use it the first time without any guesswork. You get interchangeable parts and pieces with each order, and this makes it quick and easy to put it together.
Features
- Brand – FastFerment
- Material – Plastic
- Size – 3 Gallons
Pros
- Removes racking
- Parts are interchangeable
- Stand is very sturdy
Cons
- Can sometimes leak
Verdict & Review
- Unique venting system
- Bottle filling valve
- Volume measurments
- Easy recipes included
- Tap is flimsy
Buying Guide
When it comes to conical fermenters, it’s important that you know which buying criteria to keep in mind when you shop to ensure you pick out the best product. This short but comprehensive buying guide will lay out everything you need to know about this product, and you can use it to narrow down your choice to the product that will help you be the most productive. You can also get this equipment with any home brewing starter kit.
Defining a Conical Fermenter
Fermentation is arguably one of the biggest parts of the brewing process because it’s where your ingredients turn into spirits. This is the stage where your beer develops the carbonation and alcohol content, and you’ll need a beer fermenter to make it happen. You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to your fermentation vessel, including kegs, carboys, plastic buckets, and fermenters.
A conical fermenter is precisely what it sounds like, and it has a cylindrical top on a cone-shaped bottom, and there is a valve located at the bottom point. These come made out of stainless steel or plastic for the most part, but you can get a number of different features like automatic temperature control, rotating racking arms, and built-in stands.
Biggest Buying Considerations
Although there are arguably dozens of buying considerations that come into this piece of brewery equipment, a few are more important than others. Keeping an eye on them as you compare products will help you make a smart choice when you start seriously shopping for your new stainless steel conical fermenter.
Quality
The quality of your fermenter is very important because it’ll dictate how long your item lasts, and you can usually choose from plastic or stainless steel. Plastic models are usually more cost-effective, but they won’t last as long as stainless steel as they’re prone to cracking or breaking down. If you scratch your plastic equipment, this tiny scratch creates the perfect space for bacteria to thrive and taint your beer.
Your fermenter’s construction and the brand are also important because more well-known brands dedicate themselves to using high-quality products that won’t leak or break down. A seamless construction will contribute to the quality by helping to reduce the chances of leaks, and this also makes it easier to clean.
Features
Take a look at the features that your product has but keep in mind that many of them are relatively basic. Most of these products will need a hose when they finish the fermentation process because you’ll have to extract the liquid inside the device to leave the trub behind at the bottom of the cone shape for easy collection. Some products allow you to tap out the liquid that you can continue to use throughout the brewing process for an added convenience factor.
If you choose to buy this model over a model that requires a hose, you’ll get a more convenient and faster brewing process that doesn’t require any additional items because everything comes from a single product.
Ease of Cleaning
You want your new product to be very easy to clean thoroughly between batches because this can help prevent bacteria from growing and tainting your brew. Look for fermenters with a wider opening that you can easily fit your hand inside to reach every area, and you don’t want raised seams or crevices that are difficult to get in.
Most stainless steel conical fermenters come with a mirror finish throughout the inside of the tank that is very easy to clean with hot water and soap. Plastic ones come with wider openings and a simple design that makes them easy to both clean and dry.
Price
While you don’t necessarily want to buy the cheapest stainless steel fermenter on the market, it’s important that you pay attention to the price and find a model that has a good balance of features and durability for the money.
You want to do your research to ensure you find the best conical fermenter on the market, and make sure to look at the materials, features it offers, and then compare it to the price. This will help you narrow down our reviews to find the product that offers you the most features for the price point, and it’ll help you find the one that is the easiest to clean and maintain.
Stand or Mounting Hardware
Your stand for your fermenter should be very broad and sturdy to hold the hardware and prevent it from spilling or tipping over when you use it. Metal is a very common stand material as it is very resistant to rust and corrosion, and it also stands up very well to wear and tear.
If you don’t have the space to set your fermenter on the floor, some models offer a wall-mount system that attaches to the studs in your wall to keep it out of your way. You will most likely pay more for this model since it also comes with a floor stand to allow you to swap out, but it can be well worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How good are conical fermenters?
Many people consider a fermenter to be the gold standard for equipment required in home brewing. They allow you to ferment your beer in one vessel, and this can result in better tasting beer.
2. Can you ferment using stainless steel?
Yes, it’s possible to ferment in stainless steel. There is also a stainless steel product on the list that allows you to control the temperature because it offers insulated walls.
3. Do conical fermenters make it easy to collect yeast?
Yes. One of the biggest benefits of this type of fermenter is that the yeast sits in the bottom of the product, and you can easily siphon liquids off the top.
