pressure fermentation at "normal" temperatures?

[odie]

I've read a lot about the benefits of pressure fermentation at higher than normal temps...doing a lager at ale temps faster without any off flavors and such.

What about fermenting under pressure at the normal "un-pressurized" temps for your particular beer/yeast style? Would it just take longer or other side effects?

I have a ferm chamber and can ferment at any temp I want. Would doing so under pressure at a "traditional" fermentation temperature have any negative effects?

 

[DuncB]

I've fermented under pressure at above and below 20 c.

Pressure helps to control krausen if you lack headspace, but it does suppress yeast expression, so I don't use it for ales and just add the pressure at the pseudo secondary in same vessel stage. IE spund at 10 points short of final so that it's carbing whilst cleaning up and can cold crash without adding gas or suckback.

If the recipe want's a clean ferment yeast ie not much expression then I raise the temp a bit say 3 degrees higher and use pressure from the off.

Lager type have done kveik at 35 celsius and 30 psi from the off and it suppresses those fruity notes fine.

 

[odie]

Is there really a reason to do pressure fermentation for ales, Belgians, hefe and such? Or just only lagers?

I have a Belgian and hefe going right now in the mid-upper 70s Fahrenheit...is that a mistake

 

[Beermeister32]

Here's my new pressure fermenter carboy. I made the top piece from a growler top with an added pressure ring. Stainless clamps, blue silicone rubber hose. I'm going to use a Blowtie spunding valve and hold it to 10 PSI. Vintage Shop shows these are good to 15 psi. Still going to run the fermentation cold, I like clean lagers.

Looking online, I see pressure = (height * 0.433). That means 10 psi would be roughly equal to a commercial tank at about 23' in wort height (I'm using the equation for water, dunno if there is one specific to wort.)

Might need to contain this in a secondary bucket in case of rupture....

Anyone done this? Thoughts?

 

[DuncB]

Good hack, fill it with water at your ferment temp near to top and pressure test it. A friend did his pressure ferments in a poly cube swellew up and tried to become ball shaped but didn't fail. Beer he said was good.

 

[Beermeister32]

Great idea. Maybe I'll roll the pressure back to 5 lbs, I'm just playing around with it to see what's possible.

 

[DuncB]

Good opportunity to dial in the spunding valve as well if you've got it.
But pressure test without it on long term.
Remember the pressure will drop as the water absorbs CO2 so not necessarily a leak.

I do pressure up my Fermentasaurus once the lid goes on to check it's sealed well each time I use it. Have had situation where thought all good and then
dialled in a pressure and found it leaked. This only manifested after high activity was over as prior to this so much gas produced that it compensated " the slow puncture".