Fermenting under pressure in a no-chill cube

[Bigcol49]

I'm not sure whether air compressor attachments are cheaper there in the UK

Hi!
The female disconnects are about £8, the males about £3, not including shipping charges (that's about $15 and $6 NZ). They may be cheaper on other sites, but I haven't looked far.
The corny keg posts are about $30NZ for a pair, with a 1/4 inch BSP bulkhead fitting, but they take a few weeks to arrive.
Budget pressure barrels work out at about $60NZ.
I am intrigued by your system - I had intended to fit a spunding valve to the fermenter to keep the pressure at 1 bar (15psi). You seem to be harvesting the gas from the fermenter - is that correct?

 

[Bart Fleming]

I've been putting together DYI Instructions for beginners, which I will attach here.
It's a 2 barrel system where the pressure from the primary overflows to an identical secondary vessel. The secondary releases excess co2 via a DYI spundig.
When fermentation is completed the connecting gas lines are disconnected and the primary cold crashed. After a few days the 2 vessels are reconnected via gas line and beer line and racked.
The finished primary racks to the secondary without exposure whatsoever to oxygen. It is a closed transfer. Once completed carbonated beer, trub free and pressurized is ready for consummation in essentially a week from start to finish.
Hope these instructions make sense :-)
Actually, hope it scales up.

 

[Bigcol49]

I've been putting together DYI Instructions for beginners, which I will attach here.

Hi!
Great post - thanks!
The resolution of your pic is too low to read - any chance of posting each page individually?

 

[foxy]

Hi @Bart Fleming
Great set up. Yes, I've watched Tubedinoz too.
I can't source the plastic water carriers (Jerry can) that have taps fitted near the base here in the UK, although I'm still looking.
I have thought about fitting a tap using a long-handled socket wrench or similar but that's on the back burner for now.
The cost of the Jerry, corny posts and dip tube mean that the project is getting as expensive as buying a cheap pressure barrel, but that's nowhere near as much fun!
I thought about making a liquid dip tube out of 8mm copper tubing, but I'm not sure whether having the beer in constant contact with copper would be deleterious to the beer (and me)!

I have read that fermenting wort should not come into contact with copper, alright in the boil but not fermenter.

 

[Bigcol49]

I have read that fermenting wort should not come into contact with copper, alright in the boil but not fermenter.

Hi!
Thanks! I've read something similar too.

 

[Bart Fleming]

Hi!
Thanks! I've read something similar too.

With this arrangement this shouldn't be an issue. The brass fittings in the lid are clear of the wort. The pressure actually keeps krausen at bay.
The brass fittings on the tap do not come into contact with the fermenting wort as the tap is closed until racking is required.
Beer is electrolytic in nature and can oxdise the internal spring inside the brass fittings, which is why it is essential to regularly clean it. (from what i can gather, it's not so much the metal, but contrasting metals which cause the oxidation. I believe this is why cornie gas and beerline posts are stainless steel throughout). Cheap brass 'coated' connectors are prone to this - I've noticed from experience and taint the poured beer.
Meanwhile, here's another crack at uploading my DYI setup... cross fingers

 

[Bart Fleming]

Oh and one more...

 

[foxy]

Still not quite there Bart, it is the same as what I do, and the beauty of it is it is so easy to transfer the beer to secondary, no loss of beer or gas.

 

[Bart Fleming]

... and I thought I was being original. I agree with you whole heartedly @foxy.
Another addition I've used is a small 4 litre garden sprayer (new of course). These are HDPE so theoretically food safe. I've replaced the sprayer wand and hose with vinyl tubing and again a compressor socket attachment, and on the other side, replaced the release valve with another compressor socket. One side draws the beer, the other is a gas post.
This little baby has a dual purpose. I can plug in a picnic tap and I have a mini keg to take to barbecues.
I can also partially fill it with a gelatine solution, gas it up to a higher pressure than the fermenter - and inject the finings into the pressure barrel.
Finally, sorry I can't get these pics any clearer. The site won't let me upload the whole document. I'm glad you get it though and are of like mind.

.... I've added this part after looking at the original thread. @foxy, apologies for not crediting you - you more than get it...you're doing the same thing.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Thanks for the better resolution images - I can read them all.
Great information - thanks a million.
The jerries that I use are rated to 200 kilo pascals, about 29 psi, although I don't intend to test their limits!

 

[veersix]

I made mine using barb connections, did consider using the gas and liquid posts but wasn't sure how it would turn out, so took the cheaper option and I have the tap at the bottom which allows me to transfer to secondary between the 2 taps. First attempt was a bit of a cock up didn't expect fermentation to take off so fast, as I hadn't fitted the spunding valve it caught me on the hop.
View attachment 12334
Transferred to secondary after 5 days but I reckon it was well finished, 7 days after pitching yeast I was drinking did cold crash it for one day but didn't really need it beer was as bright as could be.
View attachment 12336 View attachment 12337
So fully carbonated, and drinking one week after pitching yeast, a young taste but not to bad, reduction of esters and slightly more bitter, I had read about the bitterness issue before and that commercials using the pressure technique for lagers adjusted their hop quantity, also Blichman mentioned the same thing in the podcast.
Made a manifold to enable me to ferment more than one beer at a time using the one spunding valve and pressure gauge, what seems like a good idea at the time isn't always the case, for it to work I will have to have similar beers and pitching the yeast at the same time and hoping they all kick off at the same time.
View attachment 12338 Manifold with spunding (PRV) and gauge.
View attachment 12340 Primary fermenter with two barbs one to flush the secondary with CO2 the other barb connecting to the manifold.

Hi,

I realise that the thread is a bit old now, but I was wondering how you managed to attach the barbs given how small the hole in the container is? How on earth did you manage to get a spanner in there to tighten the connection? Also, where did you get the barbs from?

Thanks,
Colin.

 

[foxy]

Hi,

I realise that the thread is a bit old now, but I was wondering how you managed to attach the barbs given how small the hole in the container is? How on earth did you manage to get a spanner in there to tighten the connection? Also, where did you get the barbs from?

Thanks,
Colin.

I cut and re welded a spanner to fit through the hole and be at the angle needed to screw in the barb to the nut. Should be able to get the barbs through your local home brew store

 

[veersix]

Okay, thanks for that.

 

[veersix]

Another quick question, and apologies if it's a bit of a stupid question. How can you dry-hop using this technique without losing the pressure? I'm assuming that you can't.

 

[foxy]

Another quick question, and apologies if it's a bit of a stupid question. How can you dry-hop using this technique without losing the pressure? I'm assuming that you can't.

Yes you can.

 

[veersix]

Yes you can.
View attachment 18197

Genius.

 

[uDicko]

Yes you can.
View attachment 18197

Not one to drag up old threads but what is this part / collection of parts in order to dispense hops into pressurised barrel.

Appreciate I can see a plastic bottle so that's one off the list

 

[foxy]

Not one to drag up old threads but what is this part / collection of parts in order to dispense hops into pressurised barrel.

Appreciate I can see a plastic bottle so that's one off the list

1" BSP ball valve the fitting on the valve is a male thread to socket which the bottle fits into.