Corny Keg as Primary Fermentor - help me rig it

[ShaLaH]

So I'm thinking of fermenting in a 5 gallon corny, they're almost the same price as better bottles but you get a fermentation chamber and a keg. Also, I like the idea of a closed-system on the cold side because during racking I'm always nervous that something's gonna fall into my beer.

I also like being able to rack from the Primary keg to the conditioning/serving keg using CO2 to push from keg to keg thus eliminating exposure to oxygen, plus it just seems cleaner.

I want to be able to monitor wort temp and have a blow-off tube on the corny. I've seen people removing the "Gas In" post and placing a blow-off tube attached to a barb, but I'd have to switch out the post when I'm ready to hook back up to CO2. I've seen corny lids that replace the PRV with a blow-off but then your keg won't retain pressure, so you'd have either switch out the lid or take out the blow-off and re-install the PRV - is there a better way to set this up? I also haven't found a good solution for monitoring wort temp. Could I drop a thermowell into the Lliquid Post and put the digital probe in there? Just looking for any insight into the easiest, most efficient way to do this.

 

[Gavin C]

So I'm thinking of fermenting in a 5 gallon corny, they're almost the same price as better bottles but you get a fermentation chamber and a keg. Also, I like the idea of a closed-system on the cold side because during racking I'm always nervous that something's gonna fall into my beer.

I also like being able to rack from the Primary keg to the conditioning/serving keg using CO2 to push from keg to keg thus eliminating exposure to oxygen, plus it just seems cleaner.

I want to be able to monitor wort temp and have a blow-off tube on the corny. I've seen people removing the "Gas In" post and placing a blow-off tube attached to a barb, but I'd have to switch out the post when I'm ready to hook back up to CO2. I've seen corny lids that replace the PRV with a blow-off but then your keg won't retain pressure, so you'd have either switch out the lid or take out the blow-off and re-install the PRV - is there a better way to set this up? I also haven't found a good solution for monitoring wort temp. Could I drop a thermowell into the Lliquid Post and put the digital probe in there? Just looking for any insight into the easiest, most efficient way to do this.

You could probably do a 4 gallon batch in a keg.

You will need to shorten the liquid dip-tube so you can rack the beer off once it's done and all the trub has settled below the level of the cut dip-tube. Probably cutting it at a level to leave 1/2 gallon in the fermentor.

With regard to pressure release. Google spunding valve. That will allow you to ferment under pressure.

Temperature control is important regardless what vessel your fermenting in.

Tape the temperature probe to the side of the keg and insulate it from the air in the chamber.

 

[ShaLaH]

Gavin C - 4 gallon batches are fine with me. I brew in my apt on a stovetop so I usually only brew 3 Gallon batches so that's perfect for me.

I don't need the Spunding Valve, I already have a CO2 tank and QD's for the keg, I'm trying to figure out the best way to install a blow-off and thermowell.

How accurate is taping the probe to the side of a keg? That's what I do now with Better Bottles but I'm assuming that the thickness of the keg wall would make it less than ideal for giving the true temp of the wort.

thanks

 

[Gavin C]

Instaed of the spunding valve just attach some beerline or gasline to a gas out Quick Disconnect and place the other end in a vessel of starsan. I can't see that not working.

Cut the dip tube to leave 1/2 gallon in keg (easy to measure where that should be with water, mark tube, cut (neat cut needed)

The SS keg will conduct the beer's heat very well to the temperature probe. It should work no differently to your better bottle monitoring during fermentation.

Once it's done. Crash cool, +/- gelatin (I like gelatin) and CO2 transfer to serving keg

Let it settle while carbing up

Any minimal trub should come out in the first pour.

I'd do a 3.5 gallon batch this way. I may just sacrifice a dip tube to do just this now that you've got me thinking. Thinking about a 3.5-4 gallon batch of a barley wine or a RIS or IIPA

 

[fpweeks]

I would sacrifice a lid and drill two holes in it.......one for a blow off and one for a thermowell. Shorten the dip tube as Gavin said, and you have a fermenter.

 

[ShaLaH]

Instaed of the spunding valve just attach some beerline or gasline to a gas out Quick Disconnect and place the other end in a vessel of starsan. I can't see that not working.

Cut the dip tube to leave 1/2 gallon in keg (easy to measure where that should be with water, mark tube, cut (neat cut needed)

The SS keg will conduct the beer's heat very well to the temperature probe. It should work no differently to your better bottle monitoring during fermentation.

Once it's done. Crash cool, +/- gelatin (I like gelatin) and CO2 transfer to serving keg

Let it settle while carbing up

Any minimal trub should come out in the first pour.

