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

[VikeMan]

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.

 

[Broken Crow]

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
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.

 

[anteater8]

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
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.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

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!

 

[mac_1103]

You can also lay the keg on its side to get a little more distance for gravity to do its work. Gas post up of course.