Author: Malcolm Frazer
I have seen them in the magazines, at friends houses, and sitting on display at homebrew conventions beckoning me with their shiny stainless siren calls. Conical fermentors appeal to many brewers’ desire for a glimmering miniature mock-up of a professional brewery, allowing us to feel like a pro from the comfort of our own garages. Unfortunately, they tend to be pretty expensive, certainly more so than a typical fermentation bucket or carboy, and hence deemed out of reach by many, myself included. But let’s face it, conicals are like the supermodels of the homebrewing world, verbally beat up for being too expensive, heavy, and awkward by many of the same people who secretly wish they had one. Sure, this is a bit of a rash generalization stemming from my own experience, but I have to believe at least a slight majority of homebrewers have flirted with the idea of integrating a conical into their brewing routine.
Awhile back, the folks at Ss Brewtech contacted us saying they had something up their sleeves, explaining they would soon be releasing a new version of their popular Chronical fermentor packed with professional grade features but with the homebrewer in mind. Seeking honest feedback on this new product, I agreed to put the Brewmaster Edition Chronical through the paces, here’s what I think.
When I learned I’d be doing this review, prior to receiving the product, I hit the Ss Brewtech website to do some preliminary research. I found the page for the new Brewmaster Edition (BME) Chronical to have a good rundown of the features and really appreciated their document comparing the BME to the standard edition, definitely check this out if you’re in the market.
A week after chatting with the folks from Ss Brewtech, I came home to find the family dog inspecting a couple large boxes sitting on my doorstep.
The Chronicals were shipped in attractive and sturdy containers, the items had no damage, and the included product media was sleek and professional.
I began unboxing the fermentors and quickly realized they had a good number of parts to inventory, which I’ll admit was somewhat intimidating as a lifelong carboy user. As I delved into assembly, I found some aspects of the directions to be less than crystal clear, particularly since what was written didn’t seem to always align perfectly with the illustrative images, such as the alignment of the racking arm during fermentation. No biggie, I was able to figure it out with some online sleuthing. After a dry fit, I performed the required initial cleaning and passivation of the Chronicals, a necessary step to remove residual oils from manufacturing and make the steel resistant to corrosion. The instructions detail this process well. Finally, the BME Chronicals were ready to hold fermenting beer.
One commonly cited drawback to using conical fermentors is the fact their size makes moving them in and out of a temperature controlled fermentation chamber difficult, particularly repurposed chest freezers, many of which don’t fit conical style fermentors. This isn’t an issue for the BME Chronical since it comes with an insulative neoprene jacket and unique chilling coil with the option of adding a Fermentation Temperature Stabilization System (FTSs).
The FTSs is a cleverly designed temperature regulation system that involves pumping a cool liquid, either water or glycol, through the chilling coil housed inside the BME Chronical. Ss Brewtech also offers a heating upgrade kit with a proprietary heating pad that gets wrapped around the unit’s exterior and turns on when the temp drops below a specific set-point. However, if heating is all that’s needed, the FTSs can use the same technology to warm the beer to a set temperature by switching the controller to heat mode and pumping warm liquid through the coils. This is the method I went with during the cold Western Pennsylvania months, repurposing a temp controller and heater I typically use for step mashes.
Fermentation temperature being taken care of by the FTSs, I had only to find a place to store them while in use that would allow easy access to the racking and dump valves. I’m getting older and my back no longer appreciates me lifting stainless fermentors full of beer, so I set them on a plastic table that I plan to replace with a more sturdy bench in the near future.
Time to put these bad boys to use! Having made a few recent changes to my brewery, I chose an Ordinary Bitter recipe I brew often, figuring it would allow me to make on-the-fly adjustments should I run into any issues. When brew day came around, I underestimated the time required to prepare the BME Chronicals for use and ended up dedicating a portion of the time I usually spend goofing off to ensuring the fermentors were assembled properly, clean, and sanitized. Most of the preparation could have been completed early and I’m certain it will become second nature as I become more familiar with the Chronicals. Suffice to say, it took a little more time and effort than filling carboys with sanitizer.
