The FermZilla is shaped to work well within the supplied metal base. Once filled with wort you will not want to move again until emptied at the end of process. The overall shape makes this tool an excellent tabletop candidate.

Yes doing it this way will reduce oxygen exposure. Good luck with your brew!

I think u can do it either way--i put it in when i dry hopped or added solid flavoring Ie:coconut or orange peel etc

You can either put it in at the beginning of fermentation or when first dry hopping as long as it’s sterilized (and being mindful of oxygen). One suggestion I would make is to place some marbles or something equivalent (sterilized) in the bottom before adding hops to weight it down otherwise it may float and sit on top of the krausen. Cheers!

It fits the 5 gallon version

Yes it fits the 3 gallon size. And you can use the glass marbles to take up about a half gallon space to keep it topped up.

I would say a quart. A little bigger than my large hop bags

This depends on what you are putting in it. It will easily hold more than a pound of pellets. Probably just a pound of buds. No problem with 2lbs of heather. It all depends on the size of what you are using. I also wouldn't consider this a strainer. It is more of an infusion container. I use it for dry hopping. It does not attach well enough to consider using it to strain.

This is a great question simply put It's BIG ! Being a fine mesh I dry hop with pelts with very little hops beading off into my finished beer. .

Just an Idea put your hops and marbles in the bag and then tie something around the bag below the level of your wort. Thinking plastic bread wrapper clip string fishing line or maybe one of those small plastic hose clamps something that can be sanitized.

You’re not wrong you can use a marble but it only keeps the bottom of the bag down and does nothing to keep the hips submerged.

You're right. It doesn't work - I tried it once and haven't used it again. Bad decision on my part to buy it.