Spike fermenters.

[Jag75]

Well I drove home in excitement to get my cf5 as it was delivered. Man this thing is nice . What a work of beauty lol. When your daughter and wife say , it tells you something when your daughter and wife say, wow that's nice . Only thing I noticed was tiny scratches on the top where the rubber gasket meets the conical. Inside looks pristine. Cant wait to use this bad boy. Gotta get the racking arm and manifold asap!

 

[mongoose33]

Well I drove home in excitement to get my cf5 as it was delivered. Man this thing is nice . What a work of beauty lol. When your daughter and wife say , it tells you something when your daughter and wife say, wow that's nice . Only thing I noticed was tiny scratches on the top where the rubber gasket meets the conical. Inside looks pristine. Cant wait to use this bad boy. Gotta get the racking arm and manifold asap!

Just to whet your appetite a bit more, here's a pic of me doing a pressure transfer this afternoon:

 

[Jag75]

My fastfermenter schedule was
Transfer wort
Pitch
Day#7 dump yeast and trub
Then I'd keg on day 21 .

This should essentially be ok doing same with this fermenter right ? I'm a little Leary of dumping yeast and trub because I dont want beer to come shooting out .

 

[Jtvann]

My fastfermenter schedule was
Transfer wort
Pitch
Day#7 dump yeast and trub
Then I'd keg on day 21 .

This should essentially be ok doing same with this fermenter right ? I'm a little Leary of dumping yeast and trub because I dont want beer to come shooting out .

What I would do. Transfer wort from kettle, let trub settle for 1-2 hours and pitch the first quart. Pitch yeast. When bubbling slows drastically collect yeast over next 2-3 days with a soft cold crash to 50 at the tail end. Close valve to natuarally carbonate. Cold crash 2-3 days, more depending on carbonation, keg around day 14.

 

[mongoose33]

My fastfermenter schedule was
Transfer wort
Pitch
Day#7 dump yeast and trub
Then I'd keg on day 21 .

This should essentially be ok doing same with this fermenter right ? I'm a little Leary of dumping yeast and trub because I dont want beer to come shooting out .

I can't answer this question because I never dump yeast and trub. I figured at some point I might try to harvest yeast but haven't found the need to do that yet.

The beer in the pic above showing the pressure transfer was brewed on May 25; today, June 4, is 10 days after pitching the yeast. It's gone through fermentation at 60 degrees, then ramped it up to 69 for a couple days at the tail end of fermentation, then back down to 60 for about 36 hours, then crashed it to 38 degrees.

That beer came out carbed at about 7.5 psi, I have it on 30 psi for six hours, then I'll see where I am with it. Meanwhile, my fermenter is empty, cleaned, sanitized, and ready for another brew day. BTW, it's a Kolsch, and at 10 days it is already drinkable and then some.

BTW, tried something with the yeast that I've never done. It was WLP029, german ale yeast, liquid yeast. I just pitched it from the packet, no starter.

I'm anxious to see how it all turns out, but early returns are excellent. Going to sample at 11:30pm tonite.

 

[Blazinlow86]

My fastfermenter schedule was
Transfer wort
Pitch
Day#7 dump yeast and trub
Then I'd keg on day 21 .

This should essentially be ok doing same with this fermenter right ? I'm a little Leary of dumping yeast and trub because I dont want beer to come shooting out .

When I first purchased my cf15 and tried harvesting yeast the first time I wasted alot of beer and have gone back to just over building my starters instead. Typically I wait until fermentation is almost done them add any dryhops and additionally switch the blow off to the prv valve. Once my dryhop schedule is complete there's usually between 5-10 psi built up at fermentation temp. I then set my controller to 35f and wait 48 hours. I then attach a barbed fitting with a piece of silicone brew hose from the dump Port into a gallon jug. Without the barb and hose to direct and slow the flow i would imagine a spectacular mess and terrible dump. With the pressure in the fermentor you only need to open the valve the tiniest amount and it will push the sediment out cleanly without wasting a bunch of beer. This needs to be done as slow as possible. I then add the carb stone and 24 hours later it's transfered into kegs without any sediment. Cheers

 

[Jtvann]

Brewers hardware yeast harvester helps out with both trub dump and yeast harvest immensely.

Without the harvest, I did lose more beer than I should have. With the harvester, on the first attempt it worked great.

 

[Blazinlow86]

Brewers hardware yeast harvester helps out with both trub dump and yeast harvest immensely.

Without the harvest, I did lose more beer than I should have. With the harvester, on the first attempt it worked great.

That's a good idea if your harvesting yeast. Definitely cut down on the waste. Cheers

 

[Jag75]

I dont harvest yeast . Might just leave yeast and trub for the whole duration. I'm just a creature of habit as I was taught to leave the beer alone and not rush it. That's why I let my beer sit for 3 weeks . I've never cold crashed either. Now I have my DIY chiller I will get to cold crash .

