Kegmenter. Are they good to use?

[rude]

Do you use an oxygen canister & if so what type

Pricey all right but stuff it you only live once bit the bullet bought some
weld in posts , prv & will order triclamp, end cap & ferrule

Gunner save up for the job one bloke I talked to sounded like the full bottle on it
he has made stills before so gunner go with him

Bloody kids school fees killing my brewing by keeping me poor

Hope I make better beer with it :lol: never done a proper lager here comes a munich dunkel

 

[Tahoose]

I'm going to do a el cheapo ghetto version, have a spare keg at home and a coupler that does t get used very often.

Turn the keg upside down, cut the dip tube, cut a hole and install a corny keg lid in to the old "bottom". Also install a weldless gas post, this to be used for the prv.

Additional cost above what I have will be $50. Being a new corny lid, and the weldless fitting.

 

[rude]

Sh#*t commited too early to the 6" triclamp jobby

When you do it Tahoose put up some pics great idea mate

 

[Mardoo]

I picked up a couple 50L Mytton Rodds yesterday to use as fermenters. I'd assume shortening the dip tube would be in order. Anyone have any suggestions as to how much space to leave at the bottom of the keg? I was thinking 6-8cm. Guessing it might be easier to forgo dry hopping and keg hop instead.

 

[lickapop]

I shortened the dip tube. 6-8cm from the bottom sounds about right. Put it around the same height as the tap on a 50l plastic fermenter

 

[Mardoo]

Nice one. Cheers. Do you do much dry hopping in your kegmenters?

 

[siege]

Guessing it might be easier to forgo dry hopping and keg hop instead.

Im wondering about this too. As I'd like a completely closed system with sanke kegmenter and then by 19l sanke serving kegs but the issue is where to dry hop. I can't get a hop bag into the serving kegs as there is no lid. And I'd rather not keg hop with loose pellets and then have floaties in all my beers.

If you added dry hops at the beginning of fermentation in a pressure fermenter would it work out? Or is enough pressure vented through the prv that you would still lose all the aroma?

 

[lickapop]

Currently I use a blichmann hop rocket because I like the added bonus of filtering most of the trub and its great for serving as well
But I do throw in loose pallets at various stages depending on what I am making.
Never really had any dramas apart from a couple times when I had to vent the keg and clean out the liquid post. Most other times if flow is restricted when I rack off to secondary or serving keg, I give the liquid post a squirt with co2 and its all good.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I'm now set up with an O2 bottle. (without details its a price tag of ~ $350)
Ok details. $200 for the o2 bottle + $70 filled. $70 to swap and go. (swap is unknown but over a year at least or the rest of your life)
You get your $200 back for the bottle if you give it back. (doubtfull ha!)

Fermentation procedure: (chilled wort)
Purge the kegmenter with bottled o2.
Carefully drain in chilled Wort. Pitch activated yeast as to calculations.
Seal. Crank in o2 to around 4psi. (Its a note I read somewhere) So not to rely on the air around you with all its unknowns for the oxygen for your yeast.
Shake and roll that ****** like usual. Sit in its home and take a sample. Set the reg to release pressure between ~ approximately variably 5 to 17 psi?
Those variables are all good as far as I know. For 4 - 5 days. Then raise the temp 1c a day for 2 days then close the pressure release.
The finishing pressure are variable. That's ok when your kegging all the way.

Enjoying this. B)

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Danscraftbeer, I'm guessing this a Keg King kegmenter? if so how do you find the quality? I've heard their kegs are made in China so curious on the construction, welds & machining work before parting with my dough. Also, how do you find cleaning it with the 4" opening? Apart from that they look like just what i need, thanks for your pics & informative post!

Oops I missed this. It is the KK kegmenter. It looks all good to me. I cant really judge it negatively in any way but it is my first. Welds are very neat. Construction as strong as any keg. I cant actually get my arm inside. Or if I did get past my forearm I'd be worried about getting it back out again so a spunge washer mit on a stick type is the go to wash the lower half. Then just a mit for the upper half. I shortened the dip tube ~25mm. There is no thermometer. I may install one but not that fussed with a temp controlled fridge.
I like the fact you can literally boil water and heat sterilize it on the burner.

 

[wobbly]

Opps Meant to post this under the "Fermenting Under pressure" Topic so have repeated this post there

 

[Hoffdegg]

Anyone done any lagers in a pressure fermenter using lager yeast?
What is your procedure? Temps, times, pressure? Do you need to condition/lager the brew like you normally would with a lager or because it is under pressure you don't need to? Is it a lot quicker and the beer some out tasting clear? No sulphur (eggy smell/taste) in the beer?
I have a kegking pressure fermenter on order, can't wait to try it!

 

[droid]

I have 40 ltrs of marzen in one in the fridge now
Currently fermenting out at 9degC with glad wrap and a lacky band over the opening
Once near terminal gravity eg for me FG was 1014 so at around 1016 I'll bump it to 16degC for around three days
Then reduce temp to 1 or 2 for as long as I can wait (2 weeks prolly haha) fit the in / out posts and once carbed, drink

In this case I'll have to transfer to 2x19ltr kegs tho so I can gets me the yeast, if it was staying In There I'd bend the dip tube a bit

...that may not help you tho.

 

[Hoffdegg]

Hi droid,
That's very similar to my lager procedure, im just wondering if doing it in a pressure fermenter makes it go quicker and allow for higher fermenting temperatures to be used.
There is lots saying how ales go that much quicker but can't get a straight answer on lagers

 

[droid]

ah ok

 

[MastersBrewery]

Under pressure temps can be higher and therefore ferment faster. The pressure reduces ester production. On the phone so can't link search pressure fermenting and all you need to know will be revealed.

 

[Hoffdegg]

Yeah I have read a bit about that, it sounds interesting.
I just not sure what pressures and what temperatures and how long to do it for at what pressure and so forth particualary with lagers. As I am just starting lagers and they take so long!
Just need to know all the above on brewing lager in a pressure fermenter and worried about the sulphar that lager yeast typically excretes being forced into the beer under pressure, because an eggy taste in the beer - no thanks!

 

[wobbly]

Hoffdegg

As I indicated in the other thread in the machine I have when fermenting lagers start with the pressure relief valve set to vent at 1.5bar and the temperature set to 15C for 3 days and then raise to 18C for another three days and if you have reached terminal gravity (which you should have) then cold crash to 1C to drop the yest out of suspension. I then Clarify using Colloidal Silica

Obviously when you first pitch the yeast the fermenter will be at atmospheric pressure and will build up to the 1.5 bar as the brew ferments

I should also point out that this is using dry yeast such as W34/70 or S23

Wobbly

 

[Hoffdegg]

Hey wobbly,

I didn't realise you were using w34/70 or s23!

That's really good to know, I'll have to give it a try, except the release valve I have only goes up to 15 psi.

Going up to 1.5 bar and then crash cooling it, that won't over carbonate it?

 

[nosco]

Any one tried or thought of ? Pretty sloppy cut but Im still wondering how well it would hold pressure.

 

[Tahoose]

Any one tried or thought of ? Pretty sloppy cut but Im still wondering how well it would hold pressure.

I'm going to do a el cheapo ghetto version, have a spare keg at home and a coupler that does t get used very often.

Turn the keg upside down, cut the dip tube, cut a hole and install a corny keg lid in to the old "bottom". Also install a weldless gas post, this to be used for the prv.

Additional cost above what I have will be $50. Being a new corny lid, and the weldless fitting.

This is what i was talking about here... The other thing I didn't mention is that the new corny lids have a built in Prv. Really need to get back on to this.

 

[nosco]

So a corny lid in the bottom, a ball valve with tri clover fittings in where the spear goes for yeast collection? I have access to a plasma cutter and someone who knows how to use it at work now. Ive got a spare corny lid too. Weld some legs on it....Just gotta figure out the best way to collect the beer.

 

[Tahoose]

Up date-

Bought one of these on the weekend.

http://kegking.com.au/keg-couplers-and-keg-disconnects/19l-9l-kegs-keg-parts/carbonation-keg-lid-with-2-micron-diffusion-stone.html

New plan;

- Remove Spear and cut tube down to about 2 inches.
- Cut hole in "bottom" of keg to fit corny lid.
-use carbonation corny lid, which has the benefit of a gas post already installed, and the prv for safety reasons.
- use keg coupler in conjunction with spear (which now will be upside down), bonus of this is that you can buy ball lock attachments for the coupler, giving you liquid out and gas in for the bottom.

Any Questions please ask.

 

[Tahoose]

Ok, so here's the latest.

My hand has been forced, so change of plans.

I just could not get the spear out of the keg I'm using. I bought a keg opening tool as I have a couple of kegs of this type and it just wouldn't budge. All of the other ones did but I've decide to keep those as potential serving kegs.

So I'm now cutting the the coupler opening out and installing the corny lid at the top. I'm also going to put a weldless ball lock post lower down on the side to use sort of like a tap. This will sit just above the domed bottom, will measure with water before i put this in and allow for 2ltr's below the tap. This should be enough to drop out yeast,trub,hops ect.

One of the problems i have found in the past when fermenting in a keg is that, if you don't have the keg closed and have top pressure. Its a pain in the arse to take a hydrometer sample.

This way because the ball lock post(tap), is only a few inches from the bottom you can just use gravity as per normal. The other idea that I like about using a ball lock post is that it will make transfering to other kegs very simple.

The purpose of this vessel is to be multi functional. I plan to ferment, condition, carbonate and potentially serve from the same vessel. Once fully carbonated I am looking to chill it and move to my fridge/freezer in the brew shed. Doing 45 or so litres I can draw off a corny for the keezer, Fill 9ltr cornies for partys, growlers ect and maybe i'll put a tap into that fridge for a brew shed beer.

Cheers

 

[Dae Tripper]

Did you check out youtube for getting the speer out? Got to get pliers in there and everything. My first one was a pain as I didn't know about the retaining bit.

 

[Tahoose]

I have the proper tool but this keg was stuffed, have done it a few times now so I know what to do.

Progress pic

 

[Mardoo]

And what does the proper tool look like?

 

[malt junkie]

I have the proper tool but this keg was stuffed, have done it a few times now so I know what to do.

Progress pic

image.jpeg

That lid has room for a second post.

 

[Tahoose]

That lid has room for a second post.

No need for a second post, the liquid out post is situated lower down on the keg as I previously mentioned. Along with the pros of doing that.

Opening tool for D/S type kegs



Ball Lock Liquid Post Attached



Just leak tested it and also did a measurement on how much liquid is left below the post/tap. The result is just over 4 ltrs which is a little higher than I'd wish but to have it on the side I couldn't go any lower.

My initial thought is that if i did it again i would install the post on the domed bottom towards the side hopefully leaving around 2ltrs.

Pitching 24litres of Simple Apple Cider to prove the theory.

 

[Dae Tripper]

Nice job.
You could make a racking arm from that fitting with some pipe and o-rings