First attempt at fermenting in Corny Keg - utter fail

[Wiking44]

I put four gallons of lager wort in a corny keg in a fridge temp controlled to 56. I pitched the yeast. I attached a blowoff tube to the gas in post. The tube ran out of the fridge through a hole, and into a bucket of water. This morning I discovered about two gallons had siphoned out. The bucket water was warmer than fridge.

1. What happened?

2. How can I prevent it?

I really want to do a lager, but don’t have enough room in fridge for a regular fermenter.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[jekeane]

what temp was the wort when you put it in? Im assuming the wort was warmer than 56 and you sucked the bucket up as you crashed down to 56.

In order to prevent this dont attach a blowoff before you are at 56 for your wort temp also before you attach your blowoff release any negative pressure in the keg. I would attach the blowoff and just cover the end with foil while it chilled personally. I would also just use a small jar if I were using a blow of and keep it in the fridge.

 

[McKnuckle]

This doesn't make much sense. Four gallons of liquid in a five gallon keg leaves lots of headspace. Even with some movement inside the keg, there's no way that liquid is leaping up to reach the short gas IN tube. And liquid contracts with cooling. It doesn't expand in the first place.

To have a siphon not only spontaneously start, but continue for literally half the volume of liquid in the keg means that it was drawing from pretty low in the keg. It sounds like you attached the blow-off to the wrong post, meaning the bottom-feeding dip tube... although I imagine you would have discovered that by now.

When I attach a blow-off to my keg, I use a gas QD on the post, then run hose from its barb to the jar. Did you do that, or did you drop a hose literally into the gas opening? (I'm sure it's a dumb question, but I have to ask...)

 

[juggabrew]

You sure you didn’t hook up the blow off to the liquid out? I did this once and found my 3 gallon batch in the bottom of my chest freezer.

Not all is lost...you should still have 2 gallons of beer so don’t be too hard on yourself. I loved fermenting in my cornies and recently just found a 10 gallon for my 6 gal batches.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

2 gallons siphoned out...of the blow off bucket or of the wort in the keg?

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Yeah, you weren't clear - did the wort go into the bucket or the bucket water into the keg?

If the wort went into the bucket, you hooked it up to the wrong post and fermentation pressure pushed your wort out the liquid dip tube. Ask me how I know...

If your water went into the keg, jekeane's post above is probably correct - your wort was warm and you experienced suckback as it cooled.

 

[McKnuckle]

I also made the prediction that the blow-off was attached to the liquid post... OR that the diptube was installed on the gas post. Same result either way.

I'm on the edge of my seat now...

 

[Wiking44]

Thanks for all the replies.

I would swear that I connected it to the gas in side, but now you all have me wondering. As I thought about it, I thought that perhaps the yeast started fermentation, creating CO2 pressure, which forced liquid up the tube and out of the fridge. I think that's what probably happened, though I swear I connected it correctly.

That was probably it.

What a waste of five hours of brewing. Oh well, I learned a few lessons here.

Very much appreciate it.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Thanks for all the replies.

I would swear that I connected it to the gas in side, but now you all have me wondering. As I thought about it, I thought that perhaps the yeast started fermentation, creating CO2 pressure, which forced liquid up the tube and out of the fridge. I think that's what probably happened, though I swear I connected it correctly.

That was probably it.

What a waste of five hours of brewing. Oh well, I learned a few lessons here.

Very much appreciate it.

Well, you still have 2 gallons or so in the keg, right? Maybe you can salvage that...

I lost about a gallon a half once when I was just starting out fermenting in kegs - I think I was able to salvage the remainder.

 

[McKnuckle]

Yeah, don’t feel bad. I have installed poppets upside down, put a dip tube on the gas post, and had leaks galore on tubing. I’ve had beer geysers and blasted my ceiling and my face (different times!). I talk a good game but have had my share of f-ups for sure. Just try again!