I appreciate all your input and tips on the fermenter.

 

[Blazinlow86]

I dont harvest yeast . Might just leave yeast and trub for the whole duration. I'm just a creature of habit as I was taught to leave the beer alone and not rush it. That's why I let my beer sit for 3 weeks . I've never cold crashed either. Now I have my DIY chiller I will get to cold crash .

I appreciate all your input and tips on the fermenter.

You could keep doing like that if you prefer. Only thing that crossed my mind is I'm not sure how high up the cone the sediment will settle. If you don't have the racking arm and or forgot to position it upwards you might clog your connector when racking. When I dump I usually get at least .5 a gallon and if I remember correctly the dead space below the racking arm was the similar. Cheers

 

[Blazinlow86]

I'll have to try that next time. That is much more believable.

Fwiw I timed racking to kegs today. It took just over 6 mins to fill a 5 gallon keg with 13psi on the fermentor and 10psi on the spunding valve without any foaming. Cheers

 

[eric19312]

Fwiw I timed racking to kegs today. It took just over 6 mins to fill a 5 gallon keg with 13psi on the fermentor and 10psi on the spunding valve without any foaming. Cheers

Thanks for the post. I’ll make sure to let Spike know they owe you a commission when I pull the trigger.

 

[eric19312]

I've never had issues with dryhops and I do alot of neipas between 12-18 gallons so alot of hops. Key is a good cold crash and definitely need the racking arm. After a 2-3 day crash at 35f all the sediment has dropped out and it's clear finished beer. CheersView attachment 629724

I'm trying to understand this pic
I see a barbed TC fitting attached to a hose going to a liquid out ball lock connector. I assume you attach that TC to the racking arm TC and the Racking arm is mounted on the racking port.
The spunding valve goes on the keg gas out to hold pressure 3 psi lower than unitank pressure.
Carb stone would be used before racking and removed when switching to the TC - hose - ball lock connector.
Question: What is the TC to quick connect used for?

Another question -- which TC barb are you using on the dump valve? How well does it work? Are you collecting yeast or just dumping trub?

 

[Blazinlow86]

I'm trying to understand this pic
I see a barbed TC fitting attached to a hose going to a liquid out ball lock connector. I assume you attach that TC to the racking arm TC and the Racking arm is mounted on the racking port.
The spunding valve goes on the keg gas out to hold pressure 3 psi lower than unitank pressure.
Carb stone would be used before racking and removed when switching to the TC - hose - ball lock connector.
Question: What is the TC to quick connect used for?

Another question -- which TC barb are you using on the dump valve? How well does it work? Are you collecting yeast or just dumping trub?

The barbed tclamp with the ball lock fitting is used to rack to kegs only and mounted to the racking port as you described with the spunding valve on the gas post. The spunding valve can also be used on the pvr if desired to ferment under pressure. The carb stone is used to aerate the wort prior to pitching yeast and then used again after cold crashing and dumping to carbonate the beer. It's removed prior to racking and the barbed fitting with the ball lock goes in its place. The tclamp to quick connect is used when pumping the wort from the boil kettle to the fermentor. I should have taken a photo of the dump valve fitting but it's just a 2inch tclamp fitting with a 1/2 barb that I attach a 3foot section of brew hose too so I can control the dump easily and collect into a jar. I over build my starters therefore I don't collect yeast. Cheers

 

[eric19312]

The tclamp to quick connect is used when pumping the wort from the boil kettle to the fermentor.

Got it I will use a tclamp-to-camlock to do the same. Guess you fill via the racking port?

I should have taken a photo of the dump valve fitting but it's just a 2inch tclamp fitting with a 1/2 barb that I attach a 3foot section of brew hose too so I can control the dump easily and collect into a jar. I over build my starters therefore I don't collect yeast. Cheers

OK anyone collecting yeast out of CF series fermentors? What works? I'm guessing the 1/2" barb is probably ok for dropping trub on day one or two but not likely to work to harvest the yeast...

 

[Jag75]

When cold crashing do you just put the fermenter under about 5psi then disconnect the gas line and cold crash for a couple days . Then purge co2 then hook back up to co2 at about 2-3 psi for pressure trans?

 

[Blazinlow86]

Got it I will use a tclamp-to-camlock to do the same. Guess you fill via the racking port?


OK anyone collecting yeast out of CF series fermentors? What works? I'm guessing the 1/2" barb is probably ok for dropping trub on day one or two but not likely to work to harvest the yeast...

