After breaking my second carboy on a tile floor, I knew I had to do something different. Id fermented in glass for nearly 20 years, but this new house has drawbacks: Lots of tile and concrete, and not much water. Profligate water use for cleaning carboys is undesirable, and if youve broken a full carboy full of wort on a hard surface floor you understand. If you havent, well, you will.
Ive half a dozen Corny kegs, and no desire to grow in volume. How about converting a corny to a fermenter? No breakage, small footprint, and potential transfer from primary to secondary/serving keg by gas less infection risk.
Id lagered in cornys for years: an in-fitting serving as airlock tube in my fridge for lagering. How could we primary ferment in cornys?
I converted a lid into a primary fermenter lid. The photo illustrates the necessary parts: a lid, a bulkhead fitting with a ½ NPT out-side, a ½ inch NPT elbow, and a ½ NPT x ½ inch tubing fitting.
First, drill out a corny keg lid using a suitable holesaw. Mine is 15/16, just right for the bulkhead fitting. The holesaw pilot drill fits quite well and centered in the hole for the corny keg poppet valve, and the bulkhead fitting threads on nicely (see photos).
Once done, put your cooled wort and yeast in the corny just like youd pitched into a carboy. Blowout through your newly modified lid and a ½ inch ID blowoff tube into a suitable container, I use a milk jug half full of sanitized water. Ive done this several times now, and not yet had a problem clogging the blowoff hose.
I did cut ½ inch off the dip tube of the corny, so I wouldnt pick up too much primary fermentation debris.
To transfer to the secondary, replace your modified lid with a regular one. Attach an out to out hose, and push in on the primary fermenter. I push the first several ounces out of an out fitting, just to make sure I get the beer mostly off the primary sludge. Once transferred, use an in-fitting to hose, led into a jug of sanitized water, as an airlock. In a few days, just take off the airlock and force carbonate, wasting the first few ounces removed.
So now, Ive not expanded my brewing equipment space. Ive got a setup I can brew ales or lagers in, and I need not fear broken carboys.
Ive half a dozen Corny kegs, and no desire to grow in volume. How about converting a corny to a fermenter? No breakage, small footprint, and potential transfer from primary to secondary/serving keg by gas less infection risk.
Id lagered in cornys for years: an in-fitting serving as airlock tube in my fridge for lagering. How could we primary ferment in cornys?
I converted a lid into a primary fermenter lid. The photo illustrates the necessary parts: a lid, a bulkhead fitting with a ½ NPT out-side, a ½ inch NPT elbow, and a ½ NPT x ½ inch tubing fitting.
First, drill out a corny keg lid using a suitable holesaw. Mine is 15/16, just right for the bulkhead fitting. The holesaw pilot drill fits quite well and centered in the hole for the corny keg poppet valve, and the bulkhead fitting threads on nicely (see photos).
Once done, put your cooled wort and yeast in the corny just like youd pitched into a carboy. Blowout through your newly modified lid and a ½ inch ID blowoff tube into a suitable container, I use a milk jug half full of sanitized water. Ive done this several times now, and not yet had a problem clogging the blowoff hose.
I did cut ½ inch off the dip tube of the corny, so I wouldnt pick up too much primary fermentation debris.
To transfer to the secondary, replace your modified lid with a regular one. Attach an out to out hose, and push in on the primary fermenter. I push the first several ounces out of an out fitting, just to make sure I get the beer mostly off the primary sludge. Once transferred, use an in-fitting to hose, led into a jug of sanitized water, as an airlock. In a few days, just take off the airlock and force carbonate, wasting the first few ounces removed.
So now, Ive not expanded my brewing equipment space. Ive got a setup I can brew ales or lagers in, and I need not fear broken carboys.