corny as a primary. how full?

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madtown

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I'm getting ready to do my first all grain and have been researching a ton. I have my corny and want to use it for my primary. i want to use a QD attached to the "gas in" with a blow off tube. Most threads recommend removing stuff in the QD and on the post before doing this but i cant figure out why? Would it be a big problem if i just left them as is? that way when i'm done with my fermentation i can just hook up co2 without having to mess with putting the post back together and introducing o2 into the corny. Also, most people recommend using ferma cap to control the krausen or not filling the corny up all of the way but is there any harm to just simply filling it full and letting the krausen blow off?
 
I'm getting ready to do my first all grain and have been researching a ton. I have my corny and want to use it for my primary. i want to use a QD attached to the "gas in" with a blow off tube. Most threads recommend removing stuff in the QD and on the post before doing this but i cant figure out why? Would it be a big problem if i just left them as is? that way when i'm done with my fermentation i can just hook up co2 without having to mess with putting the post back together and introducing o2 into the corny. Also, most people recommend using ferma cap to control the krausen or not filling the corny up all of the way but is there any harm to just simply filling it full and letting the krausen blow off?

never heard of this but than again I've never looked into it either. I can't imagine it would be easy. for one I would think that the poppits inside the post would get clogged in the first day of fermentation, not to mention all the trub and sediment left in the keg that will continue to clog things up. wouldn't it be easier to just ferment in a good old bucket than transfer to the keg? like I said I've never looked into this before so I could be way off here but it just sounds like a headache to me. anyone?
 
Seems like a bad idea to me. Fermenting in your delivery vessel seems like the last thing you would want to do.

Edit: my bad I thought you were talking about fermenting in the corny then simply running the gas to it to serve without any transfer.
 
It seems lots of people do it, I'm trying it out. There are two recommended methods, either using an airlock on the relief valve, or more than likely, removing the gas tube and poppit, leaving the rest of the connector in place and attaching a ball lock and blowoff tube there. There's pictures and threads somewhere.

You can then transfer to another keg via keg-to-keg transfer for extra aging or dispensing. People like the closed sytem, and possibly the pressurized fermentation system.
 
In my opinion, people who use a corny as a primary do so using a dedicated vessel. I would remove the poppet and post and replace with a blowoff tube. Even then I think you run a slight risk of a clog if you overfill. You will also want to bend or shorten the dip tube, so it does not suck up the trub when transferring it to the serving container. I personally would not use the fermenting keg to serve from, but that is your choice.
 
I didn't even answer the question from the post.... Ok, the reason why the poppit is removed seems to be related to the fact that it can clog up more easily when the poppit is there.
There are various options including bending, shortening the tube or possibly adding a racking cane tip to the end of the dip tube.
As for just letting krausen just blow off vs fermcap, I think we're apt to worry about the blowoff actually clogging anything and building up too much pressure, including clogging the relief valve. Mostly because the kegs are built to hold more pressure than a carboy so the explosion would be more intense.
 
When I ferment in a corny I use some of the defoamer and just use an airlock. I use a small piece of silicone tubing to fit over the nub where the post goes, and onto the airlock. Worked great for me in the past, but switched back to 6.5 gallon carboys so I could get a full 5 gallons in the corny. In the past I've only put 4.5 gal in the corny to leave a bit of headspace.
 
i was thinking of not doing anything to the dip tube and just wasting the beer until it ran clear, most posts stated that if you cold crash for a few days to compact the yeast cake you'll end up wasting about a pint of beer before it clears, no real need to transfer to a second vessel. so i guess my real guestion is, if i just take off the "gas in" post and hook up a blow tube can i fill my corny up all of the way? How much beer will i lose to "blow off" if done this way?
 
I'm fermenting in a corny right now. We added fermcap-s to the boil (10 gallon batch) and I filled my corny as high as I thought was going to be safe (and then added a little more)... Nothing has come through the airlock other than excess CO2...

When I picked up the corny from the LHBS, and told him I wanted to ferment/age in it, he gave me the options for using it that way. We removed the pin style release valve from the lid, so that I can install an airlock there. Next time I get another corny for fermenting, I'll not remove the relief valve, but get tubing to go over the lock valve for an airlock. That way, I'll have more option for using the keg later. That way, I can have it sealed, hit it with some gas to make sure the lid is seated fully, then release the gas, and install the airlock.

My only semi-concern is standing stability of the corny compared with a carboy. I might look to either make, or buy, something that will give it a slightly wider base for when I'm fermenting in it, and there's an airlock on it. At least, when it's not close enough to other things to keep it from being knocked over. Although it would take a decent amount of effort, and carelessness, to tip it over.

Of course, I did remove the dip tube from the keg, installing another gas tube in it's place, replacing the o-rings on both posts.

So far, I would say that if you use fermcap-s with the corny, need for a blow-off tube is eliminated. Just install an airlock either on one of the posts (pull the dip tube so you have more room for wort :D) and let it ferment.

I do, kind-of, miss not being able to see what's going on inside the primary, but I'll get over it. Knowing that I'm fermenting in a completely light tight vessel is worth it. I know that the plastic buckets are not 100% light tight, the corny is.

BTW, I'm using a 5 gallon corny here... We split the batch from Saturday so we can each ferment it at our own place. We do plan on a bottle swap once finished, to see if they are the same or not. The only difference should be the fermentation temperatures. Everything else is identical.
 
I use 15 gallon corny so it eliminates head space issues. I simply remove gas out post and push a piece of silicone tubing over the stub end with an airlock attached. After ferment/cold crash, post goes back on an CO2 transfer to serving keg.
 
I ferment in corny's every time. Just remove the liquid post and remove the diptube. Then you put a length of 1/2 inch (i think that's the measurement...) tubing over the threads and use a hose clamp to hold it on the threads.

You can see a weld line inside near the top of the keg, fill to there. Use fermcap and you will have a little blowoff. You can get 48 bottles out of that. Transfer to a serving keg if you keg.
 
I ferment in corny's every time. Just remove the liquid post and remove the diptube. Then you put a length of 1/2 inch (i think that's the measurement...) tubing over the threads and use a hose clamp to hold it on the threads.

You can see a weld line inside near the top of the keg, fill to there. Use fermcap and you will have a little blowoff. You can get 48 bottles out of that. Transfer to a serving keg if you keg.

Do you replace the diptube to transfer, or do you just siphon?
 
I just siphon like it was a carboy.

+1 there...

I did that when I bottled up my old ale that was aging on oak in the corny... Was able to get the autosiphon to hold itself up properly by placing it next to one of the lock posts. Made it much easier than when you rack from either a bucket or carboy. Will see how it goes with the batch I have fermenting in the corny now... I suspect I won't be able to let it drop as low, but should still be pretty damned easy to rack out of into the bottling bucket.
 
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