New Anvil Bucket Fermentors

[Willee]

I dont know ... I really enjoy seeing the yeast churn with a clear plastic fermenter.

 

[ryanj]

Testing out my CIP micro sprayer.

 

[Lumenbeing]

That looks awesome, but I have a couple of concerns.
#1 you are using PBW right? Is that going to eat your pond powerhead?
#2 how much better the sprayball and loop than just filling the thing up and letting it soak?

 

[ryanj]

That looks awesome, but I have a couple of concerns.
#1 you are using PBW right? Is that going to eat your pond powerhead?
#2 how much better the sprayball and loop than just filling the thing up and letting it soak?

1. Yes -- PBW. No -- I'm not using a pond pump here. I'm using my regular wort pump. But the PBW won't eat a pond pump either... I used a pond pump to pump PBW and starsan through kegs. No problem.
2. Same reason why commercial breweries don't fill their 10, 20, 30+ bbl tanks to the top to soak. A CIP ball is way more efficient and usually only requires a very little amount of cleaner. Plus, it's completely hands off and takes a lot less time. Just listening to the CIP run inside the tank on 1 gallon of cleaner made it sound like a pressure washer was blasting the inside of the tank. It was great.

I'm all about the rotating CIP sprayer... I need to put a TC ferrule on my boil kettle lid.

 

[VVbrewery]

Or turn the pick-up down into this stainless scrubber.... You'd need to do this before adding your wort.

I use one on my keggle pick-up when I whole hop.

I also shove these into outboard prop exhaust to keep the mice out of the motor when I winterize the boat. Meeces don't like chewing on stainless steel.
[emoji4]
View attachment 578634

Hopefully not the same scrubbies you use in your kettle.

 

[sweetcell]

Do these fit in the beverage refrigerators that some people use for fermentation temp control?

with some Tetris-level creative arranging, i can just fit 2 buckets in my kegerator. one is on the "floor" of the fridge while the other is on the hump so they're vertically offset. i need to use some wood blocks to support the other side of the bucket riding the hump. my kegerator is a standard upright, freezer-on-top fridge. i'll post a pic next time i have this set up, likely in about 2 or 3 weeks (brewing this weekend, i use this setup to cold-crash two buckets at once).

 

[sweetcell]

Has anyone had any luck doing pressure transfers with a large dry hop bill? 8oz+?

With my first batch, I had 2oz of dry hops. I cold crashed for 48 hours to 36 degrees, and the valve clogged after about half of the batch was transferred. It was an open transfer and I only had the valve open half way. I assumed the barb was standard 1/2" and would fit a 1/2" hose with no need for a clamp, but I was wrong. I needed to dial back the valve to avoid sucking in air. I fixed this for my second batch and was able to open the valve 100% during transfer.

So again... if I want to brew a NEIPA with an 8oz dry hop bill... what should I do to avoid problems during transfer?

other than the scrubbie/filter idea, have you been rotating the racking arm?

my last NEIPA has a little over 6 oz of dry-hops and I managed to transfer clear wort (as clear as can be expected with a NEIPA ). I started my transfer with the pickup tube pointing straight up and once the liquid was flowing out, I rotated it until it was horizontal. apologies if this is an obvious point...

 

[sweetcell]

If you're transferring from a fermenter with a spigot, you can attach a hose from the spigot to the liquid out post. That presents two problems. First, assuming you've purged the serving keg with co2, you've got positive pressure in there and the beer won't flow. Second, as the beer leaves the fermenter, air fills the headspace, potentially oxidizing the beer. If you look at Kingmatt's picture, he solves #1 by venting the keg, and #2 by sending CO2 from the tank into the fermenter headspace.

What I propose is that you take Kingmatt's setup, but remove the CO2 tank and instead connect that gas line to the gas post on the keg. Now when you open the valve on the fermenter, the beer will flow into the keg via gravity, and the gas in the keg will flow into the fermenter headspace.

