Keg fermenting

[redrocker652002]

I have been doing some reading on this and wondering how tough it is to do? I have kegs now in reserve and fittings and all. I might even have just about everything to make a spunding valve. I just need, at least in my estimation, a floating dip tube or two and some hose to make a blow off tube and a jumper tube from my ferment keg to my serving keg. This seems like a great way to do a closed transfer to keep O2 out and will be much easier to keg from one to the other rather than trying to juggle pressure into my bucket fermenter. I am sure I am missing something, but that is my takeaway so far. Comments are welcomed. Rock On!!!!!!

 

[Broken Crow]

I've read more complaints than success stories about DIY spunding valves, but the @KegLand ones are so cheap, convenient, and tolerant of foam and beer running through them, I'd just recommend buying one or three and trying it out.
I have some other thoughts, but let's see what others say.

 

[Grizwold1]

I ferment in a 5 gallon corny but I only do 3-4 gallon batches in my 6.5 Anvil. I'm told that with some care and proper technique a 5 gallon batch is doable, but have not tried it as yet. I do not have a spunding valve, but do purge two kegs during the fermentation, one with my dry hop in it already and the other as a serving keg. Transfer from keg to keg is smooth and about as oxygen free as it can get.

 

[AlexKay]

I have noticed a tremendous improvement in my hoppy beers and a small but noticeable improvement in malt-forward beers that I keg ferment and transfer in a closed loop.

I recommend Home - Homebrewer LAB for both floating dip tubes (both better and cheaper than the alternatives) and a spunding valve (pricey but high quality.)

 

[redrocker652002]

I've read more complaints than success stories about DIY spunding valves, but the @KegLand ones are so cheap, convenient, and tolerant of foam and beer running through them, I'd just recommend buying one or three and trying it out.
I have some other thoughts, but let's see what others say.

Crud, I wish I would have realized it. I could have snuck it in my order from Morebeer yesterday. LOL Wife would have never seen it.

 

[scogan]

I would also recommend Kegland Spunding valves.You can also consider serving from the dry hop keg,lots of people say they don’t experience the grassy flavours that are the supposed downside, Also seen recipes on YT from very knowledgeable brewers saying 60d in the dry hop keg is fine .

 

[redrocker652002]

I would also recommend Kegland Spunding valves.You can also consider serving from the dry hop keg,lots of people say they don’t experience the grassy flavours that are the supposed downside, Also seen recipes on YT from very knowledgeable brewers saying 60d in the dry hop keg is fine .

Thanks for the info. I am still doing research and seeing what I can learn. So, if I am reading right, I can put my dry hop bag into a keg, closed transfer from my fermenting keg into the new one and leave it be? Cold crash if I want and then carb up and serve? Kinda cool. Rock On!!!!!!!!

 

[odie]

you can step into keg fermenting for just about nothing. Just remove the gas post and stick a tube on it for blow off. when the bubbles slow down, just put the gas post back on and let it carbonate as it finishes. Occasioanaly burp the PRV...or not.

If you find you like it and want to get more into it, you can start changing up your gear...dip tubes, spunding valves, blow off tubes, custom PRVs, yeast harvesting, etc

 

[scogan]

Thanks for the info. I am still doing research and seeing what I can learn. So, if I am reading right, I can put my dry hop bag into a keg, closed transfer from my fermenting keg into the new one and leave it be? Cold crash if I want and then carb up and serve? Kinda cool. Rock On!!!!!!!!

Yes, I think most would cold crash before transfer.I don`t use a blow off tube as such just an ordinary bubbler with/without spunding valve on the gas post.Transfer is simplicity itself , especially with a floating dip tube to a keg you have purged with fermentation gas.Just start with a pressure greater in the fermenter and burp the receiving keg if the pressure starts to build up too much.

 

[BongoYodeler]

New to keg fermenting, I've just done a few so far. Depending on the style I've used three different configurations.

I've tried doing an IPA and a pale ale with 3 kegs - ferment in #1, loose dry hop with a floating dip tube in #2, and then transfer to #3 for serving. Worked fine.

For an Irish Red Ale I used two kegs. Ferment in #1 and transfer to #2 for serving. Worst of the bunch, but only because I used a spunding valve from the get-go. No character, no flavor other than bitter. Dumped. Without spunding I'm certain it would have been fine.

The beer I'm drinking now, a Kolsch style beer, I fermented and am serving from the same keg. Using a floating dip tube. So far so good.

 

[moreb33rplz]

Ferment and serve in the same keg. Now that's living

 

[redrocker652002]

Sorry to reignite my old thread, but got to thinking I want to give this a try. So, in line, I put the fermenting keg first, run a line from the gas post on that keg, to the gas post on a second keg to capture the CO2 gas from the fermentation. Add hops into the second keg if I feel it. Then, when ready, add a third keg with another line from gas post to gas post, transfer the liquid from my fermenting keg to the hop keg and use the CO2 from the hop keg to purge the oxygen from the 3rd, serving keg? After the dry hop time, unhook and then hook from the dry hop keg to the serving keg, transfer, cold crash and enjoy? I am guessing I will need at least 2 more floating dip tubes for the kegs to make this all clean and easy. Dang, this is kinda cool. I think Saturday is going to be a mass keg cleaning day, as I now have 11 kegs to clean and use. LOL. Thoughts or comments are always welcomed. Rock On!!!!!!!!!

