Ferment in BK?

[wi_brewer]

I currently use a converted 1/2 barrel as my BK. I have another converted 1/2 barrel I use as a fermenter for 10 gallon batches.

On my last brew day a light bulb went on in my head as I transferred from the BK to the fermenter. Why am I doing this? Just another barrel to clean, and 15 minutes waiting for the transfer.

Why not chill, aerate, and pitch directly in the BK? Yes, I have a lid for it.

All my hop additions are put in mesh bags, I don't have a much for junk in my fermenter. I usually ferment for 2 weeks at 60-68 (depending on yeast strain), cold crash for a week, then keg. Am I missing something?

 

[giraffe]

If it is aluminum brew kettle I wouldnt, as the low ph and extended contact might pit the aluminum. But ill assume its stainless steel.

1. The lid must fit tightly, and preferable have a way to fit an airlock if your fermentation chamber isnt really clean.

2. You cant whirlpool, you are fermenting on alot of trub. Not the end of the world if you top crop, or dont collect yeast, or let it sit too long.

3. You dont want to brew more often than once every 3 weeks??

 

[wi_brewer]

If it is aluminum brew kettle I wouldnt, as the low ph and extended contact might pit the aluminum. But ill assume its stainless steel.

It is SS.

1. The lid must fit tightly, and preferable have a way to fit an airlock if your fermentation chamber isnt really clean.

I have a lid that fits tight and it has a grommeted hole for an airlock.

2. You cant whirlpool, you are fermenting on alot of trub. Not the end of the world if you top crop, or dont collect yeast, or let it sit too long.

I currently don't whirlpool. I used to strain through a cheese cloth, but I found that my wort was pretty clean and skipped it. If I am collecting yeast I usually do so from the starter.

3. You dont want to brew more often than once every 3 weeks??

I'd still have the means to brew more often than every 3 weeks. I'd basically be boiling in my fermenter. If I wanted to brew again within 3 weeks I could get out the BK and use buckets for fermenters.

 

[hunter_le five]

You can absolutely ferment in the BK.

1. The lid must fit tightly, and preferable have a way to fit an airlock if your fermentation chamber isnt really clean.

A loose fitting lid works fine. Hell, I've use aluminum foil in lieu of a lid before. As long as nothing airborne can fall into it, you're pretty much fine. No airlock necessary as long as it has a way to vent.

 

[beersk]

Yeah, you can do it. I wouldn't leave it for much longer than 5 days though, or a few days after fermentation is done. But there are others who have differing experiences I suppose.
I fermented my last hefeweizen in the kettle with the lid on for 3 days and as soon as I saw the krausen starting to drop, or when the gravity was 1.017, I transferred to secondary and let it finish out. It finished at 1.011. It's pretty good, but I'm not sure it really made a difference. I think maybe the geometry of the fermenter is more important than it being open. But that's not really what you're after.