Transfer from fermzilla

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mudog

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So I just got done brewing my first all grain batch and it is fermenting. How do I transfer it to a keg from a fermzilla. Its not under any co2 pressure right now as I don't have the pressure kit. Can I just buy the pressure kit open the top of the beer and install it and pump without having any oxygen in the beer.
 
If it's still fermenting just open up the top and install pressure kit. If it's done fermenting just put the carb caps on and hook up your c02 and purge the headspace, the remove the lid quickly and install floating dip tube.
As far as transfering to keg, just make a jumper hose with liquid ball locks on both sides and connect to purged keg. Increase pressure to fermenter and begin flow, and allow excess pressure out by periodically pulling prv on keg
 
Yes, O2 will enter, but if still fermenting then the process will naturally create more CO2 and “self purge”, but a blast of bottled CO2 wouldn’t go amiss to minimise exposure.
 
I've had the older Fermentasaurus for a while, but just got around to using it (on my second brew with it now).

In my opinion the pressure kit is mandatory; without it I'd just use a regular ported BMB like I do with my other brews, for easy gravity transfer.

With my first Fermetasaurs brew, I had the airlock on for a while until it started slowing; then added the pressure kit, because I didn't want the bulk of the fermentation under pressure. Once the kit is on there, you can immediately add bottle gas and purge the headspace if you are worried about it.

For this second brew, I just put the pressure kit on from the start and put an open ended hose from a gas disconnect running into a bottle of star san, just like a mini blowoff tube. That way I won't have to drop more stuff in there later, except for an oz of dry hops, and can easily swap the blowoff tube for a spunding valve at any time.

For this brew I want to cold crash, so that is why I used the Fermentasaurus. I know you can rig up O2 denying balloon setups with the BMB, but with the pressure kit, it will be super simple to just put a couple pounds of bottle gas pressure on to cold crash.
 
One advantage of the zilla is the ability to dry hop from the bottom jar post fermentation without oxidation. Just add hops to trub jar, purge, and crank the handle.
 
Weird thing with mine going on now; probably wouldn't happen with the Fermzilla due to the larger opening in the bottom.

I finish cooling in my fermentation chamber, dropping from about 110 to pitching temp. In a carboy I get pretty uniform cooling throughout I think.

With the conical, by the time the main body of the liquid was down to pitching temp, the bottom part was near freezing. On the second brew I figured I'd leave the dump port closed until cooling was done; then open it; I figured this would lead to some more uniform cooling and also agitate it a bit as the air from the ball came up through the liquid.

All went to plan, except a bunch of break material and whatnot seems to have immediately clogged the port and despite the fermentation in the main body of the tank being very active, the wort in the ball appears to be not fermenting at all. I assume due to being plugged and cut off from the rest of the tank.

This wasn't a problem with my first brew; I had the port open from the start, but there was also, by design, a recipe with less "stuff" in it.

Wondering if anyone has had this isssue before. Now I'm considering just leaving the port closed throughout the entire process next time since the ball really isn't doing anything for me at this time anyway.
 
One advantage of the zilla is the ability to dry hop from the bottom jar post fermentation without oxidation. Just add hops to trub jar, purge, and crank the handle.

I did this on my second batch with the fermzilla. Unfortunately I dry hopped and the hops seemed to have much more leaf fragments than I've experienced in the past. Trying to pull from the fermzilla under pressure caused lots of clogging issues as a result of the hop leaf particles.
 
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Cold crash before you transfer out of the firmzilla. The dip tube draws from the top and all your hop trub will be left in the bottom. That's one of the advantages, you get super clean beer from the start and cold crashing is a breeze due to the fact that it can hold pressure.
 
^^^ what he said. u gotta cold crash to drop the yeast/hop matter. make sure to do it under pressure so you don't get suckback
 
I cold crashed but only to about 56F because my cooling system needed some upgrades. When I started transferring under pressure (12psi using a CO2 tank to hold pressure) the bottom jar which was previously full of trub suddenly broke loose and my nice clear wort became a mixed mess. Do you guys turn close the jar valve before draining the fermzilla? Slowly learning lessons with this fermzilla but it's a nice little unit.

The other issues I've had include small leaks from the jar, from the top port and from the 3rd oring holding the valve to the clear container. The last one was fixed by replacing the oring which had apparently developed two tears over the 3 brews I've had. If it wasn't for so many leaks and frustrating issues, I'd have 2 or 3 of them by now but the problems are causing me to hold off on buying another one and possibly putting the money towards the Spike CF5.
 
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