Keg Lids On While Brewing

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GillandCo

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Ever wondered how to prevent boil overs excluding (Initial) without tossing glass marbles or aiming a "fan" towards your beer...heres the method I use that works for me. When I am bringing my beer up to a boil just as the foam rises I toss a few hops into the foam to break the surface area and turn down the flame...Shortly after I add my lid and bring wart to a Full Boil!

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As you can see my lid is not fully on, this lets the bad stuff out, and does not allow the bad stuff in...Bugs and what not!:rockin:
 
Cool! Anything that helps avoid a boil over is tops in my book. I usually just watch it like a hawk, and if it starts, I stir it and turn down the heat. Works for me. Boil overs are a messy affair..
 
5 gallon boils are no problem I was dealing with a full keg though and wasn't interested in standing for an hour...My Solution

In the picture it doesn't show it but I pushed the cooler back and made a nice seat and back rest on my BBQ...I lounged watching my timer from the watch tower incase anything got out of hand!

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Fermcap is still the easiest way ever to prevent boilovers. If you were paralyzed, you could still squeeze a few drops in with your lips.:cross:
 
Hmmm,

I operate under the assumption that the lid should not be used at all. DMS is not removed when the condensation that forms on the lid drips back into the wort.
 
Fermcap is still the easiest way ever to prevent boilovers. If you were paralyzed, you could still squeeze a few drops in with your lips.:cross:

That's my solution of choice.

Hmmm,

I operate under the assumption that the lid should not be used at all. DMS is not removed when the condensation that forms on the lid drips back into the wort.

That's always been my understanding as well. DMS preciptiates collects on the lid, and falls back into the kettle.
 
Thats where your all wrong the condensation builds up and drips down the bottom side of the lid...I don't care much about keeping the kegs spot free...and wash them real good after anyways!

Can you believe they didn't have any fermcap at my LHBS...Where can i order this?
 
Thats where your all wrong the condensation builds up and drips down the bottom side of the lid...I don't care much about keeping the kegs spot free...and wash them real good after anyways!

Can you believe they didn't have any fermcap at my LHBS...Where can i order this?

I've wondered about that as well. If you use some kind of lid that is set up to drip the condensation outside the wort, you should be fine. Not only that but since your lid is 70-80% on, you can achieve and maintain a boil easier, because there is less heat loss, which will use less propane. as long as the lid is at an angle, I don't see a problem with this.

My local homebrew store kind of sucks too. They don't even carry liquid cal. ale. how awful is that? Try northern brewer, brewmaster's warehouse, or hell just about all of them. My favorite for everything non-wine is BMW.
 
You boil in a kettle with a sightglass? Aren't you worried about the bit of wort in the sightglass that never boils?

I keep my lid covering 3/4er's of my kettle at an angle so that the DMS that condenses on the lid can drip off to the side of the kettle, but I can still eliminate any HSA problems that can result from a fully-uncovered boil.
 
You boil in a kettle with a sightglass? Aren't you worried about the bit of wort in the sightglass that never boils?

I keep my lid covering 3/4er's of my kettle at an angle so that the DMS that condenses on the lid can drip off to the side of the kettle, but I can still eliminate any HSA problems that can result from a fully-uncovered boil.

Yes I brew with kegs and a site glass...it has been by far one of the best investments I've made...my friend always reaches for the hand thermometer and I just point to the bottom of the sight glass and laugh because I have the combo...as for the wort in the sight glass it does boil as weird as it sounds and is constantly moving, the same wort does not sit in it the whole time I'm sure of this...right before it hits 212 you see bubbles rise up the sight glass, but it doesn't over flow... Once you bring it to a rolling boil it settles down allot...my resolution for this to give you the most accurate measurement is to turn the flame down and wait a minute to settle to get the best reading!

Also even if the wort did not boil(which it does) the amount that's in the sight glass would be so little I would not worry about it...just because the wort isn't bubbling vigorously, doesn't mean it's not the same temp. As the rest of your beer...afterall the sight glass and themometer are
connected!
 
Yup with A DIY protector he posted a tutorial on how to do this with those old sankey dip tubes no one knows what to do with...originally i did what he did, but spray painted the inside with high temp white paint...then I made another for my other keg but didn't like the fact you could look down the top of the dip tube so I went to lowes and bought some Black plugs and made 2 more sight glass protectors...just to ease my mind! (these sight glasses are mighty sturdy and do not need protectors FYI) I just like messing with tools and wanted to see if I could do what he did.

I should get some kind of discount for promoting...Don't you think?
 
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