Fermenting Under Pressure

[bradsbrew]

I wouldn't trust those taps. Did you try the 30 psi with liquid or just air. I would assume 20L(weight) of carbing beer and 26 psi of pressure would be different to just air pressure?

 

[Dan Pratt]

id be trying it with water for correct pressure rating.

I think that a cube would hold close to 10psi before the tap/thread gave way which means if it does hold that you could run at 5+ psi for ales which is what Im doing with the fermentasaurus

 

[wide eyed and legless]

The pressure is the same whether it be fluid or air, 30 psi air pressure is the same as 30 psi water pressure, the idea is to let the wort naturally ferment in the primary (very low pressure) and the secondary would not come close to the 30 psi pressure as I want to try serving straight from the secondary so the pressure is minimal. The vacuum created will be taken up by the co2 captured from the ferment so the beer never comes into contact with any oxygen whatsoever after the pitching of the yeast.
This is what I do with the hand pump, the vacuum is taken up with the co2 in the collapsible water pitcher.

 

[Dave70]

I wouldn't trust those taps. Did you try the 30 psi with liquid or just air. I would assume 20L(weight) of carbing beer and 26 psi of pressure would be different to just air pressure?

That was my first concern also seeing how many of the ******* things have leaked around the Plasticine like threads of the cube on me. But on second thoughts, I dont think there surface area of the tap is large enough to reasonably cause a problem. Thats my guess anyway. I dunno. There's so much I dont know about the principles of pressure vessel design, and letters that somehow equal equal numbers when divided by the square of x/y - f and multiplied by..bla..blaaa..bla..blaa..and so on..

 

[pcqypcqy]

A lot of information on Wiley online library (brewing institute) Pressure Fermenting, discussing lager fermentation, I am happy with what I have read on this thread and excited to give my ghetto low pressure fermentation a go first, applies only to ale yeasts. This method can save me money, I always go for secondary ferment and transferring the beer to secondary I blanket the beer being transferred, with this method I can capture the co2 and transfer without using my gas bottle, anything left over I can capture in a camping deflatable water container and use with my hand pump. The lagers, according to info gleaned from above link 26 psi pressure for lagers at around 16 degrees C for finishing quicker, ale yeast doesn't like the pressure.
I tested a cube today on my compressor took it up to 30 psi so a cube is alright for the pressure range, it was a heavy duty dangerous goods cube, $9.00 for a 25 litre so reasonable saving there.
This is how I have set mine up for the ales, on hindsight I will add another JG tap and JG non return that way if needed when transferring beer using the 2 bottom taps I can bring the co2 back into the original fermentation vessel.
View attachment 110264

That's some top quality science right there.

I've been wondering when someone will start selling plastic corny's, this might be the start of some ghetto versions.

 

[pirateagenda]

That's some top quality science right there.

I've been wondering when someone will start selling plastic corny's, this might be the start of some ghetto versions.

Bulk Buy??

http://www.oxebar.com.au/Downloads/Kegasaurus Pricing.pdf

 

[pcqypcqy]

Bulk Buy??

http://www.oxebar.com.au/Downloads/Kegasaurus Pricing.pdf

I had seen those a while ago but forgotten about it. Not sure what couplers they use though, whether they're corny style or commercial keg spears.

Still, not a bad way to get into kegging if it's cheap. It says single use but you could probably get a reasonable lifetime out of them in a homebrew setting

 

[pirateagenda]

the have an s-spear.... so probably not very economical by the time you get ball lock adaptors etc.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I spend a lot of time on Alibaba these caught my attention, this price and image is not the manufacturer, so pricey compared to the manufacturers price but the manufacturer has a couple of thousand minimum order.
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...ml?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.8.718a1ce9gvLo1d

 

[pirateagenda]

I spend a lot of time on Alibaba these caught my attention, this price and image is not the manufacturer, so pricey compared to the manufacturers price but the manufacturer has a couple of thousand minimum order.
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...ml?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.8.718a1ce9gvLo1d

These would be great with ball locks instead of d and s stems. Could put weldless ball locks in ... but by the time you do that, again... you might as well by a used corny for $75

 

[S.E]

I wouldn't trust those taps. Did you try the 30 psi with liquid or just air. I would assume 20L(weight) of carbing beer and 26 psi of pressure would be different to just air pressure?

Cube taps have never given me any trouble in ten years of pressure fermenting in cubes. I was initially worried that the taps would be the weakest point and changed them regularly.

I don’t think I have changed a tap for about two years now. I pull them apart to clean after each use and the little lug that holds them together is so worn on some that they can be pulled apart by hand really easily but still don’t pop out under fermenting pressure.

I ferment up to about 20 PSI, plenty pictures and info on this in the Carbing in a cube thread

 

[Lionman]

Could something like this be used as a PRV?

https://www.banggood.com/AR2000-Air...mmds=detail-left-hotproducts&cur_warehouse=CN

 

[malt junkie]

Could something like this be used as a PRV?

https://www.banggood.com/AR2000-Air...mmds=detail-left-hotproducts&cur_warehouse=CN

yep been done before with that set up.

 

[peteru]

I don't see how. It's just a regulator. The high pressure side is unregulated, the low pressure side sits at the desired pressure. Could be used as a secondary regulator if you want to run CO2 into kegs at different pressures.

 

[malt junkie]

I don't see how. It's just a regulator. The high pressure side is unregulated, the low pressure side sits at the desired pressure. Could be used as a secondary regulator if you want to run CO2 into kegs at different pressures.

The one he has linked is the AR2000 which is a pressure relief valve. One of the guy in the original pressure fermenting thread was using exactl;y this unit.

 

[rossbaker]

Hey guys, I'm about to ferment a weizen with Wlp351. Has anyone used this yeast under pressure? Or should I swap the spunding valve for a blow off? I like a nice estery weizen...

 

[pcqypcqy]

Hey guys, I'm about to ferment a weizen with Wlp351. Has anyone used this yeast under pressure? Or should I swap the spunding valve for a blow off? I like a nice estery weizen...

I haven't used that yeast in particular,but generally I find everything seems to benefit from 5 to 10 psi during the first few days.

 

[Mardoo]

Yep. If I want ester production I keep pressure between 5 and 8 psi.

 

[malt junkie]

Still waiting for spundings though I have a feeling they'll arrive mid week so I've got some yeast about to go on the plate WLP 072 French Ale, wish me luck! I also need to reinforce the shelf in the fridge, a nice little job for the morning.

 

[Dave70]

And they're off!!
I felt slightly deflated this morning thinking the needle hadn't shifted until I popped on my focals and realized it was stuck hard against the pin, and only twelve hours since pitching.
I also learned that a WLP002 starter is supposed to look like cottage cheese and it wasn't a crook batch.
Great success! (though there is something slightly wrong with this picture..)