Corny keg as secondary

[acleanthous]

I searched previous threads on using a corny as a secondary and couldn't find an answer to my question.

I transferred a beer tonight and I want to use cornys as secondaries. I simply hooked-up the gas in ball lock with a blow off tube into sanitizer. Will this work? Will pressure escape through the ball lock/blow off combination, or do I need to take the post on and just hook up a tube.

I'd like to leave the ball lock on, my ultimate reasoning is that this makes transferring to my serving keg a piece of cake. Attach co2 and push out beer through the liquid line. Done.

The beer I transferred, I am regretting transferring it now. The gravity is at 1.021 and I'm hoping to get to 1.015. The beer has been fermenting for a week, I'm using a new room for fermentation so I'm having to adjust room temperatures more than I'm use to, the room is a bit cold. The beer started at 1.057. Long story short, I'm hoping for more fermentation happens in this batch. Given that is my setup workable?

Alex

 

[jusware]

Yes, this should work. You'll probably want to cut off a few inches of your dip tube. If you don't, you'll transfer all the trub to your serving keg. Or you could pour the first pint or two off prior to transfering to your serving keg.

 

[mbird]

I'm not sure why you racked the beer before it was finished fermenting. I personally would simply let the primary fermentation complete, which may take 7 to 10 days before racking anywhere. Once complete, rack to the corney keg for conditioning. This is what I've been doing for many years with good results. In fact, I would not bother with a secondary unless you desire some settling or aging to the beer before bottling or you plan to add fruit or some other new fermentable to the mix. When kegging, the secondary can take place in the keg with good results and then the keg can simply be attached to your dispensing equipment. I hope this is helpful.
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Beer Diary...

 

[acleanthous]

mbird, that didn't help at all. My question was about the ball lock/blow off combo. I secondary to clear my beer and give it just a bit of conditioning, I've had beer ferment in the secondary and it was just fine.

You didn't answer my question at all, you just attacked my fermenting procedures.

- Alex

 

[mbird]

I'm sorry Alex, I'm not attacking. Believe me. I just think it is important to complete the fermentation in the primary, that is all. After that it is a matter of preference regarding secondary. Please don't take offense as I didn't mean any.
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Beer Diary...

 

[peaktopview]

that's what i do, i have a 7cf chest freezer i use for fermentation so to keep active fermentation room in my freezer i use kegs as secondaries now that i have a closet that stays around 70 because of winter. not that i push for the use of secondaries, it just allows me to brew more. i just hook up a tube to the gas out qd and stick it into a milk jug of starsan.

i didn't shorten my dip tubes, i usually just hook up a cobra tap when i transfer to a serving keg and dump the first few ounces of trub, then hook up my transfer tube. i only have enough ball locks to fit into my keezer, the rest are pinlocks due to cost, hence the serving kegs.

b

 

[robtotten]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Next time you may want to consider waiting until you hit your target gravity and you won't need a blow off.

 

[1Mainebrew]

There is a really good video about this on the AHA website...check it out, it definitely works. The video is about fermenting in corny's, so secondary will definitely work. It shows how to set up the ball lock blow off/transfer to serving keg/ harvest yeast all in one, it's cool!

 

[acleanthous]

Just to let everyone know it works. I'm getting some bubbles going in the blow off. Next time Im just going to raise the heat while still in primary. I got a little anxious about this one, Im pumped to drink it. Im brewing it for a pub in town that is going to start contract brewing.

 

[1Mainebrew]

Just to let everyone know it works. I'm getting some bubbles going in the blow off. Next time Im just going to raise the heat while still in primary. I got a little anxious about this one, Im pumped to drink it. Im brewing it for a pub in town that is going to start contract brewing.

Can you pm me with more info on contract brewing and how you're doing it, what the costs are, etc? Thanks!