Review on 🍺 CraftABrew BE-CAT Catalyst Fermentation System - 6.5 Gallon Conical Fermenter for Home Beer Brewing & Wine Making by Ken Coste

This year's big investment was a pair of Catalyst fermenters. I really liked what the product promised. The overall concept of the conical fermentation was very motivating because what I hate most is wasting time and effort with constant decanting. This type of system seemed to fix that problem because you were removing the sediment from the product rather than separating the product from the sediment. No more vacuuming after big or small steps. No more decanting into a bottling container. Just add your ingredients, once and complete the process. When the time is right, remove the bad stuff from the bottom and end up bottling straight from the bottom. You have a mess to clean up at the end and that's it. Such an exciting concept. Also, I really liked the look of this product. Part of the fun of making wine at home is seeing your product go through the process. Yes, we keep him in a dark, air-conditioned facility. But from time to time you like to make the choice. It's also valuable when you showcase the product and process on social media. For these reasons, I chose this option over other similar settings on the web. To be honest, this system delivers on most of the promises of the process. You don't need a primary or secondary rack; It works as the concept suggests. And it's a solid, attractive setup. These are all real benefits. But there are many disadvantages. You simply CANNOT fill directly from the bottom of this container. Debris that accumulates near the bottom opening is carried away by the good product flow. Instead, continue to use a bottling bucket or similar container or rack on top. This can be fixed by additionally adding a shelf lever, at least that's what I've read. The problem with this option is that it's a $25 add-on product on top of the fairly large initial investment. Also, it's been out of stock for months, and no one seems to know when that's going to change. Likewise, you will find that the gasket that comes with this cap works well, but always comes off. And it's a bloody booger to come back if you don't know the "trick". End of the world? no But very annoying. And that, too, can be fixed with an upgrade, but only after you've shelled out some extra money. Ultimately, I cannot recommend this system. The practical fact is, you're spending over $200 on a system that saves you no work. It just creates a different set of problems. You will be disappointed. The fact is that there are other products that work better and at a cheaper price. I would recommend a new version with a new washer, steeper angle of attack and/or included lever. And a process that will help owners of an existing buggy system gain speed without having to invest an additional 20% over their already high initial cost.