Use fermenter as keg: possible?

[Cider Wraith]

Here are three batches with the black-topped trimmed liquid tube fermenters purging servers and being pressure fermented to about 18 PSI which after refrigeration, usually drops to about 12 PSI. Shown here are gas posts to liquid posts jumpers.

The furthest back combo with the longest label is the fifth use of that yeast and not intending to reuse it won't bother to transfer to server. However, still going to leave it jumpered to it's server to pick up an additional five gallons of headspace for additional serving pressure. Shown here gas post to gas post jumper.

My guess is that will largely serve the three gallons, might lose a bit of carbonation, just free piggy-backed pressurized CO2.

Another option to run tankless would be to pressure ferment and at the height of fermentation burst up to about 30 PSI + and purge and pressurize an empty clean keg up to that PSI and then disconnect. A regulator would be nice to have but with that 30 PSI pressurized keg you've got a free tankless CO2 source. Another thought would be to either stay at 18 PSI or burst up to 30 PSI or higher and do that with three kegs daisy-chained to capture fifteen gallons of CO2 under pressure and you could guarantee that would serve a keg of beverage. In that case a regulator would be nice and for practical purposes would simulate an actual CO2 tank, I would guess.

Lots of options if you have the time, equipment, space, creativity and motivation.

 

[Cider Wraith]

Priming in the keg is just like bottling in a very big bottle.

... Yes, however to me it's easier to just buy a $29 pressure valve and avoid opening the FV and avoid having to guess how much sugar to add and hope fermentation picks up again

 

[Cider Wraith]

I use LPG regulators in series with a primary CO2 regulator

Could you please post a pic of your LPG regulator? How does it connect into the system? Would it be appropriate to dispense CO2 at about 10 PSI from a keg that was pressurized to 30 ~ 50 PSI? If not, any idea what would do that? Guess I could just buy the parts and assemble one but are they available off the shelf? Thanks -

Edit - and don't seem to be able to guess how an ordinary sounding valve could be made to perform like a regulator. They're kinda like regulators in reverse, I would seem to think

 

[day_trippr]

I have two fixed-pressure LPG "barbecue" regulators that are permanently set for 11" WC, which is roughly 0.4 psi. One is a dual-stage and pricey Marshall model (the green one below) and the other is an $8 CAMCO single-stage regulator, shown here:

I use EVAbarrier tubing exclusively for beer and gas so I put push-to-connect fittings on the regulator ins and outs so I can insert them between the dual primary regulator and each of two fridges when needed.

This is way easier and reliable than trying to set primary regulators to such a low pressure (I was always plagued with creeping when I did things that way).

Again, these are fixed pressure devices, so they're not going to be particularly useful in dispensing applications...

Cheers!

 

[Cider Wraith]

This is way easier and reliable than trying to set primary regulators to such a low pressure (I was always plagued with creeping when I did things that way).

Again, these are fixed pressure devices, so they're not going to be particularly useful in dispensing applications...

Much thanks for this generous response! Well, looks like if pursuing this would be on the search for a gas regulator than can regulate from mid-low 30 ~ 50 PSI down to about 10. And like you wrote, the creeping issue. Thanks for the reply -

 

[day_trippr]

You're very welcome

That second picture reminds me I have a ton of brewing hardware I need to off load. Along with that 10g Rubbermaid MLT with a custom fitted false bottom I have a pair of 10g Blichmann G1 kettles each with two valves, enough to do a 3 vessel gravity feed setup

Cheers!

 

[Broken Crow]

Just to throw my 2-cents in here: You live in the country that makes the finest Corny-kegs on earth;
https://www.aebkegs.com/?lang=en...If this thread has encouraged you to go as far as buying a regulator and CO2 tank, then it would be wasteful not to look at the product of your own country: Homepage - AEB Kegs
Over here in Canada, they are the most expensive, but worth evry cent. I imagine they are at least a bit cheaper when bought locally. One of those will last you a lifetime of repeatable quality-in-use. If you're going to spend anything, don't waste cash on something that won't work out in the long run.......those mini-kegs, like other ideas floated here, will allow oxidation of your brew. While I Love @day_trippr 's setup and intend to try it out myself sometime when I can afford the time and cost, since you're still only over a week or so past you're first brew, do yourself the favour of going through the time-tested practices that include gear that will endure. Just bottle that first brew and plan your expansion for the next one mindfully, especially as you are doing by asking on here, but take your time and think it all through carefully.