Using a corny for secondary

[BierMuncher]

I'm sure this question has been answered a thousand times...sorry.

If I use my corny as a secondary, how do I address the issue of a fermentation lock?

If I seal the top tight, am I not then bottle conditioning (carbonating) the beer? If I leave the top unsealed...contamination?

How do you cap the corny during secondary fermentation?

Thanks.

 

[rdwj]

You can make a blow off tube. Just use the in port - connect the fitting and put the other end in a cup of sanitizer. You can also transfer your beer by pushing it with C02 instead of using a siphon. You just need to make a jumper

 

[Ol' Grog]

If your going to use it as a secondary, then fermentation should be complete and no blow off would be necessary, in my experience. Just purge the O2 out by pumping in CO2 at a low pressure. Then let it age for a couple of weeks and good to go. There are a lot of us out here that go from primary to keg. There may be a little bit of sediment in the bottom of the keg, but just bleed that off with the first glass and it's bottoms up from there own out!

 

[brewhead]

i'm with Ol' Grog on the no fermentation in the secondary. if you're worried about pressure build up tho - you could always just push the poppet valve in every so once in a while with your thumbnail.

i go from an extended primary to keg - but i chill the cboy down to 35 deg overnite which pretty much solidifyes the yeast and sediment and also clarifies...which cuts down on any sediment getting into the keg...there is some but usually a thin layer

 

[DAAB]

I wouldnt bother venting the keg, it will be fine as it is, you are basicaly cask conditioning. After you decide secondary fermentation is complete, just draw off the sediment and your keg is ready to go. Not need to transfer to another keg.

 

[John Beere]

I bought a couple of these:

http://morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=16771

 

[anojones]

Although I agree with the others, as long as fermentation is done you can probably just seal the keg- however, you can remove the gas-in post and attach a short piece of 3/8" tubing to the nipple on the keg and stick an airlock in the other side of the 3/8th tubing.

 

[abracadabra]

I think it was the last issue of BYO that showed a setup like John Beere posted but in addtion it had a y adapter and a pressure gauge. So you could monitor your pressure if you are concerned it might get to high.

 

[mysterio]

I go from primary to keg most of the time. The secondary is for aging and for the yeast to drop out - very little if any fermentation occurs. Just purge the keg and seal it. I tend not to leave it on gas though because I don't trust myself, so I tuck it away somewhere.