So finally, after about a year of planning, saving, comparing and shopping I pulled the trigger on a brewhemoth with immersion chiller and a spunding valve right before the new years. So I should have it by the end of the month and
I'm planning ahead for my first batch when I realized I'm likely going to have to make some process adjustments for pressurized fermenting and yeast harvesting from a conical.
I had planned on pumping wort from the kettle to the brewhemoth and putting on the spunding valve (As I do 6 and soon 12 gal batches I don't expect to need a blowoff) let everything settle and then do a quick dump of any trub from the kettle (whirfloc & pellet hops). Then pitch yeast and set spunding valve to 5-7psi. After 2-3 days do an inital yeast/trub dump and then a couple days later harvest the middle desirable layer of yeast
Now I've read that a sudden depressurization can cause damage to yeast cells so when harvesting from a pressurized conical should I first depressurize the conical, then harvest then reset the psi back?
My pressurization plan for fermentation was 5-7psi for the majority of fermentation and then ramp it up to carbonation psi when it's within 2-3 degress plato.
I also like the idea of transferring to keg under pressure. I was thinking to accomplish this I would remove the sample valve and replace it with something like this http://www.brewershardware.com/1-1.5-Tri-Clover-X-1-4-Hose-Barb.html connected to beverage tubing down to a MFL liquid ball lock connector. Then transfer it to a pressurized corny and determine fill level by weight. Is that how most people xfer under pressure, or is there a better way to do this?
Also, how do most people handle things like dry hopping, fining (gelatin/isinglass) once they move to pressurized fermentations? I've been dry hopping with pellet hops in a bag in the keg and leaving it in there until I tap the keg, but I'm open to other ideas. I dry hop with pellet hops so my only concern would loose hopping in the conical would be the hop bits making it into the keg.
Also, usually a handful of times a year I make a fruit beer or another style that has until now required use of a secondary. With better bottles I've always just put fruit or adjunct in the secondary and racked the finished beer onto them. Does anyone do fruit beers in their conical or should I continue using external secondaries?
This will be my first foray into tri clamp fittings.. does the list below look reasonably complete, any suggestions for changes?
I'm planning ahead for my first batch when I realized I'm likely going to have to make some process adjustments for pressurized fermenting and yeast harvesting from a conical.
I had planned on pumping wort from the kettle to the brewhemoth and putting on the spunding valve (As I do 6 and soon 12 gal batches I don't expect to need a blowoff) let everything settle and then do a quick dump of any trub from the kettle (whirfloc & pellet hops). Then pitch yeast and set spunding valve to 5-7psi. After 2-3 days do an inital yeast/trub dump and then a couple days later harvest the middle desirable layer of yeast
Now I've read that a sudden depressurization can cause damage to yeast cells so when harvesting from a pressurized conical should I first depressurize the conical, then harvest then reset the psi back?
My pressurization plan for fermentation was 5-7psi for the majority of fermentation and then ramp it up to carbonation psi when it's within 2-3 degress plato.
I also like the idea of transferring to keg under pressure. I was thinking to accomplish this I would remove the sample valve and replace it with something like this http://www.brewershardware.com/1-1.5-Tri-Clover-X-1-4-Hose-Barb.html connected to beverage tubing down to a MFL liquid ball lock connector. Then transfer it to a pressurized corny and determine fill level by weight. Is that how most people xfer under pressure, or is there a better way to do this?
Also, how do most people handle things like dry hopping, fining (gelatin/isinglass) once they move to pressurized fermentations? I've been dry hopping with pellet hops in a bag in the keg and leaving it in there until I tap the keg, but I'm open to other ideas. I dry hop with pellet hops so my only concern would loose hopping in the conical would be the hop bits making it into the keg.
Also, usually a handful of times a year I make a fruit beer or another style that has until now required use of a secondary. With better bottles I've always just put fruit or adjunct in the secondary and racked the finished beer onto them. Does anyone do fruit beers in their conical or should I continue using external secondaries?
This will be my first foray into tri clamp fittings.. does the list below look reasonably complete, any suggestions for changes?
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Top
(1) 1/1.5 TC to 1/2" hose barb 90 deg bend. $15
(1) 1/1.5" TC Clamp $6
(1) 1" EPDM Sanitary Gasket $1.25
Racking Valves
(1) 1/1.5" Sampling Valve $29
(1) 1" Tri Clover Squeeze Trigger butterfly valve $49
(2) 1/1.5" TC Clamp $12
(2) 1" EPDM Sanitary Gasket $2.50
Thermowell
(1) 1/1.5" Tri Clover Thermowell 12" $24
(1) 1/1.5" TC Clamp $6
Dump Valves
(1) 1.5" Squeeze Trigger Butterfly Valve $53
(2) 1/1.5" TC Clamp $12
(2) 1.5" EPDM Sanitary Gasket $2.50
(1) 1/1.5" TC Cap $3
Misc:
(2) 1/1.5" TC Cap. $6
(6) 1" EPDM Sanitary Gasket $7.50
(6) 1.5" EPDM Sanitary Gasket $7.50
(2) 1/1.5" TC Clamp $12