Pressure Fermentation setup critique

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.

DaWhip

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2016
Messages
168
Reaction score
45
Location
Austin
I just want to source some setup critique/troubleshooting before I actually use this setup in case there is anything I can fix before I'm totally committed. I plan to try a pressure fermentation in a corny keg for my next brew. I've done my research, but the one "new" thing I am trying to accomplish is starting with close to 5 gallons in the corny. Most drop to 4 gal batches in a 5 gal corny so blowoff doesn't end up in the spunding.

I bought a spunding setup and pieced the rest together with what I have laying around. My main idea is that I can top off the keg (2-3" of headspace) and any blowoff will go into the 2 liter bottle, saving my spunding and potentially getting a top crop of yeast. The spunding will be set ~5psi until krausen falls, then I will up to ~20psi. I will be using fermcap as well. The keg and 2L will be in my ferm chamber (converted chest freezer) & I will run the coil line out of the freezer and have the spunding mounted on the wall above it. I will have the line to the 2L oriented straight down to have gravity on my side as much as possible.

So do you think it will work? Anything stand out as a bad idea? Easy improvements?

XwxKV7M89CT-fWHIWnOHiS-fEup6bZi1X9x7D4Mo5h_uRl80KHJzjqhTiW4N24_9roPK4Vc4YpdOhKmyoAB5H4eLr3eWqnV3jF62wqBiv62TCYfti9-cXjo1lHkUnukzvdFLsiLe0XLGphmKMACexpTlQPyQcnRsxFzeYDRg_VWEaKudcQs9Eu1XV5PI61KWY0649sCGPN4uHfyYffdUcorGFNR1qpbXOxKQla8xNqRZ4lN9G37CDbEHMdLlU-GcxOTt2sfvsrd5Rh4sqMzXsiAkrJROgiwo-WcDlrpWu70B-b6so-au14CP27hh49D4B7-GZVWkD8ItB8Qjnp3IRl4OHOB8ZCHrNE75xRWJ6dHd_JfdTB6WCnkEuYXhYPJV0MkxwooTR0WDvF9hL5T9MA4EEf4s4t0JOO6SF_Uxh7PADy5RTptLfYg3jM1Cb34FeA6PO2vS3LUWFMkYmvJwQTdRMHzqSaJ-QiQB4xA5Cm7aELMGROGFHd-zB0hRkjHtelwcP5TnCUhwIGuWhlQsCQVV9D8jq6UXH9d4jtj778lYjE5PM_zDlDC-6Oa9hUpuhoFUdQUdl1J3BFPLYOkYyivd-Tagy6JFZZ_7Ujhh2MSZQB8f=w962-h721-no

ndJonxE6tyoi4MACe-3FUQf-nCO2RvEGwVkS2t3x8uwfPxfDyWmdAX2eO4t8DJ2UjqzdxsqKPcxc8UP7m7VKwo6ksFc07YA3Ab-iVELUFMbRHPPiuApFFqVzX-HY074PVFjrStTAXSdNJCfYFiWjwLJ9P1M40ya5VAn-7u2xQ9tig0yKxhwuBwXsMi94BSlD8uZcQ5ZSdv6tIITUQABmSjV6ZDR5POpTU9sE6QygathKTrkTp7XoM3TA8LwRm2EpZY951ow1Y4pHgTdwPQzQ6feqICFWL4a8VX7xaKaNd_GLVYWH1Z3aUgnN4-3f6WyMBLDYLGy7RqN0EK-W5We241gVpCaBerP7mub27e9fymMZKsYbvemEdUHBof3-M5iGBbrk7M9q9hpbSuBPPrQT0vKIb_Da5Oi4KK03vRICq1YdrYNG_wuKgSAFmPvSK1UZ3biznfAKYQ6j6lot5Q2aT-pkN7od2APaCpSm08K4V-wLXBCUh9GKRz4MHjmZHQOmYAsQDeJrORQE8-K2lyOSpKLR0fAUGa72fTgrbtODiw8IIsbQmxxvTuNeq3hNdk4WGmjy-43WP3caTF9XCE9hb27gy27-RAgd6eShTcXYgBSQ74vk=w962-h721-no
 
I'm thinking that the blowoff would follow the flow of CO2 out through the spunding valve rather than falling down under gravity. The designs I've seen have a second container with an in connection for the CO2 and blowoff and an out connection for the spunding valve.

Once you get your system worked out, you'll love pressure fermenting.
 
That's my main concern. It would actually be easier for me to have the blowoff inline i think, but with what i have laying around, that would put the spunding right after the 2L and i didnt want it that close in case some blowoff didn't drop. If i can piece something better together along those lines, i will. I'll check it what i have in a bit.
 
I can't see the pictures, but if possible, raise the collection chamber above the fermentation vessel and the relief as high above that as you can get.
 
Thanks harrke. The design in the pics is:

  • T straight off the gas QD, oriented vertically.
  • Down side of T runs to 2L set on the ground (~1ft of hose)
  • up side of T runs to 20ft coiled airhose with spunding valve at the far end.
  • The spunding will be mounted about 3 ft above the top of the keg.

Inline makes more sense. I'm just trying to avoid a trip to the store as I impatiently wait for the UPS guy to show up with my black friday special hops so I can start this brew, but it might be worth it to make a trip.
 
Could you take a hose off the gas QD to the T so that both the collector and the spunding are above the FV?
 
Last edited:
I didn't have any of the right size hose around, but I could have. I would have assumed that I wanted more gravity on my side though, so the preference was to have the 2L as low as possible and get the spunding high and far away.

No matter though. UPS didn't show up, so I'm not brewing this weekend anyway. I made a run to the store and got a few more fittings to make it better. I'll post when I get it mocked up after the kids are in bed tonight.
 
I think gravity will only help after the CO2 pushes past the Krausen. So, if it has to lift the Krausen up a little first, then it hits a resistance, like the T, the slower moving Krausen will get thrown out of the way--presumably into your collection vessel.
 
so here is what I ended up setting up and think it should be pretty much foolproof. The first line on the right will be hooked up to the gas line on the fermenter. Blowoff will go into the liquid line of my catcher keg and co2 out the gas line to the spunding. When fermentation settles down, I can close off the lines to the catcher keg and open the line straight to the spunding or just leave the catcher keg in place and catch a bunch of co2 for ???

I plan to add a couple quick disconnects to this to make it easier to store and clean later, but this is how I'm hooking it up for the first brew.

GcVAeMF5k1RZA2jl7F9iC8v2_pDZnpk--6_3mb9whk64UKvjA4GlTcPqFtDlSEOjtlqYgrZ_Iw=w962-h721-no
 
Looks like a nice arrangement. Keep us posted on how it works. I've got a high gravity brew I'm planning to ferment in a keg in February and would be very interested in collecting the blow-off yeast.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top