20 replies to this topic

[Bklmt2000]

Mainly my primary fermenters. 

 

Just ordered 3 new Ale Pails from LP, and 2 of my current 3 Ale Pails will go into retirement.  The remaining one (the one in the best shape) will become my new Belgian fermenter. 

 

I have some 3711 to put through its paces, and it would be nice to have a dedicated fermenter in case the info I've read about diastaticus ends up presenting issues.

 

I've had my current Ale Pails for many years, (at least 10), and while I haven't had any issues with contamination/off-flavors/etc, at least none that I could attribute to an old fermenter, I figured it's as good a time as any to enact a changing of the guard.

[Big Nake]

I am using some plastic fermenters with spigots as my main fermenters.  I have two of them and they're relatively new.  I use the spigot in conjunction with some low-oxygen steps to keep the system closed.  Many other brewers use stainless fermenters for this (Drez included) but I wanted to see if the plastic ones I had would work as a test and the low-O2 guys say that plastic works fine as a short-term fermenter.  I looked at some of the stainless fermenters but 1) some people complained about the valve and 2) I'm not sure the models I looked at will fit into my small fermenting fridge.  So I'm staying with the plastic for now.  Brewing coming up here in about 4 hours.  

[Seven]

Ken, how do you run CO2 into the fermenter when racking?

[Big Nake]

Ken, how do you run CO2 into the fermenter when racking?

I don't.  I have the fermenter connected to a keg and all of the CO2 that is created during fermentation purges the keg.  When it's time to transfer I just place the fermenter higher than the keg, connect the tubing from the liquid side of the keg to the spigot and then take a length of tubing from the GAS side of the keg and connect it to the airlock on the fermenter so the beer is displaced with CO2 from the keg instead of air.  All of this is on my site (link below) under BREWING PROCESS.  I really like the steps.

[positiveContact]

I don't.  I have the fermenter connected to a keg and all of the CO2 that is created during fermentation purges the keg.  When it's time to transfer I just place the fermenter higher than the keg, connect the tubing from the liquid side of the keg to the spigot and then take a length of tubing from the GAS side of the keg and connect it to the airlock on the fermenter so the beer is displaced with CO2 from the keg instead of air.  All of this is on my site (link below) under BREWING PROCESS.  I really like the steps.

 

that's pretty cool.  not sure I would have thought of that.

[jayb151]

I don't.  I have the fermenter connected to a keg and all of the CO2 that is created during fermentation purges the keg.  When it's time to transfer I just place the fermenter higher than the keg, connect the tubing from the liquid side of the keg to the spigot and then take a length of tubing from the GAS side of the keg and connect it to the airlock on the fermenter so the beer is displaced with CO2 from the keg instead of air.  All of this is on my site (link below) under BREWING PROCESS.  I really like the steps.

 

Jesus, that's genius.

 

I might have to get a bucket just to give this a try.

[denny]

I just picked up my 2nd Grainfather conical.  I couldn't stand looking at the glycol unit and seeing 4 outputs and only using 1!

[Big Nake]

Jesus, that's genius.

 

I might have to get a bucket just to give this a try.

I took small steps in this direction using equipment that I had and investing almost nothing.  Most brewers are tinkerers and have extra equipment laying around.  I took a lot of steps towards low-oxygen brewing but I'm a hack compared to some that have gotten more serious.  Still, the beers are better and something is clearly different because I can tell by the color of my beers alone... so much more pale.  I have never made beers this pale before.  O2 darkens wort pretty severely.   If you look at those pics and see the keg connected to the fermenter, you know that you have to clean and sanitize a keg on brewday which is a new responsibility (at least for me) on brewday.  The guys who pointed this out said that there is enough CO2 created during the fermentation of one 5-gallon batch to completely purge 20 KEGS of O2.  That's good stuff.  

[HVB]

I don't. I have the fermenter connected to a keg and all of the CO2 that is created during fermentation purges the keg. When it's time to transfer I just place the fermenter higher than the keg, connect the tubing from the liquid side of the keg to the spigot and then take a length of tubing from the GAS side of the keg and connect it to the airlock on the fermenter so the beer is displaced with CO2 from the keg instead of air. All of this is on my site (link below) under BREWING PROCESS. I really like the steps.

