LizardRuss
Member
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2013
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 0
Continuous fermentation is something I've been researching recently, and while I don't brew enough to warrant setting it up, I had some ideas on how it could be implemented on a homebrewing level... in case anyone is crazy enough to try it. As a primer, you might want to look here. I'll try to sum up the process as briefly as possible.
An over-simplified overview of the process is to connect several fermentation chambers together, where each stage of fermentation can take place in a separate chamber. The first would be for yeast inoculation and growth, the second for primary fermentation, the third acts as a secondary, and the fourth is for separating the beer from the yeast. After that the beer can be dry hopped/bottled/kegged
A very basic implementation of this could be a series of ported better bottles connected by tubing. Each would have a port near the top, but below the liquid level, and an port at the bottom. To use it, it should be possible to empty finished beer from the last fermenter's bottom while adding fresh wort to the bottom of the first. In theory, the beer should travel from one stage to the next. A flow monitor might be needed at the output end in case the fresh wort isn't the same volume as what's being drawn off.
I've seen people experimenting with inverted carboys trying to mimic conical fermenters.. well that might still be useful in this set up. One or more of the better bottles could be inverted with a valve installed on the bottom in order to harvest enough yeast to inoculate fresh wort. This would also serve as the bottom port for transferring.
There's a bunch of other challenges with this set up I haven't thought through, such as temperature control for each stage.. but I'm throwing this out there to see if anyone is nuts enough to try it.
Reasons to try it:
Reasons not try it:
Probably not something I'll ever attempt, but wanted to share the idea
An over-simplified overview of the process is to connect several fermentation chambers together, where each stage of fermentation can take place in a separate chamber. The first would be for yeast inoculation and growth, the second for primary fermentation, the third acts as a secondary, and the fourth is for separating the beer from the yeast. After that the beer can be dry hopped/bottled/kegged
A very basic implementation of this could be a series of ported better bottles connected by tubing. Each would have a port near the top, but below the liquid level, and an port at the bottom. To use it, it should be possible to empty finished beer from the last fermenter's bottom while adding fresh wort to the bottom of the first. In theory, the beer should travel from one stage to the next. A flow monitor might be needed at the output end in case the fresh wort isn't the same volume as what's being drawn off.
I've seen people experimenting with inverted carboys trying to mimic conical fermenters.. well that might still be useful in this set up. One or more of the better bottles could be inverted with a valve installed on the bottom in order to harvest enough yeast to inoculate fresh wort. This would also serve as the bottom port for transferring.
There's a bunch of other challenges with this set up I haven't thought through, such as temperature control for each stage.. but I'm throwing this out there to see if anyone is nuts enough to try it.
Reasons to try it:
- Great for making mass quantities of beer with similar base recipes. If I were to do it, I'd probably do an IPA style grain bill & boiling hops, then customize it at the end with different dry hops.
- Less time cleaning fermentors. If your sanitation is good, in theory you could keep this going for months at a time. The document I linked to has the brewer mixing fresh wort with a small portion of nearly finished beer. This adds alcohol to the mix and dilutes the incoming nutrients to avoid shocking the yeast, giving it an edge over any contaminants coming in.
Reasons not try it:
- Can only brew a similar style of beer with the same yeast.
- Potentially losing close to 4 5 gallon batches of beer to an infection.
- Better bottles wouldn't allow you to remove all of the yeast, so over time auto-lysis and yeasty flavors might develop. Of course you could always use conicals... but the $$ that would cost breaks my mind.
Probably not something I'll ever attempt, but wanted to share the idea
