fermenting in corny kegs vs glass carboys

[brew703]

I currently use glass carboys to ferment. I'm in the process of building a keezer and thinking about which way would be best/easier to ferment.

Been thinking about fermenting in kegs instead of carboys. I have a few questions:
-For those who do this, what's the process on adding dry hops? Do you open the lid, add hops then re=purge w/co2?

-How is the wort temp monitored with a keg? Do you need a thermowell and if so how does that attach if using a gas QD to vent the co2?

-Are there any issues with the dip tube clogging when racking to serving keg? I've read where some cut the dip tube by 1" so the trub isn't sucked up.

I like the fact of a closed transfer and I've read several posts on doing this when fermenting in a carboy and keg. Just trying to decide which is best/easier way.

If i were to continue using a carboy, could i simply attached a tube to the tall, skinny tube on the carboy cap and use a clamp? Would it be best to insert a hose barb or something to prevent the tube from collapsing?

 

[h22lude]

Add dry hops right at the end of fermentation. The only way to add dry hops are to open the lid. You could use extract and figure out a way to put it in through the gas post so you don't have to open the lid. But if you open the lid during fermentation, the yeast should help with scavenging O2.

Attach the probe to the side of the keg and insulate it. This is how a lot of people do it even with carboys and buckets. Just much easier to do than to worry about a thermowell and the temp difference is so small it isn't an issue.

Yes the dip tube can and will clog if you don't cut it. This is why I decided not to ferment in a keg. I don't want to deal with a clog dip tube or cut them. You can get a Clear Beer system which has a floating dip tube so you are always pulling from the top. People seem to like them.

A lot of people do closed transfers in carboys. One of the sections of the cap attach a gas post (there is a thread around here that shows the parts you need). The other tube will be for your blow off tube. When you are about to transfer, replace the blow off tube with a metal racking cane with a beer out disconnect on it. Hook that up to the keg and push 1psi of CO2 into the carboy. No clamp. The cap will pop before the carboy breaks so it is a fail safe. 1psi won't pop the cap unless the racking cane gets clogged.

 

[GPP33]

Always liked the idea about fermenting in a keg but three things have me comcerned; you're probably limited to about 4 gal or you'll get massive blowoff, you can't see what your beer is doing (yea, I'm one of those guys), and clogged tubes. The clear beer thingy could fix the clog but now you have to deal with a floating contraption in your fermenting beer which takes up volume and needs to be sanitized/cleaned. My route of choice is a ported Fermonster, easy closed transfers without all the other stuff.

 

[Parrothead01]

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[Parrothead01]

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I ferment in two kegs so I get 6-7 gallons instead of 5. I have extra lids with an airlock on them. I use them until fermentation slows down. I probably don’t need them with the blow off on the gas but I like it in case one of them gets clogged. I bend the dip tubes so no problems yet. I think Cornys are also cheaper in the long run. you have to replace the better bottles eventually. The keg will last forever. They are also much easier to carry. Even with the carboy Carrier I was always worried about dropping it when I was taking it Downstairs. No worries with the keg. The main reason I switched was for the closed transfers. Also, instead of opening the Carboy to take a hydrometer reading. I can take a small sample out of the liquid out without opening the keg. Plus you can lower the temp to add gelatin. without sucking in air or starsan/vodka. I put a few psi in it and then start dropping temp without creating a vacuum.