Fermenting in a Corny Keg; How do you Deal with Trub?

[TAK]

I'm considering investing in a 10 gal corny keg for fermentation. The real benefit being that I can pressurize it easily to transfer. How though, does one deal with the issue of racking off the trub, without picking up much trub, using the posts/pressure?

I imagine you could shorten the dip tube, but that will inevitably leave behind good finished product.

I also thought about using a floating-type dip tube. But I expect some trub would get picked up as it lands on the cake.

For those who ferment in kegs, what do you do?

Cheers!

 

[724b]

I ferment in 10 gallon corny kegs. I use a cask widge float, see here... http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2013/02/10-gallon-ball-lock-kegs.html That works perfectly. It leaves all the trub behind. The out of the box tube length also works perfectly in 10 gallon kegs. You need to do some trimming if you want to use it with 5 gallon kegs. Unfortunately, I don't know of a homebrew shop that carries these. At one time, UK Brewing would sell them to homebrewers.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

I'll give it a shot:
Don't disturb or shake the fermenter when you transfer, and you should only pick up a small amount around the dip tube.

Wouldn't it be similar to the first pull off of a fresh keg?

Just guessin' here.

 

[Hoppity]

I sometimes secondary and dry-hop in my 5 gal cornies and cold crash in them. I can push them into other kegs or a bottling wand with CO2, usually after discarding the first few ounces (while it clears). I've never primaried in one, but I would imagine I would have to use a siphon to transfer. Any keg I'm going to travel with will be transferred keg to keg prior to carbing to reduce silt in suspension at my destination site. I like to secondary in them because I feel better about CO2 control and sanitation.

 

[barnaclebob]

I'd go with a floating dip tube. If you put a valve on the out line then you can shut it off as soon as you see the trub getting picked up. You might also be able to modify the floating dip tube so it sits on the trub before actually picking any up.

You can also look into a sabco fermenter keg which is more expensive but has some cool features. It has a rotating arm inside the keg which you turn until trub starts getting picked up. This is what I use and I love it so far.

 

[doghausdev]

You can also look into a sabco fermenter keg which is more expensive but has some cool features. It has a rotating arm inside the keg which you turn until trub starts getting picked up. This is what I use and I love it so far.

How do you deal with dry hopping in the Sabco fermenter? I have tried dropping in pellets, but they jam up my keg connectors when I rack. Do you use a hop bag?

 

[maierhof]

I have been fermenting in kegs for almost a year now but I use my own custom "drop the racking arm in" when I need it. I use a sanke keg.

If I were you - just invest in another dip tube then cut the end off by about an inch (with a copper tube cutter and then dremel down the end to take care of edges) and just drop it in (sanitized of course) when you need it. This way you can have both a serving dip tube and fermenting dip tube in it if you want - quite versatile. The choice is yours - extra clear beer or cloudy beer - this should be a pretty good guide on how short to cut the new dip tube...

If you do get yeast in the serving keg you rack it to - just let it sit overnight at 36* and then pour yourself a beer or two from the serving keg and you are done. Extra yeast - no matter - it is still beer =;>

btw - which keg are you buying and where? link?

 

[dcbw]

How do you deal with dry hopping in the Sabco fermenter? I have tried dropping in pellets, but they jam up my keg connectors when I rack. Do you use a hop bag?

Get one of the 18" stainless mesh keg dry hoppers like http://www.stainlessbrewing.com/Dry-Hopper-with-twist-cap-_p_155.html and toss all the pellet hops you want in it.

 

[dcbw]

I only primary in cornies, so when I transfer from primary to the serving keg I have a jumper between the two kegs and push beer from one to the other without O2 contact. You have to start with the jumper disconnected from the serving keg's disconnect, discard the first 8oz or so of yeast and trub, then connect and push beer into the serving keg. When the serving keg is almost full you watch the jumper for cloudiness and stop transfer when that happens.

Yes, a bit of yeast and junk gets to the serving keg but it's just going into the keezer anyway, so it drops out. The first half pint will be cloudy so dump it, then you're golden.

 

[TAK]

I got a 10gal keg ordered and on its way. It will be dedicated to fermenting. Has anyone used these "floating diptubes" in a fermentation keg?...

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/clear-beer-draught-system.html

I've used these a lot for just cold crashing (after fermenting in glass and transferring to a keg) and also dry hopping. I wonder though, if the floating diptube would get all clauged up if it's actually in a fermentation vessel, from the krausen.

 

[barnaclebob]

I wouldnt put the floating diptube in until fermentation was complete. Otherwise it looks like a good way to transfer from a fermenting corny keg.

FWIW I highly recommend the Sabco fermenter. Racking using co2 is really easy.

 

[TAK]

I wouldnt put the floating diptube in until fermentation was complete.

Any particular reason?

I'm less inclined to switch out the diptube after fermentation. Ideally I'm trying to keep a completely closed system from the start of fermentation all the way to the tap.

 

[aangel]

Reluctance to leave the dip tube in during fermentation is likely fear of trub getting stuck inside the tube & impeding the transfer.

 

[govner1]

I'm considering investing in a 10 gal corny keg for fermentation. The real benefit being that I can pressurize it easily to transfer. How though, does one deal with the issue of racking off the trub, without picking up much trub, using the posts/pressure?

I imagine you could shorten the dip tube, but that will inevitably leave behind good finished product.

I also thought about using a floating-type dip tube. But I expect some trub would get picked up as it lands on the cake.

For those who ferment in kegs, what do you do?

Cheers!

Get one of these. You can even slide a SS mesh trap over the pickup to help even more in reducing trub pick up: http://www.clearbeerdraughtsystem.com

 

[beersk]

I bend my dip tubes so there's 1/4 to 1/2 gallon deadspace. Doesn't pick up trub or yeast. There might be a little that comes through right off, but it's nothing. Fermenting in kegs is awesome.

 

[maierhof]

FWIW I highly recommend the Sabco fermenter. Racking using co2 is really easy.

wow - that is an expensive piece of hardware - I built mine for $150 which includes the cost of keg.

The first pic is of my blow tubes - I have a choice if I want.
The second is of the whole - yes I took that ball valve off there long ago -