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

[Dgallo]

I've done this mod (though with the plastic posts because the metal version of the pressure kit was backordered everywhere), and so far I love it's impact on my beer. Soooo much less degrading of my beer over time. But lately, I've been having issues getting the last six inches or so of beer to transfer. Once it gets to that point, it will just stop (or go so slowly, I can't see any movement). I'm pretty sure at this point that it's not a clogging problem because I've tried everything I can think of to address that. I've switched to a filtered diptube, I've cold crashed for a week before transferring, I've filtered my wort before it goes into the fermenter to reduce trub and hop debris, I've blown CO2 into the diptube to clear out any possible obstructions during transfer. But still the same issue, and usually at the same level of beer (with about a gallon left).

It's getting really frustrating because I brew 2.5 gallon batches, and I'm not cool with losing nearly 1 gallon each time. I've started putting the excess into soda bottles with a carb cap, or into my 1.5 gallon keg when it's available (not often, it's usually full of kombucha). But I have to do that with an open transfer using a siphon, and those beers usually end up with oxidation. Plus it's just annoying to have to do two different transfer methods and have beer in all these different containers.

Has anyone else had this problem? Could it be that the amount of pressure required to move the beer once it gets that low is more than my fermenter can handle? Would I get better results if I switched to metal posts that had o-rings on the underside, instead of using the plastic posts that don't have any seal?

I'm thinking about drilling a spigot into my fermonster and transferring through that with some tubing hooked up to my beer post. That will at least let gravity do more of the work, in case the pressure is the problem. Any downsides to doing it that way? It's not as contained, but I can't think of another solution. Any advice y'all have would be great!

Sounds like psi/gravity issuse. Is you keg lower than your fermenter? If not, you’ll need too. If so, you can increase the verticals drop which will lower the pressure needed to transfer and increase the rate of flow .

What psi are you transferring at? You should also check for potential leaks in the system that are preventing full pressure.

Also, I will tilt the fermenter forward towards the dip tube

 

[Knightshade]

+1 with the tilt thing. I’ll usually get a pretty good transfer, then some random time towards the end I’ll just have to tilt it for some reason.

 

[palmtrees]

Sounds like psi/gravity issuse. Is you keg lower than your fermenter? If not, you’ll need too. If so, you can increase the verticals drop which will lower the pressure needed to transfer and increase the rate of flow .

What psi are you transferring at? You should also check for potential leaks in the system that are preventing full pressure.

Also, I will tilt the fermenter forward towards the dip tube

Yes, my fermenter is usually on my kitchen counter, with the keg on the floor. And I also tilt it, especially when it gets stuck. I usually do a few psi to transfer. It sounds like a leak may be the issue, although I do remember the fermenter suddenly getting more rigid and seeming to take on more pressure when the transfer starts having issues.

 

[Dgallo]

Yes, my fermenter is usually on my kitchen counter, with the keg on the floor. And I also tilt it, especially when it gets stuck. I usually do a few psi to transfer. It sounds like a leak may be the issue, although I do remember the fermenter suddenly getting more rigid and seeming to take on more pressure when the transfer starts having issues.

All good things. How are you allowing air to escape from your keg that your transferring to? Are you pulling the PRV or do you vent through the co2 post?

 

[palmtrees]

All good things. How are you allowing air to escape from your keg that your transferring to? Are you pulling the PRV or do you vent through the co2 post?

I vent through the gas post, with a tube leading to a carboy of sanitizer. Essentially an enormous airlock.

 

[Dgallo]

I vent through the gas post, with a tube leading to a carboy of sanitizer. Essentially an enormous airlock.

Hmmm. You’re doing everything that I do, I push my with about 10psi at that point. Is the floating dip tube getting stuck to the side at all? Other than that, all I can suggest is to get more vertical distance between the fv and keg

 

[Noob_Brewer]

I've done this mod (though with the plastic posts because the metal version of the pressure kit was backordered everywhere), and so far I love it's impact on my beer. Soooo much less degrading of my beer over time. But lately, I've been having issues getting the last six inches or so of beer to transfer. Once it gets to that point, it will just stop (or go so slowly, I can't see any movement). I'm pretty sure at this point that it's not a clogging problem because I've tried everything I can think of to address that. I've switched to a filtered diptube, I've cold crashed for a week before transferring, I've filtered my wort before it goes into the fermenter to reduce trub and hop debris, I've blown CO2 into the diptube to clear out any possible obstructions during transfer. But still the same issue, and usually at the same level of beer (with about a gallon left).

It's getting really frustrating because I brew 2.5 gallon batches, and I'm not cool with losing nearly 1 gallon each time. I've started putting the excess into soda bottles with a carb cap, or into my 1.5 gallon keg when it's available (not often, it's usually full of kombucha). But I have to do that with an open transfer using a siphon, and those beers usually end up with oxidation. Plus it's just annoying to have to do two different transfer methods and have beer in all these different containers.