The inaugural brew day went fine, it was time to fill these beauties with freshly chilled wort. Having overlooked the fact my hoses weren’t long enough (doh!), I was forced to bring the Chronicals to my kettle for filling then carefully move them to their resting spots. This was considerably less difficult than I expected, as the Chronicals strike a nice balance of sturdiness and maneuverability. Internal volume markings made filling each Chronical with the same amount of wort a breeze, an important factor for ensuring equality between xBmt batches. Then I pitched the yeast, sealed the lid, and left the work of temperature regulation to the FTSs.
I have to agree with many of the proselytizing posts I’ve read from other conical users– the side sampling port is badass! To check the SG during fermentation or just pull a sample to taste, all I have to do is open and close a valve then give a quick spritz with sanitizing solution, it’s a snap.
Raising the temperature at the end of fermentation for a diacetyl rest and subsequently crash cooling was easy as pie, requiring only a couple presses of a button and changing the source liquid getting pumped through the beer.
I occasionally like to reuse yeast slurry in subsequent batches, a task the BME Chronical makes a 
no brainer. Simply open the bottom dump valve over a sanitized container, collect the desired amount of yeast, then close the valve and spray it down. I’ve found the cleanest yeast tends to sit atop a layer of trub, so I get rid of that first then collect the creamy goodness. This is also great for brewers who prefer racking to a secondary fermentor to get the beer off the lees, only instead of moving the beer you move the yeast, reducing the risk of oxidation or contamination.
Another great feature of the BME Chronical is that it allows me to easily keg the finished beer using pressure. All I have to do is connect the sanitized fittings, set the psi on my CO2 regulator to just above the zero peg, open a valve, and that’s it, beer starts flowing into my keg. No more siphons! Matt Chrispen from the Accidentalis blog wrote a nice piece about pressurized transfers that I found helpful.
| The Verdict |
Value is obviously in the eye of the beerholder, what one considers to be valuable is largely a function of personal preference and, in many cases, income. However, I like to think value can be more objectively determined based on comparisons to other similar products. With that, Ss Brewtech’s Brewmaster Edition Chronical is a high-end piece of equipment with upgrades that would please any pro-minded brewer for a price commensurate with the quality and features. At $650, they’re not cheap, though the fact it comes with options not found in other similarly priced stainless conicals makes it more attractive to me as a customer. I appreciate that Ss Brewtech offers their standard Chronical for only $395, the biggest difference being the gadgets to control fermentation temperature.
There are a few minor things about my experience with the BME Chronicals that left me wanting for more. First off, I think the assembly instructions could use a little work and the illustrations could be a tad more clear, particularly since it’s likely most customers will be imbibing while building. Another potential drawback to those focused on simplifying their brewing process is that the BME Chronical does require a bit more effort to clean compared to carboys and buckets, and given their size, storage could be an issue for some. But overall, the negatives pale in comparison to all of the incredible features of the BME Chronical I’ve come to appreciate so much!
Finally, it’s important to me to share my experience dealing with Ss Brewtech not just as a reviewer of their product, but a customer. My rating of something is hugely influenced by the people who make it and the service they provide. I can’t speak highly enough about Ss Brewtech as a company. Without knowing I would be reviewing their product, I reached out with questions and received responses immediately that addressed my issues, no lag or short answers indicating I was wasting their time. It came through that they cared, and I appreciate that. I also made additional purchases that were shipped quickly and arrived in good form.
If you’re in the market for a stainless fermentor that will make you feel like a pro, I strongly recommend adding the Ss Brewtech Brewmaster Edition Chronical to your list of options. It’s well designed, has a list of great options, works great, and will last you a lifetime of brewing.
MoreBeer is a proud reseller of Ss Brewtech products, carrying their entire line of brewing products with free shipping. Items can also be purchased direct from Ss Brewtech’s website.
