Secondary in Corny -- Air tight??

[CallMeZoot]

For those of you who do secondary right in a corny keg -- do you seal it? Doesn't it need an airlock or some kind of release for the remaining fermentation?

chris.

 

[imasickboy]

I've done it, sealed, and just released the pressure once every day. Not much there, but it pays to be safe.

If you do this, be sure fermentation is complete before racking. If it's still fermenting, you've got a really big stainless grenade on your hands.

 

[sirsloop]

Cornies are rated for like 100psi or something outrageous like that. After log... i'd have no fear of racking into a cornie and priming with sugar. Really after two weeks an ale generates what... one bubble every 30 minutes? Its hardly anything.

 

[Jester369]

Cornies are rated for like 100psi or something outrageous like that.

Yep - 130 psi. And yeast will stop working at pressures well below that anyway.

 

[John Beere]

I have a couple of these pressure relief valves from MoreBeer.com that I use: https://morebeer.com/view_product/16771/

I set them to about 12 PSI and let em go...

 

[TexLaw]

I have a couple of these pressure relief valves from MoreBeer.com that I use: https://morebeer.com/view_product/16771/

I set them to about 12 PSI and let em go...

I've seen something like that, but with a regulator-style pressure gauge on it. Does that valve have something similar?


TL

 

[John Beere]

I've seen something like that, but with a regulator-style pressure gauge on it. Does that valve have something similar?


TL

I have one with a valve as well but rarely use it as its really easy to pressurize a corney to a set pressure, then adjust the valve until it begins to bleed. Once you get it set, not much else you have to do...

 

[david_42]

I have a 0-60 gage attached to a gas connector that I can use for monitoring. But mostly I just don't worry about pressure until I'm ready to put it online.

 

[CallMeZoot]

I'm talking about secondary fermenting in a corny in a closet somewhere, I don't mean pressurized or primed. (Buying the keg today, C02 tank is next paycheck!).

Is it ok to just seal it tight for secondary fermenting or do I need someplace for extra C02 to escape during the last stages of fermentation? I've always done secondary in a carboy but I don't have any free carboys at the moment and I've been planning on buying a keg anyway, so I thought I'd secondary in there.

Thoughts?

chris.

 

[John Beere]

Thats what I'm talkin about too... secondary fermentation will still produce CO2 - might as well use it to go ahead and start carb'ing your beer.

 

[jdoiv]

It has a pressure relief valve. Even if you racked too early, it's not going to explode. The relief valve would release way before that would happen. It's best to rack it over and then purge the headspace with CO2. This will seat the gaskets and make it air tight as well. I wouldn't worry about over carbing it either. If at room temp, the pressure will drop substantially once you put it in a fridge.

I don't secondary at all and simply move all of my beers from the primary to the keg at 7-10 days. Hit it with 30 psi and set it aside for a month before tapping it.

 

[TexLaw]

I have one with a valve as well but rarely use it as its really easy to pressurize a corney to a set pressure, then adjust the valve until it begins to bleed. Once you get it set, not much else you have to do...

Gotcha. Thanks.


TL

 

[bigben]

If you rack to a corny a few points above your terminal gravity, you can seal it and have your beer carb and condition like a cask conditioned ale.

 

[BierMuncher]

If you rack to a corny a few points above your terminal gravity, you can seal it and have your beer carb and condition like a cask conditioned ale.

That's how the micros do it.

Pressurize those conicals a few points high and let em condtion. Pressure relief valve set at 15. Seems high, but the loss fo CO2 at transfer to bright tank and bottling, brings it down. THen they tweak it for proper volumes.

A week before the conditioning is complete, they drop the temps down to 29-20 degrees to crash chill and clear. THis also makes sure the CO2 absorbs completely into the beer.

 

[bigben]

That's how the micros do it.

Pressurize those conicals a few points high and let em condtion. Pressure relief valve set at 15. Seems high, but the loss fo CO2 at transfer to bright tank and bottling, brings it down. THen they tweak it for proper volumes.

A week before the conditioning is complete, they drop the temps down to 29-20 degrees to crash chill and clear. THis also makes sure the CO2 absorbs completely into the beer.

Exactly....Note, 15PSI isn't that high when it's at 65 degrees or whatever.

 

[Philip1993]

Cornies are rated for like 100psi or something outrageous like that. After log... i'd have no fear of racking into a cornie and priming with sugar.

The max safe working pressure is 130psi, and that's what the relief valves are set for. In reality, the bursting test on them is probably 260ish. As for priming and carbonating in a cornie, I've done it...