How To Use A Conical Fermenter for Homebrew Beer: A Complete Guide by DEGONG

A conical fermenter is one of the most powerful upgrades a homebrewer can make. Whether you are brewing your first five-gallon batch or operating a small nano-brew setup, a conical fermenter provides better control, cleaner beer, and a more efficient fermentation workflow.

1. What Is a Conical Fermenter and Why Does It Matter?

A conical fermenter is a fermentation vessel with a cone-shaped bottom (usually 60°), designed to allow solids such as yeast, proteins, and hop debris to naturally settle at the bottom tip.

Key advantages of the conical shape:

• Efficient sediment separation: Solids collect at the cone tip, making it easy to remove trub and harvest yeast.

• Cleaner beer: No need to transfer to a secondary fermenter, reducing oxygen exposure.

• Professional-level control: Similar design to what commercial breweries use.

Most homebrewers start with plastic buckets or glass carboys. While these are functional, they lack precision. A stainless steel conical fermenter — especially from DEGONG — significantly improves beer quality and fermentation consistency.

2. Why Homebrewers Prefer DEGONG Stainless Steel Conical Fermenters

DEGONG’s stainless steel conical fermenters are built with a professional brewery-grade design, featuring:

• Sanitary 304/316 stainless steel

• CIP cleaning ports

• Racking arm for clear beer transfer

• Sample valve for gravity checks

• Thermowells for accurate temperature reading

• Tri-clamp fittings for easy cleaning

• Optional glycol cooling jackets

These features make fermentation easier and help you achieve commercial-grade results at home.

3. How to Use a Conical Fermenter: Step-by-Step

This section walks you through the complete brewing process with a DEGONG conical fermenter.

Step 1: Prepare and Clean the Fermenter

Before fermentation begins, cleanliness and sanitation are critical.

Instructions:

1. Rinse the conical fermenter with warm water.

2. Clean all internal surfaces with a brewery-safe cleaner.

3. Sanitize thoroughly using no-rinse sanitizer (Star-San or equivalent).

4. Don’t forget to sanitize:

• Racking arm

• Sample valve

• Dump valve

• Lid and gaskets

• Airlock or blow-off tube

A stainless steel fermenter from DEGONG is much easier to sanitize than plastic or glass.

Step 2: Transfer Wort into the Fermenter

Once your wort is boiled and cooled to the correct pitching temperature:

1. Open the fermenter lid or top port.

2. Transfer the wort via pump or gravity.

3. Avoid splashing to minimize oxygen exposure.

4. Ensure the wort temperature is within the yeast-pitching range (typically 18–22°C for ales).

This is also a good time to take an original gravity (OG) reading.

Step 3: Pitch the Yeast

Pitching yeast is one of the most important steps in brewing.

You can pitch:

• Liquid yeast

• Dry yeast

• Yeast starter

• Harvested yeast from a previous batch

DEGONG fermenters maintain stable temperatures, helping yeast work efficiently.

Step 4: Seal and Start Fermentation

Install your sanitized airlock or blow-off tube. Fermentation will begin within 12–24 hours.

Monitor:

• Temperature stability

• Krausen formation

• CO₂ activity

DEGONG fermenters can be equipped with glycol jackets or temperature controllers to keep fermentation within target ranges.

4. Managing Fermentation in a Conical Fermenter

Temperature Control

• Controlling temperature is easier with a stainless steel fermenter.

• Cold-fermenting lagers or warm-fermenting saisons both benefit from stable temperature.

Sampling

• Use the sanitary sample valve to take gravity readings without opening the lid — this reduces oxidation risk.

Adjustments

• If you need to dry hop, add fruit, or adjust the beer, you can do so directly through the top port.

5. Dumping Trub: One of the Biggest Advantages of Conical Fermenters

Compared to buckets and carboys, conical fermenters allow you to dump trub easily.

Trub includes:

• Hop debris

• Cold break material

• Dead yeast

• Protein clumps

How to dump trub:

• Close the racking arm valve.

• Attach a clean container to the bottom dump valve.

• Slowly open the dump valve.

• Remove early trub while keeping healthy yeast undisturbed.

Removing trub early results in:

• Cleaner beer

• Less off-flavor development

• Better yeast performance

6. Harvesting Yeast from a DEGONG Conical Fermenter

A major benefit of conical fermenters is yeast harvesting.

Process:

• Let fermentation finish.

• Chill the beer to drop yeast.

• Open the dump valve slowly.

• Collect clean, healthy yeast for reuse.

Harvested yeast reduces brewing cost and ensures consistent flavor between batches.

7. Transferring Beer for Bottling or Kegging

Once final gravity is stable and fermentation is complete:

Using the racking arm:

• Rotate the racking arm so it draws clear beer above the yeast line.

• Transfer gently to a keg or bottling bucket.

• Avoid splashing to reduce oxidation.

A DEGONG conical fermenter makes this process precise and sanitary.

8. Cleaning the Conical Fermenter After Use

Cleaning is essential to maintain the fermenter’s lifespan and beer quality.

Cleaning steps:

• Rinse with warm water.

• Add brewery cleaner and recirculate (CIP system recommended).

• Scrub if necessary (usually minimal with stainless steel).

• Rinse thoroughly.

• Sanitize before the next use.

DEGONG fermenters support CIP systems, making cleaning fast and consistent.