Fermenting in a corny - problems?

[CodyBoyBrewery]

I getting ready to start fermenting in a corny and I wanted to see what problems, if any, everyone has had out there. I hate using my glass carboy mainly cause I'm paranoid I'm gonna drop the damn thing. So when I heard about fermenting in a corny, seemed like a great idea. Comments?

 

[HokieBrewer]

Scroll down and look in the Similar Threads box. The first link has tons of info.

 

[JKoravos]

The only problem is that you'll end up with less than 5 gallons of finished beer. If that's not an issue for you, it a great fermentation vessel.

 

[samc]

It's a great method. If you can find a 10 gallon used corny, even better!

 

[wolfman_48442]

Make sure to read the thread on Primary Fermenting in a Corny Keg
And if you don't yet own Fermcap-S, get some!

 

[tsb22]

Don't know that I would call it a problem, but...sometimes the lids dont seal completely.

I brewed an IPA two weeks ago & 4days into fermenting, was seeing no bubbling from the blow-off valve. I know air-lock activity doesnt mean there is no fermentation, but I was beginning to get a bit worried that maybe my pitching temps were too low (60deg) or something else stalled fermentation.

Hooked up the CO2 to the gas in post to grab a hydrometer sample & the sweet aroma of hops came flowing out all around the lid. At this point decided everything was probably fine, put the keg back in the cabinet to ferment/age another week.

This is the third batch Ive done in a corney, with the other corney I used I usually hear constant bubbling (<1/sec) for the first few days. So just an FYI, if you arent getting airlock activity from your corney, its probably just leaking out the lid.

My options for solving are:
1) Buy new larger O-ring from Williams Brewing
2) After dumping wort in & pitching, hook-up CO2 to seat the lid, then immediately purge it all.
3)Find a way to seat lid with O2 or Air pump, creating a more friendly oxygen environment for the yeast.

 

[bad coffee]

My beers don't finish quite as dry in the corny as a carboy (fermenter geometry)

Also, the only problem I had was a ring of krausen clear at the top of the fermenter that I didn't see/clean off. Made for a very funky beer that didn't clear. An overnight soak (upside down) in oxyclean fixed that problem.

B

 

[CharlesB]

I started out fermenting in them. I did have problems with them not sealing, so I hit them with 30PSI of CO2, purge and then take off the gas post to put on a blowoff tube. I'm doing 5 gallons batches in a 5 gallon keg with Fermcap-S and minimal blowoff. My beer comes out clean and clean into either a serving keg or bottles. I would recommend shortening or bending the eduction tube so that you can transfer the beer off without pulling yeast.