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

[wsmith1625]

I am having trouble with leaks around my o rings as well - not sure what else I can do, I’ve got a good looking o rings on the inside and outside of the lid, still leaks at just a few PSI.

Could you send a link to the parts you're using? The assembly looks off to me because the large nut is usually on the inside of the lid and a smaller hex on the post should be on the outside with an o-ring between it and the lid.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Could you send a link to the parts you're using? The assembly looks off to me because the large nut is usually on the inside of the lid and a smaller hex on the post should be on the outside with an o-ring between it and the lid.

Good point. My posts look exactly like your prior pic.

 

[seatazzz]

Just got my lid and bulkheads today, and got them installed. Have to hit up HD tomorrow for barbs to attach under the lid. Did a short leak test with co2 and it didn't hold 3psi longer than 10 minutes. Spray test didn't reveal any obvious leaks. Does anyone use keg lube on the lid to help it seal better? Lid did not come with the o-ring but I had a spare. I'll keep hammering at it until I can get it to hold pressure, in the meantime I'm looking forward to transferring to kegs with little or no oxygen exposure.

 

[Dgallo]

Just got my lid and bulkheads today, and got them installed. Have to hit up HD tomorrow for barbs to attach under the lid. Did a short leak test with co2 and it didn't hold 3psi longer than 10 minutes. Spray test didn't reveal any obvious leaks. Does anyone use keg lube on the lid to help it seal better? Lid did not come with the o-ring but I had a spare. I'll keep hammering at it until I can get it to hold pressure, in the meantime I'm looking forward to transferring to kegs with little or no oxygen exposure.

Was the fermenter filled with liquid or unfilled? If it was filled, how warm was the water

 

[seatazzz]

Was the fermenter filled with liquid or unfilled? If it was filled, how warm was the water

Nothing in it, maybe that was my goof.

 

[Dgallo]

Nothing in it, maybe that was my goof.

No there’s nothing wrong with that. I was asking as if waters in the fermenter, and the water was warm or hot, it would started to absorb the co2 in the headspace and you’d see a drop in psi.

If I were you, I would fill your fermenter to the 5 gallon line with your tap set cold. Then set it to a higher psi, like 5 - 7 (lower psi setting on a regulator are less likely to be accurate) and check the pressure after an hour and then an hour after that. As the air in the head space and water meet an equivalent temp, the psi should hold relatively stable within 1 or so psi. If it doesn’t, you have a leak

As stated earlier in the thread, don’t over tighten your bulkheads and if you have the “wrench” that comes with the fermonster, uses that to tighten the lid

 

[Ridenour64]

View attachment 769841
Got mine set up and just ordered a second one! Do you guys take the bulkheads off each time to clean or leave in place?

I put pressure on mine yesterday and checked with Star San. No leaks.

 

[seatazzz]

No there’s nothing wrong with that. I was asking as if waters in the fermenter, and the water was warm or hot, it would started to absorb the co2 in the headspace and you’d see a drop in psi.

If I were you, I would fill your fermenter to the 5 gallon line with your tap set cold. Then set it to a higher psi, like 5 - 7 (lower psi setting on a regulator are less likely to be accurate) and check the pressure after an hour and then an hour after that. As the air in the head space and water meet an equivalent temp, the psi should hold relatively stable within 1 or so psi. If it doesn’t, you have a leak

As stated earlier in the thread, don’t over tighten your bulkheads and if you have the “wrench” that comes with the fermonster, uses that to tighten the lid

I do have that lovely wrench (dunno how I ever got along without it) and will run another test tomorrow with cold water in the fermonster. If nothing else I'm looking forward to pressure-transferring the pale I have ready to keg right now.

 

[Brewer Mike]

So, I don't have a Fermonster, but had a thought on the lids. Has anyone tried keg lube on the threads to make them easier to get off?

 

[RyPA]

Is it possible to get the bulkheads secure so they don't spin--like locked on? If I even remotely tighten mine, my rubber gasket starts poking out of an edge, breaking the seal.

Do you guys put your washer on the outside or inside of lid?

