This product is tempting. It has some nice innovations and is super cheap. Anyone have one?
https://www.thefastrack.ca/main/fastfermentI may have to try one and see if it is actually an improvement.
Looks interesting. As a beginner this seems like an ideal solution to all the stories I hear about second fermenting and the possible contamination.
I bought a V-Vessel several years ago. It worked fine (the 1" valve should work faster), but it’s plastic and is difficult to clean without scratching. I’ve switched to buckets with spigots. They’re cheaper, easier to handle. Also, I don’t transfer to secondary anyway.
To me, it looks like a solution to a problem that most brewers now think is out of date. I also switched to buckets and no secondary some years ago, and except for special circumstances, don’t see any need to “upgrade” to a more expensive, harder to store fermentor.
How would you possibly control the temps with it hanging on the wall…
In the video he mentions the stands for those who use fermenting chambers to control temps. If your doing the wall mount I would suspect you would brew in a climate controlled area or basement situation that stays a constant cool temp.
I had mine mounted in a refrigerator. It was a challenge. The conical needs to be somewhere you can leave it in place. Once it’s detached from its rack it is very difficult to handle; not heavy, just awkward.
I agree with Rebuilt, it’s a great solution to a problem I don’t have.
I have a V-Vessel. In my opinion, it has a lot of the drawbacks of a conical (hard to clean, clumsy, can’t be moved) along with very few of the advantages. The problem is that there is only one dump valve, and it’s at the bottom. So yeast and trub build up in the cone, and when it’s time to dump it you have to wait until all of that sludge comes out, and even then, your beer is coming through the trub-lined cone.
I still use it, but for beers I am going to age for a long time when I don’t want to tie up another fermenter.
I have to agree with wahoo. In addition to the problems he mentions I also had a lot of sediment clinging to the sloping part of the sides. When bottling it would come loose and cloud up my wine. I assume it would do the same with beer. :x
I was so excited when I saw that I bought right away. I will post after a few batches with thoughts.
I bought a V-Vessel about 5 years ago, and wrote some very detailed reviews on this forum, but they disappeared from the forum for reasons unknown to me. That is unless I actually posted them on a forum I have long since forgot about–so if you see them anywhere–let me know! But I am pretty sure I wrote the reviews here because I bought the product from Northern Brewer.
If I recall, there was a flurry of (mostly critical) speculative posts – since nobody writing about it had actually used it.
Since I do not wish to repeat writing the extensive reviews, I will give the short story:
I am still using it and I love it.
It is my favorite fermenter, and I have a carboy (which I never use), a bucket (which I used once or twice, and a stainless steel conical (which does not seal very well). The only reason I do not buy more of them is because they do not fit inside the fermentation chamber I built for my stainless conical. I have no problems sealing my V Vessel. I like to have a good seal so, if for no other reason, I can watch the bubbles in the airlock and have an idea when fermentation is winding down.
I paid about 200 for it and thought it was worth it then, now they are about 100.00, and the dollar is worth even less now than it was then (yes Uncle Sam, there actually is inflation).
I have probably fermented about 20-30 batches in it.
With it, I find transferring the fermented product very easy.
I try to get 5.5 gallons into the fermenter and ferment for 2-4 weeks. After a week, I empty the bulb, sometimes I empty it again after the second week, sometimes not. When I keg it, I can watch the line to flush out the first half pint of so that has sediment in it, then I run the clear stuff into my keg.
I would not recommend using the pins on the side of the old model to hang the fermenter from the wall, it will start to sag under the weight. My solution is similar to the wire stand they sell for the new one–which is overpriced in my opinion. On the new model, the side mounting pins might work better, but I recommend something like the ring stand.
Cleaning is easier than you think. I just fill it to the top with warm PBW solution and let it soak. After soaking, I rinse it and set it aside for the next time. I have never had a batch go bad in it. If the newer model is as good as the old model (it appears sufficiently similar), I would highly recommend it.
I have been using it for beer and do not know how it works for wine, though wine was the original intended use.
I couldn’t think of a way to get this to work in the chest freezer i use as my fermentation chamber. Also, how do you transport it from your kettle to your ferm chamber. I have to go down a flight of stairs now and carrying a plastic carboy with a brew hauler sucks as it is, I can’t see lugging that thing being easier. Doesn’t seem practical for me.
Run tubing from your kettle to the vessel. IME once beer is in this thing, you are not moving it, because of the shape and center of gravity-- unlike a bucket.
I do not use a fermentation chamber for the V Vessel. A few days before I am ready to Keg, I put it on the sideboard of my sink so draining and cleaning is easier, and I spill a lot less liquid on the floor.
I found an interesting way to aerate the wort and to get it into my fermenter. I use two 1-gallon glass cider jugs. I fill them about 2/3 full, shake them for 90 seconds each, then dump them into the fermenter (funnel needed for V-Vessel, came with it). Physically, that method it is more difficult than other ways, but I think it is cheaper than buying aeration systems.
As for the funnel and the V-Vessel, it came with it for the same reason I need to clean by soaking and rinsing–because the opening at the top is too small to reach inside it (though I have never had problems cleaning with nothing more than a good soak and rinse). That problem is remedied in the FastFerment by having an opening big enough to reach inside it and scrub it with a cloth (why would anyone need to use anything more abrasive than that?).
