Questions about using corny keg as a fermenter.

[pshankstar]

I recently just picked up four pin lock kegs for free, although I am setup for ball locks. No big deal I thought, free is free and I can change out the posts! I am already maxed out with what my kegerator can hold but again, who says no to free corny kegs? Not me! So then it hit me, why not use these to ferment in and have a closed system and minimize the oxygen exposure?

I have spent many hours researching and reading about using a corny keg to ferment in. I have read various threads from this forum (like this write up) and others. Even this BYO article was helpful. I have even watched youtube videos and what not. I know some who use corny kegs to ferment in will trim the output tube so it's above the yeast cake. Others will bend the dip tube instead of cutting it and others will leave it as is. Some use fermcap to minimize the amount of foam that is caused by fermentation and what not.

So here are my questions.

1. - If I am going to use the gas in post as a blow off tube. I assume I should remove the poppet and the post, right? If so, when I go to transfer the beer then I have to reassemble it. Is that what others do with this setup?
1A. - Do I need to modify the gas connector to use it as a blow off? If so, what do I do? Or just connect the tube like any other blowoff?

2. - Do you remove the poppets from the liquid in posts on both kegs when you transfer the beer? I would think you might want to, to help prevent any clogs from occurring from hop debris or yeast sediment. But then I think it won't hold pressure that is needed for the transfer.

3. - I was thinking if I do a 10 gallon batch then I could use all four corny kegs to ferment all 10 gallons. Normally I try to get 5.5-6 gallons into my fermenters to account for all the loss and still end up with 5 gallons. Here I could place 3 gallons into each keg and then transfer the two kegs with the same yeast into one serving keg and do the same with the other two. If I do this, there's nothing new I have to account for, right?

4. - Is there a certain length of tubing I should use to transfer? Or does that not matter?

5. - How do you go about dry hoping? Usually I dry hop in the keg (leave it in till it kicks), but a lot of methods I see to purge the serving keg is to fill it with San Star and push it out then fill. Do you just dry hop in the fermenting keg instead?

6. - Lastly, does anyone have any tips? Is there anything I may have missed?

Thanks in advance everyone! Cheers!

 

[pshankstar]

I don't mean to be a pain, but does anyone ferment in corny kegs and have any insight and/or answers/suggestions? I hope to get a brew day in over the weekend and possibly try this out with my next batch. Thanks again in advance!

 

[hezagenius]

1. - If I am going to use the gas in post as a blow off tube. I assume I should remove the poppet and the post, right? If so, when I go to transfer the beer then I have to reassemble it. Is that what others do with this setup?

Yes, remove the poppet during fermentation.
Are you transferring under pressure? If so, then you could take the poppet out of the gas ball lock QD. Then you wouldn't have to put the poppet back in the post on the keg.

1A. - Do I need to modify the gas connector to use it as a blow off? If so, what do I do? Or just connect the tube like any other blowoff?

Take the poppet out of the gas connector. Then have to blowoff tube go into a sanitizer solution.


2. - Do you remove the poppets from the liquid in posts on both kegs when you transfer the beer? I would think you might want to, to help prevent any clogs from occurring from hop debris or yeast sediment. But then I think it won't hold pressure that is needed for the transfer.

You certainly can remove it during transfer, but you probably want to leave the poppet in place during fermentation. Otherwise, it isn't sealed. Are you putting any sort of filter on the diptube?


3. - I was thinking if I do a 10 gallon batch then I could use all four corny kegs to ferment all 10 gallons. Normally I try to get 5.5-6 gallons into my fermenters to account for all the loss and still end up with 5 gallons. Here I could place 3 gallons into each keg and then transfer the two kegs with the same yeast into one serving keg and do the same with the other two. If I do this, there's nothing new I have to account for, right?

Seems OK. Never done it, though.


4. - Is there a certain length of tubing I should use to transfer? Or does that not matter?

Doesn't really matter too much. Are you transferring from liquid post to liquid post? Just keep in mind that if you are filling the serving keg from the bottom up, as the keg fills, you will need more pressure going into the fermenting keg to overcome the head pressure building up in the serving keg.


