5-7 bbl system

[Dirtblunt]

I'm a novice looking for useful advice...
I'm looking for a 5-7 bbl fermenter. Looking at the past threads it seems going used for a start-up brew pub is the way to go.

What are good resources for looking at a used system?

What brands/models should I look for?

I was advised to look at dairy fermenter as an alternative. Does anyone have experience with using a dairy fermenter, (pros/cons)?

[Jephro]

Dairy tanks used as fermenters work best for lagers, but will work for ales. It's less than ideal for harvesting yeast which i found to be the biggest con, well that and the floor space required for a horizontal tank. The ones i used were freon jacketed, they did the job but glycol is far better for a brewery application unless you want to do an Eisbock.

IMHO, the money you save using dairy tanks vs. conical fermenters in an avg. micro setting you will end up spending on yeast, possibly several times over.

[banjo]

That's a pretty wide open question.
Do you have any info on the tank?
The reason a lot of guys go with used equipment when they are starting out is purely one of financial necessity.
While dairy equipment can be retrofitted to work well (and has since the beginning of the craft brewing revolution) I would look into what's required in time and money to make the tank work for you.
If you can find a system that is set up for beer already or better-yet, still in use so you can try it out, that's a better road to take. Take a look at the checklist in this section so you'll know what to look for and look out for when you're evaluating your potential purchase.

[Dirtblunt]

thanks for the quick replies Bajno and Jephro.
Banjo- thanks for the insight regarding harvesting yeast.
Jephro-I'll look for the checklist to get a better grasp on what I'm look for.
Thanks again!!