SS Brewtech Bucket

[Blitzer]

Hey,

I'm wondering what people have been doing with the top hole of their SS brewtech bucket lid?
The bung I received seems to quite easily push through the hole, I'm not sure if this is normal as I have never used one before? I have lightly pushed the bung in and just covered in it in glad wrap so make a seal and hopefully protect the beer. Current have a Weihnstephaner clone in it.

Do people buy the extra blow-off elbow and hose? or do use just use the existing bung (if it fits) + air lock?

One last question I have heard you cannot cold crash with a blow-off? As it will suck the liquid back into the fermenter, is this true? And how do you handle it?

Thanks!

 

[user 37368]

90 degree thing from Hoppy Steve. You just need to make sure your blow off isn't deep in sanitizer or whatever before crashing so it can't suck enough up to get in your beer.

 

[boriskov]

This is how I have mine set up.

 

[beer gut]

I usually use a senior airlock with mine, I push the bung onto the airlock then put the bung into the lid hole. Then the bung can’t be pushed in too far.

When I use a blow off I just use a piece of 1/2 inch silicone hose into a jar of starsan, inside a larger jug. I have only used the blow off when I use wyeast smack packs. When the fermentation slows down I put the senior airlock back on with just enough starsan so it doesn’t get sucked back in when cold crashing.

I just put this in my fridge today.

 

[Ernois]

I usually use a senior airlock with mine, I push the bung onto the airlock then put the bung into the lid hole. Then the bung can’t be pushed in too far.

When I use a blow off I just use a piece of 1/2 inch silicone hose into a jar of starsan, inside a larger jug. I have only used the blow off when I use wyeast smack packs. When the fermentation slows down I put the senior airlock back on with just enough starsan so it doesn’t get sucked back in when cold crashing.

I just put this in my fridge today.
View attachment 115973

I have done two brews this way and can confirm that sanitiser will get sucked back in if you cold crash with this setup but otherwise the 1/2 inch hose works fine. I also struggled with the last few litres after filling a 19L keg. So for my 3rd brew in the Brew Bucket I have purchased a 23L keg and am using it as the secondary fermenter and to cold crash. Then I'll transfer to a 19L corny keg and the remainder to bottles using a bottling gun. Using this set up I hope to eliminate most of the risks of oxygen contact. Will let you know how it goes when I keg next week.

 

[Blitzer]

Wow okay, so you just push that silicone hose directly into the hole. Didn't think to try this, does it give an okay seal?

I usually use a senior airlock with mine, I push the bung onto the airlock then put the bung into the lid hole. Then the bung can’t be pushed in too far.

When I use a blow off I just use a piece of 1/2 inch silicone hose into a jar of starsan, inside a larger jug. I have only used the blow off when I use wyeast smack packs. When the fermentation slows down I put the senior airlock back on with just enough starsan so it doesn’t get sucked back in when cold crashing.

I just put this in my fridge today.
View attachment 115973

 

[beer gut]

Wow okay, so you just push that silicone hose directly into the hole. Didn't think to try this, does it give an okay seal?

Yeah mate before I bought it I saw a youtube video review and it said the hole in the lid fits 1/2” silicon for a blow off tube. Works fine and seals well.

 

[boriskov]

One thing I didn't consider with the 90 degree barb was how to transition from a blow off tube to an airlock without pulling the lid off the fermenter?

 

[jayred]

I just use the bung and senior airlock
I've never had an issue with cold crashing
The little amount of starsan in the airlock is not going to make a bit of difference to your beer

 

[Blitzer]

Yeah, you would have to pull the lid off for a lot of things including dry hopping. Guess it would be safer once primary fermentation is almost complete.
Do you need to transition to an airlock? Could you not just cold crash with the blow-off in less liquid?

One thing I didn't consider with the 90 degree barb was how to transition from a blow off tube to an airlock without pulling the lid off the fermenter?

 

[Black Devil Dog]

Until recently I had been doing similar to the photo posted by Beer Gut, but lately I've been trying a different method.

