Getting ready to crash in my 7-gallon SSB unitank for the first time and I'm concerned a little about sucking Starsan up my racking cane. Is this an issue, or nothing really to worry about?
Should I put a Pound or Two of CO2 in my Conical before Cold Crashing?
- Thread starter philm63
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bracconiere
Jolly Alcoholic - In Remembrance 2023
i'm not sure, but a 'pound or two' sounds like overkill.....i can carb and push like 5-6 kegs with a pound or two....
Robert65
Major Obvious (recently promoted)
On the one hand, there's less suction than you might expect when cold crashing, and if you did suck a little Star San into the beer the world wouldn't end. That said: I ferment in a 10 gallon corny, and I've always removed my "airlock" (tube into a jar of Star San) and put a couple of psi on before cold crashing. If your setup allows you to apply pressure, why wouldn't you take the extra precaution, I figure. If you're going to do a closed transfer, the remaining pressure also means you won't suck air into the fermenter when you go to make your connections.
I'm sure he meant "per square inch". You know, those silly units you 'mericans insist on using??
Personally I don't see the point of owning a unitank and not having it pressurized and the beer fully carbed by the end of primary but that's just me...
That depends entirely on his headspace to beer volume ratio and on how much he's dropping temperature. A unitank is really a sealed vessel, once you drop the temperature the beer will start absorbing CO2 until the new equilibrium is reached. If there is not much headspace and the temperature is dropped far enough and long enough beer could potentially absorb the entire volume of CO2 thus creating a lot of suction. Thankfully as long as the unitank is not sealed it will pull in water from the blow-off, otherwise there is a distinct possibility of permanently damaging it.
OP
OP
I have right around 5.25 Gallons in the fermenter now, and just wanted a little insurance that nothing would get sucked in. Is 1 psi good enough just until it is at 32F, then I’d remove the CO2 and wait a few days - dump trub and yeast before closed transfer to the corny?
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With a unitank you can go higher. I put 2 psi on my Brew Bucket, which isn't rated to hold pressure. I unhook the gas once it's reached temp but that's because I am using a Brew Bucket and not a unitank that is rated to hold pressure. Personally, if I had a unitank I'd keep the gas hooked up and get a start on carbing while cold crashing.
jekeane
Well-Known Member
Yes. I would put 10psi on before crashing.
You should consider pulling or closing off the blowoff with .006 - .004 points left and putting a spunding valve on at this point. Its one of the main reasons to own a unitank. If you close up with .004 - .006 or so you will wind up with 4-10 psi on the tank by the time you are ready to crash.
You should consider pulling or closing off the blowoff with .006 - .004 points left and putting a spunding valve on at this point. Its one of the main reasons to own a unitank. If you close up with .004 - .006 or so you will wind up with 4-10 psi on the tank by the time you are ready to crash.
