Having recently acquired a corny and a gas bottle to play with, I was musing on how to transfer ale without exposing it to air.
In particular I want to:
First of all I will fit a couple of fermenting bin lids with 3/8" push-fit pipe connectors.
Then my plan is (see diagrams below):
a) Complete first half of fermentation in an open bin (once the head is established).
b) Fill a clean bin with water, fit a lid hooked up to a very low pressure regulator. Drain the water into the corny while the bin back-fills with CO2.
c) Fit a lid to the primary FV and flush the headspace with CO2. Position the clean bin (now full of CO2) below it. Link the taps and lid-valves of the two bins and drain the ale into the clean bin while the displaced CO2 flows up into the primary FV.
d) Place the 'used' primary FV, now full of CO2 and sediment, below the corny that is still full of water. Link the beer and gas connections, start the siphon and then drain the water from the corny into the FV while it is replaced by the CO2 displaced from the FV. Use the water to start cleaning the 'used' primary FV.
e) When the fermentation is finished, place the corny (now full of CO2), below the 'clean' FV full of ale. Link the gas and beer connections then drain the ale from the 'clean' FV into the corny.
Ta daa! :-) now, what haven't I thought about...?
In particular I want to:
- 'drop' my ale into a clean bin about halfway through the primary fermentation; and
- transfer it from that bin into the corny once the primary fermentation has stopped.
First of all I will fit a couple of fermenting bin lids with 3/8" push-fit pipe connectors.
Then my plan is (see diagrams below):
a) Complete first half of fermentation in an open bin (once the head is established).
b) Fill a clean bin with water, fit a lid hooked up to a very low pressure regulator. Drain the water into the corny while the bin back-fills with CO2.
c) Fit a lid to the primary FV and flush the headspace with CO2. Position the clean bin (now full of CO2) below it. Link the taps and lid-valves of the two bins and drain the ale into the clean bin while the displaced CO2 flows up into the primary FV.
d) Place the 'used' primary FV, now full of CO2 and sediment, below the corny that is still full of water. Link the beer and gas connections, start the siphon and then drain the water from the corny into the FV while it is replaced by the CO2 displaced from the FV. Use the water to start cleaning the 'used' primary FV.
e) When the fermentation is finished, place the corny (now full of CO2), below the 'clean' FV full of ale. Link the gas and beer connections then drain the ale from the 'clean' FV into the corny.
Ta daa! :-) now, what haven't I thought about...?