 

[VikeMan]

Is it possible to get the bulkheads secure so they don't spin--like locked on? If I even remotely tighten mine, my rubber gasket starts poking out of an edge, breaking the seal.

Do you guys put your washer on the outside or inside of lid?

I do outside and inside. I think I mentioned it earlier in the thread, but I use #204 O-Rings instead of the original style gaskets. They compress and tighten nicely, and tend to not poke out of an edge.

 

[Ridenour64]

Is it possible to get the bulkheads secure so they don't spin--like locked on? If I even remotely tighten mine, my rubber gasket starts poking out of an edge, breaking the seal.

Do you guys put your washer on the outside or inside of lid?

Post #408 @VikeMan says he uses a 204 Oring to fix this.

 

[Ridenour64]

When you say washer, do you mean the oring? I don’t recall there being a washer. My oring is on the outside and mine is sealed up nice. Hand tight only.

 

[RyPA]

Yes, o-ring. Mine was nice and tight for my first batch, but second time around it somehow lost seal and I heard some co2 sneaking out while transferring. Fortunately I was still able to get the transfer done, likely at the expense of some wasted co2. I want to get silicone o-rings and get the bulkheads really snug. The included o-rings poke out relatively easily.

 

[VikeMan]

I want to get silicone o-rings and get the bulkheads really snug.

Buna may be a better choice than silicone. The latter is among the most gas permeable "rubbers."

 

[LostHopper]

Pardon the interruption: Has anyone used a floating dip tube in their Fermonster then dry hopped in bags? Is it possible for the dip tube to work around the bags? This may be obvious but this is my first rodeo with the floating dip tube. Would it be better to go commando on the dry hops?

I've used the pressure transfer kit from Brew Hardware and it works great but after a grommet mishap on this batch I had to make an emergency lid with the ball lock posts since I had the floating tube. It's still early in fermentation but I'm planning ahead.

Has anyone mounted a ball lock post on an ordinary plastic bucket fermenter and successfully used it without wearing the beer?

 

[RyPA]

Yeah, for my first batch I used a muslin bag and it worked fine. I've since switched to commando.

 

[Dgallo]

Pardon the interruption: Has anyone used a floating dip tube in their Fermonster then dry hopped in bags? Is it possible for the dip tube to work around the bags? This may be obvious but this is my first rodeo with the floating dip tube. Would it be better to go commando on the dry hops?

I've used the pressure transfer kit from Brew Hardware and it works great but after a grommet mishap on this batch I had to make an emergency lid with the ball lock posts since I had the floating tube. It's still early in fermentation but I'm planning ahead.

Has anyone mounted a ball lock post on an ordinary plastic bucket fermenter and successfully used it without wearing the beer?

I personally do not see the benefit of bagging the hops at any time but especially if you have a floating diptube. After cold crashing your hops should be settled to the bottom.

I would believe that the floating dip tube could get interference from the bag or even block the tube

 

[LostHopper]

I personally do not see the benefit of bagging the hops at any time but especially if you have a floating diptube. After cold crashing your hops should be settled to the bottom.

I would believe that the floating dip tube could get interference from the bag or even block the tube

Thanks. I've always been a commando guy but the few times I used bags it worked fine with the pressure transfer system because I could direct the racking cane.

 

[VikeMan]

If I were dry hopping with a closed xfer fermonster, I would do that by transferring into a purged keg containing caged hops, then xfer again to a purged serving keg.

Opening the fermenter to add hops works against the goodness of doing a closed xfer.

 

[RyPA]

Commando with a screened floating dip tube works great. I don't see the advantage of using a bag

 

[LostHopper]

Yesterday was my first transfer attempt with Dgallo's fermonster lid adaptation. Commando dry hops, screened floating dip tube. It worked perfectly.
Clean up time seemed to the only downside. Also, if I have beer left in fermenter after filling keg I usually bottle it. This was a challenge but I just swapped out the transfer tubing to a party tap I already had made up. Yes oxygen got in the bomber bottle but hopefully the bottle conditioning will reduce that.
The liquid post that came with the Fermentasauras pressure kit does not seem to disassemble like a typical keg post. Any hints?

