Fermzilla

[Nullnvoid]

I was lucky enough to grab one of these bad boys in the first round. Got it going a couple days after getting it so haven't finished a batch yet.

Might be good to have a discussion thread on these (let's see if we can at least make it to 10 replies before the thread turns to ****)

Here are a couple photos. Please excuse the state of the fridge. I need to clean it.

 

[malt and barley blues]

This is more like it, will give us a good idea how many are in circulation.

 

[Nullnvoid]

Questions I have, that I guess can relate to any vessel like this.

1) I don't know when you remove the trub. I did it after about day 5, before the yeast started dropping out (Took a few days to get up to temp and the yeast to get going)

2) I want to dry hop in a day or two, so do I remember the yeast I have collect and add the hops and refit the collection vessel, or do I just go in through the top like I ordinarily would have.

3) When dry hopping, do you just put the yeast in the bottom and that's enough to permeate through?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Questions I have, that I guess can relate to any vessel like this.

1) I don't know when you remove the trub. I did it after about day 5, before the yeast started dropping out (Took a few days to get up to temp and the yeast to get going)

2) I want to dry hop in a day or two, so do I remember the yeast I have collect and add the hops and refit the collection vessel, or do I just go in through the top like I ordinarily would have.

3) When dry hopping, do you just put the yeast in the bottom and that's enough to permeate through?

DON'T let the trub into the fermenter, as you are not pressure fermenting put them in the top, leave the yeast in the cone.

 

[Half-baked]

I feel guilty saying this, but the Fermzilla was a bit of an impulse buy for me. Had decided to go with the Guten fermenter, but it was out of stock. Happened to be looking at this forum when news broke, I managed to get one first release. Am quite happy with it so far! (And before anyone spruiks the benefits of stainless over plastic, I'll add it probably won't preclude me from getting a stainless conical down the track.)

I'm six days into my first fermentation, yeast has begun to flocculate and my collection jar is pretty full. Will remove tonight, but am wary about re-attaching.

If I do reattach, I'll basically do using the same principles as a counter-pressure bottle filler. It'd involve:

• attaching a carb cap to the jar, attach jar to bottom of unit, purge with CO2, then under a small amt of pressure feeding the beer out through the floating dip tube into the jar via the carb cap
• gently loosen jar from the fermenter to allow CO2 to gradually escape out the lid
• when full, tighten the jar and open butterfly valve.

But I'm conscious that'll let in a small amt of O2.

Pretty sure the benefits of collecting additional trub won't be greater than the risks of additional O2, but interested in the views of others...

 

[Nullnvoid]

I feel guilty saying this, but the Fermzilla was a bit of an impulse buy for me. Had decided to go with the Guten fermenter, but it was out of stock. Happened to be looking at this forum when news broke, I managed to get one first release. Am quite happy with it so far! (And before anyone spruiks the benefits of stainless over plastic, I'll add it probably won't preclude me from getting a stainless conical down the track.)

I'm six days into my first fermentation, yeast has begun to flocculate and my collection jar is pretty full. Will remove tonight, but am wary about re-attaching.

If I do reattach, I'll basically do using the same principles as a counter-pressure bottle filler. It'd involve:

• attaching a carb cap to the jar, attach jar to bottom of unit, purge with CO2, then under a small amt of pressure feeding the beer out through the floating dip tube into the jar via the carb cap
• gently loosen jar from the fermenter to allow CO2 to gradually escape out the lid
• when full, tighten the jar and open butterfly valve.

But I'm conscious that'll let in a small amt of O2.

Pretty sure the benefits of collecting additional trub won't be greater than the risks of additional O2, but interested in the views of others...

The purchase for me too was a bit of an impulse buy, wanted to buy one eventually, but saw them up and had the exact right amount of money and having had a couple of beers, I was in a impulsive mood

What you have listed above is exactly what I did to remove the trub so I could collect yeast, ie have a clear container, except I didnt loosen the jar and so there was a giant C02 explosion when I opened the butterfly valve and the airlock almost blew out the top. So a lessen learnt for next time. It seemed to work ok despite that little oversight, and one I won't do again.

I am also keep to hear the views of others.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I feel guilty saying this, but the Fermzilla was a bit of an impulse buy for me. Had decided to go with the Guten fermenter, but it was out of stock. Happened to be looking at this forum when news broke, I managed to get one first release. Am quite happy with it so far! (And before anyone spruiks the benefits of stainless over plastic, I'll add it probably won't preclude me from getting a stainless conical down the track.)

I'm six days into my first fermentation, yeast has begun to flocculate and my collection jar is pretty full. Will remove tonight, but am wary about re-attaching.

If I do reattach, I'll basically do using the same principles as a counter-pressure bottle filler. It'd involve:

• attaching a carb cap to the jar, attach jar to bottom of unit, purge with CO2, then under a small amt of pressure feeding the beer out through the floating dip tube into the jar via the carb cap
• gently loosen jar from the fermenter to allow CO2 to gradually escape out the lid
• when full, tighten the jar and open butterfly valve.

But I'm conscious that'll let in a small amt of O2.