Has anyone else had this problem? Could it be that the amount of pressure required to move the beer once it gets that low is more than my fermenter can handle? Would I get better results if I switched to metal posts that had o-rings on the underside, instead of using the plastic posts that don't have any seal?

I'm thinking about drilling a spigot into my fermonster and transferring through that with some tubing hooked up to my beer post. That will at least let gravity do more of the work, in case the pressure is the problem. Any downsides to doing it that way? It's not as contained, but I can't think of another solution. Any advice y'all have would be great!

A couple of things come to mind which may (or may not) be your issue. As @Dgallo mentioned earlier, is your dip tube getting stuck to the side of the fermonster? This can slow the flow a ton. But this would also not explain this issue when you use a filter. Also, what is "a few PSI" exactly that you are pressurizing with to transfer? 2-3 psi may be enough to get it started when you are relying really more on the siphon but as it gets close to the bottom, the CO2 pressure really can help squeeze that last drop. Ive been using 6-7 psi with no issues and when it gets to around the gallon mark and the dip tube starts to face the side, I tilt the fermonster to help avoid it and keep the dip tube free floating and not in any yeast/trub. Regarding leaks, here's what I do to make sure the setup is as "leak free" as possible: pressurize the fermonster with 6-7psi, then shut the CO2 tank off and then wait a few minutes and spray the lid down with star san looking for bubbles. I actually have a gauge on my fermonster lid through a spunding valve to monitor fermonster pressure too. If I have a leak, will see bubbles/and/or hear a slight hissing sound and/or see the gauge drop ever so slightly over the course of a minute or two. If confident there's no leak then you should be good to start the transfer.

Hope this helps

 

[ihavenonickname]

@palmtrees Hmm hard to tell exactly what your issue is. Like you I would strongly suspect clogging, but if you are using a filtered floating dip likely ruled out.
I would only suspect the plastic posts if you are unable to hold a seal at a high enough psi. So you’ve got to do a little experiment. Put 5-8 psi on it and attach a spunding valve, if it holds the pressure for more than 10 minutes you know you have a good enough seal and plenty of pressure to be able to transfer out of. I suspect you have a leak though because I can’t think of any other cause. Also putting your keg a few feet lower that the fermentor will help reduce the pressure needed to hold the transfer.

Your spigot transfer is a fine solution and will work, but if you have a leak (in the posts or the lid) you should want to solve that problem regardless.

Edit: whoa you got a lot of fast responses on here! I didn’t see their answers till after I posted this.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

why not just buy an all rounder? Its pretty inexpensive and is actually rated to hold pressure

 

[NTBeer]

IME, having the correct length of dip tube is important but not often mentioned as a possibility. Too long of a tube can kink. It should be close to the height of your vessel.

 

[Dgallo]

why not just buy an all rounder? Its pretty inexpensive and is actually rated to hold pressure

Def a solid option but the stand is awkward and give you limited mobility if you move it from place to place

 

[IslandLizard]

Def a solid option but the stand is awkward and give you limited mobility if you move it from place to place

You can use the strap harness (looks like a Brew Hauler) to move it. Still a bit awkward, though.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

why not just buy an all rounder? Its pretty inexpensive and is actually rated to hold pressure

I thought the title of this thread was "Turning your Fermonster into a complete closed transfer system for cheap!" not "How to spend $80 on a new fermenter!" Plus, you still need to add a pressure transfer kit to that as well, right?

The All Rounder does look nice if you want to pressure ferment. I really like the shape of the Fermonster and the 7 gallon capacity is a better fit for my typical 5.5 gallons of wort, where 7.9 gallons is getting a bit overkill. The Fermonster has crept up in price a bit, but at under $40 for one with a spigot, I still think it is the best deal in fermenters. I also love that the same lid and accessories work on the 7, 6, 3, and 1 gallon versions!

 

[palmtrees]

You can't beat the price of the fermonster. And for those of us who brew small batches, the 3 gallon fermonster is a much better fit than the all rounder! Though if I did larger batches and wanted to try pressure fermenting, that's definitely what I'd do.

Thanks for all the responses about my transfer issues, everyone. My fermonster is currently full of a hefeweizen, but when I keg that, I think I'll run some of these pressure tests to check for leaks. And may bump up the height differential when I transfer this hef. I'll report back if I figure out what's going on or if I implement that spigot.

 

[Smudgey]

Has anyone mentioned hose length / width? I found when I started gravity transferring from a low/no pressure fermenter that was hard to lift up for height, I had to cut back to a 40cm liquid hose to keep it transferring. A shorter, larger diameter hose made a big difference. Could hose friction be the issue?

