The containers we name Ball Lock and Pin Lock Kegs come from the soda trade. Additionally referred to as Cornelius Kegs, Corny Kegs and Corney Kegs, they have been initially meant to retailer and distribute soda pre-mix. The massive soda corporations selected completely different fashion containers for his or her pre-mix. Pepsi landed on the Ball Lock fashion whereas Coke makes use of the Pin Lock fashion.
Homebrewers have since re-purposed these as homebrew beer kegs. It is smart. These top quality stainless-steel drinks which are meant for years of economic meals use. They’re additionally powerful, could be had for affordable and are simple to maneuver round.
What if somebody mentioned there was a stress succesful, heavy obligation stainless-steel fermenter that might be had for 50 bucks or so?
Restricted Time Deal on Ball Locks!
Nice information…. kegs make nice fermenters! Similar top quality, stainless-steel building, toughness and straightforward portability, however this time used for fermentation.
Heaps Extra About Kegs
However First, How Do you Convert a Keg to a Fermenter?
One situation must be addressed to transform kegs into fermenters… dealing with CO2 produced by fermentation. Kegs are typically designed to be hermetic. Fermentation requires that we permit extra CO2 to flee. I can consider three choices…
- A blow-off tube. Take away the gasoline publish or gasoline publish poppet and get use tight becoming tubing to route CO2 to a container of sanitizer.
- Use a transformed lid so as to add a stopper and airlock See: Cornelius Keg Fermenter Lid through Adventures in Homebrewing
- Use a Spunding Valve – a number of the method and tips talked about on this publish depend on a Spunding Valve
Keg Fermenter Sizing
A 5 gallon keg isn’t actually appropriate for a major fermenter for a 5 gallon batch. You could possibly use it as a secondary for a full 5 gallon batch, as a major fermenter for smaller batches (possibly 3 to 4 gallons max) or you can cut up 5 gallon batches between two kegs.
There’s a 6 gallon keg accessible that ought to permit you to ferment a 5 gallon batch.
10 and 15 gallon dimension ball locks have grow to be available at comparatively cheap costs. A ten gallon keg may simply accommodate a full 5 gallon batch (as much as 7 or 8 gallons) whereas a 15 gallon keg ought to have the ability to simply deal with a ten gallon batch (as much as 12 or 13 gallons).
5 Distinctive Advantages to Utilizing Transformed Keg Fermenter!
#1 Ferment Underneath Stress
Since kegs are stress succesful, utilizing a keg as a fermenter lets you ferment underneath stress!
See: Fermenting Underneath Stress
# 2 Naturally Carbonate within the Fermenter!
Carbonating immediately in your keg lets you naturally carbonate your beer (saving CO2 and $) whereas sustaining moderately tight management on carbonation ranges. This might be achieved by including priming sugar, capping fermentation previous to the completion of fermentation or extra conventional krausening (including wort again to the fermenter).
See: Naturally Carbonating in Your Fermenter with a Spunding Valve
#3 Use CO2 Produced by Fermentation to Purge Serving Kegs, Carboys & Fermenters
With using a selected Spunding Valve mannequin you possibly can simply re-purpose CO2 produced be fermentation to purge fermenters and kegs.
See: Use CO2 Produced by Fermentation to Purge Serving Kegs, Carboys & Fermenters
#4 Oxygen Free Chilly Crash and Switch
Since kegs are stress succesful you possibly can extra simply switch underneath stress to a serving keg and scale back oxygen pickup.
See: Oxygen Free Switch and Chilly Crash Utilizing a Spunding Valve
#5 Use a Keg as a UniVessel Fermenter & Serving Keg
In case you’re fermenting in a keg… you’re beer is already kegged! Swap out your fermenter modifications for traditional keg items and also you’re able to go.
The one factor you’ll have to cope with is trub. Utilizing a regular dip tube, you’ll almost certainly clog up your dip tube when serving or on the very least serve some undesirable pints.
Two options… trim your liquid out dip tube or (extra preferable in my view)… use a floating dip tube. A floating keg dip tube lets you draw off the highest of your keg, permitting trub to remain on the backside. This additionally typically means loads much less wasted beer vs a trimmed dip tube.
BONUS Profit
Save much more time by utilizing the “no chill methodology” when utilizing appropriate kegs. No chill, ferment in keg, serve in keg = a great deal of time financial savings and lowest oxygen pickup doable.
BONUS Profit – Gelatin Fining
This course of is from HBF Reader John – Let’s be buddies! 8 Methods to Join with HBF – Thanks John!
Gelatin Fining in a Chilly Crash Main Fermentation Keg
- Put together gelatin combination as you usually do for fining (I exploit one sachet/10 gallon batch of beer dispersed/hydrated in 375 ml of RO H20 and heated to 160 F)
- Place required quantity of resolution (in my case 125 ml/fermenter) in a 0.5 liter PET water bottle fitted with a carbonation cap.
- With the cap simply barely threaded onto the bottle purge headspace with CO2 tightening the lid after roughly 10 seconds and pressurize the PET bottle with gelatin resolution to 40 psi.
- Relieve stress in fermentation keg by means of the PRV.
- Join the PET bottle through the carb cap to the gasoline publish of the fermentation keg taking care to make sure that the gelatin resolution utterly covers the within floor of the carb cap or (should you used one) the silicone tube contained in the PET bottle. This can instantly introduce the gelatin resolution by means of the gasoline publish.
- Pressurize the corny keg to (10 to fifteen psi)
Conclusions
Homebrew Kegs could be simply repurposed as function stuffed fermenters. The truth that they’re stress succesful permits for some distinctive versatility, particularly in comparison with like priced entry degree fermenters like buckets, carboys and PET fermenters. You need to use brewing and serving methods that might usually require you to buy very costly, goal constructed gear.
What Else?
Bought a tip or a trick with reference to utilizing kegs for fermentation? Go away a remark or submit a tip so we will unfold the phrase!
All the pieces About Spunding Valves!
A Spunding Valve lets you keep a set stress. If stress within the vessel exceeds the set level, it’s expelled. It typically consists of an adjustable PRV valve, a tee, a gauge and a means to connect with your keg.
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Ensure that the elements you utilize are appropriate and rated in your meant utility. Contact producer with questions on suitability or a selected utility. All the time learn and comply with producer instructions. high:kegfermenter tag:tpr