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23 thoughts on “Product Review | Ss Brewtech Brewmaster Edition Chronical Fermentor”
Did BrewTech mention anything on how to store this product? I bought a More Beer conicle 2 years ago. The interior started pitting around the Krausen line. I brew once a week, and I use the conicle every other. I only use One Step, Star San and Iodophor. More Beer told me I should have stored the conicle filled with a concentrated solution of sanitizer, which never made sense to me. It would be good to know what Brew Tech thinks about storing their conicles.
Pitting? Are you sure this isn’t beer stone, a cHaley deposit of … chalk? If so, you can easily scrub it off with some star san.
Yes. I’m positive it’s not beer stone.
Vera,
I havent looked into long term strong yet. First place I’d look is their extensive FAQs page.
Second, I’d email their tech support “Ssupport”. Everytime I’ve asked a question they’ve replied quickly and thoroughly.
There’s no need to store the conicals with sanitizer at least for SS BrewTech equipment. I have 2 BrewBuckets that I clean with a PBW soak, rinse and then wipe down with a clean rag every time without any pitting, stains or deposits. I also heartily recommend SS BrewTech as their products are great and have excellent customer service.
Strong? Meant *storage*. Haha
So if you didn’t have a converted chest freezer or fridge would you say the FTSs is worth it? I do not currently have temp control but received a brew bucket as a Christmas present so thinking of picking up the FTSs so I can finally start brewing true lagers.
I would go further when describing the cost benefit of the SS Brewtech products. I’m normally a complete cheapskate and scoffed at the idea of spending 200+ dollars on a fermenter… Until I had one. If I had known the huge quality advantages of stainless steel and the SS products in general I would’ve bought one much sooner. Plastic carboys are easier to move around, but sometimes difficult to clean, glass is easier to clean but it secretly wants to kill you anytime you look at it, plastic buckets once they get an infection will infect everything.
Maybe not the answer you desire, but IT DEPENDS.
I’d make a simple cost sheet, and then a cost benefit analysis. For me, looking at both now, yes I’d buy an FTSs and use a small chest freezer for serving. Especially for you, you have the vessel and now all you need is the FTSs? I’d buy it.
I’ve had 2 friends come over to see and use them and I’m pretty I should start asking Ss Brewtech for commission – one of them is about to buy a 7gal BME w FTSs and the other is eyeing his for a birthday or Xmass.
Your answer hit my issue right on the head. Build out a chest freezer with the assumption of four taps, or build it with the assumption that a chunk of the space will be used for temperature controlling lagers, or having two separate chambers one converted to a keezer and one as temp control.
If the FTSs works just fine for temp control it makes perfect sense in my case so I can just build my desired 4 tap keg system and my brew bucket can be temp controlled at the same time(and the cool temperature liquid reservoir for lagering I’m sure I could jimmy a section of the keezer to hold it). The cost gave me pause but building two chambers or sacrificing serving space seemed to be a bigger loss, I had forgotten the FTSs had even existed till this product review.
When I order it I’ll put that Malcolm Frazer was the sales representative who helped me with my purchase.
He Who…,
Haha. Glad it helped. Telling them Brulosophy.com sent you there is good enough for me 8^).
See all my comments below and on Brulosophy Reddit – there is more feedback there as well. I have been forthright in my opinion on them, accurate to my experience thus far.
Consider all the pluses and deltas so that you’ll be happy with them – my guess is you will be.
Great review, thanks. I’d not been aware of the BM Edition, but have been using a standard 7 gal SS Chronical for some time now. I love it! Being able to sample it from the upper bottling valve is extremely useful, and I always do pressure transfers from floor level now.
Some tips from experience:
I find it is not necessary to go to the hassle and expense of a low pressure regulator for pressure transfers; I just stick some naked-ended gas tube into the airlock hole in the silicone bung, making sure the bung is very loose. The whole assembly will blow off way before any unsafe pressure builds up. I then release gas until I can only just hear it start to flow, and it starts to push beer out. If I need to pause bottling, I just turn off the flow.
