Hefeweizen question on transfer to keg

[Art2019]

I've been brewing Extract for almost 10 yrs & learned my processes have been subpar, to say the least from 1) fermenting at room temp in house without internal temp control at fermention, 2) opening fermenter throughout process to dump liquid from trub bowl back into brew fermenting , & 3) open transferred to keg. So, now, I'm rebooting my methology to correct my bad habits.
I'm using a InkBird thermostat & have a stopper with thermowell & airlock for my glass carboy & is in my chest freezer for temp control, now (before, it was a 7 gal conical)

I'm brewing a Hefeweizen and toward end of boil, I used whirlfloc for fining. I havent opened the fermenter at all, except when it started overflowing out of airlock so I attached an airline to airlock to divert. My Hefe's been in fermentor for 17 days, now, & think it's ready to keg transfer & have some questions.

1. The nature of a Hefe is cloudy in appearance. Would it hurt to cold crash or should I just leave alone for transfer to keg (I was actually looking for a clear brew originally, not thinking of what I was brewing the time this was made)?

2. Was wanting to do close transfer, if possible. I watched a youtube where the guy used an orange hood on his carboy with 2 openings. One opening had racking cane attached to line to keg where liquid goes & other opening was for inserting pressure for transfer where he used a hepa filter attached to opening & blew in carboy to create transfer pressure. The other pressure transfer method was attaching a tubing connection to orange hood with a 1/4" barbed to universal ball-lock-post secured with hose clamp with jumper line to keg for co2 (about 2 psi).
#2 is a bit verbose but I'm thinking of blowing in the carboy for keg transfer. It sounds a bit hokey but it looked like it works fine for closed transfer. There will be a little oxygen in liquid but don't think enough to contaminate, would it?

I'm thinking this a much better than the oxygen exposure I had in prior brews. Any thoughts/opinions are appreciated.

 

[mashdar]

What is the bit about a trub ball? I don't understand that line. Is it stuff from a blowoff?

Cold crash is fine but not necessary IMO for a hefeweizen. If you were bottling, it might make the bottles a bit less trub-filled.

When you say "blowing in the carboy", do you mean with CO2? I wouldn't recommend using your breath.

Do you purge the keg headspace after filling? The head space is where most O2 exposure would come from, as the O2 doesn't dissolve super fast into relatively still beer, and your yeast will gobble some O2. Malty beer is less sensitive to O2 than hoppy beer, so IMO if you can purge the leg after filling, you're in good shape.

 

[Art2019]

What is the bit about a trub ball? I don't understand that line. Is it stuff from a blowoff?

Cold crash is fine but not necessary IMO for a hefeweizen. If you were bottling, it might make the bottles a bit less trub-filled.

When you say "blowing in the carboy", do you mean with CO2? I wouldn't recommend using your breath.

Do you purge the keg headspace after filling? The head space is where most O2 exposure would come from, as the O2 doesn't dissolve super fast into relatively still beer, and your yeast will gobble some O2. Malty beer is less sensitive to O2 than hoppy beer, so IMO if you can purge the leg after filling, you're in good shape.

I call mine a trub ball bit it's, I guess, a collection ball. It's a container at bottom of a conical or other fermenter at bottom that collects sediment from yeast or other debris from the homebrew. A carboy doesn't have one.

I'm not bottling, I'm transferring to keg. Bottling is a waste of time & space.
They have a cap that goes on top of carboy (pic below) and make a hepa filter that fits on the outlet near outside specifically designed for blowing pressure in carboy for transferring. Why wouldn't you recommend using my breath using a filter?
OR, there's an attachment to fit on this cap near outside designed to attach to keg for co2 pressure.

I plan on filling keg with sanitizer, pressurize i and then empty it. Once it's empty, I'll transfer contents from carboy to keg. Once the carboy's empty, I'll purge all remaining air with co2.

 

[mac_1103]

Why wouldn't you recommend using my breath using a filter?

The whole point of doing closed transfers is to exclude oxygen. Exhaled human breath is still 16% oxygen. A HEPA filter will keep you from contaminating your beer but it won't stop the oxygen.

Purge the keg with CO2 before you start. Put the keg on the floor and elevate the carboy as much as possible so gravity will do most of the work. A couple of PSI of CO2 is enough to start the transfer. Then disconnect the tank and use a jumper line to return gas from the keg to the carboy.

