Racking from Blichmann Fermenator to Corny Keg

[dschiller]

I currently rack from my Blichmann Fermenator into an air filled Corny keg by a slow gravity feed through vinyl tubing. This is no doubt the worst thing I can do for cold-side oxygenation. One improvement would be to fill my keg with a diluted StarSans solution, force that solution out with CO2, and thereby start racking with a keg filled with CO2. But I don't think that buys me much if I would then do my usual slow siphoning with a vinyl tube and the top of the keg covered with plastic wrap.

Is there anything I could buy or easily make to (1) force CO2 into my Fermenator (e.g., in place of the blowoff tube) and also (2) connect the racking ball valve to the liquid out port on my keg? I think (2) is trivial, but (1) might not be.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[ChiknNutz]

The fermenter is pressure capable right? If so, why are you not transferring with pressurized CO2? To fill the keg with CO2, use the FREE and naturally occurring CO2 from fermentation to purge the keg. Here's how I purge my corny kegs during fermentation. I am sure you can find a way to do the same with your setup.

 

[Golddiggie]

Is your fermenter pressure rated (for more than one or two psi)?? If so, then you can get a spunding valve and ferment under pressure. Then simply sanitize your keg [normally], push some StartSan through the 'out' side (to fully sanitize), purge with CO2 (same method you do after filling the keg with beer) and do a pressure transfer from fermenter.

I did a pressure transfer for the last batch brewed, going from a 1/2 barrel kegmenter (I made) into more than one serving/carbonating keg. You transfer into the serving keg through the beer ball lock (thus filling from the bottom) and have the gas side run into a container/bucket of StarSan (making it stay sanitized). When you see foam from the beer coming through the gas fitting, you're done/full.

I didn't use the spunding setup for the gas side of the transfer mostly because I didn't want to get beer foam into it. I've not had any get into it yet with the pressurized fermentations I've been doing. So I didn't want to do that now.

This was the last keg filled from the 12 gallon batch (filled one 6 gallon and two 3 gallon kegs).

 

[dschiller]

I appreciate the responses! As shown in the attached photo, the top of my fermenter has a loose fitting metal plug to prevent over-pressure and a cork with the blowoff tube. I don’t see how a spunding valve would be integrated into this setup to allow a closed transfer with CO2.

 

[dschiller]

Bobby from Brewhardware.com did not agree with Blichmann's recommendation to transfer the fermented beer into a Corny keg by using a pump. Instead he is recommending using a Conical to Keg Pressure Transfer Kit. I'm trying to figure out how the tri-clamp and gasket gets integrated into the top of my Fermenator (picture in post above). I think I would need to buy Blichmann's tri-clamp blowoff kit:
https://www.blichmannengineering.com/fermenator-tri-clamp-blow-off-kit.html
A DIY solution for an SSBrewTek fermenter was discussed below (notice how the tri-clamp interface is above the lid of the fermenter).
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/pressurized-transfer-from-conical-to-keg-rig.520520/

 

[user 271653]

I actually am trying to figure out the same thing right now. so Blichmann's try-clamp spunding valve seems to be the solution where it would attach to the bottom most tri-clamp butterfly valve. Spunding Valve I just don't understand what to do with the top airlock/blowoff hole. would you just keep the blowoff tube/ airlock in or would that hole need to be plugged somehow?

 

[tracer bullet]

Attaching a random picture off the internet. Reddit I think. Not so random, chosen to illustrate an idea.

Here's what I do, and many others. Beer goes out the fermenter into the keg, specifically through the keg's "out" post so it can travel down the pipe inside to the bottom. Then the gas side is connected back to the top of the fermenter. The beer goes down, the CO2 goes up. Works really well.

There are details of course, you need to keep the beer line clear of hop debris, there are ways to clear the hoses themselves of CO2 and etc. But this should get you on the right path.

 

[Indian_villager]

Attaching a random picture off the internet. Reddit I think. Not so random, chosen to illustrate an idea.

Here's what I do, and many others. Beer goes out the fermenter into the keg, specifically through the keg's "out" post so it can travel down the pipe inside to the bottom. Then the gas side is connected back to the top of the fermenter. The beer goes down, the CO2 goes up. Works really well.

There are details of course, you need to keep the beer line clear of hop debris, there are ways to clear the hoses themselves of CO2 and etc. But this should get you on the right path.

This is almost exactly what I have been doing for my beers. For the hoppier ones I add a bouncer strainer in between the fermenter and the keg.

I have a keg that is always full of Star San I connect the strainer to the out post via a standard ball lock disconnect. I push the sanitizer out using CO2 purging both the keg and the strainer. I connect the strainer/keg to the drain on my fermenter. I connect another line to the gas IN post on the keg and connect that to the top of my fermenter so the displaced CO2 is returned to the fermenter. Honestly if you are just using a standard airlock on your fermenter you can just scoop out the inner cup easily using a bent paper clip and a 1/4"ID / 3/8" OD tube fits snugly in the center tube

This has massively helped out my hoppy beers.

 

[dschiller]

I actually am trying to figure out the same thing right now. so Blichmann's try-clamp spunding valve seems to be the solution where it would attach to the bottom most tri-clamp butterfly valve. Spunding Valve I just don't understand what to do with the top airlock/blowoff hole. would you just keep the blowoff tube/ airlock in or would that hole need to be plugged somehow?

Bobby from BrewHardware.com modified the below kit to work with my Blichmann Fermenator. See the attached photo. He drilled a hole in the rubber stopper and installed the gas port to it. You swap your current blowoff with this when you’re ready to rack. For the racking arm he created the tri-clamp fitting shown in the photo. The whole thing was only $39. I don’t think you need a spunding valve if you just set your CO2 to 1-2 psi. You might need to put a little weight on the spring loaded stopper on the top of the Fermenator.
Conical to Keg Pressure Transfer Kit (NPT valves)
Cheers.