I also got a large plastic plant pot tray on castors from an eBay shop for about £12, which the legs fit on perfectly (the 7 gal one does not have leg castors available, but the larger ones do). This is great as I can now do a transfer and move the FV to my fermenting area, and later to the bottling area, without any lifting onto counters at all- I was tired of my back going out!
There is a great PDF explaining all the differences between the standard and much more expensive BME on the SS site here: https://ssbrewtech.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/207103043-What-are-main-differences-between-Standard-and-BM-Edition-Chronicals-
I like the tri clamp fittings but I don’t understand why there are weldless fittings too which can be a source for infection.
I assume it’s a cost measure. I like that the coil, for example, is removable because I can look at it and make sure it’s truly clean.
I just wish they were all tri clamp, I have the regular version without the coil and everything is tri clamp except the thermowell, I would of paid a little extra to have 100% tri’s
I got my first 1/2 barrow conical from SS Brewtech last July and I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I use a CIP system I made my self and it works great for cleaning. (No scrubbing!)
I’m done trying to cost justify everything I buy! I’m getting old and don’t care anymore!
How was clean up of the coils after fermentation? Looks like it could be a PITA
Richard,
It’s the most difficult part of the process, but only because the rest of it is easy to clean. There is a good amount of surface area. The whole thing can be about 95% cleaned with just a hose spray. If you have a thick krausen yeast, ie West Yorkshire, then the top few coils can become caked, especially if you let it sit for a week or more. A brief soak with hot PBW and it’s done. I use a semi-stiff brush to help with a few trouble spots.
Great to see you use some more professional equipment! Ss connicals are amazing. I want to get a big one eventually but they’re Brew Buckets work for me now. Stainless is so much easier to clean then plastic! plus to get all your yeast out to reuse is another plus! Hey nice to see your started Barrel aging as well! I just got two of those same barrels for my stouts and porters.!
I’ve got big plans for those barrels…plus a few more.
I have owned a 7gal chronical, and a 14gal for a year now. I love these things! I am currently looking into the new pressurized transfer fitting. This should allow me to eliminate all possible oxidation. The gasline plus bung idea is very clever but makes me nervous
It does work: I had mine pop out several times last bottling session! just keep it loose and just enough gas to push the beer out. It is far easier for excess pressure to push out a loose rubber bung than rupture a steel vessel!
Hey Malcom,
Any chance of a revisit on this review with updates on your overall impressions of The Chronical fermenter, now that its been more than a year ?
e.g. What went wrong during the year of use if any ?
What do you think they could have improved upon ?
What do you most dislike about the fermenter ?
What do you absolutely love anout it ?
Things of that nature. The kind of stuff that wears on ya as time and use goes by.
Just curious.
Cheers !
Malcolm: Great review I found while researching a new fermenter. I’ve recently come THIS close to pulling the trigger on either the Chronical 2.0 or the Spike CF5. Then I discovered what I’d have to spend to add glycol cooling. And I’m concluding that for now, I’d be happy keeping what I have and adding a modified fridge or freezer to the setup so I can better control temps with my Craft-A-Brew Catalyst and perhaps get into lager territory. (I’ve been using ice and a polystyrene Son of Fermentation “chiller” for several years now.) The shiny stuff looks great. That’s just too much money.
A question from left field: Did you all ever do the testing on the “oxygen bubble thing” wrt to The Catalyst, as noted in a response on a 8-tear-old Reddit thread?>
https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/5ebhnw/thoughts_on_using_the_plastic_conical_fermenter/
I’d love to know what you folks discovered. I’ve brewing with it for the past 5 or so years (6-7x a year), generally happy with the results but have never tried my own xBeeriment to see what effect that bubble might have on the finished product.
Thanks,
Bill McMichael
New Castle, DE