Can you ferment in Keg without Spunding Valve?

[Brownyard]

I've been doing 5 gallon extract batches and fermenting in a Speidel. I'm looking to cut back my batches to 2.5 gallons (for more variety, and the ability to do all grain on my stove top) and was looking to buy a smaller fermenter. I have an extra 5 gallon corny, and figured I could just use it for fermenting. I've read up on it, and most sources recommend a blow off tube to the gas port, then a spunding valve. Do you have to use a spunding valve, or can you just leave the blow off attached until fermentation is done, then transfer to a serving keg?

 

[Broken Crow]

Yes. The only reasons for using a spunding valve are generally either to naturally carbonate, or to do lager at room temp. There's probably a few more specialized uses, but plenty of people do exactly what you're asking.

 

[mashpaddled]

You don't have to use a spunding valve at all. These have become popular really only in the past few years because they let you naturally carbonate your beer instead of pumping in CO2 from a tank. Just saving a little money on your CO2 fills. Before the rise of spunding valves on the homebrew market people either hooked the gas post to a blowoff or an airlock. People have been fermenting in kegs for a while because that was the only stainless steel fermentation vessels available unless you could afford to spend an arm and a leg.

If you're filling the keg halfway, then you could use either a blowoff or airlock. Not much of a risk of clogging with that much headspace. I ferment three gallon batches in a keg and used a blowoff because it fits in my fermentation chamber but I also have a spunding valve I've started to use.

 

[Broken Crow]

Oops! Sorry..just realized my lack of clarity; The 'Yes' was meant you can just use a blowoff.
(My brain dropped the "Do you have to use a spunding valve, or.." part )

 

[Spundit]

I usually just use a blow off tube into a jug of sanitizer.

One issue you may run into is that not every keg lid seals without some pressure in the keg. There are several solutions to this. Sometimes a good coating of keg lube will solve the problem. Another solution is to use a spunding valve to keep a few pounds of pressure in the keg. Finally, I was able to solve this issue by purchasing the oversize O-rings they sell at Williams brewing supply.

Have fun

 

[jpitz31]

Here is what I just put together for keg fermenting: