Turning your Fermonster into a complete closed transfer system for cheap!

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This may be anecdotal, but I left one of my lids in StarSan for longer than I intended and it cracked rather easily on its next use.

Is it possible that you are doing this?
No, I did not soak it at all. I had 1/2 gal of sanitizer in the fermenter with lid attached and I shook it a few times.

This is a fresh replacement lid I had just bought and it was the first time using it.
 
What about just transferring at a lower pressure? You guys seem brave pushing the Fermonsters to 10psi. When I had mine, I never went above 2-3psi when transferring.
Right. I have a stainless Chapman with no valve. I only use enough pressure to get a siphon going, then let gravity take over. It takes awhile, but if I don’t have anything else to do, I can draw a pint, and sit there smiling while I watch my beer flow into my keg! 😁
 
I may just use what has worked for the past few years - sticking with fermenting in a keg. When/if I do need to use a fermenter for conditioning (typically only stouts), I can use the Fermonster and just not do an O2-free transfer and just do it the traditional way using a syphon, I don't think stouts are as susceptible to oxidation.
 
I’ve posted this in a few thread and I get quite a bit of messages regarding my process of doing this so I figured I would create a thread on the process. This is by far the cheapest closed fermenting/ transferring system.


So what you will be doing is modifying a fermonter’s solid lid and fitting it with both liquid and gas keg posts and a floating dip tube.Here is the easiest/cheapest way to go;

1) 7 Gallon Fermonster with spigots (makes hydro samples easy) with solid cap $33.99
FerMonster Carboy With Spigot - 7 gal. | MoreBeer

2) Fermontisourus pressure kit $29.99 - you’re buying this to take the parts, the liquid and gas posts and the floating dip tube to use for your solid lid.
Fermentasaurus Pressure Kit | MoreBeer
Optional pressure kit for the Fermentasaurus Concial Fermenter allows you to ferment under pressure, carbonate, and serve all in one vessel!
www.morebeer.com
www.morebeer.com

3) 7/16” or 1/2” drill bit so you can drill out the solid cap for the posts. Make sure you measure so that have them far enough a part so both ball lock fittings can go on at the same time but close enough when you maintain the stability of the lid. $2.
drillsandcutters.com

7/16" HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, Qualtech
7/16" HSS Black Oxide Jobber Length Drill Bit, Qualtech. Find this item and other cutting tools on DrillsandCutters.com.
drillsandcutters.com
drillsandcutters.com

4) then you just needs some hose, clamps, and balllock fittings for your transfer lines.

all together you’re looking at just below $70 for a fermenter with closed transfer and pressure dryhoping capabilities. It’s also light weight and incredibly easy and quick to clean


30FEFF3A-3AB0-4993-BAE5-F262FCF3B52B.jpeg




Benefits of doing this verses fermenting in the keg;
1) You will yield a full 5 gallons of trub free beer from each of your recipes helping you become more consistent
2) You now can use all your kegs for serving purposes.
3)You can see fermentation take place which for me is almost as good as watching a fire lol
I made this assembly, and it works great, I have brewed 4 time with it and they have all been great. One small question. The connections I put in the lid leak, not a lot but it "hisses" when I am doing a pressure transfer to my keg. I have a washer in the set up, but it is not pressure tight. I really don't think it effects the beer, but it bugs me. Is there a specific kind of washer I should use?
 
I’ll run the gas through the liquid post and cbds as I’m removing the cap to slightly pressurize and keep it flowing as I drop them in then I close the cap and pressurize. This is the only opportunity for any o2 pick up. I’m sure a minimal amount does get in but This is exactly what breweries such as OH are doing when they open their ports to dryhop.
 
I made this assembly, and it works great, I have brewed 4 time with it and they have all been great. One small question. The connections I put in the lid leak, not a lot but it "hisses" when I am doing a pressure transfer to my keg. I have a washer in the set up, but it is not pressure tight. I really don't think it effects the beer, but it bugs me. Is there a specific kind of washer I should use?
Leaks keep coming up (just go back to page 14 of this thread) so I went to my bench and took some pics... This is pretty much universal with bulkheads wether in a kettle or fermenter:
There are 2 points which must be sealed against leaks, and best practice is to have the seal on the inside of a vessel so you don't collect residue on the passage out. A grooved locknut and o-ring are best as flat washers may spall, but don't snug up against the coupler;
IMG_1605.jpg

The first point is where the threads go through the nut and you'll want enough teflon tape to seal that;
IMG_1607.jpg

The second point, which relies on teflon tape to fill the grooves of the threads meeting the inside of the oring, is where the outside of the o-ring meets the surface... you don't want anything to get past it here, so any washers on the outside of the vessel are uneeded and should not be counted on to seal. Once again: The seal must occur on the inside of the vessel:
IMG_1606.jpeg

Simply holding the nut with a wrench and cranking the fitting hand-tight and not much more will seal it...overtightening will cause it to deform and leak.
:mug:
EDIT: A detail I should have included: Always tighten on the outside so that you're 'pulling' to o-ring against the surface you want to seal.. DO NOT turn the nut and o-ring as that can deform it.
 