The benefits I've found are that I (1) save some co2; (2) don't have to monitor the pressure in the fermenter that's not rated for pressure; (3) simplicity--one less piece to deal with (the co2 tank).

question for the folks who do this non-pressurized, closed-loop transfer: do y'all have any problems starting the flow? is there a trick about how much pressure should be in the keg, or what order to hook things up? something else?

on my last batch I tried the closed-loop thing and I had problems getting the transfer to start. worked perfectly once I got flowing, but on one of my 3 buckets I gave up completely and ended up transferring with an auto-syphon.

 

[sweetcell]

another question about transferring: does anyone have a good way of knowing what the level of the liquid inside the bucket is?

when doing closed transfers, i can't see how much beer is left. I only want to turn the pickup as far down as necessary so would be useful to know where the top of the beer is.

there must be similar solutions for knowing how much beer is left inside a keg? maybe something with a floating magnet inside the keg and an magnetically-held indicator on the outside?

 

[fourfarthing]

another question about transferring: does anyone have a good way of knowing what the level of the liquid inside the bucket is?

when doing closed transfers, i can't see how much beer is left. I only want to turn the pickup as far down as necessary so would be useful to know where the top of the beer is.

there must be similar solutions for knowing how much beer is left inside a keg? maybe something with a floating magnet inside the keg and an magnetically-held indicator on the outside?

If post cold crash, you could use exterior condensation as a gauge. Maybe weight if you have the right scale.

 

[sweetcell]

If post cold crash, you could use exterior condensation as a gauge. Maybe weight if you have the right scale.

weight is an interesting idea, something along the lines of "buckets weighs 5.5 pounds when there are 2 inches of beer and trub left" (those numbers are completely made up). not quite as good as a real-time reading of what the liquid level is, but certainly better than no info.

condensation doesn't seem to work. as i'm draining the bucket, condensation doesn't form/disappear fast enough.

 

[WesBrew]

Has anyone that pre-ordered one in June receive them yet?

 

[muledogus]

another question about transferring: does anyone have a good way of knowing what the level of the liquid inside the bucket is?

when doing closed transfers, i can't see how much beer is left. I only want to turn the pickup as far down as necessary so would be useful to know where the top of the beer is.

there must be similar solutions for knowing how much beer is left inside a keg? maybe something with a floating magnet inside the keg and an magnetically-held indicator on the outside?

There's these.

https://ballandkeg.com

You still won't know exactly where the trub starts but it would probably still help.

 

[muledogus]

I love my 7.5gal fermenter. I really feel it has helped me brew better hoppy beers, especially NEIPAs, by being able to close transfer to a keg with no oxygen pickup.

Below is a pic of how I avoid oxygen pickup through my airlock when transferring to my keg. The output hose on my C02 tank fits perfectly into the top of my airlock so I set my regulator as low as it will go and let it run for the entire transfer. The c02 isn't pushing the beer to the keg (it is gravity fed) it is just getting sucked in by the displaced beer. Works like a charm!View attachment 570013

How did you get from anvil spigot to beer disconnect? It looks like you have a different barb than I do. I just got a 1/2" to 1/4" barb reducer to help me a little but feel like there's got to be a better way than hose from the anvil to the reducer then another hose from reducer to beer line and it looks like you have it.

Edit: Can't delete so I'll leave this but it looks like you must have this guy

http://shop.greatfermentations.com/...MI_Z-1qtG43AIVzlYNCh0o-wlhEAQYBCABEgKA0PD_BwE

looks like I'll be ordering one!

 

[kingmatt]

Edit: Can't delete so I'll leave this but it looks like you must have this guy

http://shop.greatfermentations.com/...MI_Z-1qtG43AIVzlYNCh0o-wlhEAQYBCABEgKA0PD_BwE

looks like I'll be ordering one!

You are correct, sir!

 

[sweetcell]

How did you get from anvil spigot to beer disconnect? It looks like you have a different barb than I do. I just got a 1/2" to 1/4" barb reducer to help me a little but feel like there's got to be a better way than hose from the anvil to the reducer then another hose from reducer to beer line and it looks like you have it.

