In our 2017 Gear Guide issue (April/May), our editors tested and reviewed four plastic fermentors. Here are the results.
Big Mouth Bubbler
It solves the biggest problem with inexpensive carboys—how to get them truly clean.
Test lab notes
The Big Mouth Bubbler (above, far left) is a great entry-level fermentor, and if you’re considering purchasing one, it’s probably because you’re deciding between this and a glass carboy. The tradeoffs are this: the carboy is glass, which reduces your risk of scratching the fermenting surface, which in turn reduces your risk of infection. The Big Mouth Bubbler is made from a relatively thin plastic, but it does offer a large opening at the top, making cleaning much easier. It also has a gravity reading/bottling spigot to pull samples while your beer is fermenting. We’ve fermented about ten brews in the Big Mouth Bubbler without infection, so due to the upsides, we reach for this fermentor before a glass carboy every time.
One caution … don’t go into it too hot (trust us, we tried—for science). Cool the wort to below 140°F (60°C) before transferring into the Big Mouth Bubbler.
Scorecard
Easy to Use? X
Easy to Sanitize? X
Build Quality?
Enjoyment?
High Value? X
Price: $29.99
Manufacturer: Big Mouth Bubbler
Available from: amazon.com
The Catalyst
The first foray into hardware from this brewing-kit maker is unique and useful for the right brewer.
Test lab notes
The first hardware release from long-time kit builder Craft-a-Brew is a well-built, well-backed (Kickstarter) fermentor. The Catalyst (above, second from left) steps up your fermentation with no-transfer primary fermentation, yeast harvesting, secondary fermentation, and adjunct additions.
With its clever “trub trap” design, you can add standard mason jars to the bottom of the fermentor to catch whatever may be settling out of your beer. We were able to successfully capture and re-pitch yeast into our next brew, saving us a few bucks on yeast. The opening at the top of the fermentor is huge, making it very easy to add adjuncts when the time is right. There have been rumblings about the seal on the lid being an issue, but we did not experience that.
Compared to entry-level stainless-steel, we like the thick, clear plastic that allows us to easily see what’s going on with our brew, and we were able to dump near-boiling water into the plastic without melting it. The main drawback is that we can’t taste what we see—no sampling port on The Catalyst means you have to drain out of the “trub trap” and sample from there.
Scorecard
Easy to Use? X
Easy to Sanitize? X
Build Quality?
Enjoyment? X
High Value?
Price: $199
Manufacturer: Craft A Brew
Available from: craftabrew.com
FastFerment
A flexible and feature-rich system on a budget
Test lab notes
The FastFerment (above, second from the right) is another great no-transfer fermentation option, reducing the risk of infection and oxidation (and making fewer vessels to clean). The conical design has enough slope to entirely gravity feed their collection ball for yeast harvesting and trub removal (others we tested left some yeast on the fermentor walls). When testing this unit, we opted to wall mount the fermentor and use the BrewJacket for temperature control. This allowed us to get the fermentor up out of the way at a height that’s easy to pull samples from while maintaining our desired temperature.
While the system doesn’t come built with a sampling port, thermometer, or floor stand, Fastbrewing offers them for a small price, and given the base cost of $99.99, it’s still a good deal for an advanced brewer who might have multiple projects going at the same time. Aside from concerns with plastic and oxygen permeation (which we could not taste in our finished beer), the only downside we experienced was not being able to see the beer ferment.
Scorecard
Easy to Use? X
Easy to Sanitize? X
Build Quality? X
Enjoyment? X
High Value?
Price: $99.99
Manufacturer: FastBrewing & WineMaking
Available from: Fastbrewing.com
Speidel 7.9-gallon Plastic Fermenter
An integrated system for budget fermentation
Test lab notes
In the Speidel plastic fermenter (above, far right), the long-time wine equipment manufacturer from Germany has taken the simplicity of your glass carboy and made it more brewer-friendly, with comfortable handles, a sampling port, a large lid opening, a custom airlock that can handle higher-gravity fermentations, and heavy-duty plastic, all at a very approachable price tag. In our brew tests with it, we were able to successfully transfer near-boiling wort, ferment, and clean without too much trouble (not as easy as stainless). It does, of course, lack some of the more advanced functions that others have, including a temperature port and trub/yeast drain for no-transfer fermenting and yeast harvesting. If plastic is the material of choice, we also prefer a clear plastic so that we can see our brew fermenting.
The downsides of plastic are, of course, well documented (oxygen permeation, cleanliness, durability), but if you’re in the market for a simple fermentor, we would recommend the Speidel.
Scorecard
Easy to Use? X
Easy to Sanitize? X
Build Quality? X
Enjoyment?
High Value? X
Price: $59.99
Manufacturer: Speidel
Available from: speidels-braumeister.de