old and dead thread but i need to subscribe for the info.
From your pictures I see you have lids with a removable PRV. No need to put the disconnect on for the airlock, just use a wrench to remove the PRV and then all you need is a drilled #2 stopper for the airlock and away you go.
I have more lids than kegs, so 3 lids always have the PRV removed and I use them exclusively for fermentation.
I primary in 5 gal cornies almost exclusively now. I do 2.5-3 gallon batches, which fits easily. If you want to do 5 gallon batches, just brew and ferment the 5 gal recipe at only 4 gallons, then top off with a gallon of water in the serving keg when ferm is done (10-15 gal cornies are too expensive).
My process:
.
- Dump hot from BK right to keg,
- Seal up the keg and put the keg in the pool in summertime or in a water filled bin outside in the winter time. It'll be chilled in an hour with no effort on my part.
- Check temp before pitching yeast. Reseal and leave relief valve open to vent. Cover top of keg with grocery bag.
- After 3 days I attach this pressure gauge and valve to the gas port and let the beer finish fermenting and carb to 5 psi at the same time...http://www.williamsbrewing.com/0-60-ADJUSTABLE-PRESSURE-RELIEF-VALVE-P3453.aspx
- When it comes time to transfer, the beer is already pressurized enough to transfer to another keg. I don't do the post to post closed system transfer. I use a cobra tap with a racking cane jammed in it that's long enough to send the beer straight to the bottom of the new keg through the open lid. purge the new keg with co2 first
That's basically it.
I primary in 5 gal cornies almost exclusively now. I do 2.5-3 gallon batches, which fits easily. If you want to do 5 gallon batches, just brew and ferment the 5 gal recipe at only 4 gallons, then top off with a gallon of water in the serving keg when ferm is done (10-15 gal cornies are too expensive).
My process:
.
- Dump hot from BK right to keg,
- Seal up the keg and put the keg in the pool in summertime or in a water filled bin outside in the winter time. It'll be chilled in an hour with no effort on my part.
- Check temp before pitching yeast. Reseal and leave relief valve open to vent. Cover top of keg with grocery bag.
- After 3 days I attach this pressure gauge and valve to the gas port and let the beer finish fermenting and carb to 5 psi at the same time...http://www.williamsbrewing.com/0-60-ADJUSTABLE-PRESSURE-RELIEF-VALVE-P3453.aspx
- When it comes time to transfer, the beer is already pressurized enough to transfer to another keg. I don't do the post to post closed system transfer. I use a cobra tap with a racking cane jammed in it that's long enough to send the beer straight to the bottom of the new keg through the open lid. purge the new keg with co2 first
That's basically it.
I only use cornies that have a round bottom and a curved beverage tube, namely firestone/spartan. I then loosen the yeast by picking up and kind of swinging it pendulum style a little and then waiting for it to settle a little. This seems to be the best I can do. It can be done over a few days. Using firestone kegs is better becauseif you end up with 4.5 gal there's an extra inch of headspace but they also have a different height/width ratio if you pay any attention to the "shorter is better" thinking expressed in the other "fermenting in keg" thread.Are you trying to harvest yeast through the dip tube? that's difficult as the dip tube is only going to remove a small amount of trub/yeast that is right around the end of the tube. The rest of the trub/yeast isn't going to flow to the end of the tube.
I thought I'd mentioned it, but I bent my dip tubes up so there's about 1/3 gallon deadspace. I cut a couple a few years ago and wish I hadn't.The two kegs is a nice idea.
I serve in both 2.5 & 5 gallon kegs.
My fermentation keg doesn't have a cut dip tube, so using a cobra tap and racking cane lets me pour off trub first then move it to the keg when its running clear, and I know when the krausen is coming long before it gets into the serving keg...and I didn't have to buy any parts. It works fine and I don't have to ruin a dip tube.
Not completely a closed transfer? True but I'm not worried about 2 minutes exposure to air through the keg lid. Its still being transferred under a blanket of co2, so risk of oxidation is no different either method.
I've been looking into fermenting in my kegs and was directed to this thread. I'm not really interested in a closed system yet so I was wondering if I could just ferment with a sealed lid and just release the pressure relief valve each day. Would that spew krausen out the top? I brew just shy of five gallons so would that be feasible?
Liquid or dry yeast makes zero difference as both will generate just as much krausen. You could use the drops that reduce the krausen as well.
Thanks masterl - I like your style! I'm North of you by 110 miles (Grass Range), we get to Billings once every month or two - I've got a few cornies and was wondering about using them for fermenting ... your DIY helps a lot, NO more plastic buckets! The wife can have the glass carboys for making wine again! If'ns I get the dough, ray, me, I'll check in with the Pepsi plant about getting a few more kegs! I never thought about using them for storage, I've just been using the food-grade plastic buckets from Lowes. (Note to self: the rats and field mice can't eat thru Stainless!) THX!!
Anyone interested in doing this might also like to take a gander at this:
How to Turn Your Corny Keg into a Fermenter
http://www.cornykeg.com/resources/corny-keg-tips/turn-corny-keg-fermenter/
Another less detrimental option to cutting the diptube referenced multiple times on HBT...bend your diptube. I did this after the first time my diptube clogged, its not very fun. I have bent mine to just below the bottom weld line on the 5gal corney. Doesnt seem to leave much beer behind, just the cold break/yeast. Your results may vary, but if you primarily use the same yeast strains & brewing process the trub line shouldnt vary much.
Why not just keep the keg upside down so the yeast and trub settle on the other end?
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