Anyone do this?
I am getting tired of carboys (broke an empty one on the driveway last brew session). Plus, carboys are a PITA to clean and carry down to the basement. I’ve got plenty of 5 gallon kegs (about 20) so I’m considering splitting up my 20 gallon batches into 5 kegs with 4 gallons each for fermentation.
If anyone is fermenting in cornys I’d sure like to hear your experiences and tips/tricks. Thanks.
Never done it. But multiple sites have these:
http://www.tomsbrewshop.com/prod/254-Do ... g-Lid.htmlDbl%20Bubble%20air%20lock%20Lid.png)
I have seen better ones, but can’t remember which site they were from. I was thinking it was homebrewing.org, but can’t seem to locate it.
I was wrong appears to be the same. But $6.00 less.
http://www.homebrewing.org/Cornelious-K ... p_999.htmlI ferment in cornies frequently. I use an in" QD to connect a blowoff tune to the “in” post.
You can just remove the poppet from the gas post and attach a hose, then run to a bucket. When fermentation is complete, chill, then reinstall the poppet and use CO2 to move the beer to a fresh keg. Biggest problem is probably the yeast cake - long-term solution is to cut 1-2 inches off the fermentation keg diptubes (this will eliminate the sediment in the first pint or two as well as end the transfer before you have a chance to pull the remaining sediment out with the last couple of pints), but at first you can just treat it like a fresh keg of beer and discard the first pint (doing this without introducing air is the trick - you could use an extra empty keg as a “spit bucket” and keep beer in the line throughout the process).
Fermenting a batch in 5 cornies sounds like a lot of work. I’d suggest you find a couple of 10 or 15gal cornies, they make them.
I’ve fermented in 5gal cornies using a pressure relief valve and keeping the ferment inder a small amount of pressure (7psi). Works well and this keeps the krausen down some although you still might see a blowoff with 4.5gal, possibly even at 4gal if its a wheat or Belgian yeast.
+1. No need to alter anything. I can’t remember the last time I fermented in a carboy.
You can also ferment in Sanke 1/4 or 1/2 kegs.
10 or 15 gallon cornies are fine, but hard to find.
There is about 50 feet and a flight of stairs between the garage and the fermenting area in the basement. I really really really want to keep the lifting/carrying as light as possible, hence the idea to ferment in cornys each containing 4 gallons. I shake my carboys to aerate, shaking a corny sounds like a good transition of that procedure. Do others shake their cornys to aerate?
i started fermenting 5 gal batches in a 10 gal. firestone keg and have never looked back. stainless, easy to clean, handles. +1 on the using the gas post and a hose into to some sanitary solution for blowoff. i don’t aerate once it goes in there, but suppose you could send O2 through the liquid post.
I do i shake my corny to aerate, much better than shaking a carboy. Also +1 on the only 4 gallon blowoff with 5 gallon in a corny is PITFA, Make sure to run a blowoff tube.
I put just a little pure oxygen in the corny and then seal and shake.
I have a conical in the basement so when I brew up on the deck I’ll run off into a 5gal Better Bottle and carry it down and pour in the conical. You can ferment in a Sanke or larger corny. I just know I’d get really tired of cleaning out five fermentors for a batch. But I understand you already have the cornies so give it a try.
I use a Mixstir for aeration no matter what type of fermenter I use. Shaking a carboy is asking for a disaster.
