Any experience with the Williams Warn Brewkeg?

[jgaepi]

Does anyone have real world experience with the Williams Warn brewkeg? The only YouTube videos are from the company. No online reviews I can find.

I'm intrigued because I already brew half batches so the 10L version would give me a SS conical with a tub dump and a unitank capability. Other than the price, looks pretty cool. Thanks.

 

[thehaze]

I have no experience with it, but they sure do look pretty and ... easy. The price are OK, especially if you are ready to invest in something similar.

The price difference however is not big between the different version they offer. I think I would personally opt for the 50 L one.

Hope others will pitch in with their first hand experience of this device.

 

[Sadu]

I won a Brewkeg 25 in a competition, have put through maybe 8 batches so far. I also have a fermentasaurus which I still use.
TLDR: love it. If I could afford to replace the fermentasaurus with another one, I would.
It's well made, solid, and the company seem responsive about spare parts.
The lid is transparent, so you can shine a torch in to see how your krauesen is looking. Plus the collection bottle at the bottom let's you see rising bubbles. This puts it well ahead of other opaque stainless fermentors. Pressure fermenting is great, for many styles. Great for closed transfers etc.
I've been letting the wort settle a couple of hours before pitching, then remove the bottle of trub and discarding. Just makes for less bottle swaps later and cleaner harvested yeast. I'm usually swapping the bottle as it approaches FG then again after clarification.
Downsides, not many. It's pricey, but most stainless conicals are. The lid doesn't always seal perfectly, but if you take your time and use keg lube it's good. Can't think of anything else bad about it. Even the size is pretty good, fits in a pretty small fridge. The videos are all about going extract to glass in 7 days by fermenting warm under pressure. I don't much care for warm ferments, and aren't in that much hurry. I've been doing 2 weeks grain to glass very easily.

 

[jgaepi]

Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for.

The first question, bc I've never pressure fermented, I don't need a blow off tube right? Do I need the pressure gauge add on or will the pressure gauge on my CO2 tank suffice?

Lastly, can I touch base with you again after I buy and right before I use to walk through the process? Thanks!

Lastly, I'm intrigued by the hot wort option. Then chill overnight in fridge and then pitch yeast. Have you done that?

 

[Sadu]

With pressure fermenting you don't use an airlock or blowoff. You use a VPRV aka spunding valve which let's you adjust the release pressure. The brewkeg comes with a spunding valve built into the lid. Not sure about using the regulator gauge, since you will hardly ever be connecting it to the gas bottle.
I actually don't use the built in spunding. I route all the fermentation gas through a keg to purge it of air, and put a separate spunding on the keg instead. Totally recommend doing this by the way.

I'm not sure about chilling in the fridge. Haven't tried it with the brewkeg, but I used to chill to 110f or so then put the fermentor in the fridge. Next morning it would still be too hot to pitch. I'd imagine chilling from boiling would take forever, but it's definitely an option with stainless. Personally I'd put the 10L brewkeg in a trash can of water and run the hose through. That would get you there way faster.
Happy to answer whatever questions you have, all good.

 

[jgaepi]

Can you further explain what you mean by: I route all the fermentation gas through a keg to purge it of air, and put a separate spunding on the keg instead. Totally recommend doing this by the way.

Thanks.

 

[Sadu]

Not a great photo but here you go. Gas port on the brewkeg connects to liquid port on the sanitised corny. Spunding valve on the corny gas out. As fermentation proceeds, co2 is produced. This exits the system via the corny keg. By the time fermentation is done I have a corny keg with 99.9% co2 at the same pressure as the brewkeg.
This means when I transfer my beer into the corny, there is very little oxygen damage. Plus that co2 cost me nothing.

 

[jgaepi]

Ok, so two new questions based on your response. A) the BrewKeg doesn't get fermented with a CO2 tank connected the entire time? So, I'd need that spunding valve add on? And B) you aren't pouring directly from the unitank but transferring? Thanks!

 

[Sadu]

A. No, you don't ferment with the gas connected. The fermentation produces a lot of co2, most is blown off but some it trapped to carbonate the beer. The external spunding valve is only needed if you want to purge a keg like I do. Most people use the one in the brewkeg lid.
B. I like to transfer to a serving keg so I can get the next brew started in the brewkeg. Other people connect the gas and serve directly from the brewkeg. Works great either way.
Some people have 2 brewkegs and are fermenting in one, drinking from the other.

 

[jgaepi]

In that regards, isn't the add on spunding valve required to keep a consistent CO2 pressure rather than leaving it to chance? Thanks.

 

[Sadu]

In that regards, isn't the add on spunding valve required to keep a consistent CO2 pressure rather than leaving it to chance? Thanks.

I use the spunding because I already had one, and they are like USD$30 to buy so doesn't add hugely to the cost.

But if you don't want to get one, you still have options.

Basically you replace the spunding on the keg in that picture with an airlock or blowoff tube (connected to the gas disconnect). You start the fermentation with no pressure - it's still gonna vent off the gas through the keg and purge it for you.

About 70% of the way through fermentation you remove the keg and finish the ferment using the built-in spunding on the brewkeg. This will carbonate the beer for you. You don't actually need to ferment under pressure the whole time and some people say it's better to start at low pressure and increase near the end. That approach would totally work if you don't have the extra spunding valve, and not much risk of issues.

If you watch the WW videos, it's a specific technique to get a certain result. I don't follow that 'system' at all - I just like it as a solid stainless pressure conical, and like I said I like to purge my kegs with it because who doesn't like free CO2?

 

[jgaepi]

Not a great photo but here you go. Gas port on the brewkeg connects to liquid port on the sanitised corny. Spunding valve on the corny gas out. As fermentation proceeds, co2 is produced. This exits the system via the corny keg. By the time fermentation is done I have a corny keg with 99.9% co2 at the same pressure as the brewkeg.
This means when I transfer my beer into the corny, there is very little oxygen damage. Plus that co2 cost me nothing.View attachment 595921

Down to the final days before I finally just order this thing. Another question, I assume your gas tube and liquid transfer tubes you made yourself? I see this item and I'm sure I can create the same components for a fraction of the cost. Although the liquid pick up tube might be a special item I can't recreate. https://www.morebeer.com/products/brewkeg-corny-keg-transfer-kit.html

 

[4of7]

Kegmenter...

 

[4of7]

Pressure transfer