Anvil cooling system

[Shawnstve]

A little late, but I got the Anvil Fermentation bucket with the cooling system and I love it. I live in South Florida so the AC is set around 74-75 and just changing the ice bottles 2 times a day fermentation has been staying at 66 degrees since Saturday without a problem. The highest it has gotten is 67.6 that I have seen and that's when I get home from work. Pretty cheap, so I bought a second set up to be able to rotate through beers faster.

Ok, yeah I’m in Texas, it’s warm here. Are you using a good cooler? Like a yeti? Or like Coleman? Just wondering about time differences between the different coolers.

 

[Kark]

Ok, yeah I’m in Texas, it’s warm here. Are you using a good cooler? Like a yeti? Or like Coleman? Just wondering about time differences between the different coolers.

I am just using a small I think 16-quart playmate cooler. It was like $15-20 I think at Home Depot. I am going to drill through the lid at some point, but just haven't done it yet.

 

[WesBrew]

Anvil setup

 

[Shawnstve]

Anvil setup

Ok cool! Looks like a small area also! Is that the 4gllon or 7 fermenter?

 

[Kark]

The same one I have, it's 7.5 gallons.

 

[WesBrew]

Ok cool! Looks like a small area also! Is that the 4gllon or 7 fermenter?

7.5 gallon. It’s a 4’ long desk. Very small area. I also brew here

 

[Shawnstve]

Oh cool! I was thinking of getting the anvil full system for brewing. I wanna get the 6.5 and the 4, to make 2.5-3 gallon batches. I can’t keep up with the beer drinking of a 5 gallon batch. Haha! I drink at most one beer a night. If that. Maybe 2-3 a week. Just would take forever to get through 5 gallons of beer. So I think the 2.5 gallon batches will be perfect. Allow me to experiment more often with new batches. I’m currently doing simple 1 gallon setups. But I figure it wouldn’t be too bad to switch (given the initial cost of buying the system).
Would you say I could do a primary ferment in the anvil system for a week, then stick it in a 3 gallon carboy with no temp control for the following 2 weeks? Then I would have the fermenter ready for a new Batch every week?

 

[Stand]

That sounds like a good way to go. My only concern would be the additional transfer into another carboy. I would get two separate carboys/buckets and move the cooling system. Better yet buy another cooling loop, so you don't have to move that either and expose to oxygen, although that might be overkill. You can get an insulated jacket for carboys as well if you don't want to buy another bucket.

It all just depends on what you want., and it sounds like you're getting a plan together.

Happy brewing!

 

[Shawnstve]

That sounds like a good way to go. My only concern would be the additional transfer into another carboy. I would get two separate carboys/buckets and move the cooling system. Better yet buy another cooling loop, so you don't have to move that either and expose to oxygen, although that might be overkill. You can get an insulated jacket for carboys as well if you don't want to buy another bucket.

It all just depends on what you want., and it sounds like you're getting a plan together.

Happy brewing!

But I hear of people moving from one carboy to another for 2ndary fermentation... I’m not talking about 3 moves, I’m talking about primary fermentation in the anvil system, then once it’s done lots of it’s thing (1-2 weeks) move it to the carboy for the final rest. If I have to wait 2 weeks to move it to the 2ndary then fine. I don’t need 2.5 gallons of beer every 2 weeks. Haha’. I’m about 4-5 beers per week kinda guy. Maybe with my own home brew I’d be more of a 5-6 beers a week kinda guy. I can wait 2 weeks. Heck if I should I’ll wait 3.... figured though I could start on a different style quicker that way. 1-2 weeks in anvil as primary, then transfer to a carboy for 2ndary... maybe another 2-3 weeks just to get a nice aged beer and then bottle?
My main thing was the temp control. From what it sounds like I don’t need to Keep temp up after a week? Basically after it stops bubbling? My brew I just did, bubbled for 3 day’s and then stopped. It’s still sitting there with the wet t shirt over it waiting to bottle 2.5 weeks later. Plan on bottling this weekend.

 

[Stand]

Common wisdom at this point is to allow the yeast to finish in the same vessel. Very few people are transferring for secondary fermentation because of the added risk of infection and oxygen exposure. When I started almost everyone transferred to a secondary (I did for years), but the benefits don't outweigh the risks and effort it requires to move the beer.

It would work, and you'd make good beer. None of this stuff makes or breaks anything, but when you're getting started it makes sense to aim for best practices.

Cheers!

 

[Shawnstve]

Common wisdom at this point is to allow the yeast to finish in the same vessel. Very few people are transferring for secondary fermentation because of the added risk of infection and oxygen exposure. When I started almost everyone transferred to a secondary (I did for years), but the benefits don't outweigh the risks and effort it requires to move the beer.

It would work, and you'd make good beer. None of this stuff makes or breaks anything, but when you're getting started it makes sense to aim for best practices.

Cheers!

Ok thanks! So many people say to do 2ndary, good to know I shouldn’t. so what about when transferring to bottles? I want to add sugar, and so I need to do that outside of the main vessel because I’ve got to stir it in, and I don’t want to get the gunk in the bottom to stir up into my bottles. But I do want it somewhat carbonated. I just bought some dextrose, and was told to make a sugar syrup and add to the bottling vessel. So basically just be super careful in transferring it to the vessel? I’ve got a bottling wand, should I use that to transfer to the bottling container?

 

[VikeMan]

So basically just be super careful in transferring it to the vessel?

