has anyone used big glass wine fermentors for 10gal batches?

[monstersandpie]

hi all. switching to 10 gallons soon and wondering if i can use a large (54L) wine fermentor as an uber carboy for this.
my main concern is the different shape. the wine fermenter is wider than a regular carboy (relative to the height) and sort of bulb shaped. seems like there would be some differences in hydrodynamics and therefore yeast preformance. it hink i remember that wider fermentors means less hydrostatic pressure and less esters.
anybody know?

[Sent From My iPhone]

You talking about a Demijohn, like this?



Sure you can use one. I haven't, but I would. Probably heavy as hell with 10 gallons in it.

[monstersandpie]

that's exactly it. thanks for the pic sheen.
inside the basket the bottom is almost round, so there is alomst no striahgt wall like a carboy.
i wonder how that would effect convection and other yeast behavior. i guess it seems wider, but the surface area on top would be about normal, since the sides slope back in up there...

[Sent From My iPhone]

I wouldn't think that would be a problem, conical fermentors don't have flat bottoms either. Plus you can get them for about $60.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6255

[monstersandpie]

word. less than that at he lhbs. they seem to be of thinner glass than a carboy. i'll definately have to go to aerating with a wand for this big boy.

[jwatkins56550]

They are thinner and weigh the same as a 6.5 gallon carboy from what I remember

[monstersandpie]

yup. felt flippin fragile when i picked one up. that's why i'd go to some kind of non-shaking aeration.
any word on fermentation characteristics associated with this geometry (round) ... n' shizzz!

[yellowthere]

So... seeing that outside of the basket, it looks like an big, silly vase.

Let us know how it works for you. How are you cooling that during fermentation, Chest Freezer?