The idea is - that as soon as fermentation is complete, I close off the ball valve and trap the co2 in the fermenter.

A small amount of pressure builds up, due to co2 escaping the fermented beer and after a few days I start lowering the temperature and the pressure that has been built up drops. I then lager it for however long I want to.

I only re-open the valve when I'm ready to transfer to keg and before I do, I remove the silicone tube and make sure the ball valve nozzle has been cleaned and sanitised.

This method ensures that when cold conditioning there's no suck back of sanitiser, air etc.

The only air that is drawn in is when transferring and then I cover the nozzle with a sanitised cloth.

 

[fdsaasdf]

Until recently I had been doing similar to the photo posted by Beer Gut, but lately I've been trying a different method.

The idea is - that as soon as fermentation is complete, I close off the ball valve and trap the co2 in the fermenter.

A small amount of pressure builds up, due to co2 escaping the fermented beer and after a few days I start lowering the temperature and the pressure that has been built up drops. I then lager it for however long I want to.

I only re-open the valve when I'm ready to transfer to keg and before I do, I remove the silicone tube and make sure the ball valve nozzle has been cleaned and sanitised.

This method ensures that when cold conditioning there's no suck back of sanitiser, air etc.

The only air that is drawn in is when transferring and then I cover the nozzle with a sanitised cloth. View attachment 115993

If you aren't already aware, it is worth noting that the brewbucket is not pressure rated, and without a pressure gauge / spunding valve you won't know what pressure is inside the vessel.

Given the number of reports of people who've sealed up brew buckets and either deformed lids or busted the clamps it would seem that, although not pressure rated, sealing up the bung does seem to make a vessel that can hold pressure. As such, I would caution sealing up the brew bucket and cold crashing as this could risk implosion if the seal is very good - and if the seal is not good enough, you'll be drawing in air (containing oxygen) to equalise the pressure inside the bucket.

 

[T5008]

Until recently I had been doing similar to the photo posted by Beer Gut, but lately I've been trying a different method.

The idea is - that as soon as fermentation is complete, I close off the ball valve and trap the co2 in the fermenter.

A small amount of pressure builds up, due to co2 escaping the fermented beer and after a few days I start lowering the temperature and the pressure that has been built up drops. I then lager it for however long I want to.

I only re-open the valve when I'm ready to transfer to keg and before I do, I remove the silicone tube and make sure the ball valve nozzle has been cleaned and sanitised.

This method ensures that when cold conditioning there's no suck back of sanitiser, air etc.

The only air that is drawn in is when transferring and then I cover the nozzle with a sanitised cloth. View attachment 115993

I'm guessing you could also keg transfer under CO2 using this Ball Valve...

 

[Black Devil Dog]

If you aren't already aware, it is worth noting that the brewbucket is not pressure rated, and without a pressure gauge / spunding valve you won't know what pressure is inside the vessel.

Given the number of reports of people who've sealed up brew buckets and either deformed lids or busted the clamps it would seem that, although not pressure rated, sealing up the bung does seem to make a vessel that can hold pressure. As such, I would caution sealing up the brew bucket and cold crashing as this could risk implosion if the seal is very good - and if the seal is not good enough, you'll be drawing in air (containing oxygen) to equalise the pressure inside the bucket.

I am aware that the Brewbuckets aren't pressure rated and that's why I wait until fermentation is finished before closing off the ball valve. When I first tried it I was concerned that there could be issues with deforming lids, clamps etc, but now I'm confident that it won't harm it.
Disclaimer: I only drop the temp to 3 degrees for lagering and definitely wouldn't go below zero using the BB.

I'm guessing you could also keg transfer under CO2 using this Ball Valve...

I think you could do that without any problems, I have considered doing it, but haven't bothered yet. Keep the pressure very low though.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

This is what I do using a collapsible water carrier.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

That's a good idea. I was using these camel back bladders until I thought of the other method. Wait until fermentation has finished, remove the blow off tube and attach the camel back. The camelback fills with co2 and when cold conditioning, the co2 is sucked back into the fermenter.