Why The Fuss? One Step Brewing In A Keg.

[PaulNewBrewer]

Does anyone know of a system where it is possible to get relatively clear beer from a one step brewing process? For example is it possible to use the same keg as a primary fermenter, without any transferring then as a secondary fermenter, and then again to dispense the beer .

I realise I would have to adjust the dispensing process so that it does not pick up any sediment (cut the out-pipe so that it is shorter). I also realise that there would be a shelf life to my beer (four weeks? to avoid bad tastes emanating from the sediment cake).

Are there any other disadvantages, especially in regards to quality of beer that I have not considered? Has anyone tried this before, how did it go? Any advice?

For example is it a bad idea to try and secondary ferment without removing the yeast from primary fermentation - too much yeast?

Sorry if these questions are a little basic, I am still new to brewing and experimenting.

Cheers

 

[Bobby]

whats the point?? its easy enough brewing and kegging normally.

 

[Backlane Brewery]

Some stray thoughts on this, Paul.

There is an American cask/product thing that pretty much does this I think. Comes as an all in one, with malt, hops, dispenser, March pump etc. Add water and drink (probably quite bad) beer a few weeks later. I forget what it's called though.
Anyway...
You would have to adapt the vessel you use to ferment in to act as a pressure vessel to dispense, and/or use some sort of gas.
A conical bottom primary fermenter may let you drain off some/all of the yeast cake to give a secondary-type effect if you get the angle & amount you take out just right.
Think you may be confusing secondary fermenting (in a new fermenter with a load of dead yeast left behind & plenty of live suspended yeast) with conditioning (in a bottle or keg with a minimal amount of live suspended yeast & some sugar for carbonation).
How would you prime for conditioning after you get rid of the secondary yeast cake?

Not impossible, but as Bobby says, why would you bother? Easier to get a racking/bottling container & a siphon.

 

[Tim]

The closest thing I can think of is using a high floc yeast like WLP002.
I did a K&K brew, fermented for 4 days and then dumped straight in a keg, chilled, gassed and served and it was pouring clear from the get go.
I love that yeast.
you still need to rack once (into the keg), but the beer clears so quickly.

 

[Doc]

There is an American cask/product thing that pretty much does this I think. Comes as an all in one, with malt, hops, dispenser, March pump etc. Add water and drink (probably quite bad) beer a few weeks later. I forget what it's called though.

There is also the Beer Machine.
If you are looking to make beer the quickest easiest simplist way ( ie. not brew and create ) then this would be the product for you.

My 2 cents.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Backlane Brewery]

Thanks Doc, that's the dooverwhacky I was thinking of.

This from their website:

Yes, even you can enjoy creating world-class premium tasting beers on your own with The Beer Machine. And the part that'll have you smiling all the way to the fridge is that it does it in a third of the time of traditional homebrewing and at about one third the cost of store bought beers

Seems like a load of the proverbial bollocks to me.

 

[Bobby]

i think there is a thread on grumpys about it...it may have been deleted.

 

[Doc]

I agree BLB.

And why not get a 2 litre recycled milk container and add powdered milk and water to create milk. BINGO, WOW.
Sit that in the fridge next to the Beer Machine and you'll never have to go to the shop for milk or beer again :huh:

Doc

 

[Backlane Brewery]

Great idea Doc, look, these clowns have already given us half the advertising, just needs to be modified slightly:

Yes, even you can enjoy creating world-class premium tasting MILK on your own with The MILK Machine. And the part that'll have you smiling all the way to the fridge is that it does it in a third of the time of traditional COWS and at about one third the cost of store bought MILK


We're all gonna be millionaires!

 

[Doc]

hahahahah, and in the few minutes it takes to make you own instant beer and milk you can also enjoy instant coffee.
Just take 1 tsp of instant coffee, add hot water ( instant milk optional ) and you now have the benefit of knowing you can be the brewer, roaster and farmer

Doc

 

[pint of lager]

Ok, a few thoughts on one step brewing.

Use a highly flocculant yeast, brew it out, carbonate it, then put it in the fridge and keep it there at close to 0 deg. This means the yeast will shut down and help prevent off flavours. As you said, you will then have to either pour the first few beers cloudy, or cut the end of your dip tube.

You could even do this in bottles, mix the brew up, pitch yeast, pour into bottles, cover with glad wrap with a pin hole in it fastened with a rubber band, after brewing, remove gladwrap, prime, cap, carbonate for a week then straight into the fridge to shut the yeast down. When ready to pour, do this in one action into a jug or multiple glasses to only stir the sediment once.

This is not an ideal brewing practice, but is definitely possible.

One step brewing is the way oz-tops works, dead easy, cheap and made to be drunk as soon as possible.

Most of the brewers on this site are aiming to make the best beer possible with their equipment, rather than the cheapest or the easiest way. Otherwise, they would chuck the fermenters away and go buy sherry or port in 4 litre casks from the bottleshop.

We all have the choice to make our own curry paste, brew our own coffee, milk our own cow, grow our own hops and grow and malt our own grain.

 

[Backlane Brewery]

Most of the brewers on this site are aiming to make the best beer possible with their equipment, rather than the cheapest or the easiest way. Otherwise, they would chuck the fermenters away and go buy sherry or port in 4 litre casks from the bottleshop.

Too true, PoL, too true.

The economics of HB often seem to be the main concern for some people. If you make the decision to brew your own, why immediately take a step back by just looking for the easiest/cheapest/quickest way? Note there is a difference between "easy" & "efficient" in this context.


BTW, still waiting for Batz to notice I said that Beer Machine thing comes complete with a March pump...

 

[johnno]

Most of the brewers on this site are aiming to make the best beer possible with their equipment, rather than the cheapest or the easiest way. Otherwise, they would chuck the fermenters away and go buy sherry or port in 4 litre casks from the bottleshop.

POL,
do we get to live under a bridge or freeway as well? :lol: :lol:

 

[chiller]

Most of the brewers on this site are aiming to make the best beer possible with their equipment, rather than the cheapest or the easiest way. Otherwise, they would chuck the fermenters away and go buy sherry or port in 4 litre casks from the bottleshop.

POL,
do we get to live under a bridge or freeway as well? :lol: :lol:

Sheer luxury .............. when I was a boy all we had was a hole in the road and a cardboard box.

 

[PaulNewBrewer]

OK gentlemen, thanks for the replies...

A friend who a short time ago got me into brewing recently told me that brewing was simply about minimising the little guys that make bad tastes and maximising the good guys that make good tastes. Sounds simple, but sometimes I wonder about all the transfers we do, exposure to new surfaces, air, sanitizer etc. I also wonder whether there must be an easier/simpler way, but take your points about good things being worth the effort/wait etc.

Don't worry I am not going to go out and buy a 'beer machine' but am open to experimenting with other ways of brewing. I think I will experiment a little into brewing in PET bottles, and see how that goes for now. I guess the immediate challenge will be removing sediment as I move through the stages of brewing.

 

[kook]

Over here the most popular kit brewing seems to be a "one step" process pretty much.

You brew a kit (usually 3KG kits, pour/add water + yeast jobs) in a fermenter as per normal. However once the beer is finished you replace the airlock with a pressurised CO2 canister and dispense the beer through a tap on the fermenter. The yeast cake remains settled as the tap is in a position so as not to agitate it.

Example:
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/item3.htm