5. - How do you go about dry hoping? Usually I dry hop in the keg (leave it in till it kicks), but a lot of methods I see to purge the serving keg is to fill it with San Star and push it out then fill. Do you just dry hop in the fermenting keg instead?

I dry hop in the fermenter and sometimes also the serving keg. If you are dry hopping in the fermenter, you absolutely want to remove the poppet on the liquid post in the fermenter. I'd also recommend a filter on the diptube in the fermenter.
If I dry hop in the serving keg, I do my liquid purge first, then pop the serving keg lid while I have 1-2psi of CO2 going into the liquid post and quickly toss the hops in. Not perfect but better than nothing.


6. - Lastly, does anyone have any tips? Is there anything I may have missed?

Look into getting a Clear Beer Draft System setup for your serving keg if you plan to dry hop in the serving keg. It is stainless float with a silicone tube connected to a short diptube on the liquid side. Helps you keep hop debris out of your draft pulls.

 

[popsicleian]

I use corny kegs as my fermenters at least 75% of the time. My thoughts are in bold below:

1. - If I am going to use the gas in post as a blow off tube. I assume I should remove the poppet and the post, right? If so, when I go to transfer the beer then I have to reassemble it. Is that what others do with this setup?

I don't mess with the posts or poppets. I just use a regular disconnect with a length of tubing that leads to a jar of starsan.

1A. - Do I need to modify the gas connector to use it as a blow off? If so, what do I do? Or just connect the tube like any other blowoff?

I don't do anything to my gas disconnects.

2. - Do you remove the poppets from the liquid in posts on both kegs when you transfer the beer? I would think you might want to, to help prevent any clogs from occurring from hop debris or yeast sediment. But then I think it won't hold pressure that is needed for the transfer.

I don't do anything to modify the liquid posts, but the key is to make sure you don't have any hop matter in the fermenting keg. I've never clogged anything with yeast sediment or break material, but hops have given me major problems. Use a hop bag or spider in your boil, and make sure any dry hops are in a bag or canister of some kind. A dip tube filter might also be sufficient, but I've never used one.

3. - I was thinking if I do a 10 gallon batch then I could use all four corny kegs to ferment all 10 gallons. Normally I try to get 5.5-6 gallons into my fermenters to account for all the loss and still end up with 5 gallons. Here I could place 3 gallons into each keg and then transfer the two kegs with the same yeast into one serving keg and do the same with the other two. If I do this, there's nothing new I have to account for, right?

I don't see any reason this wouldn't work.

4. - Is there a certain length of tubing I should use to transfer? Or does that not matter?

I have used a variety of lengths. I wouldn't use like 20 feet, but any reasonable length should be fine.

5. - How do you go about dry hoping? Usually I dry hop in the keg (leave it in till it kicks), but a lot of methods I see to purge the serving keg is to fill it with San Star and push it out then fill. Do you just dry hop in the fermenting keg instead?

I haven't figured out a good way to do a dry hop and a water purge.
I usually just dry hop in the fermenting keg (in a bag), or I add to the serving keg then purge several times once it's full.

6. - Lastly, does anyone have any tips? Is there anything I may have missed?

Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on it. I think they make great fermenters--stainless steel at a fraction of the price of a brewbucket or conical!

 

[pocketmon]

1.
I am afraid of dried krusen will clog the post, so I use a dedicated lid in the first 3 to 5 days.
http://www.homebrewing.org/Cornelius-Keg-Lid-for-Secondary-Fermenter_p_999.html
After the fermentation slows down and no more risk of blowing off, I change to use normal lid sometimes with Spunding valve.

I ferment 5gal in a 6.5gal keg.

4.
Normal tube is fine. Just discard the first few oz with trub.
However, if I can buy this thing, I might use it. (Morebeer has a "kit" with lid that I don't need.)
https://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/Fer...60cm_Silico_p/fermentasaurus-ss-float-dip.htm

 

[pshankstar]

Great thank you all for the responses and feedback! I really appreciate it!

 

[DarkNoonBrewer]

If you're into fermenting in the same container you use to serve, check out the Cornical from Blichmanmn: http://www.blichmannengineering.com/products/cornical There's been some talk about how to use this on here and the process seems pretty easy, but you get a dump option with your pressure fermentation as well.