Keg as a fermenter?????

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

wrestler63

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2009
Messages
173
Reaction score
0
Location
Michigan
I have recently completeted collecting my kegs for my 3 vessel, single tier brewery. My local pub sells me newer kegs for the deposit he pays. I have a local welder who cuts my tops and welds in my inserts for a very small fee..Have found the 1/2" NPTF SS inserts from a local supplier for under 6 bucks.....I have less than $ 65.00 invested in each vessel( keg, inserts, and labor. ) Because of the low cost, I would like to convert a keg into a fermenter. My idea is to remove the stem from the keg for blow off tube, add an insert at the the side for raking, another underneath for capturing yeast, and 32" legs. Is there any sanitizing concerns or cleaning problems any of you can see with this set up? I am concerned about the small opening at the top for access to clean and sanitize.:mug:
 
Browse members and look for wortmonger. He is the king of sanke fermenters. I think he is doing a pressurized ferment, but his cleaning process would be the same.

Here... I looked it up.
 
Using it like a conical won't work, you won't be able to get all of the yeast out.

It will be like a soda keg for serving where you get some yeast from right around the dip tube and then the beer just starts coming out with most of the yeast still in there.

Just add an adjustable racking arm. Either rotating through the side like Sabco does, or a racking cane through the top like brewershardware.com (the less shiny version of the same thing employs a racking cane and carboy cap).

Cleaning: use chemicals, buy a small mirror. You can throw it on a burner with some water to soften the residue before cleaning. Not much harder to clean than a carboy per se, just harder to see when it is clean.

Sanitizing: no need for concern. Throw some water in it, pop it on a burner and boil it for 15 minutes or so. This is actually the primary advantage of sankey fermenters, imo.
 
Oh yeah, I recommend against adding legs. You won't be able to put it on a burner in that case, you can rack with a small (or high depending on how you modify it) amount of pressure instead of a siphon. Since you won't be able to dump the yeast unless you actually modify it into a conical, the legs have far more disadvantages than advantages.
 
Using it like a conical won't work, you won't be able to get all of the yeast out.

It will be like a soda keg for serving where you get some yeast from right around the dip tube and then the beer just starts coming out with most of the yeast still in there.

Just add an adjustable racking arm. Either rotating through the side like Sabco does, or a racking cane through the top like brewershardware.com (the less shiny version of the same thing employs a racking cane and carboy cap).

Cleaning: use chemicals, buy a small mirror. You can throw it on a burner with some water to soften the residue before cleaning. Not much harder to clean than a carboy per se, just harder to see when it is clean.

Sanitizing: no need for concern. Throw some water in it, pop it on a burner and boil it for 15 minutes or so. This is actually the primary advantage of sankey fermenters, imo.

If I position the ball valve 2" above bottom and another underneath in th middle of the concave can I still remove the yeast? It will be on legs
 
If I position the ball valve 2" above bottom and another underneath in th middle of the concave can I still remove the yeast? It will be on legs

You can remove some of the yeast in the immediate area of the valve, but it won't all slide out like a conical unless you actually modify it to have a conical bottom.
 
As far as cleaning,

Invest in some PBW or a Caustic cleaner. You need a pump and keg tap assembly obviously. Ask your local brewer how they clean kegs. At my local place he just recirculates cleaner through the kegs for like 10 minutes. Then recirculates rinse water. Then does a sanitizer. It works well.

You won't be able to see it clean, you would just have to trust that it is clean, that's why a caustic cleaner is better, it's pretty hardcore.
 
Back
Top