I've always liked the idea of getting a conical fermenter, but the stainless options out there were just too expensive for me to try out.  After reading good things about the Fermzilla (both the Conical and All Rounder), I decided to try out the Conical option.  I wanted the option to save my yeast as well as use the collection vessel to add dry-hops to the fermenter without introducing additional oxygen.  The other big benefits of this fermenter is being able to ferment under pressure and to transfer to a keg under pressure as well.  Oxygen uptake has become a hot topic over the last couple years, especially when it comes to hoppy & hazy styles, so I wanted to see if I got better results out of the Fermzilla compared to my standard plastic buckets.

So far, I've only brewed a couple lagers in the Fermzilla Conical, so I can't speak to what kind of difference it makes on either lagers fermented under pressure or how adding hops under CO2 pressure can potentially improve hop flavor & aroma in the finished beer.  Once I have a few batches under my belt, I'll post my results back here.

With the simple metal base of the Fermzilla Conical fermenter, I knew I wanted to make that more mobile, considering I would need to move the fermenter closer to my keezer where I have my CO2 tank and hoses.  I thought a simple wooden base with four castors would fit that task nicely.  After getting my Fermzilla and measuring the base, I headed to the hardware store to pick up some supplies.  I bought a half sheet of 1/2" plywood, 4 spinning castors, and I ended up finding some cheap scrap wood to help reinforce the base in a discount bin that ended up working perfectly.  Once I got home, I measured the base of the Fermzilla, added a couple inches, and ended up cutting an 18" square piece out of my 1/2" plywood sheet.  Once that was done, I cut the scrap wood to size to form a support on the bottom, air nailed them in place, and screwed in my rolling castors on each corner.  I should probably apply a couple coats of polyurethane to the top of the cart since it'll be around beer and moisture, but that can be a task for another day.