I have tried this but since my beer has to go up a racking cane I didn't have enough psi. I have a racking port to add to one fermenter to see if that helps, if not I will just continue to push with CO2.

I just picked up my 2nd Grainfather conical. I couldn't stand looking at the glycol unit and seeing 4 outputs and only using 1!

Someone hacked Dennys account!

[Big Nake]

I have tried this but since my beer has to go up a racking cane I didn't have enough psi. I have a racking port to add to one fermenter to see if that helps, if not I will just continue to push with CO2.

I thought your stainless fermenter had a port & valve on it. You can't just open the port with tubing connected and send it to the keg with a closed transfer?

[HVB]

I thought your stainless fermenter had a port & valve on it. You can't just open the port with tubing connected and send it to the keg with a closed transfer?

I have a triclamp fitting on the lid of the fermenter and I have a triclamp racking cane I attach when I pitch yeast or dryhop. I also have a corny gas out post on the lid I use for blowoff/keg purging. When I am ready to transfer I move the blowoff hose to the racking cane and put a co2 tank onto the corny gas post and push the beer with about 3psi.

I really do not like the idea of holes low in my fermenter, I like solid sides.

[Big Nake]

I really do not like the idea of holes low in my fermenter, I like solid sides.

Understood. At first I was mildly squeamish about it but it's been fine. My setup is stupid simple which means it's perfect for me.

On the topic of some of these low-oxygen steps, some of this was posted on the board awhile back and some of it was not well-received in our beer forum. I have been looking into this and brewing this way since December 2017 and some others here have brewed this way too.  I'm still looking into different ideas and keeping up with any changes that have happened.  I like the steps and my beer has improved.  I used to splash and stir my way through my brewdays, do open-transfers from fermenter-to-keg and a hundred other things that probably caused some damage to my beer and I absolutely tasted oxidation in some of my beers which is why I ended up looking at it in the first place.  Spunding can be a bit tricky but I have done it with great results and I have also ended up with over- and under-carbed beers.  Rookie mistakes, I suppose.  I put all of the steps I take on my site and they're relatively easy to carry out.  

[HVB]

Speaking of spunding... Set this up so I can watch from work.. Lol

Sorry for the thread jack Bklmt2000!

[Bklmt2000]

Sorry for the thread jack Bklmt2000!

 

No worries. 

 

The setups you guys employ are way more sophisticated than mine; I'm still in the "bucket fermenter/swamp cooler" era of fermentation temp control.

 

It's soo 2001.

[neddles]

The setups you guys employ are way more sophisticated than mine; I'm still in the "bucket fermenter/swamp cooler" era of fermentation temp control.

 

It's soo 2001.

 

Same, except I may be the only one here still using glass carboys.

[Bklmt2000]

Same, except I may be the only one here still using glass carboys.

 

I still have mine; am considering cleaning the dust/cobwebs out for some upcoming beers that benefit from some secondary time (dopplebock and saison).

[MyaCullen]

Same, except I may be the only one here still using glass carboys.

still using glass too

[HVB]

No worries.

The setups you guys employ are way more sophisticated than mine; I'm still in the "bucket fermenter/swamp cooler" era of fermentation temp control.

It's soo 2001.

Nothing the matter with that at all. Nice part of the this hobby is you can brew great beer with all kinds of equipment.

Same, except I may be the only one here still using glass carboys.

Sold mine after an close call!

[jayb151]

Man, I've been looking at my dusty glass and thinking I should throw something in there! I've considered a partigyle just so I can get the big beer cooled and in the glass, so I can boil up the small beer and drop in a boiling hot keg.

 

But I haven't used glass in years.

[LeftyMPfrmDE]

I still use glass once in a while; If fermenting a ale and a lager at the same time in the fermentation chamber, set the temperature of the chamber to lager temperature, and use a carboy wrap-around heater, and another controller, to keep the carboy nice and cozy warm.  I received a handful of 6.5 gallon carboys from a guy getting out of the hobby years ago. still can't stand cleaning them! 

 

Thought about letting go of all of my 5 gallon carboys- Have 6 or so. Then I got into traditional/mixed fermentation sour making; where you park a carboy and let it sit for a year or two at a time. they still serve a purpose in the brewhouse.