100L Speidel feedback?

[Bmd2k1]

I've got 2x 20L and 5x 30L Speidel vessels and love them.

Thinking about adding the 100L to my arsenal and wondering if anyone has any experience/feedback with this unit?
https://www.morebeer.com/products/speidel-plastic-fermenter-100l-264-gal.html

Thanks & Cheers!

 

[balatonwine]

I use them. They work very well. I like them.

https://stcoemgen.com/2013/11/15/primary-fermenter/
Only issue: Avoid going above 100 L on the square ones. I have a 200 L square unit and it hard to clean through the small top hole.

 

[Bmd2k1]

I use them. They work very well. I like them.

https://stcoemgen.com/2013/11/15/primary-fermenter/
Only issue: Avoid going above 100 L on the square ones. I have a 200 L square unit and it hard to clean through the small top hole.

Thanks!

Any idea what the actual filled to the top volume is? (I know for both the 20L & 30L - they hold bit more than that - ie) 20L holds 6gals and 30L holds bit over 9gals)

Cheers!

 

[balatonwine]

Thanks!

Any idea what the actual filled to the top volume is?

Good Question. I had to laugh at myself for this good question. Because I have such tanks for 20+ years and never bothered to actually measure....

I simply fill them till just below the top, then screw on the cap. One must use Speidel corks and air locks to do this as I found third party corks are too long and go into the wine.

Whatever little is left over after filling, I drink.... Hic....

Hope this helps.

 

[Bmd2k1]

Good Question. I had to laugh at myself for this good question. Because I have such tanks for 20+ years and never bothered to actually measure....

I simply fill them till just below the top, then screw on the cap. One must use Speidel corks and air locks to do this as I found third party corks are too long and go into the wine.

Whatever little is left over after filling, I drink.... Hic....

Hope this helps.

Lol

Are you using the 100L for both fermentation and bulk aging?


Cheers!

 

[balatonwine]

Lol

Are you using the 100L for both fermentation and bulk aging?


Cheers!

I use 30 L, 60 L, 100 L and 200 L for both.

But I make only white wine, so bulk age typically less than 6 months. If longer, I would put the wine in glass or stainless.

 

[Bmd2k1]

I use 30 L, 60 L, 100 L and 200 L for both.

But I make only white wine, so bulk age typically less than 6 months. If longer, I would put the wine in glass or stainless.

Thanks for your feedback! I appreciate it

Cheers!

 

[Spencerthebuilder]

I've a question if you don't mind balaton. The cap on the Speidel looks to be about 7 or 8". Great to get a hand or arm into the container. But I always fill the glass carboys up into the neck to minimize headspace. At 7", this is 10x the surface area or funtional headspace. Not a problem for longer term aging?

 

[crushday]

@Spencerthebuilder - I store wine in these for a minimum of 12 months. I top off every month and test/sulfite every other month. No problems as long as you're diligent. I treat them like barrel storage.

Easy to clean! Especially, using PBW!

 

[crushday]

I've got 2x 20L and 5x 30L Speidel vessels and love them.

Thinking about adding the 100L to my arsenal and wondering if anyone has any experience/feedback with this unit?
https://www.morebeer.com/products/speidel-plastic-fermenter-100l-264-gal.html

Thanks & Cheers!

Given your other storage sizes, that's a huge jump. Think about your 20s and 30s - the volume is 20 liter and 30 liter to the shoulders of the vessel. The 30 liter is almost 40 liters topped off. I know from experience that a fully topped off 100L is just under 30 gallons of wine. In fact, you could say it is 30 gallons.

Maybe get the 60L?

You'll want to build a wheeled carriage too..

 

[Bmd2k1]

@balatonwine -- any chance you could post some pics of your fermentation / bulk aging setup?

I'm curious about the logistics of using these bigger Speidels -- as @crushday points out re: his dolly system.


Cheers!

 

[balatonwine]

I've a question if you don't mind balaton. The cap on the Speidel looks to be about 7 or 8". Great to get a hand or arm into the container. But I always fill the glass carboys up into the neck to minimize headspace. At 7", this is 10x the surface area or funtional headspace. Not a problem for longer term aging?

If concerned about head space volume, simply add some inert gas to the head space.

IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), a tank of Nitrogen is a good investment for any wine maker.