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I’m having some leak problems that I’m having trouble pinning down. For those that experienced cracks in the lid, where are they and have they ever been hairline? I have checked everything numerous times with no luck, even switched out my gas post for the grommet that came with my
Cold crash guardian(I have it daisy chained on my line to the keg).
 
I’m having some leak problems that I’m having trouble pinning down. For those that experienced cracks in the lid, where are they and have they ever been hairline? I have checked everything numerous times with no luck, even switched out my gas post for the grommet that came with my
Cold crash guardian(I have it daisy chained on my line to the keg).
Every crack I have ever had on a kid, probably have had 5 or 6 over the years( more so early on until when I wasn’t as careful staying below 10psi) have been right where the flat top of the lid meets the last thread/top of the side. That said. They are hard to miss even if they are hairline as when the fv is Under pressure, they open up and air flys out of them. So I would think it would be obvious if the lid was cracked.

How do you know you’re getting leaks though? Can you hear it? Or are you going off something else?
 
Put some water/starsan in and turn it upside down. I do that to make sure nothings leaking before I transfer wort to it. You should be able to see where it's leaking.
 
The one instance in which I've had a leak was from the gas post itself not being all tightened up, specifically at the spot with the arrow pointing to it in this picture. (Sorry, there's probably terms for all the various parts of the bulkhead but I have no idea what they are.)
 

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@Dgallo I’m on day three of fermentation and it has moved zero star san/cold crash bag is still deflated. Fermentation seems just past peak now.

Everything looks ok and I’ve rechecked numerous times. The FV is full so can’t turn it over unfortunately.

@IrondaleBrewing I noticed that as well actually and tightened down, even took bulkhead off and re taped. Still not working so I took the whole thing out and put grommet in. As of a couple hours ago still nothing.

I am wondering if my last transfer warped something and so it’s not sealing. With all the messing around with it I’ve done had several opportunities to look, nothing seems out on place.
 
@Dgallo I’m on day three of fermentation and it has moved zero star san/cold crash bag is still deflated. Fermentation seems just past peak now.

Everything looks ok and I’ve rechecked numerous times. The FV is full so can’t turn it over unfortunately.
That’s strange. Fermentation creates so much pressure that if it were leaking anywhere at the cap, I strongly think you would hear it hissing or feel a draft somewhere along the lid. Does the fermonster feel hard or pressurized?

Also, a place to check is the lid’s oring (the black thin one on the inside of the lid.) These can easily get misplaced. Another place to check would be the lid itself, make sure it’s tightened and threaded correctly. Really the only thing i feel you could do, is spray the entire lid down with soapy water without any lines connected to it and see if you see bubbles and/or the fermenter swells. If nothing happens and it swells, then connect a hose and then spray that down. Then continue to work your way down you system to see where the leak is.


Also, if you post a picture of how everything is hooked up, we would have a better idea of leaking points
 
@Dgallo

So obviously FV on right. I use a single gas post for CO2 out during fermentation and then during transfer run the beer out of the spigot. I will top up with CO2 via those mini canisters to keep pressure positive.

As I mentioned I took gas post off today thinking it might be the culprit. So as you see things now I have the grommet then going right the gas line, cold crash guardian(awesome product btw), then running into keg to be purged. Starsan then flows out into another keg to become airlock.

Here’s where things get interesting. When I took this picture I decided to take the lid off the keg and run the line right in. Just a moment ago I went to check on it and wouldn’t you know it the thing is bubbling away. I quickly switched the kegs and it’s pushing Star San fine now. So I think the problem is the keg, likely the gas post. It’s a converted pin to ball lock keg I bought used, the other I got with it have been fine.

The other strange thing is why my cold crash guardian wasn’t filling. The wasn’t figure the negative pressure in it was too much for the fermentation to overcome, at which point it took the path of least resistance and escaped somewhere else around the lid(my guess)

Hope all this isn’t derailing the thread.
 

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How do folks deal with blowoff using this fermonster system? I've had my krausen reach the top a few times and had to switch out the keg post lid for a regular lid with a blowoff tube. I almost didn't catch it last time, and I'm guessing the lid would have cracked? I did order some ferm cap, but I'm still wondering if there's a better solution for higher gravity beers.
 
