Spunding

[JohnQ]

I know that Kyle has just started spunding his first batch, anybody else try it yet?
Results?

JQ

[Richard]

Next batch I'm doing will be an IPA using the valve... likely some time later this week.

[sdixon]

Don't know what it is. I have heard of spelunking though.

[Gil Breau]

Still debating on whether to make the pilsner in the spunding keg at a higher temp or make it in the fermentation chamber I've almost got finished...

If I hold off, the next ale's definitely going in it.

[Kyle]

mine is making a steady      sssssssssssssssssssssssss   noise now.

[JohnQ]

Still debating on whether to make the pilsner in the spunding keg at a higher temp or make it in the fermentation chamber I've almost got finished...

If I hold off, the next ale's definitely going in it.

Somewhere in the vast array of pages I was reading on pressure fermenting, that was one of the things I found, though i didn't research that vein much further.  They were claiming that a microbrewery somewhere uses pressure to increase the temps on all they do for various reasons, but in short, higher temp was regarded as a benefit n this situation.
I'm still trying to tell my arse from a hole in the ground so shelved the line of investigation until I figured out the basics.

JQ

[Gil Breau]

I'm intrigued. I know I mentioned to you that I researched some on various lagering techniques, and pressure lagering was supposed to speed up the clarification process from 4-6weeks to half that time. I never noticed anything about the temp though.

I always thought though, that the point was that higher temps = more yeast flavor = bad in lager (especially super strict pilsners)

Maybe I'll give it a shot anyway. I want the Pils done for the start of December, so I should get on it and try the tecnique out this weekend.

[fakr]

Just started my first fermentation using the spunding valve John.  I used Richard's black IPA recipe, and used a little bit more sparge water to get a post boil volume of about 26L, then transferred to 2 kegs (roughly 13L in each).  Using a little 2 port manifold so I can use the spunding valve on both of them.  I'm thinking lots of headroom so no worries about krausen spray, but put the spunding valve in a bucket with a lid just in case.   Made and pitched the batch yesterday and today it's hissing away nicely.

Very excited about his John, after tasting Richard's black IPA, then your competition IPA last weekend, this is going to be AWESOME!

Not to go too off topic, but I was thinking about the whole benifit of using a spunding valve to mimic the pressure on the yeast cake in a big brewery.  I was also thinking of the krausening technique that a lot of German (and other) breweries do where they pitch a small yeast starter in the secondary fermenter to clean up the beer....and I thought to myself...that's pretty much what's going to happen when I transfer from the primary keg to the secondary.  Sure, I'm going to pour out the first pint or so of beer as it's a bunch of yeast slurry, but there's still going to be a fair amount go into the secondary....which would mimic the krausening technique....correct?  So maybe that has a good part to do with why your pressure fermented IPA was so damn good?

[Richard]

So far as I understand it the krausening technique relies on yeast that is at a peak of activity in fermentation, which would differ from the state of yeast that might be expelled during transfer after primary had finished. I'm pretty sure the effect cell-for-cell would be considerably different.

Also the yeast left after fermenting beer that strong would not be as viable as the yeast during active fermentation of a lower-ABV beer.

Certainly having viable yeast around would help to clean up the beer in any event, but I'm struggling to see how the situation you describe would differ from rousing the yeast in a normal primary fermentation vessel. Just going off what I've read and seen, I'm not sure how well documented this spunding stuff is

Glad you liked my recipe - very interested to see how it turns out with the spunding valve

[Kyle]

Well,

S-04 is always fast, but with the spunding valve, when I woke up this morning, it was done fermenting (pitched Sunday around 6pm).

Unfortunately I initially put the contraption on the liquid-out post, for about 3 or four hours. So it got some gunk in it. What is the suggested way to dissasemble and clean the spunding valve?

[Dave Savoie]

need to install a hydrometer on the side of the keg

[Richard]

Unfortunately I initially put the contraption on the liquid-out post

Kinda surprised that 3-4 hours was enough to get pressure from the yeast though.

[Kyle]

Me too, but it was just a trickle, also possibly acting as a syphon.

Anyways the solution to cleaning trub out of the spunding valve:I took a 2" peice of the silicone wort transfer hose, pushed it over the top of the valve, then looked for the 4 holes in the valve, and cut one hole in the hose that lined up with one of them. Hooked up an empty (rinsed and dried) keg to my fridge, and shoved the other end of the hose over the draft tap, turned it on. Repeated 8 timers, meaning two rotations, so that each of the four holes was the only air escape at two times, gave each time a couple second C02 Blast.

fixed.

The seperate pressure guage on the other hand... I'll be getting a new one of those.

[JohnQ]

The seperate pressure guage on the other hand... I'll be getting a new one of those.

I can pick up a replacement if you'd like.

JQ

[Kyle]

That would be amazing. Actually, get 2 if you don't mind, I have a busted regulator guage as well. Let me know how much I owe you.

I'm also going to put one of those water filter housings (minus the filter) in line so no more goo goes in the spunding thing.