About Chapman SteelTank Fermenters

Chapman Brewing Equipment’s SteelTank line of stainless steel fermenters are available in 7 and 14 gallon sizes in both ported and unported versions. The SteelTank features stainless steel construction, gasketed lid, pressed volume markers and an available port option. The fermenters offer advantages over buckets and glass carboys since they resist breaking and scratching.

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What is a UniVessel?

A UniVessel is a single vessel that accomplishes multiple tasks. There are two primary types of UniVessels in homebrewing. A fermenter that also acts as a serving keg. Examples: FermZilla with a pressure kit and WilliamsWarn BrewKeg. The second type of UniVessel is a boil kettle that also acts as a fermenter. Chapman SteelTanks are Boil Kettle/Fermenter types of UniVessels.

Hands on Review Chapman Brewing Equipment SteelTank Fermenter

A look at the fully assembled 7 gallon fermenter. Dimensions from Chapman Equipment are… 12″ inner diameter, 16″ height. 14″ diameter at widest point and 20″ height (including ball valve and airlock), Note that this is billed as a This is a UniVessel because it can double as a kettle. You can boil and ferment in the same vessel.

A look at the handle. It is well made, a good size and integrates nicely. One of the four lid clasps. These move smoothly and seal firmly. These along with the lid seal provide a nice airtight seal. At the price and considering it’s features, I will say that I am impressed by the quality of construction. The smoothness that these operate and solidly clamp into place is an indicator of quality. Folded down clasp Inside of the 7 gallon fermenter. You can see the inside portion of the removable bulkhead on the left. Pressed volume markings are visible inside the fermenter. This is a great feature. Dialing in your recipe, gravities and taste profile are dependent upon getting the right volume of beer. These pressed markers help with that. This is a 7 gallon capacity fermenter which is great for 5 gallon batches. The 14 gallon size should easily accommodate 10 gallon batches. Inside of the lid. Notice the lid o-ring as well as the airlock grommet. Airlock installed The 3-piece stainless steel ball valve included on ported models can be disassembled for cleaning and sanitation. The instructions recommend removing the ball valve each time before using and boiling for 5 minutes. In addition, you can periodically disassemble to clean and sanitize. My UltraShip Ultra-55 shows this weighing 7.41 lbs.

Conclusions

Considering the build quality, generally great price and well thought out features, this is a great fermenter. The stainless steel design gets you out of plastic and the ported versions allow you to transfer without a siphon. Chapman’s SteelTank Fermenter is thoughtfully designed and well made.

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Related Review: Hands on Review: Chapman Thermobarrel Stainless Steel Mash Tun

Note: This review features a v1 SteelTank Fermenter. Since it was released Chapman has updated and improved these fermenters. General concepts should still apply back there may be some variations.

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