Blichmann Cornical Fermenter - Full System

This is a solid piece of equipment! The Butterfly valve is very heavy and solid. Very easy to take apart and clean- you can stick your entire hand in the bottom of the keg! I was able to scrub every inch of this thing in under 10 minutes!
My original plan was to use the keg to serve out of, but the on-line reviews I watched (after I bought it, of course) scared me. As is I dumped the trub after secondary and pushed the beer with CO2 to a clean corny keg. Both dumping of the primary and secondary was very easy- no clogs. Remember to purge the CO2 first! And if you get a clog, a little pressure can help push it out.

Pros:
-Stainless conical fermentor with sanitary fittings for $520!
-Very easy to clean
-Option to use as serving keg
-You will have a "spare" keg laying around as well if you aren't fermenting.
-Second lid for airlock could double as a carbonating/dry-hoping lid (or more?)
-Everything you need in one kit.
-Easier to carry when full than a carboy or plastic-type conical. You can carry it basically like a keg.

Cons:
-There was some "gunk" on the side of the keg- not sure what the beer would taste like with it sitting in it, but I did have to scrub it off- so maybe it would not all get into beer.
-If you want to ferment under pressure you need a Spunding Valve (about $20 or $50 if you want a gauge.) The second batch is in there now with a spunding valve (Quick tip- if you get a spunding valve without a gauge, you can just pressure the keg using your regulator gauge on your CO2 tank to the pressure you want- then attach the valve all the way open, and slowly twist the valve closed until you hear gas release- should get you around 1-3 psi close to where you want to be.)
-One of the legs is a little loose- I think I can tighten it back in place. I will try once the batch is done. Note- the inside of the cone is smooth- the legs do not create any seams inside. Very slick!
-Height/Size- This thing is significantly taller than a normal conical. This will probably not fit into any dorm room fridges.
-No built-in heating or cooling- and no easy add-on options, either. You either need a full-size fridge OR have to create your own system (wraps maybe? Being skinnier/taller means more surface area to heat/cool faster).
-Cost. It is $520, right? I guess you can grab a basic conical for less- but this is Blichmann.

Overall:
Some good features on this. Again- even as a stand-alone conical I say it competes at the price point. Throw in a keg option and it's a pretty sweet deal. I wish Blichmann would include, or at least offer, a spunding valve. Maybe it’s in the works?

Cheers!