Spunding valve talk

[lumpher]

I've decided it's time to move to pressure fermentation and spunding valves. What advice can you give an old man about it? I'll be using ball lock kegs for it, as I have 8 and don't need more than 2 or 3 ready at 1 time. Price isn't much of an object, as initial investments usually pay off, but these seem popular.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/b...MIoK_Nr667gwMVYUp_AB1qnQDHEAQYAiABEgK-f_D_BwE

 

[VikeMan]

BlowTies are fine, as long as you don't need really fine accuracy from the little cheapo gauge, and for most brewing purposes you probably won't. I'd recommend getting at least two... one dialed in to whatever pressure you want to ferment under, and the other dialed in for pressure relief when closed transferring from fermenter to serving keg. That way you don't have to fiddle with adjustments every time.

 

[Red over White]

I recommend the blow tie and spend the extra 15 bones for the digital gauge upgrade. Money well spent. Eventually you will see the need to use high pressure and the digital gauge will accommodate that.

If you will be using kegs to ferment in, buy a carbonation tee and use a jumper with a 2 liter bottle to safeguard your spunding valve, so any blowoff goes into the bottom of the 2 liter first. Or if you are purging kegs, use the 2 liter in between as a safeguard to keep the kegs tidy, while purging out oxygen. This is handier than a shirt pocket with yeasts like Verdant that form a wicked barmy kräusen.

 

[SBENCIV]

I've been regularly using the SPUNDit and love it. It's incredibly reliable and has fine tune adjustments. They are sold on ebay and possibly even Amazon now. They are made by a homebrewer named Trong Nguyen who is also a bit of an engineer/inventor. Also, I love that you are going to ferment in ball lock kegs. That's my setup exactly and I love it. I took an additional step and added a floating dip tube - the FLOTit 2.0 also made by Trong. It allows me to cold crash before transferring without the fear of pulling in trub. Since making the move to ball lock kegs I have never found the need or desire to spends hundreds of dollars on a SS conical fermenter.

 

[mac_1103]

People do seem to love the SpundIt, but it's $77 with shipping. You can get two complete BlowTie kits and two of the digital pressure gauges from MoreBeer for five bucks more. Is it really twice as good?

 

[SBENCIV]

People do seem to love the SpundIt, but it's $77 with shipping. You can get two complete BlowTie kits and two of the digital pressure gauges from MoreBeer for five bucks more. Is it really twice as good?

That's a really good question. I don't have any experience with the BlowTie so I couldn't confirm or deny that. But, it's price point is definitely tempting!! To add to this, I've also recently discovered this guy:

$14.99 at Morebeer!

https://www.morebeer.com/products/b...roB3uB74D21ZRDjXrpSg0aBh55JvHu1BoCbqQQAvD_BwE
I don't see any reviews for it yet and I don't know what limitations may exist, if any, but if it's any good, it'll give all these other spunding valves a serious run for their money!

 

[NSMikeD]

I've been regularly using the SPUNDit and love it. It's incredibly reliable and has fine tune adjustments. They are sold on ebay and possibly even Amazon now. They are made by a homebrewer named Trong Nguyen who is also a bit of an engineer/inventor. Also, I love that you are going to ferment in ball lock kegs. That's my setup exactly and I love it. I took an additional step and added a floating dip tube - the FLOTit 2.0 also made by Trong. It allows me to cold crash before transferring without the fear of pulling in trub. Since making the move to ball lock kegs I have never found the need or desire to spends hundreds of dollars on a SS conical fermenter.

just brewed after several months off. While I usually don't pressure ferment I still use them with the FLOTit2.0 for the transfer to the keg. I am less concerned with pressure fermenting as I have a temp-controlled fermentation chamber from a large minifridge than I am about oxidizing beer and sucking up sediment into the keg.

Additionally, I have spindles that I can attach to a CO2 cartridge if I do decide to add some pressure to prevent backflow when I cold crash.

I ferment in a plastic Fermonster, The sell the lid kit to attach the valves. I do recommend getting two. One with the original set up with the drain spigot and a second with no spigot hole with the pressure lid kit. I had two spigots fail under pressure.

 

[mashdar]

I have the original Blowtie and the Blowtie2. The Blowtie2 is rated 4-15psi, and the gauge tops out at 15psi, which is a tad lower than I'd like. I need a flashlight to read it.

The original Blowtie is supposedly 0*-30psi, and the kit comes with a much bigger 0-40psi analogue gauge and a Duotight tee fitting. This setup allows swapping the gauge for the digital gauge as others mentioned.