I'd do a 3.5 gallon batch this way. I may just sacrifice a dip tube to do just this now that you've got me thinking. Thinking about a 3.5-4 gallon batch of a barley wine or a RIS or IIPA

Sweet! Thanks! I'm glad I inspired you to make some more beer, all of which sound good. Is this your preferred method - keg to keg? I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, just seems pretty simple with less risk of infection and oxidation. I also like the thought of having a few kegs naturally carbonating/Aging at room temp not taking up space in my beer fridge.

Now, I just need to come up with a better solution for chilling my wort. I use an IC and whirlpool in an ice bath, but again, I feel like the wort is exposed for too long.

 

[Gavin C]

Sweet! Thanks! I'm glad I inspired you to make some more beer, all of which sound good. Is this your preferred method - keg to keg? I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, just seems pretty simple with less risk of infection and oxidation. I also like the thought of having a few kegs naturally carbonating/Aging at room temp not taking up space in my beer fridge.

Now, I just need to come up with a better solution for chilling my wort. I use an IC and whirlpool in an ice bath, but again, I feel like the wort is exposed for too long.

No I do 5.5 gallon batches and ferment in glass carboys.

Once done I keg. Primary to keg.

But for a smaller batch and a sacrificed dip-tube this might be fun to try.

 

[DemonsRun]

Instaed of the spunding valve just attach some beerline or gasline to a gas out Quick Disconnect and place the other end in a vessel of starsan. I can't see that not working.

Cut the dip tube to leave 1/2 gallon in keg (easy to measure where that should be with water, mark tube, cut (neat cut needed)

The SS keg will conduct the beer's heat very well to the temperature probe. It should work no differently to your better bottle monitoring during fermentation.

Once it's done. Crash cool, +/- gelatin (I like gelatin) and CO2 transfer to serving keg

Let it settle while carbing up

Any minimal trub should come out in the first pour.

I'd do a 3.5 gallon batch this way. I may just sacrifice a dip tube to do just this now that you've got me thinking. Thinking about a 3.5-4 gallon batch of a barley wine or a RIS or IIPA

I do lots of 3 gallon batches in kegs and it works fine, Gavin C is correct in his recommendations, tubing from the gas out to star-san works, cut the Dip-tube, etc...

also AIH sells corny lids already drilled (http://www.homebrewing.org/Cornelius-Keg-Lid-for-Secondary-Fermenter_p_999.html) - works for primary as well.

For the Pico-Brewers this is the standard fermentation vessel, Pico-brew sells a food grade silicone lid with a hole for the Air-lock, it just presses into place.

The blow-off tube from Gas out is the easiest to set up and will cover you if the batch is over 3 gallons or the yeast is really active.

 

[1MadScientist]

Spunding valve seems easy enough for me. After you have aerated and pitched, the beer never sees air again until you pull a beer from your kegerator. :rockin:

3/2/2013 by Mad Scientist Brewhaus, on Flickr

 

[bassnfool]

Just hook up a piece of tubing to CO2 quick disconnect and run it into a jar of Star-San for blow off and venting. No need to cut off the dip tube. When you transfer just collect a small amount of beer until it runs clear than transfer the rest.

 

[ghohn]

In my experience, having a keg lid with an airlock is unnecessary. I've been fermenting in kegs w/ a spunding valve for quite some time with great success. Fermcap-S, fermenting under 15~ish PSI works everytime. I fill to within a 1/2 inch of the gas diptube in 5 gallon kegs without issue. You can even remove the tube if you are paranoid. My only F up was using German Ale yeast in a keg ferment. Yeah, that was fun.

 

[ShaLaH]

Thank you all for the feedback.

After reading your responses, I think I'll hook-up a blow-off tube to the CO2 disconnect, tape the digital probe to the outside of the corny and call it a day. Really looking forward to trying this method.

Eventually, I'd like to have a closed system from the Brew Kettle to the corny fermentor. As of now, I put the Kettle in an ice bath and use an IC to cool the wort, then I'll rack to the corny. Without having a pump, is there another way to chill the wort without using an IC and siphon tube? Again, the wort is exposed for at least 30 minutes while I cool it down which is plenty of time for an infection to happen.

 

[Andrew Chapman]

In my experience, having a keg lid with an airlock is unnecessary. I've been fermenting in kegs w/ a spunding valve for quite some time with great success. Fermcap-S, fermenting under 15~ish PSI works everytime. I fill to within a 1/2 inch of the gas diptube in 5 gallon kegs without issue. You can even remove the tube if you are paranoid. My only F up was using German Ale yeast in a keg ferment. Yeah, that was fun.

So you ferment (give or take) a full corny at a time?