Pretty sure the benefits of collecting additional trub won't be greater than the risks of additional O2, but interested in the views of others...

As I mentioned before it is better to leave the trub in the kettle, it can get messy trying to remove trub from a conical. I was flying blind with a conical but it made sense to do what the pro brewers do and that is leave the yeast cake in the fermenter and harvest after the beer has been removed. Dropping the yeast can mean a loss of what we are making, beer.
Run the beer off through a siphon if you haven't got a pressure kit or if you have the pressure kit do a pressure transfer. Harvest the yeast after the beer has been removed.

 

[sixfignig]

This is more like it, will give us a good idea how many are in circulation.

You have a mental illness.

 

[Cian Doyle]

You have a mental illness.

I think it's remarks like that which put people off coming on this site, if you can't be civil keep your opinions to yourself.

 

[Nullnvoid]

Hmm didn't quite make 10 replies....

 

[Budron]

As I mentioned before it is better to leave the trub in the kettle, it can get messy trying to remove trub from a conical. I was flying blind with a conical but it made sense to do what the pro brewers do and that is leave the yeast cake in the fermenter and harvest after the beer has been removed. Dropping the yeast can mean a loss of what we are making, beer.
Run the beer off through a siphon if you haven't got a pressure kit or if you have the pressure kit do a pressure transfer. Harvest the yeast after the beer has been removed.

This all makes sense WEAL, but will take away 1 of the things I was really looking forward to with using this Fermzilla, which is rousing up after my dry hop additions to get full utilisation out of this dry hop process. My plan was to dump the yeast after fermentation is basically done, and then replace the collection bottle with the dry hops which have been purged with co2. After a few days hook up the co2 to the collection bottle via a carbonation cap/post and rouse the hops off the bottom and get them flowing about again.

I guess I could leave the yeast in the bottle, dry hop through the top & rouse co2 through the beer out post & dip tube. Has anyone done this with the version 1? Would it disturb the yeast too much?

P.S. I love our man Jasper! Keep Drinkin'!

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Why not just dry hop in the keg, purge your keg with the vacating gas, and transfer a clean beer direct onto the hops. Then harvest your yeast, simple and no mess.

 

[shacked]

Why not just dry hop in the keg, purge your keg with the vacating gas, and transfer a clean beer direct onto the hops. Then harvest your yeast, simple and no mess.

This is the play. I've been using this of late: https://www.kegland.com.au/stainless-steel-hop-tube.html it's awesome. Currently packed with 250g of toasted coconut in a porter keg. Only slight modification is to shorten the chain so it is suspended in the keg rather than sitting on the bottom (I had dispensing issues with it on the bottom).

 

[Budron]

I have tried dry hopping in the keg before, but I much prefer to keep it all in the fermenter. I know there is a lot of conflicting info out there, but I don't really like the idea of dry hopping at the cooler temps.

I was under the presumption that unitanks with racking arms etc with the ability to dump your yeast off at certain points in the fermentation process was the ideal scenario and basically what people try to emulate when they rack to a secondary fermenter anyway(to get their beer off the yeast cake).

 

[Truman42]

I wanted to buy one of these but they were out of stock. So then wanted to buy a Guten but they were also out of stock. Ended up buying a SS Brewtech chronical for a lot more money but it will last me a lifetime. Might still get one of these as a second fermenter though because once you go conical...... Just got to see if it fits in a small bar fridge.

 

[Schikitar]

My plan was to dump the yeast after fermentation is basically done, and then replace the collection bottle with the dry hops which have been purged with co2.

..and this is probably all you really need to do, rousing the hops after they've done their thing (eg. released their oils) is really not needed unless there is a blockage that has prevented the hops from rising and falling. THe Gen 1 was a little notorious for this but I'm hoping it's much better in Gen 2.

Waiting for my units to arrive!

 

[Half-baked]

Just got to see if it fits in a small bar fridge.

From a width perspective, if you can fit in a full size keg you should be right. My guess is that height would need to be a bit bigger than a keg...

You’d want a pretty big bar fridge!

 

[Truman42]

From a width perspective, if you can fit in a full size keg you should be right. My guess is that height would need to be a bit bigger than a keg...

You’d want a pretty big bar fridge!

Thats what Im concerned about. Does anyone have the dimensions handy?

 

[Half-baked]

400mm across by 805 high.

From KL website: http://www.kegland.com.au/media/images/FermZilla_27l_edges.svg

 

[wide eyed and legless]

[QUOTE="Budron, post: 1537494, member: 11922"have tried dry hopping in the keg before, but I much prefer to keep it all in the fermenter. I know there is a lot of ]
I was under the presumption that unitanks with racking arms etc with the ability to dump your yeast off at certain points in the fermentation process was the ideal scenario and basically what people try to emulate when they rack to a secondary fermenter anyway(to get their beer off the yeast cake).[/QUOTE]
The real purpose of the dump valve is to dump the trub, the racking arm is above the yeast bed, dump the yeast and you lose the beer which has displaced the yeast as it is below the racking arm.
I have posted this before in the Fermentasaurus thread.
https://ssbrewtech.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/202956495-More-on-dumping-trub-from-a-Chronical