Closed transfer from Fermonster/Big Mouth Bubblers

[Buckeye_Brewer1]

Looks like that should work well. But I'm curious, what purpose does the orange cap over the bung serve?

Well its probably not necessary but I essentially copied the designs that utilize them for carboy necks. I figure I get a better seal on the connection for the gas tubing / straw. As long as the seals are good I don’t think the orange cap is necessary.

 

[jjw5015]

Possible dumb question incoming. Are you fermenting with these setups already installed, or switching the lids when it's time to transfer? Or just swapping the racking cane for the airlock?

 

[doug293cz]

Possible dumb question incoming. Are you fermenting with these setups already installed, or switching the lids when it's time to transfer? Or just swapping the racking cane for the airlock?

It's best if you can arrange to ferment with the transfer plumbing in place. Any time you break a seal, you let some O2 in. Different situations let in differing amounts of O2, but the best situation is to not let any in.

Brew on

 

[murphyslaw]

It's a lot like this:



But without the arrows shooting at me.

 

[murphyslaw]

Any good ideas on how to avoid the Temple of Doom scenario? Its a small flaw, but one I'd like to eliminate.

I like @hezagenius idea of putting a keg post on the lid, since then you can add co2 without switching fittings. But he still has to switch from an airlock to a racking cane on his other port. I have a spigot, so I could copy his design without having to switch anything....except then I've still got an airlock attached as I fill the headspace with co2 which seems wasteful. Perhaps putting tape or something over the airlock cap would be enough.

I'd also love to hear any good ideas people have as far as adapting this for cold crashing. Would the plastic and bung hold at a low pressure, like 1-2 psi, for 2 days or so? That would let you crash, replacing the additional head space with bottled co2, then disconnect once you reach the cold crash temp.

 

[hezagenius]

Any good ideas on how to avoid the Temple of Doom scenario? Its a small flaw, but one I'd like to eliminate.

I like @hezagenius idea of putting a keg post on the lid, since then you can add co2 without switching fittings. But he still has to switch from an airlock to a racking cane on his other port. I have a spigot, so I could copy his design without having to switch anything....except then I've still got an airlock attached as I fill the headspace with co2 which seems wasteful. Perhaps putting tape or something over the airlock cap would be enough.....

If you are still looking to use the my lid concept, you could attach a blow off tube to the gas post during fermentation. Then remove the blow off tube and hook up the CO2 when you are ready to transfer.

I've since moved on to fermenting in a pony keg with a TC fitting with 2 gas posts, a thermowell and a filtered diptube. This allows me to have a blow off tube, a spunding valve, be able to purge, and do clean pressure transfers, all without changing the lid. I only need to open up the lid once for dry hopping. I can even cold crash and carb in the fermenter without worrying about sucking back oxygen. And ramping up the pressure is not a problem. It wasn't cheap to buy all the parts but it's a pretty hassle-free fermentation and pressure transfer.

 

[murphyslaw]

If you are still looking to use the my lid concept, you could attach a blow off tube to the gas post during fermentation. Then remove the blow off tube and hook up the CO2 when you are ready to transfer.

I've since moved on to fermenting in a pony keg with a TC fitting with 2 gas posts, a thermowell and a filtered diptube. This allows me to have a blow off tube, a spunding valve, be able to purge, and do clean pressure transfers, all without changing the lid. I only need to open up the lid once for dry hopping. I can even cold crash and carb in the fermenter without worrying about sucking back oxygen. And ramping up the pressure is not a problem. It wasn't cheap to buy all the parts but it's a pretty hassle-free fermentation and pressure transfer.

Thanks. I've been thinking about fermenting in kegs, or even just buying one of those new anvil SS bucket fermenters. That'll probably be my next big purchase.

 

[hezagenius]

Thanks. I've been thinking about fermenting in kegs, or even just buying one of those new anvil SS bucket fermenters. That'll probably be my next big purchase.

I really wanted to go with the BrewTech Brew Bucket but my big concern was the pressure rating. I want to be able to use a spunding valve on the fermenter and I don't know if that would be possible on the Bucket. Ideally, I'd like something with the pressure capabilities of a keg with a conical bottom that can fit in a counter-height kegerator and doesn't break the bank. I have yet to find anything that meets all those criteria.

 

[TheMadKing]

I'm going to necro this thread a bit but I'm about to switch to pushing my transfers with CO2 out of a standard Big Mouth Bubbler and I was curious how you guys get rid of the air thats already inside the tubing when you start pushing beer? Do you CO2 purge the tube? or run off beer until the air is gone into a cup or something?

 

[Hannabrew]

Either really. I have a gas post on my fermonster lid so I can pressurize it a bit and then blow some off thereby purging the tubing and when I disconnect it it stays purged since there are QDs on both ends.

 

[day_trippr]

You definitely want to purge everything before hooking up to the keg otherwise you'd be pushing air into a presumably purged keg.
I put the racking cane and carboy cap in place with the cane pulled almost completely out, stick a spare keg beer post in the beer QD, turn on the gas and flush the whole thing end to end. Then I hook up to the (purged) keg...

Cheers!

 

[TheMadKing]

You definitely want to purge everything before hooking up to the keg otherwise you'd be pushing air into a presumably purged keg.
I put the racking cane and carboy cap in place with the cane pulled almost completely out, stick a spare keg beer post in the beer QD, turn on the gas and flush the whole thing end to end. Then I hook up to the (purged) keg...

Cheers!

I like that idea, thanks!

 

[TheHopfather]

I fill the keg with Starsan, purge, then push the Starsan to another clean keg. The receiving keg is now empty and full of CO2 at about ~4 psi. When I'm hooking everything up to the fermentor I'll attach the line to the receiving keg first, this releases the CO2 in the keg purging the line at the same time. Then transfer as normal.

 

[Sbe2]

Either really. I have a gas post on my fermonster lid so I can pressurize it a bit and then blow some off thereby purging the tubing and when I disconnect it it stays purged since there are QDs on both ends.

Do you have a pic of your lid?

 

[TheHopfather]

Do you have a pic of your lid?

Look at post #20.

 

[Samudell]

I know this is an old thread. But I was wanting to use a spunding valve connected to 1 gal keg to purge of oxygen and then do a closed transfer with the spigot. Is this possible