How do YOU spund?

[Kenmoron]

Ok, so I know how to spund but for those that do spund, what is your process? I am thinking of getting in to spunding but I feel like it takes a bit of strategy. I brew 3 gal batches (I experiment a lot) and am considering transferring to my 2.5 gal kegs once I'm close to final gravity to let it finish out and naturally carbonate. Since I brew somewhat smaller batches I don't like pulling full hydrometer samples and typically rely on my refractometer to look for steady gravity readings before packaging (not an entirely accurate gravity read, I know, but I am only using it to determine when fermentation is complete. However, I do end up taking a final hydrometer sample at packaging for accuracy and a taste.).

The problem is, I don't really know when I'm "2-5 or 2-10" points from my estimated gravity. I feel like I always have rather healthy fermentations, reaching FG within 2-5 days. Do people really check hydrometer samples that frequently during that time? Does everyone use a Tilt device or something? Do you have a typical "spund starting on day X of fermentation" schedule? Or is it just a "feel" kind of thing? I just don't want to transfer too late or too early. Would like to hear the different ways people have tried to tackle this, failures or success.

 

[lump42]

The few times that I've spunded, I held back some wort in the fridge to speise (gyle), waited till the main bit was fermented fully, and then added the speise at kegging to provide carbonation sugars. I also attached an adjustable PRV to act as a spunding valve.

I used Brewer's Friend gyle/krausening priming calculator: https://www.brewersfriend.com/gyle-and-krausen-priming-calculator/

 

[Dland]

I tend to do a trub dump and take gravity reading when fermentation begins to slow down. If within .006-.008 gravity form expected finish, I rack to kegs for spunding.

The schedule in days will vary with type of yeast and fermentation temperature. I know I have longer if brewing a cool fermented lager than a warm ale, for instance. If using a unfamiliar yeast, more attention has to be paid to timing. My first saison I kegged too early, the second too late, for instance.

It may take a few tries to hit timing spot on, but not to worry, if you undershoot and only partially spund, you can force carb up to desired volumes after you cold crash it. On the other side, if you keg it up too early, you just have to let off some CO2 once a day or so while it finishes out. Or you could set up an automatic spunding valve, which is easy and has been covered in previous threads.

I brew 10+gallon batches and have conical fermentors, so my system may not apply to you. Those Tilts seem cool, but so far I have gotten by fine without one.