I was just looking for someone who had done it for a bit of practical experience. .... yes, I plan on regulating the pressure thru my spunding valves on 5 gal cony kegs. I usually ferment 10 gallon batches, so I will probably end up with close to 4.5 gal or more in a 5 gallon keg, which I think is a bit tight. I was hoping to avoid plumbing the whole apparatus thru an extra (overflow) keg if possible which is why I was looking for inputs. I'm thinking I am going to gunk up my valves otherwise.
Why go thru the trouble of fermenting under pressure? Just an experiment actually,... or maybe like the chicken, to see what is on the other side of the road? Actually, if I need an excuse, they are as follows:
1, Quicker fermentation of lagers.
2. Warmer fermentation of lagers.
3. Easier to harvest yeast for the next batch, especially with yeast strains that are a bit hard to come by.
4. More hygienic and fewer transfer of fluids, ... sealed, always under pressure, admittedly, I'll have to be fastidious about keeping trub out of the fermenter.
5. Natural carbonation... a bit subjective, yes... but some people (not me) can differentiate between forced carbonation and natural carbonation.
6. If I choose to bottle it is easier to bottle out of corny than a gravity/siphon arrangement like many people do.
I've read the Brewlosophy article. A good article, but I suggest he was another hop-head looking for a method to keep more hops in his beer, which is not really my motivation. Furthermore, while fermentation under pressure is not common in the USA, it is not unknown in Europe. And with large fermentation vessels, at .43psi gain per foot of wort, it doesn't take long to achieve significant pressures in a fermenter open to the atmosphere. I would suggest fermenting under pressure is more common in this country than one might think.