*I'm under the impression that all of these diaphragm valves have a minimum useable pressure, so I'm not sure what "0psi" means. Could be <0.5psi? I have never seen one rated to zero in other contexts, but I'm no expert.

I wanted to buy a Spundit, but it was out of stock when I needed a spunding valve, so I ordered an original Blowtie. I'll buy a Spundit at some point. I can also say Trong (designer/seller of Spundit) provides excellent customer service.

 

[lumpher]

I've been looking at the Spundit for a few days. It's been out of stock for a while now. That and the price are what have me looking at the Blowtie.

 

[mac_1103]

$14.99 at Morebeer!

Threw one of those in on my last MoreBeer order just because it's so cheap. I don't expect much out of that gauge in terms of accuracy, but they say it's swappable. Should be perfectly serviceable for transfers and such as is. Also has fixed PRV options.

 

[Red over White]

That's a really good question. I don't have any experience with the BlowTie so I couldn't confirm or deny that. But, it's price point is definitely tempting!! To add to this, I've also recently discovered this guy:

View attachment 837960

$14.99 at Morebeer!

https://www.morebeer.com/products/b...roB3uB74D21ZRDjXrpSg0aBh55JvHu1BoCbqQQAvD_BwE
I don't see any reviews for it yet and I don't know what limitations may exist, if any, but if it's any good, it'll give all these other spunding valves a serious run for their money!

I just got 2 of these from more beer. They don't work on my pin lock kegs converted to ball locks (it's so compact, it hits the rubber handle before engaging, not an issue for true ball lock kegs of course). It's a really tight fit going on to my carbonator corny lid fittings, but works a treat on everything else. So far I really like them and they disassemble easy for cleaning. The right kegland digital gauge will pop in it, but you have to order the proper Duotight digital gauge. Kegland offers the digital gauge in two styles, the Duotight and the blowtie version with a shortshaft with oring that won't work with these valves. Overall I'm impressed with these so far, especially since they are really cost effective.

Here I have just one on my current 10 gal batch. Each fermenter is purging one keg on each beverage post but the gas posts are tied together, with the spunding valve on the carbonator lid. Between Galaxy, Idaho 7, El Dorado and the Verdant yeast, it smells amazing in my 60°F spare bedroom right now.

 

[mac_1103]

They don't work on my pin lock kegs converted to ball locks (it's so compact, it hits the rubber handle before engaging, not an issue for true ball lock kegs of course).

Never would have thought of that. But yeah, they are real squat. Thanks.

Kegland offers the digital gauge in two styles, the Duotight and the blowtie version with a shortshaft with oring that won't work with these valves.

So IOW, don't order the one that's linked on the MoreBeer page?

 

[Red over White]

Never would have thought of that. But yeah, they are real squat. Thanks.

So IOW, don't order the one that's linked on the MoreBeer page?

The one linked on the page is for the blowtie, don't know why? This one will work with the spunding valve in question.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/duotight-8mm-516-digital-mini-pressure-gauge-090-psi.html

 

[mac_1103]

Yeah, figured that out after your previous post, otherwise almost certainly would have ordered the wrong one. Thanks again.

 

[Tinwhistler]

I recommend the blow tie and spend the extra 15 bones for the digital gauge upgrade. Money well spent. Eventually you will see the need to use high pressure and the digital gauge will accommodate that.

If you will be using kegs to ferment in, buy a carbonation tee and use a jumper with a 2 liter bottle to safeguard your spunding valve, so any blowoff goes into the bottom of the 2 liter first. Or if you are purging kegs, use the 2 liter in between as a safeguard to keep the kegs tidy, while purging out oxygen. This is handier than a shirt pocket with yeasts like Verdant that form a wicked barmy kräusen.

William's Brewing has the Digital Illuminated Mini Regulator Gauge 0-90 psi upgrade for $9 each until 1/6/24.

 

[mac_1103]

Just to avoid the previous confusion, that's the gauge that fits the BlowTie, not the G2. William's also has the BlowTie itself on sale for $12. Their price for the G2 is better than MoreBeer's and they have the fixed PRVs for $5 each. The gauge that fits the G2 is not on sale (same price as MoreBeer).

 

[Brooothru]

I've been regularly using the SPUNDit and love it. It's incredibly reliable and has fine tune adjustments. They are sold on ebay and possibly even Amazon now. They are made by a homebrewer named Trong Nguyen who is also a bit of an engineer/inventor. Also, I love that you are going to ferment in ball lock kegs. That's my setup exactly and I love it. I took an additional step and added a floating dip tube - the FLOTit 2.0 also made by Trong. It allows me to cold crash before transferring without the fear of pulling in trub. Since making the move to ball lock kegs I have never found the need or desire to spends hundreds of dollars on a SS conical fermenter.

