Open top fermentation

[Kuraokami]

Hey all,

I've read some about it but was wondering if anyone has experience with open top fermenters? I'm in a situation where they are all I can get and was wondering if there is any reasons I would be handicapping myself if I used them.

[Kindred Spirits]

There are a couple things that we will need to know to better help you.

First, where are you located? What spirits are you trying to make? Do you have a lot of open space in your distillery? 

[Red Pine]

I do open top fermentation and I wouldn't say you'd handicap yourself necessarily. It will just make your sanitation even more important than it already is. If sanitation falls off, you will get run out of your own space by fruit flies. Even if it's top notch, you'll likely have a population of them hanging around. I've let it slip at times and it takes a ton of time/effort to get it under control again. I've also experienced that some fermentation bases are worse than others, for me malted barley was the worst.

[Southernhighlander]

If you make yourself a screen using 100 micron or smaller stainless steel screen and wooden slats and place it on top of the fermenters, so that fruit flies can't get in there that should help a bunch.