very interesting discussion on primary fermenting in a corny

Kyle · August 22, 2011, 07:53:36 PM

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/primary ... dex13.html

I've got a brown ale doing primary fermentation in a corny keg. I removed the dip tube for the gas side and I have a blow-off tube attached to that. I did not chop the bottom inch off the liquid dip tube thinking it might work to just push out a pint or two of sludge, and then have relatively clear beer that can be sent to another keg via closed system to remove the rest of the yeast slurry prior to hooking up to serve.

If its too cloudy this way, the next batch, I'll try putting a syphoning foot on the bottom of the dip tube. I like the idea of being able to ferment, transfer, and serve in a relatively closed system.

I've got a fine mesh bag for dry-hopping.

Kyle · August 23, 2011, 07:45:54 PM

And more from AHA:
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/p ... ng-in-kegs

Kyle · August 24, 2011, 10:40:32 PM

John:

How much volume of wort did you put in the keg primary? As an experiment, I filled it right to the top and put a blow-off hose on the gas port (with dip tube removed and extra o-ring as spacer). I've only lost about 3 pints worth, so that should mean I can fill to about 4.5 gallons no problem for round #2.

Also, I found that about 1 and a quarter inch of the silicone hose, with one end clamped to a standard airlock and the other screwed onto the mfl fitting where the gas post lives is a good option.

Did you chop or otherwise modify the liquid dip tube?

JohnQ · August 25, 2011, 08:30:03 AM

Put 4.5 US Gallons.
No mod to the keg, and I'm not using any kind of airlock, only the spunding valve. I put some CO2 on top to seal up the keg and then let most of it out, now waiting for the pressure to start to build from the ferment. Some time soon I should need to back off on the valve setting.

I'm mostly following the Wiki here with the mods required for the cornies vs sanke...

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Closed-system_pressurized_fermentation

JQ

JohnQ · August 25, 2011, 02:57:37 PM

It's definitely weird not seeing anything happen in front of you, but...
The spunding valve is reading 6 psi and is hissing away nicely. Must keep a close eye in case the krausen starts shooting out of the valve, but I read somewhere that the pressure actually supresses the krausen. We shall see!

JQ

fakr · August 25, 2011, 03:18:14 PM

so John, would you ferment, clarify and serve in 3 separate kegs, or would you transfer to a secondary to clarify and server, just throw out the first couple of cups of sediment?

JohnQ · August 25, 2011, 06:22:21 PM

Most of the stuff I've read suggests 2 kegs is the best, Transfer after ferment is complete to a second keg, capturing the yeast from the first few pints. clarify and serve in 2nd keg.
I don't much care about the clarity of my beer unless it negative affects taste.

JQ

Jmac00 · August 25, 2011, 09:30:11 PM

might have to try this someday with one of my 10g cornies...thanks for posting.

Kyle · August 25, 2011, 09:34:25 PM

where did you find 10gal cornies?

Jmac00 · August 25, 2011, 09:37:02 PM

one at a yard sale, one on kijiji listed as something else(under the radar i guess you could say)

JohnQ · August 26, 2011, 09:17:27 AM

Woke up this morning....

Could hear the valve doing it's spunding from across the living room.
Checked and the pressure was at 7 psi, so backed it off a little and now it's down to 6 psi and hissing like crazy!
Must engineer a way to get a gravity sample out of the system without breaching the CO2 barrier. Maybe replace the pressure relief valve with some kind of dip tube with a tap. Oh McGyver...I got a job for you.

JQ

Kyle · August 26, 2011, 11:01:57 AM

John, your's is not the same as mine (mine is not under pressure), so we can't call it a real experiment, but have you noticed anecdotally that the fermentation is a bit slower than typical. Of course, I filled the keg to the top and then lost 3 pints to blow-off, so that may have included much of the yeast, meaning there are less of them to work.

Richard · August 26, 2011, 11:37:02 AM

If yours isn't under pressure wouldn't the only difference versus normal be the shape of the vessel? I could understand shape being an issue in large fermentors (it is - from the hydrostatic pressure), but at our scale I don't see it being an issue.

Just my $0.02.

Dean · August 26, 2011, 11:44:47 AM

I read somewhere about a gizmo that cycles the blow-off back into the fermentor ...the article was about a diy small-scale version but there's a brewery aomewhere in the UK that still uses the process. i forget where but the name of the place is also the name of the system

Richard · August 26, 2011, 12:00:06 PM

burton union kinda does that.