5 gallon Cornelius keg filled to 4 and 5 gals

[mattman91]

When I picked up my Fermzilla, it came with a length of silicon tubing and a floating tube, you can purchase them on Amazon for about $20, and I've been using them in kegs without an issue. They come with a short tube to replace the liquid tube in the keg.

https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Fe...ps,119&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A1VGCA0AS7QDJG

I bought one of these for my fermentation keg set up. The other floating dip tube I had always had a problem of not staying under the liquid line. This one is perfect. The filter not only filters out hops/trub, but also helps weigh the tube down. Love it.

 

[odie]

this solved all my floating dip tube problems. A 1/2" SS nut that slides up and down the silicone hose. It keeps the hose always in a dip and thus keeps the pick up always below the liquid line.

 

[mashpaddled]

Fixed that for you.
I have had krausen out the gas tube with 4.5 gal wheat beer in corny keg; with 4.75 gal Voss Kveik, and with 4.75 gal WY1007 4th generation overbuild.

Add most Belgian yeasts to that list, too. I've had 7.9 gallon buckets with 5 gallon batches with Belgian yeast push krausen into the airlock. I routinely get blowoff tubes filled with krausen on one gallon batches in 4 liter jugs because 10% headspace often isn't enough with a lot of strains.

Whirlfloc avoids these issues though. Pretty much any time I have a thought of concern about a clogged airlock or blowoff tube I add whirlfloc when I pitch. Never had problems with foam stability.

 

[Cider Wraith]

this solved all my floating dip tube problems. A 1/2" SS nut that slides up and down the silicone hose. It keeps the hose always in a dip and thus keeps the pick up always below the liquid line

Nice

 

[LloydGM]

...EXCEPT the dreaded hefe...that is coming out no matter what so have a good container for the blow off tube.

By chance, have you ever tried adding a defoamer when fermenting? I used to use a few drops of olive oil (which is also great for yeast starters in tiny amounts, even just before wort boils). Now, I use Birko Patco 376 which is pure vegetable oil (no silicone!) which you can get by the gallon or AIH used to sell it in little 2oz(ish) bottles for $5. With Patco, even a 3x yeast starter (1L -> 2L -> 3L) in a wee heavy scottish ale only produces 1/2" of krausen. I not a hefe fan, but curious if Patco works just as efficiently for hefes, too.

 

[odie]

I try not to add anything that is not part of the recipe.

 

[doug293cz]

I have measured the volume capacity of my ball lock kegs (by weighing the water - more accurate than measuring cups) at 5.3 - 5.35 gal. Just another data point.

Brew on

 

[odie]

liquid volume expands and contracts based on temperature.

Had a fuel truck fill us to capacity on the ramp in Vegas at night. A couple days later we return to find a bucket under the fuel vent with some of our jet fuel in it...the things you learn as a student...

 

[oakbarn]

liquid volume expands and contracts based on temperature.

Had a fuel truck fill us to capacity on the ramp in Vegas at night. A couple days later we return to find a bucket under the fuel vent with some of our jet fuel in it...the things you learn as a student...

When I was fly Gulfstreams, originally the specs called for a maximum fuel weight versus gallons. You could "overload" the fuel on a cold day. They eventually changed to Maximum gallons. All planes have a fuel vent system that will leak fuel on a ramp if left full most of the time.

 

[doug293cz]

liquid volume expands and contracts based on temperature.

...

Yup. I compensated the weight to volume calculations for water temp (divided the weight of water in the keg by the density of water at its current temp) when I determined the keg volume.

Brew on