 

[seatazzz]

Don't see that it's been mentioned here, but there's another method for adding dry hops; and no opening of the lid is necessary. Buy some sous vide magnets (Amazon has them for cheap, but so does Fred Meyer or your local equivalent). One magnet in the muslin bag with the hops, and one on the outside of the fermonster, set up after you pitch yeast. If you're dry hopping with more than 2oz, use multiple bags/magnets; the most I will go in one bag is 3oz. Once you're ready to dry hop, either move the outside magnet down the outside of the fermonster so the bag is under the beer, or just pull it off altogether so it plops down. No oxygen, and saves a bit of time, if like me, you suddenly look at the calendar and realize it's time to dry hop RIGHT NOW and have to get it all set up quickly.

 

[RyPA]

Don't see that it's been mentioned here, but there's another method for adding dry hops; and no opening of the lid is necessary. Buy some sous vide magnets (Amazon has them for cheap, but so does Fred Meyer or your local equivalent). One magnet in the muslin bag with the hops, and one on the outside of the fermonster, set up after you pitch yeast. If you're dry hopping with more than 2oz, use multiple bags/magnets; the most I will go in one bag is 3oz. Once you're ready to dry hop, either move the outside magnet down the outside of the fermonster so the bag is under the beer, or just pull it off altogether so it plops down. No oxygen, and saves a bit of time, if like me, you suddenly look at the calendar and realize it's time to dry hop RIGHT NOW and have to get it all set up quickly.

I did this a few batches ago when I fermented in my 6g Torpedo keg. I since switched back to popping the lid while running CO2 to reduce how much o2 gets in, followed by multiple purges.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/upcoming-single-hop-neipa-brew-day.697951/post-9224231

 

[GoodTruble]

Although I have switched to Fermzilla all-rounders, I did a triple brew day this month, and broke out my modified Fermonster for the third batch. It still worked great.

However, my fermonster has the spigot, which I no longer use because I transfer through the liquid post on top. Is there a "good way" to just block/plug the spigot port? I know I can just leave the spigot attached and not use it, but is there a better way to just plug it and still hold a low 2-3 psi of pressure for transfers?

 

[RyPA]

Maybe you can find a stainless round T style fitting/bolt, and use a silicone gasket/washer on the inside to seal it and a washer and bolt on the outside to secure it. Or, just buy the solid version, they are relatively cheap and you won't need to worry about infection or leaks.

 

[Whisky River]

Just trying to get my fermonster set up for pressure transfer and it seems like the popular fermentasaurus pressure kit is no longer available to scavenge parts from. Does anyone know of a different pressure kit that has parts that would work, or a particular set of bulkheads that have been tried and are know to work on the fermonster lid? Thanks

 

[LostHopper]

I would check with brewhardware.com
They make a pressure transfer kit on a Fermonster lid that has a single gas post but uses a racking cane through the lid.
They probably have the parts.
(Their kit works well too)

 

[RyPA]

I bought these, there's a bev out and gas in version. Use this in combination with a solid lid that you drill holes in for these bulkheads. You just need to be relatively gentle when securing/removing the QD lines to avoid breaking the seal. I'm trying to find larger and firmer gaskets, maybe silicone, so I can really tighten them to the lid. The included rubber ones squeeze out if tightened too much.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/ball-lock-bulkhead-bev.html

 

[VikeMan]

Cautionary Tale?

I am a few batches into my modded Fermonster, which I've been using as an occasional backup fermenter. Today, I kegged a batch and had to apply 10 PSI for a bit to dislodge gunk clogged in the floating dip. Then, part way through the xfer, I noticed a hairline crack on the outside surface of the side of the fermenter. (Pic below. Crack is visible, but fuzzy.) I'm pretty sure it wasn't there before, because I inspect the fermenter pretty thoroughly before each batch. I guess I was probably pretty lucky that it didn't crack the whole way through. Anyway, this fermonster has been retired to the trash can.