 

[secretlevel]

Has anyone had their O-ring come out when they open the lid? It was definitely lubricated. Not ideal when trying to quickly add dry hops... I might get a few extra rings online, it feels like mine is too large for the lid.

 

[Dgallo]

Has anyone had their O-ring come out when they open the lid? It was definitely lubricated. Not ideal when trying to quickly add dry hops... I might get a few extra rings online, it feels like mine is too large for the lid.

I put in cold sanitizer before installing it so the ring is less flexible. Goes in easier that way

 

[RyPA]

To anyone who has recently put this together, does the below part work in place of the part in the original post that now has a dead link (FermZilla instead of FerMonster)?

https://www.morebeer.com/view_product/49029
In addition to:

https://www.morebeer.com/view_product/38734https://www.morebeer.com/view_product/37921

 

[CascadesBrewer]

To anyone who has recently put this together, does the below part work in place of the part in the original post that now has a dead link?

I don't think so. Those posts are designed to screw onto the threaded posts at the top of the FermZilla. MoreBeer sells the Gas and Beverage Bulkhead (like this Ball Lock Post Bulkhead - Bev Out | MoreBeer), but you would need to add in the floating dip tube, and a connection for the line to the bulkhead (you can probably use a short gas tube with that bulkhead, but I am not positive).

On the other hand, if you want to transfer out of the spigot, you can just add a bulkhead to the solid lid. This is basically how I have mine setup now. It does not have all the features of the full setup, but it meets my needs.

 

[Knightshade]

@CascadesBrewer Beat me to it.
@RyPA That pressure kit will definitely not work. I made the mistake of purchasing that one prior to getting it right the second time.

 

[RyPA]

@Knightshade I am glad I asked, I was so close to pulling the trigger.

Would this work:
1. Solid lid
2. 2 of those bulkheads (one for liquid one for gas)
3. Floating dip tube, connected to fermenter liquid bulkhead
4. Liquid to liquid tube for connecting liquid on fermenter to keg liquid

 

[Knightshade]

@RyPA I actually ended up purchasing the fermentasaurus kit, but as you mentioned it doesn’t appear on morebeer atm.

I think those will work, but you’ll need some shortened dip tubes to extend further than what they provide with those bulkheads in particular. You can see that they’re kinda shoved up on there…

I’d go ahead and get a floating dip tube filter as well. Helps keep the float down, at least for me. And make sure to get enough tubing to accommodate for gravity transfer. You’ll typically have the fermonster up in the counter and keg at floor level. There should be some examples in this thread.

 

[Knightshade]

Oh..and get the damn lid wrench. You can get the lid off without it, but Soooo much easier with.

 

[RyPA]

Thanks. Do these bulkheads come with a barbed fitting for connecting the floating dip tube line?

I'm not sure what this corresponds to: "The included short dip tube can be replaced with a longer dip suitable to your needs. "

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I'm not sure what this corresponds to: "The included short dip tube can be replaced with a longer dip suitable to your needs. "

What product is that info from? The Torpedo floating dip tube comes with a gas post: Torpedo Keg Buoy ™ Floating Dip Tube | MoreBeer

I have a couple FLOTit floating dip tubes I got off eBay that come with dip tubes as well.

 

[RyPA]

Ok, so if I buy the bulkhead and dip tube, I won't need any additional parts to connect them together?

That info is in the last sentence in the bulk head description: Ball Lock Post Bulkhead - Bev Out | MoreBeer

 

[CascadesBrewer]

That info is in the last sentence in the bulk head description: Ball Lock Post Bulkhead - Bev Out | MoreBeer

Ahhh....I also see this comment "Works great only flaw the dip tubes that come with them does not extend past the threads. Kinda makes it hard to connect a floating dip tube set up. Now I need to buy a bev out dip tube."

 

[anteater8]

What are everyone's thoughts on blowoff is the krausen gets too high using this set up? I use a gas out disconnect with a tube going into a jug of water, but I had a strong ale with crazy krausen clog up the disconnect one time. I had to switch out the lid for one with a regular blowoff tube. Now I feel the need to watch every batch so closely so that the whole fermenter doesn't explode.

 

[RyPA]

Edit: Revised parts list, does this look like everything needed? It comes out to a bit over $100, plus shipping.

https://www.morebeer.com/view_product/38734https://www.morebeer.com/view_product/37921https://www.morebeer.com/view_product/50266https://www.morebeer.com/view_product/502652 x
https://www.morebeer.com/view_product/39278https://www.morebeer.com/view_product/485065 ft 3/16 liquid line

 

[Cottonmouth]

Does anyone know the size hole to drill in the lid?