 

[redrocker652002]

New to keg fermenting, I've just done a few so far. Depending on the style I've used three different configurations.

I've tried doing an IPA and a pale ale with 3 kegs - ferment in #1, loose dry hop with a floating dip tube in #2, and then transfer to #3 for serving. Worked fine.

For an Irish Red Ale I used two kegs. Ferment in #1 and transfer to #2 for serving. Worst of the bunch, but only because I used a spunding valve from the get-go. No character, no flavor other than bitter. Dumped. Without spunding I'm certain it would have been fine.

The beer I'm drinking now, a Kolsch style beer, I fermented and am serving from the same keg. Using a floating dip tube. So far so good.

How long did you leave the hops in the second keg before you did the transfer of the beer from keg one to keg 2? My concern is leaving the hops in the second keg for too long might be bad for the hops. Am I making too much of this?

 

[BongoYodeler]

Sorry to reignite my old thread, but got to thinking I want to give this a try. So, in line, I put the fermenting keg first, run a line from the gas post on that keg, to the gas post on a second keg to capture the CO2 gas from the fermentation. Add hops into the second keg if I feel it. Then, when ready, add a third keg with another line from gas post to gas post, transfer the liquid from my fermenting keg to the hop keg and use the CO2 from the hop keg to purge the oxygen from the 3rd, serving keg? After the dry hop time, unhook and then hook from the dry hop keg to the serving keg, transfer, cold crash and enjoy? I am guessing I will need at least 2 more floating dip tubes for the kegs to make this all clean and easy. Dang, this is kinda cool. I think Saturday is going to be a mass keg cleaning day, as I now have 11 kegs to clean and use. LOL. Thoughts or comments are always welcomed. Rock On!!!!!!!!!

*Gas out from the fermenting keg to beer out of the dry hop keg.
Gas out of the dry hop keg to beer out of the serving keg.



A few ways to approach this. For a pale and an IPA here's what I did, and it seemed to work well:

After fermentation is done disconnect everything and cold crash the fermentation keg. I waited 2 or 3 days for yeast to fall out and then transferred beer to the dry hop keg on top of loose hops. Dry hop keg has a floating dip tube. I kept it there for 3-4 days rousing occasionally. Then transferred to serving keg. (Make sure you purge all lines prior to transfers).

Someone mentioned you can successfully serve from the dry hop keg which is what I'll try at some point.

 

[BongoYodeler]

How long did you leave the hops in the second keg before you did the transfer of the beer from keg one to keg 2? My concern is leaving the hops in the second keg for too long might be bad for the hops. Am I making too much of this?

That is a concern of mine as well. I threw them in loose a few hours after I pitched the yeast, so active fermentation was just about to get underway. I did do a couple 30psi CO2 blasts from the tank into the dry hop keg after throwing the hops in to at least have some level of CO2 in there. Whether it helps or is necessary I have no idea. Not too long after fermentation starts the dry hop keg completely fills with CO2.

 

[Brooothru]

Why not use a hop dropper setup? It would probably require a kegmenter with a TC top and traditional Corny keg posts (hybrid keg) with a floating dip tube, but it would work more efficiently than what you’re describing.

You’d ferment, spund, DH and crash all in one vessel, then do a single closed transfer to a serving keg, all of it done with minimal oxygen exposure, and fewer vessels to cleanup. I’ve got two TC kegmenters with Corny posts and can do everything I do in my unitank except dump trub and harvest yeast.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Why not use a hop dropper setup? It would probably require a kegmenter with a TC top and traditional Corny keg posts (hybrid keg) with a floating dip tube, but it would work more efficiently than what you’re describing.

You’d ferment, spund, DH and crash all in one vessel, then do a single closed transfer to a serving keg, all of it done with minimal oxygen exposure, and fewer vessels to cleanup. I’ve got two TC kegmenters with Corny posts and can do everything I do in my unitank except dump trub and harvest yeast.

While I'd image that works really well, it seems like a lot of money to spend for a solution to replace something that is already working really well for me.

 

[Brooothru]

While I'd image that works really well, it seems like a lot of money to spend for a solution to replace something that is already working really well for me.

Yeah, they’re a bit more expensive that a regular keg. I use them as a ‘secondary’ of sorts to open up the production line. I start the fermentation in the unitank or SS fermenter, then transfer towards the end of ‘primary’ before fermentation ends into a purged kegerator preloaded with dry hops. No O2 incursion and no loss of hop flavor out the blowoff. Carbonation happens naturally, crash after 4-5 days after DH, transfer, drink. The pipeline never misses a beat.

Between a unitank, a SS fermenter and two kegmenters, there’s always something in some phase of development.

 

[redrocker652002]

Thanks all. Good stuff. I might give it a go and see what happens. I have to do a full cleaning and checking of seals on about 11 kegs, so I have a decent days work ahead of me. Thankfully I have enough HB to make it worthwhile. LOL. Rock On!!!!!!!

 

[szap]

I have noticed a tremendous improvement in my hoppy beers and a small but noticeable improvement in malt-forward beers that I keg ferment and transfer in a closed loop.

I recommend Home - Homebrewer LAB for both floating dip tubes (both better and cheaper than the alternatives) and spunding valve (pricey but high quality.)

I second the FLOTit dip tube. I currently have 4 of them. I worried at first that the transfer from one keg to another through the dip tube would be a problem but it is not. Thanks for the link. I didn't realize that he had set up his own web site.