40 replies to this topic

[Thirsty]

So I think I want to start making my transfers from primary to secondary (or straight to keg) with a CO2 push. What I guess I am looking for is what most people use for fittings ro attach to carboy to get the push going. I am leaning towards a carboy cap type setup, but do I need dip tubes connected? And what is used for gas fittings? TIA

[Recklessdeck]

I've only done this a couple times, but I think you just put a racking cane through one of the carboy hoods holes and a gas line through the other hole. I guess another option would be a double-drilled bung like this one. You might also check out this site

[3rd party JKor]

Carboy cap and a hose clamp? Be careful not to overpressurize that sucker though.

[HVB]

I have a carboy cap with a barbed fitting on it. I have a QD in my CO2 line and attach the line to the barbed fitting. I have a beer out disconnect attached to the end of the racking cane so I can just fill the keg. I try to only use about 2-3 PSI with glass carboys.

[tag]

I have a carboy cap with a barbed fitting on it. I have a QD in my CO2 line and attach the line to the barbed fitting. I have a beer out disconnect attached to the end of the racking cane so I can just fill the keg. I try to only use about 2-3 PSI with glass carboys.

+1. I have a 1/4" hose barb by 1/4" flare fitting in the carboy cap. I just pressurize until the beer gets into the hose and leave it at that pressure, usually 2-3 psi.

[stangbat]

I'm actually doing this this afternoon. I don't use carboys, but the main difference is I use a stopper in my fermenter instead of a carboy cap. When you ask about dip tubes, do you mean the out tube in the keg? I push the beer from the fermenter to the keg's out tube so that the beer goes to the bottom of the keg and doesn't splash. I also put a gas QD with tubing on the keg's in post and tip the keg with a 2x4. When beer starts coming out of gas QD, the keg is full. I used to judge the fill level by watching condensation on the side of the keg and by removing the lid and checking, but using a QD and tubing on the in post lets you keep everything sealed the entire time.I can probably take pics this afternoon if you think it would help.

[MoreAmmoPlz]

My transfers are closed and pressurized. For my primary fermenter I have a Sabco kegmenter. When primary fermentation is done I hook up a CO2 tank and push the beer into two corney kegs for secondary. After secondary is done I hook up a liquid disconnect jumper line and go from corney to corney into the serving keg. Transfers are quick, easy, and have very little chance of infection.

[Thirsty]

I also put a gas QD with tubing on the keg's in post and tip the keg with a 2x4. When beer starts coming out of gas QD, the keg is full. I can probably take pics this afternoon if you think it would help.

Now that is genious. I like that idea for fill level. This is what I ended up doing:The plan is to shoot a blanket of CO2 onto the bottom of the secondary, then connect the gas to the cap like pictured. (Rigged a second for BBs)I will shove a racking cane down the center of the cap and the tube will feed to the bottom filling in the CO2 blanket (necessary?)For keg fills I will first hook the CO2 up to the liquid post giving a CO2 shot to the bottom of the keg through the dip tube, Then hook the tube off the racking cane to a liquid QD and fill through that post filling the keg from the bottom. Process seem sound?

[tag]

Or, you can get CO2 into the secondary by leaving the fermenter's racking cane up over the beer. Then when you add CO2 pressure it goes into the secondary. After you think you've done enough of that, just lower the racking cane and the beer will begin to flow.

[stangbat]

Now that is genious. I like that idea for fill level. The plan is to shoot a blanket of CO2 onto the bottom of the secondary, then connect the gas to the cap like pictured. (Rigged a second for BBs)I will shove a racking cane down the center of the cap and the tube will feed to the bottom filling in the CO2 blanket (necessary?)For keg fills I will first hook the CO2 up to the liquid post giving a CO2 shot to the bottom of the keg through the dip tube, Then hook the tube off the racking cane to a liquid QD and fill through that post filling the keg from the bottom. Process seem sound?

I can't take credit for the in post idea. The first I can remember it being mentioned was by Just CJ.I think your method sounds fine if I'm following it. I don't know if shooting CO2 into the out tube is all that important, but it won't hurt. I just shoot it in the in post and vent the keg several times.Just got done. Here's how my setup looks.

[Thirsty]

I am liking this, this is how the operation ran for filling secondary, tag, that makes sense about leaking the co2 in, I will def do it that way next time. Only thing I didnt realize is once you are out of beer, it pumps fermenter air in fast, got to be quick and ready to shutoff.

[Thirsty]

stangbat, I think my keg transfer will probably look identical to that.

[HVB]

I am liking this, this is how the operation ran for filling secondary, tag, that makes sense about leaking the co2 in, I will def do it that way next time. Only thing I didnt realize is once you are out of beer, it pumps fermenter air in fast, got to be quick and ready to shutoff.

By the time it is empty would the fermenter air just be CO2?

[Thirsty]

By the time it is empty would the fermenter air just be CO2?

Sure I would think so, but it bubbles in there fast- scared the shit out of me.

[HVB]

Sure I would think so, but it bubbles in there fast- scared the shit out of me.

Agh yes .. it does look like the secondary is boiling!

[stangbat]

Another tip, make sure you relieve the pressure from the keg before hooking up to it. I forgot to this afternoon and blew CO2 back into my fermenter. Not a problem, but sometimes I drop the temp of the primary a few days before I rack to help the yeast to drop out and give me a head start on secondary. The yeast for this batch isn't very flocculent so it didn't matter but if I had spent time chilling the fermenter and it had cleared up some, I would have been pissed.

[Thirsty]

Another tip, make sure you relieve the pressure from the keg before hooking up to it. .

Would flipping the PRV open the whole time allow enough to let that pressure out? or is it not enough

[tag]

Would flipping the PRV open the whole time allow enough to let that pressure out? or is it not enough

That's what I do.

[stangbat]

Would flipping the PRV open the whole time allow enough to let that pressure out? or is it not enough

Since I have a QD on the in post to let out beer when the keg is full, it already vents just fine.

[DubbelEntendre]

I've been thinking about doing this as well. What's the CO2 usage for a 5 gallon transfer?