Fermenting in a Corny

[JohnQ]

Anybody here ever try fermenting in a corny?
Been thinking of giving it a try.
Have been reading the HBT site and I'm going to get the back issue of BYO that outlines the process.
JW

[Kyle]

well,

yes, I tried this once. I cut the dip tube by an inch and the left the pressure release valve cracked - late spring.

A few days later I heard a buzzing noise from by brew closet, opened it, no hint of source, put ear up to keg, much louder, opened keg, black cloud of fruit flies comes out, took 2+ months to eradicate them, lesson learned.

[Jmac00]

would probably be easier to have it rigged with a blowoff tube? then less chance of the flies and such.

[JohnQ]

well,

yes, I tried this once. I cut the dip tube by an inch and the left the pressure release valve cracked - late spring.

A few days later I heard a buzzing noise from by brew closet, opened it, no hint of source, put ear up to keg, much louder, opened keg, black cloud of fruit flies comes out, took 2+ months to eradicate them, lesson learned.

                          (one for each fruit fly?) Sorry, shouldn't laugh, but couldn't resist!

OK, I know for certain that's not the right way to do it!
From the research so far, one should either, modify a lid replacing pressure release with airlock; attach a blowoff tube to a co2 in connector; remove poppet from co2 post and attach blowoff tube; or remove co2 post and attach blowoff tube.  Keep blowoff level lower than keg to avoid drawing back liquid from blowoff container,

The dip tube cutting is a point that isn't agreed upon.  Some bend the tube slightly, some cut and some leave as is. Most all use the keg as a primary, after a couple of weeks or more, tap keg and collect first litre or so into a sterile container and harvest the yeast from that. Then they hook up to a second keg that has been purged of air with co2, and using a double dip tube connector transfer the balance.  Some have put gelatin into the second keg, some not.

I'm buying the Jan/Feb 09 BYO back issue for a whopping $2.50, apparently it has a thorough article on it.

JW

[Gil Breau]

I'm actually debating using one for lagering purposes here soon in my keg fridge until I can get a seperate fridge, definitely no worries if flies that way :p

[Ian Grant]

Or one can just use a bucket or carboy, just saying.  If your gonna transfer from one keg to another I don't see the point.  I would like to cask condition somtime.

[JohnQ]

Will let you know the point when I get into it a little deeper, but on first reading, one of the major benefits is complete absence of O2 in the whole cycle, after oxygenating the wort, you want no more O2 in the system, so you can purge the air from your cornies, and keep the wort from getting oxidized.
There are also some who ferment under pressure, but I've yet to get into that part at all.
You also have the complete dark of inside the stainless, the relative sterility of the system, the only potential bacteria vector after you start is the line you use to transfer from one keg to the other.
Some folks do seem to do it all in one keg as well, but like I said, more reading to do.
JW

[Richard]

I've got to side with Ian on this one, but mostly from the angle that I already have things working just fine in a single carboy... However, I've heard some seriously cool things about speed-brewing under pressure. I forget the science, but I know it allows for a pretty hefty reduction in post-primary conditioning.

That said I'm rarely that impatient

[JohnQ]

That said I'm rarely that impatient