Bling. There's the BLING!

Actually, I've got three stainless fermenters, though one of them is pretty much dedicated for wine. One of the others is a unitank that I really like for spunding and worry-free yeast harvesting and pressure transfers. I've recently fermented in 7.9 gallon and 5.6 gallon kegmenters but still haven't taken the leap into pressure fermentations. I've got all the gear and recently bought some WLP-808 "Mythical Hammer" high pressure lager yeast, so I guess I can't put it off any longer. Wish me luck.

 

[DuncB]

I have used white labs high pressure lager yeast.
Underwhelmed, since then have spunded all kinds of yeast. They cope with pressure up to 30psi ( wheat beer fermenting accident).
@VikeMan If you make a closed loop siphon pressure transfer no need to add gas or use a spunding valve to vent.

 

[Yesfan]

I have the old style and new style of the red Kegland spunding valves. I like the larger analog gauge of the old style as it's easier to read. I plan on getting the digital gauge for the other one (and more carbonation tees).

Another thing to add, if you don't have them, are those ball lock disconnect jumpers. I use mine to directly connect the spunding valve to my gas line from my spare co2 tank to set my spunding pressure. Get the ones from Bobby M Ball Lock Keg QD Jumper as they're universal. Some others, like from Northern Brewer, only work with the beer disconnects.

 

[Brooothru]

I have used white labs high pressure lager yeast.
Underwhelmed, since then have spunded all kinds of yeast. They cope with pressure up to 30psi ( wheat beer fermenting accident).
@VikeMan If you make a closed loop siphon pressure transfer no need to add gas or use a spunding valve to vent.

Was that the WLP-925 or the new WLP-808? White Labs shows both as ‘high pressure lager’ yeasts. The new WLP808 was developed in a colab with Clawhammer for use in their kegmenter, and the advanced press makes it look promising.

 

[DuncB]

Was that the WLP-925 or the new WLP-808? White Labs shows both as ‘high pressure lager’ yeasts. The new WLP808 was developed in a colab with Clawhammer for use in their kegmenter, and the advanced press makes it look promising.

It was a few years ago so must have been the WLP 925.
I prefer the opshaug kveik yeast fermented under pressure about 30 psi towards the end and at 28 Celsius.
Current lager I used the novalager fermented at 20 C and then Spunded to final vols.

I would add that Kegland told me that it wasn't that sure about the digital gauge in longer periods of a damp environment such as spunding. So I've stuck with the very difficult to read smaller analogue gauge and check it with a larger display valve.

 

[lumpher]

What exactly is the UNI dip tube for the FLOTit 2?

 

[mac_1103]

The UNI dip tube is a 3/4" gas dip tube made of silicone and stainless steel that does not require an o-ring. Saves you the trouble of cutting off your dip tubes yourself if you want to decrease headspace and reduce the likelihood of getting beer in your gas lines.

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

People do seem to love the SpundIt, but it's $77 with shipping. You can get two complete BlowTie kits and two of the digital pressure gauges from MoreBeer for five bucks more. Is it really twice as good?

Well, maybe. I have the blowtie and I made a spunding valve with the same PRV that spundit uses. Both work well, but the blowtie wanders during fermentation and has a little courser adjustment, you have to keep an eye on it. The blowtie is nice because if the fermenter pukes, it comes apart easily to clean. The fittings on the blowtie are a little cheap, they have a tendency to break and leak.

The PRV for the spundit is an Airtrol adjustable pressure relief valve made in Wisconsin and it's well made. Once you set the pressure, it doesn't move. It works to 30PSI and I have not found a reason to go above this pressure. If you want to build one, here's the valve:

Airtrol Relief Valve w/1/8"port RV-5300-30 W/K

They go for about $30. You will need to add fittings and a gauge. I think I have $45-50 into it

 

[Terpene]

I've been looking at the Spundit for a few days. It's been out of stock for a while now. That and the price are what have me looking at the Blowtie.

You can get Spundit 2.0 directly from Trong's website: Home - Homebrewer LAB

It's usually in stock there, even when it's out of stock on Ebay. Not sure why.

In my view, it's worth the money, especially for use in fermentation. The gauge is higher quality than most and the fermonitor is a nice touch. I also have a blow tie 2 and I like it, but I mostly only use it for closed transfers. For fermentation, I use the Spundit.