 

[balatonwine]

@balatonwine -- any chance you could post some pics of your fermentation / bulk aging setup?

I'm curious about the logistics of using these bigger Speidels -- as @crushday points out re: his dolly system.

I do not have photos at this time.

But I go vertical. Mainly because I like to gravity move wine after the primary fermentation.

My cellar roof is 3 meters tall. My racks are made of 20 cm (8 in) wood beams set on concrete blocks. I have a wine pump to move must to the top tank at crush. The tanks are stacked on the beams. After racking, to move tanks back up, I have a hoist. I do not hoist the 200 L tanks, but the 100 L I can. The 60 L two people can lift up each level, standing on the beams. I have one two wheel dolly and one four wheel truck that I can put a tank on to move around the floor. When moving I screw on the hard caps so the tanks to not leak and can be tiled in any direction. That I all I need.

 

[Spencerthebuilder]

If concerned about head space volume, simply add some inert gas to the head space.

IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), a tank of Nitrogen is a good investment for any wine maker.

I keep a tank of Nitrogen for HVAC work, but many here say inerts quickly dissipate unless in a tightly sealed container. Lots of chance to lose a batch.

 

[balatonwine]

inerts quickly dissipate unless in a tightly sealed container.

I have found Speidel tanks seal very tightly.

I have been using them for almost two decades.

 

[Bmd2k1]

I do not have photos at this time.

But I go vertical. Mainly because I like to gravity move wine after the primary fermentation.

My cellar roof is 3 meters tall. My racks are made of 20 cm (8 in) wood beams set on concrete blocks. I have a wine pump to move must to the top tank at crush. The tanks are stacked on the beams. After racking, to move tanks back up, I have a hoist. I do not hoist the 200 L tanks, but the 100 L I can. The 60 L two people can lift up each level, standing on the beams. I have one two wheel dolly and one four wheel truck that I can put a tank on to move around the floor. When moving I screw on the hard caps so the tanks to not leak and can be tiled in any direction. That I all I need.

Thanks for the glimpse inside your operations!

Cheers

 

[Bmd2k1]

I do not have photos at this time.

But I go vertical. Mainly because I like to gravity move wine after the primary fermentation.

My cellar roof is 3 meters tall. My racks are made of 20 cm (8 in) wood beams set on concrete blocks. I have a wine pump to move must to the top tank at crush. The tanks are stacked on the beams. After racking, to move tanks back up, I have a hoist. I do not hoist the 200 L tanks, but the 100 L I can. The 60 L two people can lift up each level, standing on the beams. I have one two wheel dolly and one four wheel truck that I can put a tank on to move around the floor. When moving I screw on the hard caps so the tanks to not leak and can be tiled in any direction. That I all I need.

Do you using any kind of drill mounted stirring attachment with your larger Speidels?

 

[balatonwine]

Do you using any kind of drill mounted stirring attachment with your larger Speidels?

No.

I have PVC and copper pipes sealed at the ends for stirring. Unscrew the cap, stick them in, and and stir by hand. During primary, usually two or three times a day. I use the copper when I think the wine is getting a little too much sulfur reductive. The copper helps to stop that.

Basically, based on 20 years of experience and *feel*. So no easy answer. Wine making is a both an art and a science.

 

[Bmd2k1]

I do not have photos at this time.

But I go vertical. Mainly because I like to gravity move wine after the primary fermentation.

My cellar roof is 3 meters tall. My racks are made of 20 cm (8 in) wood beams set on concrete blocks. I have a wine pump to move must to the top tank at crush. The tanks are stacked on the beams. After racking, to move tanks back up, I have a hoist. I do not hoist the 200 L tanks, but the 100 L I can. The 60 L two people can lift up each level, standing on the beams. I have one two wheel dolly and one four wheel truck that I can put a tank on to move around the floor. When moving I screw on the hard caps so the tanks to not leak and can be tiled in any direction. That I all I need.

Do you still utilize the spigots when racking ?

 

[balatonwine]

Do you still utilize the spigots when racking ?

Yes.

Speidel makes them both in plastic and stainless steel. For example (for information only, not a referral or suggesting purchase from this company):

https://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.com/store/Speidel-Fermenter-OEM-Stainless-Steel-Spigot.html