Pressurized FIAK

[Beertank]

Pressurized FIAK


Background:

I want to do pressurized fermentation with my unique set up. Some refer to my current set up as minimalist brewing, one pot brewing or just plain lazy brewing. I mash, boil, ferment and bottle from the same vessel. My batch size is 12 liters which makes a perfect 24 pack of 500 ml bottles. I brew once a month to keep the beer pipeline going (supply myself and any guests). This lazy brewing allows to brew inside (cold in Canada), have less than 2 hour brew days (can brew after work) and enjoy the brewing part without the pain of cleaning sterilizing.


This is possible through a few combined techniques: (knowledge of techniques obtained from brulosohpy, John Palmer latest book, Beersmith podcasts)

• BIAB (brew in a bag) all grain mashing on stovetop. Sparge with bucket and cold tap water
  
  
• 40 minute mashes and 40 minute boils
  
  
• No chill -put lid on and let sit over night to reach pitching temperature. I also add aroma hops (<20 minutes additions) as a hop tea, when I pitch my yeast the next morning. This fixes hop utilization for all but bittering hops which I just add instead as first wort hops.
  
  
• FIAK (ferment in a kettle) stress free with right equipment see below
  
  
• Bottle Priming -using perfectly measured out 3.5g sugar bags from walmart (don’t want bottle bombs). Anvil kettle allows you to rotate pick-up arm to not pick up the sediment.
  

My equipment: (optimized for minimal cleaning and equipment footprint)

• Anvil Kettle 5.5 gallon w/ FIAK kit
  
  
• Anvil Scale
  
  
• Anvil spoon
  
  
• **can you see I am a john palmer fan yet**
  
  
• Large Nylon bag (for BIAB)
  
  
• Brewing gloves (takes fear of squishing nylon bag to up mash efficiency)
  
  
• Grain Mill (just to be able to store grain for long periods of time and bc my lhbs charges for grain to be milled)
  
  
• Home depot bucket to; store grain, mill grain into, sparge.
  
  
• Refractometer
  
  
• Mason Jar for Hop tea
  
  
• Big bottle wand and some 1/2in silicone.
  
  
• 36 x 500ml bottles
  
  
• Spray bottle with star san
  

What I want to add/ Want advice on. Pressurized fermentation using:

• (29.99 OBK) adjustable pressure relief spunding valve with gauge
  
  
• 2x(5.49 obk) MFL Gas disconnect
  
  
• (51.99 obk) Silver regulated CO2 charger
  
  
• (25.99 OBK) Ball lock single post
  
  
• Anvil FIAK silicone seal - only wrap around lid portion so it lies between lid and pot
  
  
• (already own) **** load of C- Clamps
  

Put ball lock post on kettle lid. Put seal around lid only. Lock lid down with C clamps. Attach one MFL ball lock connect to co2 charger, use the other one with the relief valve. Use disposable co2 to pressurize up to like 13 PSI, disconnect and connect relief valve and set to release at 15 psi. Pray for good beer.


Concerns:

• Need a better seal maybe?
  

• Will like 12 C-clamps be enough?
  

• I have heard you don’t need to carb with pressure fermentation. Will carbonation stay in liquid when i release the pressure to use bottle wand without foam or do i need to make my own counter pressure system and to bottle fill.
  
  
• Headroom in kettle/air compressibility. Do I need bigger batches aka concentrated wort method so I don't “go ham” on disposable co2s
  

If experiment fails maybe one day I go to kegging when I have more space and it wasn’t a complete waste of money?


Possible Advantages:

• No need to bottle carb
  
  
• Drink homebrew straight from bottle without having to pour into cup
  
  
• Pressure fermentation according to Chris White can allow you to do lager fermentation in 2 weeks at room temp.
  

 

[Vale71]

If the experiment fails you might end up in an emergency room or worse, please stop before it's too late.
Pressures as low as 1 bar can make a lot of bang and seriously injure you or your next of kin and I mean this seriously, please stop.

