Oscar, I can't recall, have you used other types of brewers? I find myself wondering just how important achieving the vortex is.
Yes I have used the 5 gallon pail with air stone, I also used a home made Vortex out of a Culligan Water Bottle, to may parts, to much messing around to clean also wanted something with more capacity, sea you could also by the 100 gallon tank and build the same thing just larger scale if ya needed..;)
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Ladyv You will need less air to go up the riser, if you use the 1.5" . I would not go any smaller then 1.5 " or you may run into problems with all the EWC and other stuff plugging up the riser, you have to remember all the materials + water+air have to be able to rise up the pipe, one little thing stops and you screwed its plugged, I recommend to anyone to Use this Brewer with the AP100, I have ran 4 red solo cups of EWC, Accident Forest, 2 Solo Cups of Alfalfa Meal all in the same Batch, Plus all the other stuff and it blast out the pipe and out the top if the lids off. Also I put all the scopes of Caps Bennies straight into the brewer. The AP100 will blast anything you can throw into the brewer up that 2 " riser pipe..:p
Here is that last batch just under 25 hrs brew time, I need to get a scope, but as you can see there is a nice foam setting on top, even with that powerful Vortex Pulling right under it.:cigar: