In my last article, we covered the relative merits of HDPE plastic buckets, glass carboys, and PET carboys. If you’re willing to make a larger investment, though, there are some more solutions that offer additional benefits. If you’re perfectly satisfied with your current system, it’s probably not worth the extra cost, but these alternatives can reduce how much air your beer gets exposed to, and some can offer a more “professional” brewing experience.
Corny Keg Fermentation
Stainless-steel trumps plastic and glass. Like glass, stainless-steel is easy to sanitize and prevents oxidation, but it’s lighter and much sturdier. The cheapest entrance into stainless steel−fermenting is to use 5-gallon (19 l) soda kegs. It’s even more affordable if you already have some spare corny kegs sitting around.
There are a few ways to repurpose a keg as a fermentor. The big issue is providing pressure relief, especially during primary fermentation. One solution is to use a lid that has been drilled to take a stopper or blow-off hose. Such modified lids can be purchased or made. You can also use the gas-in post as an outlet, which is even simpler than drilling the lid. You can replace the post with a grommet that will allow you to mount a blow-off tube or airlock. You can also remove the valve assembly from the gas-in post and fit a blow-off hose directly onto the threaded post mount.