Yes I fill via the racking port but you could do it thru the dump Port also I just had the fitting already so did it that way. I have harvested yeast once using the barbed fitting with the brew hose. It worked it just seemed to waste alot of clean beer and I prefer to start with clean yeast so it made more sense to me to stop harvesting and overbuilt instead. You will definitely need something to reduce the flow like the barbed fitting when using the dump Port or its gonna come out way to fast and uncontrolled. Cheers

 

[Blazinlow86]

When cold crashing do you just put the fermenter under about 5psi then disconnect the gas line and cold crash for a couple days . Then purge co2 then hook back up to co2 at about 2-3 psi for pressure trans?

I seal the fermentor after adding my last dry hop additions typically. By the time I'm ready to cold crash the psi has built up to around 10psi naturally. I drop the temp down to 37f without gas attached however if the psi was to drop to 0 and the fermentor is sealed you could crush it so be mindful when dropping temps with a sealed vessle. Once down to 37 a few days I drop the trub/yeast, add the carb stone and attach the gas at 13psi. I then transfer to kegs in the next day or so using the spunding valve on the receiving kegs. Cheers

 

[Jag75]

Just got the gas manifold and the racking arm . Now I have a question guys. Spike says to put the temp probe in the thermo well on the fermenter and the pump plugged into the temp controller . That doesnt seem right . I made a DIY chiller with an ac unit. I thought I was to plug the ac unit & the pump into the temp controller and put the temp probe in the glycol solution. So I would need a plug splitter for the cooling side of temp probe. I'm a little confused reading what spike says on their website.

 

[CodeSection]

...Spike says to put the temp probe in the thermo well on the fermenter and the pump plugged into the temp controller.../QUOTE]

That is correct. Plugged into the "cool" outlet.

Edit: The temp prob is measuring the wort in the fermenter, not the glycol solution. Without the prob in the temp prob well in the fermenter, how would you know what the temperature of the wort and fermentation was?

 

[CodeSection]

@Jag75, here is mine. In the lower left corner, you can see the pump power plug is plugged into the temperature controller.

 

[Jag75]

Okay so the ac unit and the pump plug into the cooling side of the temp controller? I was wondering if the pump should be running 24-7

 

[CodeSection]

Your pump will not be running 24/7. When the temperature in the fermenter is raised, the temp prob will send that temp data to the controller and the controller will turn on the pump to circulate your glycol solution to bring the temperature down to you set temp. Once the set temp is back to where it is supposed to be, the controller turns off the pump.

Edit: Your a/c unit is plugged into a separate outlet. You will need a separate controller for the a/c unit...

 

[Blazinlow86]

Okay so the ac unit and the pump plug into the cooling side of the temp controller? I was wondering if the pump should be running 24-7

I don't have first hand experience with your setup but might be able to help. Typically you will need a STC or similar temp controller that is connected to your diy glycol chiller allowing you to set your desired glycol temp ( which is typically a lower temp than you want your fermentor at). You would then use the spike pump in the glycol resovoir and it will turn the pump on circulating the cold glycol until the spike controller sees your fermentor is at the set temp and will then stop the circulation until it's required again. Hopefully that makes sense. Cheers

 

[Blazinlow86]

But now that I think about it the way you described would probably work fine too possibly with slower performance and I'm unsure the spike controller can handle the amps your specific ac unit draws. Cheers

 

[Beardless]

Okay so the ac unit and the pump plug into the cooling side of the temp controller? I was wondering if the pump should be running 24-7

I also have a homemade glycol chiller. The thing is (sorry if I’m wrong by reading it incorrectly) you need 2 temp controllers. One maintains the ac unit / glycol temperature, with the probe in the glycol and the ac unit plugged into that controller. The pump that comes with the spike system pumps the glycol through the coil in the fermenter, maintaining the beer temperature. The pump should be plugged into the other controller, with that controller’s probe in the thermo well. I have my differential temp at like 15-20 degrees (difference between target fermenter temp and glycol temp).

 

[Jag75]

Oh 2 temp controllers . That is making sense as why I was confused . Thank you guys for the quick response. Glad I had 1 already .

 

[Beardless]

Yep. Like 6 months or so ago I got a CF10 with no thoughts to temp control. Built an AC unit chiller. Luckily had a couple inkbirds lying around when I realized I needed a second one. And had the temperature coil for the CF10 delivered to my house literally while I was finishing my boil. At least you’re thinking ahead more than I did!

 

[Bad Bubba]

Anyone add a fining agent to the Spike before you transfer? I am seriously looking at a unitank. I like the idea of temperature control, dumping yeast, carbing and pressure transferring.

 

[Blazinlow86]

Anyone add a fining agent to the Spike before you transfer? I am seriously looking at a unitank. I like the idea of temperature control, dumping yeast, carbing and pressure transferring.

I occassion use gelitine prior to dumping depending on style. Cheers