Edit: Can't delete so I'll leave this but it looks like you must have this guy

http://shop.greatfermentations.com/...MI_Z-1qtG43AIVzlYNCh0o-wlhEAQYBCABEgKA0PD_BwE

looks like I'll be ordering one!

i managed to frankenstein myself a connection set-up, i'll post pix tonight... no fancy parts required, i just used hoses and parts i had sitting around.

 

[WesBrew]

My June order is now delayed until late August. i'm just gonna ride it out since it doesn't look like there is anything better available around that price

 

[muledogus]

Completed my first closed transfer with my Anvil. Everything went pretty well. Got stuck about half way through, I think I got a little over-zealous with turning the dip tube and got a little too much trub that clogged it up. I quickly blew the valve out with co2 and it started flowing again. The gas post I drilled into my lid needs some work. When pressure was building due to the clog it was definitely leaking around the seal.

A few questions for those who do closed transfers regularly:

When purging your keg (I filled with star-san then pushed it all out with c02) How much pressure are you doing that with? and do you leave the tank on the whole time or do you shut off and on as needed? and if different than above, how much pressure would you say you have in the keg when it's time to transfer beer?

Using the method above, is it still necessary to purge the headspace in the keg after filling? I don't really see why it would be but I'm no expert.

 

[sweetcell]

When purging your keg (I filled with star-san then pushed it all out with c02) How much pressure are you doing that with? and do you leave the tank on the whole time or do you shut off and on as needed? and if different than above, how much pressure would you say you have in the keg when it's time to transfer beer?

how much pressure depends on how rushed i am. if in a hurry, i'll crank up the pressure pretty high (like 10-15 psi) at first then ease back - don't need 10 psi the whole time. but generally i go pretty low, 2-4 psi, and just wait it out. it's not like i don't have 1,001 things to clean and sanitize while i wait...

Using the method above, is it still necessary to purge the headspace in the keg after filling? I don't really see why it would be but I'm no expert.

depends how full of sanitizer the keg is. if it's full to the very top, can't possibly fit a drop more, then no - not much use in purging.

 

[sweetcell]

i managed to frankenstein myself a connection set-up, i'll post pix tonight... no fancy parts required, i just used hoses and parts i had sitting around.

see attached pix. file under "better late than never"...

 

[sweetcell]

with some Tetris-level creative arranging, i can just fit 2 buckets in my kegerator. one is on the "floor" of the fridge while the other is on the hump so they're vertically offset. i need to use some wood blocks to support the other side of the bucket riding the hump. my kegerator is a standard upright, freezer-on-top fridge. i'll post a pic next time i have this set up, likely in about 2 or 3 weeks (brewing this weekend, i use this setup to cold-crash two buckets at once).

in case anyone cares, you can see my kegerator in the first pic above. unfortunately i forgot to take a pic when the buckets were inside the fridge. next time...

 

[sweetcell]

question for the folks who do this non-pressurized, closed-loop transfer: do y'all have any problems starting the flow? is there a trick about how much pressure should be in the keg, or what order to hook things up? something else?

on my last batch I tried the closed-loop thing and I had problems getting the transfer to start. worked perfectly once I got flowing, but on one of my 3 buckets I gave up completely and ended up transferring with an auto-syphon.

i'm still looking for any insights on how to successfully and consistently get a closed transfer started.

a few nights ago i transferred 2 buckets, and everything went great with the saison but i completely failed on the IPA (dammit). after struggling with the damn thing for 15 mintues, i ended up just using a straight hose into the open keg... i.e. an open transfer. t'was very, very frustrating.

 

[muledogus]

i'm still looking for any insights on how to successfully and consistently get a closed transfer started.

a few nights ago i transferred 2 buckets, and everything went great with the saison but i completely failed on the IPA (dammit). after struggling with the damn thing for 15 mintues, i ended up just using a straight hose into the open keg... i.e. an open transfer. t'was very, very frustrating.

I've only done the one and maybe I got lucky but I'm pretty sure after my hoses were all ready, I did the following.

1. Connected one end of my gas line to the keg, left the other disconnected but it had a disconnect on it so the line was sealed off. With your setup, you probably have to do gas line to the fermenter airlock first, leaving the keg side disconnected.