Ive ran into issues with Verdant IPA yeast. I have screwed off the ball lock post/top piece and secured a piece plastic hose over the threads. I do not know the ID off hand but it was a very tight fit — It allows more breathing room than what the ball lock post provides.
 
How do folks deal with blowoff using this fermonster system? I've had my krausen reach the top a few times and had to switch out the keg post lid for a regular lid with a blowoff tube. I almost didn't catch it last time, and I'm guessing the lid would have cracked? I did order some ferm cap, but I'm still wondering if there's a better solution for higher gravity beers.
Maybe I'm not quite getting what you're saying, but I have a blowoff tube attached to the gas post. Does that setup clog for you on high gravity beers?
 
Maybe I'm not quite getting what you're saying, but I have a blowoff tube attached to the gas post. Does that setup clog for you on high gravity beers?
Yep, exactly. My gas post got clogged up with gunk and air was not getting through. If the krausen doesn't reach the top, the blowoff tube from the gas post works great.
 
How do folks deal with blowoff using this fermonster system? I've had my krausen reach the top a few times and had to switch out the keg post lid for a regular lid with a blowoff tube. I almost didn't catch it last time, and I'm guessing the lid would have cracked? I did order some ferm cap, but I'm still wondering if there's a better solution for higher gravity beers.
I did a somewhat different version to avoid both pressing my disconnects down on the lid as well as provide an unrestricted blowoff-path;
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...system-for-cheap.680992/page-12#post-10214444
..it's an option.
:mug:
 
Yep, exactly. My gas post got clogged up with gunk and air was not getting through. If the krausen doesn't reach the top, the blowoff tube from the gas post works great.
Sometimes this happens with LAIII or other English strains with high krausens. When I use this. I will use my normal fermonster lid with the bung and a blow of, and then once the krausen falls back below the lid, I’ll put the closed transfer lid on. You’ll have no risk there as long as you sanitize properly because the beer will still be fermenting and producing co2
 
Sometimes this happens with LAIII or other English strains with high krausens. When I use this. I will use my normal fermonster lid with the bung and a blow of, and then once the krausen falls back below the lid, I’ll put the closed transfer lid on. You’ll have no risk there as long as you sanitize properly because the beer will still be fermenting and producing co2
That's exactly the yeast I just used, and exactly the process I followed lol. Thanks for the sanity check!
 
Good that this thread has been bumped as I have a question about transferring from the Fermonster to the keg.

I have a setup with 2 posts in the lid (no spigot) and a floating dip tube on the liquid post.
I want to transfer using pressure difference rather than pushing the whole batch out with CO2.
I tried for the first time with my last batch and I couldn't get it started and ended up doing an open transfer in the end.
The keg was at about 2 PSI and the Fermonster about 3 PSI but when I connected them nothing happened.
I'm wary of having too much of a pressure difference in case it starts off explosivly and brings the yeast back into the wort.

I have a new batch that will be ready next week, any tips on how I can get it to start transferring this time?

Thanks.
 
Good that this thread has been bumped as I have a question about transferring from the Fermonster to the keg.

I have a setup with 2 posts in the lid (no spigot) and a floating dip tube on the liquid post.
I want to transfer using pressure difference rather than pushing the whole batch out with CO2.
I tried for the first time with my last batch and I couldn't get it started and ended up doing an open transfer in the end.
The keg was at about 2 PSI and the Fermonster about 3 PSI but when I connected them nothing happened.
I'm wary of having too much of a pressure difference in case it starts off explosivly and brings the yeast back into the wort.

I have a new batch that will be ready next week, any tips on how I can get it to start transferring this time?

Thanks.
I do gravity transfers with both kegs and glass carboys. You just need to have the receiving keg lower, and use just enough pressure to get the flow started. Release all pressure on the receiving keg and it only takes a couple pounds of pressure to push your beer, (wine) through the pickup, (I use floating dip tube in stainless fermenter; racking cane in carboys). You must have a return hose from receiving keg back to fermenter. After starting the siphon flow, disconnect your tank and connect return line from keg.
I was really nervous the first time I did this with a glass carboy; steel-toed leather boots, welding gloves, face shield. Also did it outside. But it takes so little pressure to get the siphon started that I am less concerned now. I still set the regulator real low and control the flow with the shut off valve.

I tried the the pressure transfer once when I had a 20 gallon batch going into two fives. At the time, I had no way to get the 10 gallon fermenter higher than the receiving kegs. Now, I use a hydraulic lift cart to raise my bigger batches.
 
Good that this thread has been bumped as I have a question about transferring from the Fermonster to the keg.

