Pressure fermentation in the same keg that the beer gets served from.

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Using the kegland T piece you can dump into the first ( I use a small pet bottle 250ml ) and then Blow off tube from the other port into the under water valve in the growler. No pressure on the system this way for good expression and really easy top harvest of yeast.

I have that tee, as well as a 2nd carb cap. What a FANTASTIC idea! :D

I'm gonna try this in-line between a ferm-keg and my starSan keg when I purge it for later use!
 
Well, brewed my first "keg fermented" beer last night. Did a Cali Common. Anchor Steam clone.

I test filled a corny and 5 gal brings it to just below the lower "seam". The keg took another 5 pints before topping out. 4 pints I could still work the lid. 5 pints and it was completely topped. So it appears there is "functionally" 4 pints of head space when you factor in the depth of the gas dip tube. My wort volume to the kettle on this batch was approx. 5 gal plus one pint.

Since I screen my entire kettle before the fermenter, I have about 1/2 pint total yeast cake in my fermenters. My OG gravity sample pictured is the very end running's of the kettle. The entire kettle of wort went into the keg but there is no trub in the keg.

I did NOT cut the pickup tube. I plan to catch the yeast cake when I tap the keg.

I used the 1/2 silicone tubing that was mentioned by Carolina_Matt. I didn't like how it pinches when curving over into the dump bucket so I got a package of 3/4" PEX Shark Bite elbows to make a simple "U-turn" in the blow off tubing.

Once the krausen stops filling the dump bucket I will re-install the gas post and spund in some manner. Or I could even just seal the keg and let the PRV vent. But that would result in the beer over carbing...but I can always pull the release a few times to bring it back down.
 

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Since I screen my entire kettle before the fermenter, I have about 1/2 pint total yeast cake in my fermenters. My OG gravity sample pictured is the very end running's of the kettle. The entire kettle of wort went into the keg but there is no trub in the keg.
Wow, that's some clear wort you've got there! What kind of brewing/filtering system are you using?
 
Well, brewed my first "keg fermented" beer last night. Did a Cali Common. Anchor Steam clone.

I test filled a corny and 5 gal brings it to just below the lower "seam". The keg took another 5 pints before topping out. 4 pints I could still work the lid. 5 pints and it was completely topped. So it appears there is "functionally" 4 pints of head space when you factor in the depth of the gas dip tube. My wort volume to the kettle on this batch was approx. 5 gal plus one pint.

Since I screen my entire kettle before the fermenter, I have about 1/2 pint total yeast cake in my fermenters. My OG gravity sample pictured is the very end running's of the kettle. The entire kettle of wort went into the keg but there is no trub in the keg.

I did NOT cut the pickup tube. I plan to catch the yeast cake when I tap the keg.

I used the 1/2 silicone tubing that was mentioned by Carolina_Matt. I didn't like how it pinches when curving over into the dump bucket so I got a package of 3/4" PEX Shark Bite elbows to make a simple "U-turn" in the blow off tubing.

Once the krausen stops filling the dump bucket I will re-install the gas post and spund in some manner. Or I could even just seal the keg and let the PRV vent. But that would result in the beer over carbing...but I can always pull the release a few times to bring it back down.

Perfect timing, Odie. I'm planning on doing this on Sunday for the first time and would love some feedback.
I'm doing a dry hopped black IPA. My plan:
Have the gas post attached with a connector as well. Off of the connector, I will have tubing for a blow off tube going to a growler of Star San. After 5 days, I will dry hop, leaving the blow off tube for until day 7, then replace that with the spunding valve until fermentation is complete. Then move to the kegerator, add CO2.

Does anyone see any issues with my blow off tube set up?
 
Wow, that's some clear wort you've got there! What kind of brewing/filtering system are you using?
I use a 5 gal bucket strainer. 100-200 micron range I think. The entire kettle gets run thru so 100% of the wort is captured in the fermenter. I'm having to reduce all my old recipes ingredients by 10% to make my targets. The kettle sits for a couple hours, open the spigot and run about 4 gal thru the strainer before it clogs. Then dump all the rest in and let it sit a few hours or overnight. Nothing but a damp trub cake to toss away.
 

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Have the gas post attached with a connector as well. Off of the connector, I will have tubing for a blow off tube going to a growler of Star San. After 5 days, I will dry hop, leaving the blow off tube for until day 7, then replace that with the spunding valve until fermentation is complete. Then move to the kegerator, add CO2.

Does anyone see any issues with my blow off tube set up?
From what others have posted I think it will clog. The fittings are pretty narrow. I'm just gonna slip a hose over the bar post threads for bow off until it slows down. Then install the actual post and connector to finish up.
 
From what others have posted I think it will clog. The fittings are pretty narrow. I'm just gonna slip a hose over the bar post threads for bow off until it slows down. Then install the actual post and connector to finish up.

What size hose are you using to go over that post?
 
1/2 silicone as was recommended to me by another. Seems to fit snug so I did not use a clamp. I will find out soon if that was a mistake.
 
Brewed my black IPA yesterday. Fermenting in the keg. Blow off tube going to a growler of Star San a little extra tupperware just in case.
Also my first time controlling temps with my Inkbird and chest freezer and man, it is holding my temp steady as can be! I went with 63 degrees. Going to dry hop day 5, switch to spunding valve on day 7, and then hopefully reach FG by day 14 and move to the kegerator to carb. If this goes well, i have definitely nailed down my process. No transfers or syphoning. Got the floating dip tub installed. for instant clear beer. I'm really pumped for this

KEG.jpg
 
When I dry hopped a keg....I used a nylon stocking...women's department at Wal Mart. I put all the hops in that and then added a ping pong ball. It allowed the hop sock to float since my pick up tube is at the bottom. I figured the sock at the bottom would result in nothing but pure hop bomb flavor on every pour. Plus if needed, I could always open the lid and pull the sock since it floats.
 
