Spunding Valve

[malt junkie]

Water 3.5m high with a hose it.... unless your fermenter is higher, or the water doesn't reach the highest point of the hose, it sounds very close to a syphon.

 

[technobabble66]

True, but only if the water in the hose goes over the height of the pipe. [emoji6]
So just fill your pipe to a few inches below the top and the water shouldn't get high enough.
Personally I'd also install the one way valve I mentioned just to be sure.

 

[pcqypcqy]

For the water pipe setup, could you get your 3.5m pvc pipe full of water and run your 4mm venting hose from the keg to the top of the pipe, then down the inside of the pipe to the base where it's left open.
So as the co2 builds up in the keg, it gradually pushes down the water in the hose until it gets to the bottom, then bubbles up and away.
This way, there's likely to be little relative absorption of the co2 into the water, as its only exposed to a tiny amount of water in the 4mm hose. The upwards pressure of the water in the hose provides the resistance, and the water won't flow back into the hose past the top water lever in the pipe.
You still need 3.5m of pipe and ~8-10m of 4mm hose, but I think it'd work sufficiently. Or have I missed something?

Obviously you'd need to attach the end of the hose to the bottom of the pipe somehow or find some way to hold it down. And maybe put a one way valve in the hose just to ensure mr cockup doesn't visit.

I can't see why not. As Malt Junkie pointed out, the siphon is a concern. I take your point about the water level but you might also get a change in relative pressure that could suck it in. So long as you always had pressure above atmospheric in your fermenter, plus a little safety margin, then you should be OK. I would have thought that normal pressure fermenting ranges would give you the required positive pressure to prevent this.

 

[Crusty]

You could do all that experimenting **** & hope for the best or you could just simply buy one.
They're not that expensive.

 

[klangers]

You could do all that experimenting **** & hope for the best or you could just simply buy one.
They're not that expensive.

Precisely my point. A quality spunding valve will give you the best result and be cheaper than the parts required for a working water column.

 

[malt junkie]

I do like the arduino solution(posted earlierin this thread) and when I eventually upgrade to pressure fermenting I probably implement it with loging to brewpiless.(need to work on my coding skills first).

 

[peteru]

No medium ground, huh? ;-) It's either a ghetto pipework setup or a complex electromechanical solution with custom firmware.

I'd be interested in finding out about a (preferably local and reasonably priced) supplier of a good quality spunding valve + gauge setup. From what I'm reading, the KK one is not worth getting because it's fiddly and unreliable. I'm not that keen on buying a variety of bits and pieces of Amazon, having it forwarded from USA and then hoping it will all fit together and work properly.

 

[bradsbrew]

No medium ground, huh? ;-) It's either a ghetto pipework setup or a complex electromechanical solution with custom firmware.

I'd be interested in finding out about a (preferably local and reasonably priced) supplier of a good quality spunding valve + gauge setup. From what I'm reading, the KK one is not worth getting because it's fiddly and unreliable. I'm not that keen on buying a variety of bits and pieces of Amazon, having it forwarded from USA and then hoping it will all fit together and work properly.

I have a KK one and it is working fine. It sits on my required pressure for the ferment. Screwing the end off and using lube prior to setting is an important step though.

 

[Mardoo]

Goes to say, always lube your valve before you spund.

 

[rude]

Shop Mate worked but ended up with 2 parcels instead of 1, blew that

Had to pay 2 lots of postage as Shop Mate dont repack

Expensive valve this one just hope its better than the KK one if not I lose

Finally got to brew with the new valve & I'm impressed really nice adjustment
Fermented an APA with Nottingham at 5 psi
3rd day upped the pressure to get 30 psi went a touch over so backed off sitting on 27 psi now
Have been taking samples with short beer line & picnic tap will have to lengthen the line to stop foaming
Got impatient with gas in the sample drank it instead but its about nearly done
Thats my first beer for dry July & I can tell you wont be doing that again

 

[cliffo]

Looks the goods.

Have you got details of all the required parts so a tool tard like me can put a couple of these together?

Cheers,
cliffo

 

[koolkuna]

Mardoo I have a KK valve as well What lube do you use? Also which parts of the valve do you lube ? The thread or the rubber seal or the whole thing?

 

[Grott]

Out of interest I got the KK unit to work fairly well. I removed the adjuster, spring and gas seal stopper and keg lubed the inside thread of the unit, ends of the spring and the thread on the adjuster which made adjusting very smooth.
To set the unit, say I want 10psi. Put co2 at 13/14 psi into a PET bottle using a carbonation cap, connect the unit in closed position then slowly open until hiss heard, back off a bit and your close to spot on, which the gauge will indicate.

 

[rude]

Looks the goods.

Have you got details of all the required parts so a tool tard like me can put a couple of these together?

Cheers,
cliffo

Will try & look it up for you

 

[rude]

Control Devices CR Series Brass Pressure Relief Valve, 0-100 psi Adjustable Pressure Range, 1/4" Male NPT
You just need a gauge Tee piece & a gas disconnect
They dont ship to Aust so you need to go through shop mate

 

[rude]

Not very specific sorry as all the paper work is gone

 

[cliffo]

Not very specific sorry

No worries, should be able to work it out form that. Cheers.

 

[cliffo]

Actually, if you go to the valve on Amazon, at the bottom is shows a list of items "Frequently bought together" - looks like all the required parts listed except the gas disconnect.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007GDY3CU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

A bit off topic, but amazon have announced an Australian distribution centre in Melbourne. Some reports are that it may be ready before Christmas.

 

[homebrewnewb]

Dandy is the hot tip. Plenty of jobs going.