I am looking to replace my current plastic carboy with something like this with valves. Anyone have this one or like it? Other suggestions? I can't spend a lot of money on stainless or professional grade.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-6-5-Gal...862?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4607b8bb86
I've been brewing with this exact setup for 5-6 years. I really don't see the benefits. If I hadn't gotten it in a lucrative trade, I would still be using buckets. It is absolutely no different than a bucket with a spigot 3" from the bottom. I use the bottom to dump trub when I dry hop in stages, but it is not necessary for me. It also wastes much more vertical space in my fridge then a bucket, but that may not be an issue for you. It is also more difficult to bring in the house full and more difficult to put up on the counter when gravity transferring to keg. It works great as a fermenter, but honestly, for me it is a solution in search of a problem. Your money would be better spent in other ares IMO. I don't mean to bring you down. I really like it, it just is more bling than anything. If you go that route you will need to remove and clean the plastic fittings after every batch and be VERY CAREFUL not to over tighten when screwing them back (use T-tape). I also use a rubber band on the lid to hold it snug. It fits tight, but not tight enough for me. I ferment without the lid during the first few days of active fermentation, then switch to a 3 piece airlock.
If you are wanting a set up like this you can go much larger for a lot less money. You can buy a 15 gallon tank for around 80 bucks , build your own wooden stand for around 20 bucks and add the hardware you need for another 30 buck. You can actually find the smaller ones for around 50 bucks if thats what you want in size , here is a link to the 15 gallon one , a google search will come up with more , I am going to move up to the 15 gallon when we build our new home http://www.tank-depot.com/productdetails.aspx?part=N-60214
