Can pressure fermenter replace temp control chamber?

[Velnerj]

Hey brewing community,

My current set up is that I dual purpose my kegerator as a fermentation temp chamber. It means when I make a beer I need to disassembled the kegerator and use it as a Ferm Chamber for 2+ weeks. This generally means I don't have homebrew in the house for this time period. And if I don't align a brew day along with the kicking of a keg, there is even a longer delay. (I have a two tap kegerator but one keg dedicated to soda water.)

So I'm looking for fermentation chamber alternatives. Instead of buying another mini fridge, I'm wondering if pressure fermentation can be a good substitute.

I typically brew ales: IPAs, stouts, heffes, wits etc. Is pressure fermentation a possibility for me in order not to use temperature control? Or is there limitations to pressure fermentation without temp control?

Thanks for the input.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Your yeast-forward styles (Hefes and Wits) won't do well with pressure fermentation. It'll suppress the desirable esters. I once tried pressure fermenting a Hefe and it had ZERO banana and was undrinkably clovey (like the balance was an absolute to clove). I presume Wit yeast will do the same. Phenol bomb with no fruitiness. Short of fermenting them at EXTREME temps which will present its own problems. Depending on how you brew the others, and what you want from them, they may not work either.

If you only brew ales, use the swamp cooler method. Surround your fermenter either with a wet towel dipped in water with a fan, or completely in water- use a big tote bin and fill it with water to the level of the beer (my preference is for the latter). The former I find difficult to precisely control, and isn't as effective in humid environments as it relies on evaporative cooling. The latter you can use ice/ice packs/frozen soda bottles or milk jugs full of ice or if necessary an aquarium heater to very precisely control the temp as you've greatly increased the thermal mass and made it quite stable. Even doing nothing with the latter but water will leave you barely above ambient temperature.

Also a lot cheaper than a pressure fermenter (though the ability to put under pressure has other benefits reducing oxidation that your IPAs will benefit from).

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Two things come to mind immediately Kviek yeast and a chest freezer. The former has a reputation for producing excellent tasting ales at higher temperatures, and the other eliminates having to repurpose a kegerator to ferment beer. But going for two weeks without homebrew to me is the biggest challenge.

Controlling fermentation temperature is high up on the list of things to do when brewing beer. So is getting to enjoy delicious homebrew. My vote would be for getting a temperature controller and a six cubic foot chest freezer and eliminate both problems at once.

 

[Golddiggie]

Another option would be to get a glycol chiller and use a chill coil (or one of the versions on the market) to keep your fermenting beer temperature under control. There are options out there for even use in carboys. There are more than a few options out there for the glycol chillers as well. People even make their own using a donor window AC unit.

I was able to get rid of the fermentation chamber when I switched over to conical fermenters because I got the chill coils with them along with a glycol chiller. Now I can ferment at 70F, even when the room is in the mid 80's. I can also drop the temperature of one fermenter to harvest the yeast while the other is fermenting. Or reduce it more to carbonate. My setup is now using less continuous floor space for having two batches in process at the same time. I'm able to put the glycol chiller out of the way, and the conical fermenters are easy to move around (as needed) since they're on wheels. Right now I have one batch in the late stage of fermenting (started a week ago) while another is carbonating. The first is going to get the yeast dropped (I reduce temperature to get it to settle out better) and then dry hopped before chilled further to carbonate. IMO, the flexibility of this kind of setup is hard to beat.

 

[Sammy86]

Get yourself one of these North Mountain Supply Fermentation Cooler Bag - Fits All Fermentor & Carboy Sizes Up to 8 Gallons https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XGN9P3P/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CVHMPJCTTQWWAW5R77YZ

This is what I use when I don't have room in the keezer to switch it to fermentation chamber.

2 liter seltzer or soda bottles frozen keeps you in the mid 60's, 4 will give you lagering temps.

 

[Beerstein]

If you are making anything with us-05 or Nottingham, then yes you can use pressure. I’m testing Verdant right Now at 10psi

 

[Velnerj]

Thanks for all the replies.

From what I gather I can get away without temp control and ferment under pressure if I'm going for a neutral yeast profile. However if I want to use a flavorful yeast and get esters and phenols I'll need to use temp control.

I'm aware of the other options regarding swamp cooler, glycol, chest freezer etc. I just thought that perhaps pressure fermentation could be another option.

Ideally I want a set it and forget it system but also don't want to use the spacial footprint of a fridge or freezer. Glycol is out of budget.

In the end I may still give pressure fermentation a go as 60-70% or more of my beers may fall into the neutral yeast profile (Us-05).
An additional plus is closed transfers and spunding options.

 

[max9]

I’ve been fermenting ales, stouts, and lagers under pressure in corny kegs at basement temperatures for several years now, and I really like it. Not sure what yeast strains tolerate pressure brewing …. I use S-05, 34/70, and I’ve just done one batch with a Kveik strain with no problems.

Regarding the closed transfer, if you want to transfer your beer off the lees after fermentation is complete, I suggest fermenting in a keg with a floating pickup tube. Then you can transfer your clear and carbonated beer to a serving keg without ever exposing it to O2. I often just drink off the keg I fermented in, but if the keg gets bumped, I’ll get a ‘glug ’ of sediment for a few pours.

 

[Golddiggie]

I have an English bitter in process now (started on the 15th) that I fermented under 5psi with Wyeast 1318. I kept the temperature at 70F since that's my normal fermenting temperature (for that yeast). I want to see what fermenting at 5psi will give me in the brew. I expect to have more esters than if I fermented under a higher pressure level. At least that's the theory.

If you're going for neutral yeast characteristics, then ferment at a higher pressure level. Just find out what the tolerance is for the yeast you want to use. Depending on what you pick to ferment in, the pressure limit could be set far lower than that level.

Look up the DIY glycol chiller builds. If you have an old window AC unit (or can find one) that's the majority of the item there. If you're handy, then you can build it yourself. I went the route of buying one instead of making for several reasons. Not the least of which was I could afford to buy one, and I didn't want to have to worry about modifying the AC unit safely.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Thanks for all the replies.

From what I gather I can get away without temp control and ferment under pressure if I'm going for a neutral yeast profile. However if I want to use a flavorful yeast and get esters and phenols I'll need to use temp control.

Of course, we are keeping in mind that increasing fermentation temperature also increases ester production.

 

[Golddiggie]

Of course, we are keeping in mind that increasing fermentation temperature also increases ester production.

Which fermenting under pressure suppresses.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Which fermenting under pressure suppresses.

Fermenting under pressure also reduces yeast growth, which in turn reduces the production of esters. Does this mean an increased yeast cell count is needed to ensure that fermentation is complete?

 

[Golddiggie]

Fermenting under pressure also reduces yeast growth, which in turn reduces the production of esters. Does this mean an increased yeast cell count is needed to ensure that fermentation is complete?

Maybe if you have the batch under the full pressure level from the very start. I simply make sure there's no spare oxygen in the fermenter (post yeast pitch via a couple of purge cycles) and then let the pressure build by the yeast. This means that they are [effectively] under zero pressure at the start, during their reproduction phase/cycle.

Of course, I always use either a starter (depending on batch parameters) or a yeast harvest in my batches. Which means I have plenty of cells going in at the start. To date, I've had great results with the yeast doing it's job without problems. Most batches finishing fermenting in less than four or five days from the yeast going in. I think my 8.3% old ale went a couple more days (less than a week) to complete.