Corny Keg as Primary

[theCougfan97]

Is there any reason I cant start using my corny kegs as a primary fermenter?

I have about 7 glass carboys... hard to store, hard to clean.

It seems to me the used corny kegs I find for around $50 are about what I would spend on a big mouth bubbler. My thought being they are similarly easy to clean but the corny kegs are more space efficient for me and would serve a dual purpose.

I imagine if I just remove the beer dip tube and spring valve, then place a hose over the "out" post I could use that as my blowoff.

Any thoughts? Am I missing something?

 

[BargainFittings]

They work fine for fermenting.

You just have to adjust your recipe to allow some head space for krausen.

 

[hunter_le five]

Sure plenty of people do it. Might have to dial it back to 4 gallon batches though.

 

[theCougfan97]

Would the Krausen not just flow out the blowoff tube?

 

[rekoob]

If there isn't any head space when the blow off is happening it will blow off a lot of the beer too, so you could end up with a large amount of beer in the blow off container. It might still be worth a shot, brew, fill it up and let the yeast go to town. Worst case you have to empty the blow off container more.

 

[kh54s10]

Buy some Better Bottles. They cost a lot less than cornys and are very easy to clean.
Rinse out as much crud as possible.
Oxyclean soak, rinse, insert a washcloth and a quart of water, swirl, drain, remove the cloth, rinse more and done.

More than a gallon more headspace for the krausen. Still: use a blow off.

 

[rekoob]

You could always use two kegs for the primary.

 

[theCougfan97]

When you (applies to all) use a 5 gallon carboy do you usually leave a gallon of headspace? Or are the 5 gallon carboys typically larger than 5 gallons?

 

[rekoob]

not a gallon head space. I think it's up to the shoulder or a touch higher of the carboy. You won't have much room left over if you put 5 gallons of beer into a 5 gallon carboy.
I just did a primary in a 6 gallon carboy and still needed a blow off tube.