I probably should have asked this before brew day, but now I have a learning experience…
Brewing a Helles with WLP925, all fermentation to be done in a corny keg with an automatic pressure relief valve on the gas port. How much head space should I leave in the keg?
Transfer to a fermentation vessel… problem solved.
Capitan obvious has had a strong influence today. I am only guessing at 1/2 gallon in the corny and you should be fine.
What fermentation vessel, other than a keg, do you recommend that can maintain 15psi?
I brew smaller batches (~3 gallons in primary), so headspace isn’t really an issue for me in a 5-gallon corny. That said, if you’re under 15 PSI in a closed vessel, I can’t imagine needing much headspace - especially for a lager yeast.
What are you brewing with it? I have two vials, myself. I’m thinking either CAP or something Pabst-ish for my first, and then something like a Dunkel or Helles with the 2nd.
I did a Helles. Haven’t done one before, so took the recipe straight from Brewing Classic Styles and adjusted in BeerSmith for my equipment. Built up a starter, so it took off nice and quick.
I had liquid pretty close to the gas port when I closed it up. I thought the pressure would keep it down, but I guess there was some foaming or something. Went away for a few hours and came back to a fine mist being sprayed out of the valve. Rectifying that situation was rather messy (beer volcano!), but it’s all good now. Valve is now holding 1 bar and no fluid is escaping with the CO2.