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Johnmike24 · 10-29-2007, 02:48 PM

Does anyone ferment in the carnelius keg? I've got a few from the local Pepsi delivery guy and want to start fermenting in stainless. Midwest Homebrew sells a kit with a stainless ball lock. I wanted to find out if anyone is using them and if its worth the $25 for the set up?

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6120

**Bobby_M** · 10-29-2007, 03:27 PM

That kit just tells me that people will buy just about anything. The fact that you don't leave enough headspace for a normal krausen should be enough to tell you it's not a great primary fermenter. They do make great secondaries though where you don't need more headspace. Just unscrew the post and put a piece of rubber hose on it into which you insert the airlock. If you shorten the dip tube, you can use CO2 to rack into another keg or into your bottling bucket.

**olllllo** · 10-29-2007, 03:29 PM

$25 seems spendy to me when you consider all that is really required is an open ended tube for a blowoff.

**Bobby_M** · 10-29-2007, 05:31 PM

Yeah, did you notice the foam control part of it? You can probably primary a 4 gallon batch in a corny, but 5 gallons just takes it too close to the top.

**olllllo** · 10-29-2007, 05:58 PM

Yeah those can be bought for $5.95 or .30cents per batch.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=5987

The fact that they sell this with a brush implies to me that the apparatus tends to clog.

jrpark22000 · 10-29-2007, 07:47 PM

I have no problem with using kegs for primary, but I have way to many corny kegs and use 2 kegs for a single batch primary and transfer both into a single keg for secondary. I still use a 6.5 carboy on some batches, but sealed kegs from pitch thru filter to tap makes things easy.
I also made some of the stainless disconnect airlocks for free from supplies I had, and it is much easier than having to take the post on and off. Is it worht $25, only if you havve way to much money to spend, just build it yourself with a plastic disconnect some tubing and a airlock.

brauhausjoe · 02-03-2008, 10:56 PM

What do you guys think about a 10 gal keg as a primary for a ~5 gal batch? Then using CO2 to rack it into a 5 gal secondary and then the same process to get it to a dispensing 5 gal keg?

Would there be to much head space in the primary 10 gal?

Beerrific · 02-03-2008, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olllllo

$25 seems spendy to me when you consider all that is really required is an open ended tube for a blowoff.

Not to mention that you are 'wasting' a keg. If you need the primary, sell the keg and buy a carboy...save the $25.

Nwcw2001 · 02-03-2008, 11:33 PM

Go down to your local Home Depot and grab 3 feet or so of 1/2 tubing. take the "gas in" post off and pull out the tube. Put the tubing on the threads and put on a hose clamp to keep it in place. Now you have a blow off.

I measured the exact amout of liquid goes into these kegs, all the way full to the very top of the keg is 6 gallons. I just fermented 5.5 gallons of a Belgian Trippel with no problems. I could also strap a heat pad onto the side of the keg to jack up the ferment temp at the end of the fermentation to get it to finish properly.

And I didn't use any fermcap. IF I had had some I would have used it, just to make sure I loose as little beer as possible. The brewpub I worked at used Fermcap to be able to increase their fementers capacity.

I think I will be using this system more and more. I plan on getting a sanke keg and doing the same thing with bigger batches.

John

abracadabra · 02-04-2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nwcw2001

Go down to your local Home Depot and grab 3 feet or so of 1/2 tubing. take the "gas in" post off and pull out the tube. Put the tubing on the threads and put on a hose clamp to keep it in place. Now you have a blow off.

I measured the exact amout of liquid goes into these kegs, all the way full to the very top of the keg is 6 gallons. I just fermented 5.5 gallons of a Belgian Trippel with no problems. I could also strap a heat pad onto the side of the keg to jack up the ferment temp at the end of the fermentation to get it to finish properly.

And I didn't use any fermcap. IF I had had some I would have used it, just to make sure I loose as little beer as possible. The brewpub I worked at used Fermcap to be able to increase their fementers capacity.

I think I will be using this system more and more. I plan on getting a sanke keg and doing the same thing with bigger batches.

John

I think it's great when people with actual experience post money saving advise such as this.

Keep up the good work John.............