A conical fermenter is the upgrade that changes how you think about fermentation. No more transferring beer from primary to secondary to avoid trub contact -- you just open the dump valve and let the settled solids fall out while the beer stays still. The question is whether to spend $70 on a plastic pressure fermenter like the FermZilla All Rounder Pressure Fermenter 7.9-Gallon or $315 on a stainless unit like the SS Brewtech Chronical Fermenter 7-Gallon . This guide walks through the real differences and which option makes sense at each scale and budget.
For homebrewers doing 5-gallon batches who are ready to invest in stainless, the {{ss-brewtech-chronical-7gal}} is the lifetime purchase that replaces every plastic vessel you own. For 5-gallon brewers on a budget who want to explore pressure fermentation, the {{fermzilla-all-rounder-pressure-fermenter}} delivers that capability at a fraction of the price. For 10-gallon batches, the {{ss-brewtech-chronical-14gal}} is the right size.
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Budget plastic conicals: where FermZilla stands out
The FermZilla All Rounder Pressure Fermenter 7.9-Gallon is the most interesting plastic conical on the market because it is pressure-rated to 35 psi. That means you can ferment under CO2 pressure -- suppressing ester production and speeding fermentation -- and then push the finished beer directly to a keg with a closed transfer under counter-pressure. For a $70 to $95 vessel, this is a remarkable set of capabilities.
The catch is the PET plastic construction. PET scratches easily with any abrasive cleaning, and scratches harbor bacteria that no sanitizer can fully reach. Use PBW or OxiClean Free and soft sponges only. Expect to replace it after a few years of heavy use. It is an excellent tool while it lasts, but it is not the stainless purchase you make once and use for twenty years.
The FastFerment Conical Fermenter 7.9-Gallon is another budget plastic option with a wall-mount design and a trub collection ball at the cone tip. The ball design is clever but creates a hard-to-clean junction point. For most brewers the FermZilla is the better budget conical because its wide-mouth design gives full interior access for cleaning.
FermZilla All Rounder Pressure Fermenter 7.9-Gallon
A clear PET plastic pressure fermenter rated to 35 psi that enables pressure fermentation and closed transfers at a fraction of stainless conical prices.
FastFerment Conical Fermenter 7.9-Gallon
A wall-mounted plastic conical with a collection ball at the cone tip for easy trub and yeast removal -- a budget entry into conical fermentation for 5-gallon brewers.
SS Brewtech Chronical: the stainless lifetime purchase
The SS Brewtech Chronical Fermenter 7-Gallon is what most homebrewing communities point to when someone asks for the best stainless conical. The 7-gallon size handles 5-gallon batches with proper headspace. It ships with a thermowell, a dump valve, and a racking arm. Tri-clamp fittings on every port disassemble fully for cleaning -- no threads to harbor buildup.
The modular design is one of the Chronical best features. You can add an optional cooling coil that sits inside the fermenter and connects to a glycol chiller or ice water recirculation for in-vessel temperature control without a refrigerator. These options are available later at an additional cost.
For 10-gallon batches, the SS Brewtech Chronical Fermenter 14-Gallon is the same design scaled up. The 14-gallon size provides proper headspace for a 10-gallon batch. It is a significant investment, but a properly maintained stainless conical is a once-in-a-decade purchase.
SS Brewtech Chronical Fermenter 7-Gallon
The stainless conical that homebrewing communities consistently recommend as the lifetime purchase -- thermowell, racking arm, dump valve, and tri-clamp fittings included.
SS Brewtech Chronical Fermenter 14-Gallon
The 14-gallon version of the Chronical for homebrewers who routinely do 10-gallon batches and need the headspace and cone volume to match.
BrewBuilt X1: the technical alternative to SS Brewtech
The BrewBuilt X1 Unitank 7-Gallon competes directly with the SS Brewtech Chronical 7-gallon at a slightly lower price and includes something the base Chronical does not: a built-in cooling coil. If you plan to add active temperature control to your fermentation and would buy the SS Brewtech cooling coil add-on anyway, the BrewBuilt X1 may come out ahead on total cost.
Other useful extras on the BrewBuilt include adjustable leveling feet, a sample valve for pulling gravity readings without opening the fermenter, and volume markers on the vessel wall. The community track record is smaller than SS Brewtech, but the build quality is solid and the feature set at the price is genuinely competitive.
The choice between the SS Brewtech Chronical Fermenter 7-Gallon and BrewBuilt X1 Unitank 7-Gallon comes down to what you value: the SS Brewtech has the larger community, more documented upgrade options, and the modular ecosystem. The BrewBuilt X1 is the better value if you want the cooling coil and sample valve from day one.
BrewBuilt X1 Unitank 7-Gallon
A fully-featured stainless conical with adjustable feet, built-in cooling coil, sample valve, and volume markers, competing with SS Brewtech at a slightly lower price.
SS Brewtech Chronical Fermenter 7-Gallon
The stainless conical that homebrewing communities consistently recommend as the lifetime purchase -- thermowell, racking arm, dump valve, and tri-clamp fittings included.
FermZilla All Rounder Pressure Fermenter 7.9-Gallon
A clear PET plastic pressure fermenter rated to 35 psi that enables pressure fermentation and closed transfers at a fraction of stainless conical prices.
SS Brewtech Chronical Fermenter 7-Gallon
The stainless conical that homebrewing communities consistently recommend as the lifetime purchase -- thermowell, racking arm, dump valve, and tri-clamp fittings included.
BrewBuilt X1 Unitank 7-Gallon
A fully-featured stainless conical with adjustable feet, built-in cooling coil, sample valve, and volume markers, competing with SS Brewtech at a slightly lower price.
SS Brewtech Chronical Fermenter 14-Gallon
The 14-gallon version of the Chronical for homebrewers who routinely do 10-gallon batches and need the headspace and cone volume to match.
FastFerment Conical Fermenter 7.9-Gallon
A wall-mounted plastic conical with a collection ball at the cone tip for easy trub and yeast removal -- a budget entry into conical fermentation for 5-gallon brewers.
Inkbird ITC-308 Dual Stage Temperature Controller
The homebrewing community default dual-stage fermentation temperature controller -- one outlet for cooling, one for heating, accurate to within a degree, and priced under $35.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much headspace do I need in a conical fermenter?+
Plan for 20 to 25 percent headspace above your batch volume. A 5-gallon batch needs at least 6 gallons of fermenter volume, and 7 gallons is better for high-krausen styles like hefeweizens or big imperial stouts. The SS Brewtech 7-gallon and FermZilla 7.9-gallon both hit this range for 5-gallon batches. The 14-gallon Chronical fits 10-gallon batches with proper headspace.
Can I ferment under pressure in a stainless conical fermenter?+
Standard stainless conicals like the SS Brewtech Chronical are not rated for pressure fermentation -- they are atmospheric fermenters. The FermZilla All Rounder is the most popular budget pressure fermenter rated to 35 psi. BrewBuilt also makes pressure-rated unitanks. Check the pressure rating explicitly before buying if pressure fermentation is your goal.
Is it worth upgrading from a bucket to a conical fermenter?+
If you brew consistently once or twice a month, yes. The bucket-to-carboy transfer to avoid trub adds oxygen exposure and time to every batch. A conical lets you dump trub in place, pull clean samples with a sample valve, and do closed transfers directly to a keg with less oxygen pickup. If you brew a few times a year, a bucket and carboy still work perfectly well.