 

[Blazinlow86]

If the experiment fails you might end up in an emergency room or worse, please stop before it's too late.
Pressures as low as 1 bar can make a lot of bang and seriously injure you or your next of kin and I mean this seriously, please stop.

I agree. If you want to ferment under pressure cheaply try a corny keg. probably end up costing you less also. Cheers

 

[isomerization]

+1 to don’t do this, I’d expect your clamps to become projectiles once the pressure rises enough.

I would also expect issues bottling at room temperature as well (co2 coming out of solution), assuming everything held.

 

[Dory Rules]

Rough number on the forces- 12” lid X 15psi X 3.14 = 555 pounds of force trying to blow the lid off.

 

[isomerization]

Rough number on the forces- 12” lid X 15psi X 3.14 = 555 pounds of force trying to blow the lid off.

I may be off base here but I’m calculating closer to 3000 pounds of force:

15 psi = 2160 pounds per sq ft
Area of circle = 12x12x3.14/(144) = 0.78 sq ft

2160/0.78 = 2800 pounds of pressure

 

[Homergah]

Yes there is probably a safety issue, however... I don't think there is even a tiny chance you'll be able to achieve any pressure. I wouldn't do it. You might see 1 or 2 psi before it starts leaking. Vessels that are not designed to hold pressure or vacuum can seldom be rigged to do so. I wouldn't do it. Even with a large v-band clamp and a purpose built vessel, I had a hard time holding pressure above 5 psi on my 3 bbl. tanks. They were originally equipped with the swing type lids and a large bar that hinged on one side and had a twist knob on the other. Could barely push beer to brite tank without someone standing on the lid. They would blow the gasket out at 3 psi. I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't do it. And btw, you shouldn't either.

 

[Dory Rules]

That’s what I get for drinking and posting. Pi times d is circumference. Pi times r squared is area.

 

[Beertank]

Thanks guys didn't think of the safety just thought it would work or it wouldnt.Okay so if I pick up a keg and the other stuff and ferment under pressure, when it's done I chuck iit in fridge for a day with little regulator at 15 psi can I think bottle without priming leaving no scum in bottle? Do I need to use a beer gun our can I depressurize and bottle from wand?

 

[Blazinlow86]

You would need to leave it near freezing for probably at least a week then transfer to bottles without disturbing the keg at all to avoid sediment in the bottom of your bottles. Even then I imagine your still going to have some. Cheers

 

[isomerization]

You would need to leave it near freezing for probably at least a week then transfer to bottles without disturbing the keg at all to avoid sediment in the bottom of your bottles. Even then I imagine your still going to have some. Cheers

Or he could pour off the sediment with the picnic tap prior to bottling.

 

[mongoose33]

I may be off base here but I’m calculating closer to 3000 pounds of force:

15 psi = 2160 pounds per sq ft
Area of circle = 12x12x3.14/(144) = 0.78 sq ft

2160/0.78 = 2800 pounds of pressure

It's 2160 * .78. The area is only about 3/4 the area of a square foot. Or about 1684.

Still enough to kill or maim.

 

[Homergah]

I bottle from keg using a stopper that will fit the top of the bottle and that the beer line will fit thru. I push the beer line thru the stopper far enough to reach the bottom of the bottle and still allow the stopper to seal off against the neck of the bottle. You will either have to have a co2 supply to push the beer at low psi, or try to bleed head pressure and gravity fill. Never tried the gravity fill. If you bleed pressure off the carbed beer you can get an eruption if not bled very slowly. Anyway, you'll use the stopper against the neck of the bottle for your flow control. Start tight against the bottle and when flow stops, just barely let pressure escape to start flow again. You won't be able to purge your bottles before filling of course, without a co2 supply.

 

[isomerization]

It's 2160 * .78. The area is only about 3/4 the area of a square foot. Or about 1684.

Still enough to kill or maim.

Didn’t cancel out my units, good catch!