Second time trying out pressure ferment in a corny keg. How does one approximate the fermentation time? THEN once you walk away for, OMG, let’s say a week… HOW do you do refractometer readings? Maybe a simpler question would be: What are the best practices for gauging the progress of a pressure ferment? This was my process last time and it worked, but wasn’t much left after a 1.5 gal test batch: I walked away for 4 days, cold crashed it, I didn’t fine it (more interested in grasping the process than clear beer right now), and after 24 hours I sampled (I used a Flot It (true floating dip tube-actually floats) and it was quite terrific (Vienna Lager with 34/70).
So, do I “set it and forget it”, making sure nothing exploded in the tub (better safe than sorry), and wait 7-8 days and see what I came up with?
Thanks all, any links or sources for Pressure info, please lemme know.
Well, refractometer readings won’t work too well when alcohol is present, as it will distort the reading. If you’re fermenting in a keg, especially pressure fermenting - just dispense some out of the dip tube.
Why not a floating hydrometer that can give you a readout of gravity and temperature? I use the TILT to monitor my fermentations but there are others. I routinely use 50%, 75%, 90% completion to add hops or raise temperature and ensure maturation is complete by seeing how long a beer has finished fermentation.
I too will pressure ferment for the 2 or 3 lager style beers I brew (at room temp) in a year. I use the Anvil King Keg (19L) and the famous Flot-it 2.0 (excellent floating dip tube, imho). Start out at zero pressure on the spunding valve allowing pressure to rise to 10 psi. I have a blow off tube going from the spunding valve out into a bottle of water to see when CO2 is exceeding 10psi. Once it slows to no or very few bubbles, I attach a picnic tap to the liquid out and fill my 100ml hydrometer glass. This can take several minutes as the foam will build, then settle, then repeat until desired level to float the hydrometer. I then allow an hour or so for the beer to de-gas. Take my reading and if not at my expected gravity, I wait a couple more days and retest. Once FG is reached, I will do a diacetyl test and if passed (should as this was room temp ferment), proceed to pressure transfer to a keg. I then let the kegged beer condition in kegerator for 4-6 weeks, tap and serve! Prost!
Blow off tube is an excellent idea! While we know we aren’t supposed to use bubbles as a be all, end all of indicators of beer progress, I think I missed them. Part of the “fun”, if you will, of brewing is watching your ferment progress. I have switched over to a Refractometer for ABV and it’s made my life so much simpler. Speaking of bubbles, there should be NO bubbles in your sample for the refractometer. As far as a diacetyl test, to be honest, I’ve too little time and too many other steps (and WAY too much gear and supplies for my wife’s pleasure!) I’m trying to perfect. I’ve not really had an issue, yet, so I’m sure that might be in my future.Thanks for your detailed response!
I am in the same boat. I have no interest in pressure fermenting, I can make good beer without doing it and for me, it is more trouble than it is worth
I also used a Tilt after doing pressure in a corny keg. I got close to FG in 4 days. The constant readings helped my properly time a diacetyl rest. Big help! Getting the data into Beer Smith was not so easy.
I’ve had luck using a refractometer to determine when fermentation is complete.
Monitor the relative Brix/Plato/Specific Gravity drop over time until it stops changing. Using a refractometer correction factor can get you close to the actual B/P/SG while monitoring but confirm the final gravity by hydrometer - thanks.