2. Hooked my beer line up to the fermenter and then to the keg.

3. Opened the ball valve on fermenter.

4. Hooked the gas line up to the fermenter quickly (not sure if speed really mattered). And with your setup this is where you'd connect the gas line to the keg instead.

Started right up. Are you making sure the dip tube is turned enough so it's out of the trub? Maybe that's giving you problems.

 

[sweetcell]

I've only done the one and maybe I got lucky but I'm pretty sure after my hoses were all ready, I did the following.

1. Connected one end of my gas line to the keg, left the other disconnected but it had a disconnect on it so the line was sealed off. With your setup, you probably have to do gas line to the fermenter airlock first, leaving the keg side disconnected.

2. Hooked my beer line up to the fermenter and then to the keg.

3. Opened the ball valve on fermenter.

4. Hooked the gas line up to the fermenter quickly (not sure if speed really mattered). And with your setup this is where you'd connect the gas line to the keg instead.

Started right up. Are you making sure the dip tube is turned enough so it's out of the trub? Maybe that's giving you problems.

thank you for your insights, i'm going to try that order next time i transfer.

dip tube is definitely out of the trub, that at least i'm certain of

 

[willbaar3]

Has anyone that pre-ordered one in June receive them yet?

I got mine last night, ordered it July 1st... Unfortunately I'm seeing issues similar to Roman. Some vertical scratches on the inside, and a ring of scratches near the base. I sent in a ticket last night, hopefully I can get this resolved soon. Anyone else seen anything like this? I'm wondering if this is a side effect of attaching the base.

I'm not sure if it's something I could buff out, but I feel like I shouldn't have to. Kind of feeling like I should have spent the extra money for the SS brewtech, the finish on that is much better. I'm not a fan of the racking cane o-ring design on that one, but not a lot of options out there right now.

 

[brew703]

I ordered one also. Supposed to arrive tomorrow. Hoping I don't have any issues. Really don't want to spend $70 more for SS Brewtech.

 

[WesBrew]

I just got notice they finally shipped. hoping for the best. are those scratches something you can feel or lighter marks. I dunno, definitely don't want to see any of that tomorrow

 

[willbaar3]

I just got notice they finally shipped. hoping for the best. are those scratches something you can feel or lighter marks. I dunno, definitely don't want to see any of that tomorrow

It's pretty easy to feel. Most the bucket isn't terribly polished to begin with, but this is a pretty dramatic difference.

 

[murphyslaw]

i'm still looking for any insights on how to successfully and consistently get a closed transfer started.

a few nights ago i transferred 2 buckets, and everything went great with the saison but i completely failed on the IPA (dammit). after struggling with the damn thing for 15 mintues, i ended up just using a straight hose into the open keg... i.e. an open transfer. t'was very, very frustrating.

If your line is getting clogged, it may help to take the insides out of the QD on the keg.

But then you've got to take the poppet out of the keg post too. Maybe not a big deal, but it means you've got to switch keg posts twice--once before and once after--which sort of goes against the whole "closed" thing.

 

[WesBrew]

I got mine last night, ordered it July 1st... Unfortunately I'm seeing issues similar to Roman. Some vertical scratches on the inside, and a ring of scratches near the base. I sent in a ticket last night, hopefully I can get this resolved soon. Anyone else seen anything like this? I'm wondering if this is a side effect of attaching the base.

I'm not sure if it's something I could buff out, but I feel like I shouldn't have to. Kind of feeling like I should have spent the extra money for the SS brewtech, the finish on that is much better. I'm not a fan of the racking cane o-ring design on that one, but not a lot of options out there right now.View attachment 584660

I posted pics of mine on an Anvil thread I hijacked in the equipment forum. I didn't have any of those vertical scratches but do have the horizontal stuff at the very bottom. I assume that is to do with assembling the sides and bottom. It doesn't seem like much to worry about. mine look great. I would send back if I had a long scratch like you have in the above pic though, or get them to knock some money off for you to buff it out.