Yes. Rack very carefully to the bottling bucket.

I’ve got a bottling wand, should I use that to transfer to the bottling container?

No. Use that for the actual bottling. Even if you could make a bottling wand work for racking to the bottling bucket, it would be excruciatingly slow.

 

[Shawnstve]

Yes. Rack very carefully to the bottling bucket.



No. Use that for the actual bottling. Even if you could make a bottling wand work for racking to the bottling bucket, it would be excruciatingly slow.

How do I transfer then? It’s a 1 gallon batch...

 

[VikeMan]

How do I transfer then? It’s a 1 gallon batch...

I think if I were bottling a one gallon batch, I would dose the bottles with sugar individually, and transfer directly from primary to bottles as gently as possible.

Exactly what equipment do you have?

 

[Shawnstve]

I think if I were bottling a one gallon batch, I would dose the bottles with sugar individually, and transfer directly from primary to bottles as gently as possible.

Exactly what equipment do you have?

I have a glass one gallon “jug”... then I’ve got a 2nd glass jug I was gonna sanitize, and bottle wand it into leaving the stuff at the bottom (sorry I’m bad with the terms...). Then add my sugar and then bottle. I’m bottling into 16oz flip tops... so I’ll get probably 6 bottles out of it. Since there is a fair amount of head room on my 1 gallon jug. I do plan on upgrading , hence the post here about the anvil system. I think I wanna get their complete system. The electric 6.5 gallon brewer, and the 4 gallon fermenter with the cooling system. I’m just starting off and so yeah... I figured start with a 1 gallon batch.
So is there a way to figure out how much sugar to add to each bottle? Should I just add the sugar straight? Or should I turn it into a syrup first? Man I’m confused ...

 

[VikeMan]

I have a glass one gallon “jug”... then I’ve got a 2nd glass jug I was gonna sanitize, and bottle wand it into leading the stuff at the bottom (sorry I’m bad with the terms...). Then add my sugar and then bottle. I’m bottling into 16oz flip tops... so I’ll get probably 6 bottles out of it. Since there is a fair amount of head room on my 1 gallon jug. I do plan on upgrading , hence the post here about the anvil system. I think I wanna get their complete system. The electric 6.5 gallon brewer, and the 4 gallon fermenter with the cooling system. I’m just starting off and so yeah... I figured start with a 1 gallon batch. Haha!
So is there a way to figure out how much sugar to add to each bottle? Should I just add the sugar straight? Or should I turn it into a syrup first? Man I’m confused ... haha!

Is your bottling wand something that's attached to a siphon hose that just dips into whatever container you're bottling from? If so, I'd dose the bottles and bottle from primary.

The amount of sugar to use depends on the type of sugar, the volume of the beer being bottled, the beer's temperature, and the level of carbonation you want. There are several carbonation calculators out there.

To reduce risk of contamination, the sugar should be boiled. If you just add it straight (dry), there's an additional (small) risk.

 

[Shawnstve]

Is your bottling wand something that's attached to a siphon hose that just dips into whatever container you're bottling from? If so, I'd dose the bottles and bottle from primary.

The amount of sugar to use depends on the type of sugar, the volume of the beer being bottled, the beer's temperature, and the level of carbonation you want. There are several carbonation calculators out there.

To reduce risk of contamination, the sugar should be boiled. If you just add it straight (dry), there's an additional (small) risk.

Yeah I’m using the calculator on northern brewer.
Ok so I’ll boil it to turn it to syrup, now I gotta figure out how to measure it to individual bottles. lol!

 

[Stand]

I agree with Vikeman. I would put some syrup or sugar into the bottles and then use racking cane to put beer on top. Concentration of syrup is easy to calculate because the boiling point of your solution tells you the concentration. I have kids, so I have about a thousand medicine syringes. Pharmacy will give you a coupl e if you ask.

Carbonation drops would be even easier.

 

[Shawnstve]

I agree with Vikeman. I would put some syrup or sugar into the bottles and then use racking cane to put beer on top. Concentration of syrup is easy to calculate because the boiling point of your solution tells you the concentration. I have kids, so I have about a thousand medicine syringes. Pharmacy will give you a coupl e if you ask.

Carbonation drops would be even easier.

Wouldn’t the carbonation drops possibly have contamination? Some yeasts on them?

and man you are speaking to scientifically here. Boiling point tells concentration? Please elaborate?

 

[VikeMan]

Wouldn’t the carbonation drops possibly have contamination? Some yeasts on them?

I suppose that's theoretically possible, but I can't say I've ever heard of a contaminated beer attributed to carb drops.

 

[Stand]

Pure sugar doesn't have enough available water content for anything to grow from what I understand, but someone else is better to answer this question. There's probably theoretically some chance something is in the sugar or on the sugar that can harbor bacteria, but it seems remote.

Still, I've never done it and the knowledge on this forum is pretty deep. You post that question in the Yeast and Fermentation forum and you'll probably get a Microbiologist responding. That's not a joke. This forum is awesome.

 

[Jag75]

So you will have to divide the priming solution equally. I'd go with the carb drops . Do your jugs have spigots on them ? If so attach a piece of hose between the spigot and bottle wand . Makes it really easy .

 

[Shawnstve]

So you will have to divide the priming solution equally. I'd go with the carb drops . Do your jugs have spigots on them ? If so attach a piece of hose between the spigot and bottle wand . Makes it really easy .

No they don’t, but the siphon is a auto “pump action” siphon...