I'm not exactly sure but i think the camera angle makes it look a little smaller. It isn't huge though. Once i figured out how to program the Inkbird, its worked perfectly though. This method has a lot less equipment which means a lot less cleaning. I'm pretty stoked to not have to transfer to a keg in a couple weeks. Maybe eventually i will start close transferring to a different serving keg to get the beer off of the trub, but one step at a time. If i dig it just like this, i might not change.
 
Did a quick yeast capture off the keg. Regular dip tube. I dropped the keg psi to 10. Attached a picnic tap and burped the bottom yeast out to use in another beer. Got a pint jar full of foam, which settled out to about 1/3 plus some yeast cake. The wort was all screened so there is no/minimal hops & trub.

This keg is still fermenting out so the yeast should be pretty active when I pitch it later today in beer number 2.
 

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I call it a "yeast thief" lol. Maybe I should patent it? nah...too easy to copy and DIY...

once the sample settles a bit, I'll decant into a hydrometer to check the gravity on beer #1 and then pitch the yeast layer into beer #2.
 
I call it a "yeast thief" lol. Maybe I should patent it? nah...too easy to copy and DIY...

once the sample settles a bit, I'll decant into a hydrometer to check the gravity on beer #1 and then pitch the yeast layer into beer #2.
do you have any clue as to the cell count? Not that I even pay any attention to pitching calculators, but it looks like a lot less than a 2L starter would produce. LOL. :mug:
 
do you have any clue as to the cell count? Not that I even pay any attention to pitching calculators, but it looks like a lot less than a 2L starter would produce. LOL. :mug:
no clue but it's more than was in the packet of dry yeast I started with. I just did a quick keg burp to pop out some active yeast. I still expect to harvest the bulk of the yeast cake once I actually tap the keg for drinking. I just needed some of the same strain right now for a second beer and didn't want to waste a new package.

Many of the "tutorials" I've read on yeast harvesting and/ washing often show that much or less in the final "product"...that which will be pitched to the next fermenter.
 
@odie

I wonder how much pressure a ping pong ball can resist. It coped ok with 15 psi ?
I only did it once. I think it was around 10 psi.

But theoretically, a ping pong ball can withstand unlimited pressure. It's round, so that the forces are applied equally on all sides. Those bathyspheres that divers use to go thousands of feet under water at extreme pressure are round for a reason. A cigar shaped submarine hull will typically withstand only a few hundred feet. Some go a little more but that is classified ;)
 
But theoretically, a ping pong ball can withstand unlimited pressure. It's round, so that the forces are applied equally on all sides.

Even assuming that a ping pong ball is a perfect sphere (which it's not), it wouldn't withstand unlimited pressure (theoretically and really). My guess without making all the assumptions and doing the math would be something less than 1000 PSI. Maybe considerably less. Not that it really matters.
 
Even assuming that a ping pong ball is a perfect sphere (which it's not), it wouldn't withstand unlimited pressure (theoretically and really). My guess without making all the assumptions and doing the math would be something less than 1000 PSI. Maybe considerably less. Not that it really matters.
I think the PRV would pop long before the ping pong ball. I purge my kegs at 60+ psi after filling. Even the one time I used a ping pong ball. It survived.
 
I think the PRV would pop long before the ping pong ball. I purge my kegs at 60+ psi after filling. Even the one time I used a ping pong ball. It survived.

Ah. By "unlimited" pressure, you meant pressure up to and including the ~130 PSI it takes to open a corny keg's PRV. That's probably true.
 
Pulled a yeast harvest from a different keg...almost nothing, just beer ??? I tapped almost a pint and let it sit over night. Practically zero yeast. I'm guessing the dip tube is bent or not seated in the middle keg dimple/sump whatever it's called.

The beer sample tested at 1.025 and OG was 1.050 so I guess the yeast is still mostly suspended and still active? It's been going about 2 weeks but it's a lager that was running at 40-45 degrees. I normally do this beer at 50 degrees. S-23 yeast. Gonna bump the temps a bit.

Note to self, insert dip tube and check before filling keg with beer.
 
Had my first pour from my Black IPA using this method and I was very impressed. It could not have gone better. The beer was beautifully carbonated. Flavor was out of sight. I'm curious to how this holds up over the next 4 weeks or so still being on the trub, but if i don't see any off flavors, i think i will be using this method from now on. I had no idea what i was doing with the spunding valve and it must be somewhat forgiving because the beer had a perfect head. Very aromatic. Not to mention less work :rock:
 
Reading some other threads...pressure plus cold/lager temps seems to be a double whammy on yeasts...I'm wondering if capping the keg after only a very few days somehow "shut down" the yeast. I really should have been a lot warmer if pressurized it sounds like. Can I either de-pressurize to let it finish? or should I just warm it up to ale temps instead?
 
Thought I would share a pic of my Black IPA using this method. Super happy with the results. Big thanks to everyone here. I have really enjoyed taking a lot of the advice on this board and its really gotten me into the hobby. My next beer is going to be a pseudo SMASH beer with Light DME and one type of hops, again using this method. First time veering away from kits, which I am excited about. I feel like the only issue i have with this black IPA is the dark LME that was in the kit. I can taste it distinctly in the aftertaste after taking a sip when the air hits my tongue. Departure from all LME i think will up the quality even more.
Also side note, I have yet to have to hit this keg with any CO2. Completely carbed with the spunding valve and pouring beautifully for the time being.
BEER.jpg
 
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