I have a setup with 2 posts in the lid (no spigot) and a floating dip tube on the liquid post.
I want to transfer using pressure difference rather than pushing the whole batch out with CO2.
I tried for the first time with my last batch and I couldn't get it started and ended up doing an open transfer in the end.
The keg was at about 2 PSI and the Fermonster about 3 PSI but when I connected them nothing happened.
I'm wary of having too much of a pressure difference in case it starts off explosivly and brings the yeast back into the wort.

I have a new batch that will be ready next week, any tips on how I can get it to start transferring this time?

Thanks.
To my understanding you won’t be able to do it without a regulator using the floating diptube (it would only work for the spigot due to the reverse of what I’m about to explain). The reason is you will neeed the pressure in the fermenter to increase while transferring through the float because the distance from diptube to the lid will increase while transferring, requiring more pressure to account for the vertical rise.
 
I have managed to start a siphon through a floating diptube with a small amount of pressure and finish the transfer by gravity. Keg on the floor; Fermonster about six feet higher; quick hit with 2 PSI or so and then swapped the CO2 line with a return gas jumper from the purged keg. Took a very long time but used almost no CO2.
 
I have managed to start a siphon through a floating diptube with a small amount of pressure and finish the transfer by gravity. Keg on the floor; Fermonster about six feet higher; quick hit with 2 PSI or so and then swapped the CO2 line with a return gas jumper from the purged keg. Took a very long time but used almost no CO2.
Same here, but I don’t have a fermonster, and I only had my fermenter just above the keg. Yeah, it’s slow, but I can do other things while it transfers itself, or I can grab a pint and sit there and watch all the pleasantness moving through the hose! 😁
 
I have managed to start a siphon through a floating diptube with a small amount of pressure and finish the transfer by gravity. Keg on the floor; Fermonster about six feet higher; quick hit with 2 PSI or so and then swapped the CO2 line with a return gas jumper from the purged keg. Took a very long time but used almost no CO2.
Good to know. I don’t have anywhere in my house where my wife wouldn’t kill me to get 6ft of elevation drop. When I use it at about 4 ft. Once I got half way through the siphon would stop
 
Thanks for the tips.

I do my brewing in the basement which only has a celing height of about 6ft so I guess I'll have to bite the bullit and use up some CO2.
Good to know not to waste my time trying it with only about 3ft elevation this time :cool:
I guess I have to open the PVR on the purged keg to release the pressue before and keep it open during the transfer?
 
I guess I have to open the PVR on the purged keg to release the pressue before and keep it open during the transfer?

Yes, you'll have to relieve the pressure somehow. Opening the PRV will work, but then it's not truly a closed transfer. A spunding valve set to a low pressure on the keg's gas post would be a better option.
 
Thanks for the tips.

I do my brewing in the basement which only has a celing height of about 6ft so I guess I'll have to bite the bullit and use up some CO2.
Good to know not to waste my time trying it with only about 3ft elevation this time :cool:
I guess I have to open the PVR on the purged keg to release the pressue before and keep it open during the transfer?
If you don't mind buying and assembling another piece of gear there is the 'cheating' option.. 12V Diaphram 'racking-pump'
Works a treat: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/o2-free-transfer-paranoia.733895/page-2#post-10412260
Saves CO2 while doing fully closed transfers...also does it a lot faster.
:mug:
 
Thanks for the tips.

I do my brewing in the basement which only has a celing height of about 6ft so I guess I'll have to bite the bullit and use up some CO2.
Good to know not to waste my time trying it with only about 3ft elevation this time :cool:
I guess I have to open the PVR on the purged keg to release the pressue before and keep it open during the transfer?
I vent my keg through the PRV, and then I use a gas QD with a short line to a little jar or jug of water just like a blow off tube. This works great for me with everything on the ground by the way.
 
Good to know. I don’t have anywhere in my house where my wife wouldn’t kill me to get 6ft of elevation drop. When I use it at about 4 ft. Once I got half way through the siphon would stop
A corny keg is only 25” tall. My lift table will only go to 34-½”. I cannot quite get to 3’, but do gravity transfers all the time.

My guess is that the reason yours stopped when transferring from 4’ is that as the beer left the fermenter, it created a vacuum in the fermenter, that is, if you didn’t have a return line from the receiving keg. Or, as you mentioned, if you’re not venting the receiving keg in any way (like the return line to the fermenter), through the prv or a spunding valve, pressure will build enough in the receiving keg as the beer flows in to stop the transfer.

You could still do the gravity transfer from 4’, just vent the keg a little, and give the fermenter a little shot of CO₂ every now and then; that is if you can’t rig a return line between the keg and fermenter. You won’t have to blow a lot of gas on this. 🍻 Cheers!
 
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