 

[Art2019]

The whole point of doing closed transfers is to exclude oxygen. Exhaled human breath is still 16% oxygen. A HEPA filter will keep you from contaminating your beer but it won't stop the oxygen.

Purge the keg with CO2 before you start. Put the keg on the floor and elevate the carboy as much as possible so gravity will do most of the work. A couple of PSI of CO2 is enough to start the transfer. Then disconnect the tank and use a jumper line to return gas from the keg to the carboy.

I wasn't suggesting hepa prevents oxygen, but it would keep it from contanimation. The oxygen is miniscule isn't it vs a full open keg transfer? I've never done this before so I'll need to look that one up. The guy I saw doing this blew until it started transferring & said the oxygen is layered on top & not much will affect the brew.

 

[mac_1103]

The oxygen is miniscule isn't it vs a full open keg transfer? The oxygen is miniscule isn't it vs a full open keg transfer? The guy I saw doing this blew until it started transferring & said the oxygen is layered on top & not much will affect the brew.

Not really. The beer exiting the fermenter has to be replaced with gas or the flow will stop. In this setup that gas is HEPA-filtered room air, so he basically is doing an open transfer. And there is no such thing as a CO2 blanket - gasses mix pretty much instantly. You've got a purged keg full of CO2 that you're transferring the beer into, so why not use that CO2 to replace the beer in the fermenter and actually prevent oxygen exposure?

 

[mashdar]

What fermenter are you using? It sounds like a conical based on having a bottom port?

Are you trying to save CO2? (Or using CO2 is a pain?)

If you have a connical with ball lock posts, you should look into a "closed gravity transfer". E.g. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/creating-a-co2-loop-during-closed-transfer.733080/post-10385776

I'm still a bit confused about what gear we're talking about. Is it pressure-rated? You mentioned a conical bottom, but also a glass carboy. Do you have a CO2 cylinder available?

 

[mashdar]

Oh, and I still don't understand what you're doing the the "trub ball", but that sounds like a much bigger deal than your transfer. Are you worried about the beer touching trub or something? Just leave it unless you're aging for months.

 

[Art2019]

What fermenter are you using? It sounds like a conical based on having a bottom port?

Are you trying to save CO2? (Or using CO2 is a pain?)

If you have a connical with ball lock posts, you should look into a "closed gravity transfer". E.g. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/creating-a-co2-loop-during-closed-transfer.733080/post-10385776

I'm still a bit confused about what gear we're talking about. Is it pressure-rated? You mentioned a conical bottom, but also a glass carboy. Do you have a CO2 cylinder available?

What fermenter are you using? It sounds like a conical based on having a bottom port?

Are you trying to save CO2? (Or using CO2 is a pain?)

If you have a connical with ball lock posts, you should look into a "closed gravity transfer". E.g. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/creating-a-co2-loop-during-closed-transfer.733080/post-10385776

I'm still a bit confused about what gear we're talking about. Is it pressure-rated? You mentioned a conical bottom, but also a glass carboy. Do you have a CO2 cylinder available?

I said I was using a glass carboy. I "WAS" usung a conical with bottom (trub bowl) but this batch is a glass carboy. I guess tmi on my history.
Glass carboys aren't pressure rated but will tolerate 1-2 psi, if you read about these.

 

[Art2019]

Oh, and I still don't understand what you're doing the the "trub ball", but that sounds like a much bigger deal than your transfer. Are you worried about the beer touching trub or something? Just leave it unless you're aging for months.

I didn't say I was using a "trub ball" since carboys don't have this. Was just giving info on what I did on previous batches.

You know what?? Forget it! You can't read so I won't entertain your comments anymore. CYA

 

[mashdar]

I think you're assuming hostility where none was intended : ) I will admit to skimming, though!

Good luck!

 

[SFC Rudy]

Cold crashing a hefeweizen will turn it into a krystalweizen. You want that yeasty goodness in your beer.

Kegging a Hefeweizen will turn it into a krystalweizen. You want that yeasty goodness in your beer.

I bottle my Hefeweizen so I can stir up the yeast and get it into the glass.

Don’t sweat oxygen exposure unless you’re using a large amount of hops. Just don’t splash or over agitate it when you transfer.