So I learned something the hard way today

[fuzzybee]

I'm doing my first real spunding on lager right now - I have a Pilsner and a Doppelbock chugging along. I put my spunding valves on them after a day of fermentation. Unfortunately, I set the valves to 15 psi, with a temp of 49. Whoops. I have very over-carbonated fermenting wort right now. Let my screw-up be a lesson for someone else.

Looks like I won't be dry-hopping my pilsner in the fermenter, that's for sure.

 

[pvtpublic]

Oh no! Perhaps leave unpressurized until about 70-80% complete, that way you could sneak some green in there beforehand. The tail end of fermentation should give you all the CO2 you need for carbonation.

How far along is your ferment? You might still be able to naturally carb it still, just pressure-transfer off of the dry hops when you're ready.

I have to ask, what kind of pilsner are you making that you're dry hopping?

 

[fuzzybee]

I can't really depressurize it right now - pulling my prv shoots wort out. I'm hoping that my upcoming warming cycle will start to dissipate some of the pressure.

I'm doing a "West Coast" Bohemian Pilsner.

 

[pvtpublic]

Warming it up will have the opposite effect. The colder it is the more co2 it can hold. Maybe just do your routine with lagers, and when you drop temp for lagering, check pressure after a few days. You may have to force carb if you want to dry hop, though.

 

[odie]

ur gonna haver to slowly bleed it

 

[fuzzybee]

Warming it up will have the opposite effect. The colder it is the more co2 it can hold. Maybe just do your routine with lagers, and when you drop temp for lagering, check pressure after a few days. You may have to force carb if you want to dry hop, though.

As I warm it, won't the internal pressure increase, and bleed out of my set spunding valve? Then when I crash it, it should (in theory) return to a lower pressure.

I'll try to slowly lower the setting on the spunding as well.

 

[Bassman2003]

Are you wanting to ferment under pressure? I am confused about why the spunding valve is being used on the fermenter. If just for carbonation and without a closed pressure transfer, one would put the spunding valve on the keg after the transfer with some remaining extract left. More info is needed for me to understand.

 

[pvtpublic]

As I warm it, won't the internal pressure increase, and bleed out of my set spunding valve? Then when I crash it, it should (in theory) return to a lower pressure.

I'll try to slowly lower the setting on the spunding as well.

Yes it will increase as it won't be able to hold the co2 as well. I suppose slowly lowering it might work, but try to put a blow off tube on it so you don't get foam everywhere. How far along is your ferment?

Are you wanting to ferment under pressure? I am confused about why the spunding valve is being used on the fermenter. If just for carbonation and without a closed pressure transfer, one would put the spunding valve on the keg after the transfer with some remaining extract left. More info is needed for me to understand.

In German styles, it's traditional to carbonate with the blow off. I'm sure that's the OP's intent.

 

[fuzzybee]

Yes it will increase as it won't be able to hold the co2 as well. I suppose slowly lowering it might work, but try to put a blow off tube on it so you don't get foam everywhere. How far along is your ferment?

In German styles, it's traditional to carbonate with the blow off. I'm sure that's the OP's intent.

Yeah - luckily I have a Blowtie, so I have an easy output. I'm about 3/4 of the way through my expected gravity drop on both of the beers as of last night. I pitcher both (the Pilsner and a Doppelbock) on previously-used 34-70 cakes, and they were cranking right away. They were both at least a third done when I put the spunding valves on.

That said, they both looked and tasted pretty good when I checked the SG. I'm not too worried about it - just irritated with myself for not thinking it through all the way first. Next time, I'll set the spunding down to about 5 PSI for the low temp, and maybe increase it when I hook up the purge keg.