Clever priming sugar required

[Davegase]

That's going to be interesting read thanks.

My current plan is very experimental to get gas bottle free. So beers are primed over pressure to start with. Then brought down gently and the excess gas used for dispensing the drinking keg.

No need to over prime if you're producing gas with sugar, just regulate the pressure going to the serving keg.

You can over prime without over carbonating, by spunding the gas into your reserve tanks .

 

[MashBag]

Yes. Thats on the list
But I think spunding to reserve requires more priming (gas production) because you are creating less pressure (more space)

 

[Davegase]

Yes. Thats on the list
But I think spunding to reserve requires more priming (gas production) because you are creating less pressure (more space)

I have some ideas. but I'm getting ready to go out.
I'll try to organise my thoughts tomorrow and get back to you.

 

[MashBag]

Cheers.

 

[Davegase]

Cheers.

By the way , how many spare kegs of you got ?

 

[MashBag]

Good handful. Not very clean (yet) but I think you might run out of ideas first

 

[Davegase]

It's all too much faffing about for me but if you're enjoying the experiment try this.

Start fermentation in your braumeister as usual.
Once vigorous fermentation established, drop into corny leaving a couple of liters headspace. You will need a shortened or a floating dip tube.
Fill two clean cornys with clean water and jumper from the liquid post to the liquid post .
Connect jumper from the gas post on the fermentation keg to the gas post on the 1st water filled keg. And a jumper from the liquid post to the gas post on the 2nd keg.
On the 2nd keg connect a blow off tube to the gas post.
Allow the firm mentation gas to empty both of the water filled kegs and once empty replace the blow off tube with you're spunding valve.

At this stage it wouldn't have been fermenting under very much pressure at all just enough to push out the water and replace it with gas.

Now set the spunding valve to the required pressure and fermenting temperature and for the style.

You did mention earlier setting the spunding valve to 30 PSI,
So this would be in that ball park

If all goes well you should have a finished carbonated beer and two "gas cylinders"
You can now disconnect the jumpers, cool the beer and leave to condition.
When ready to serve, the pressure in the serving keg will have dropped relative to the temperature.

You can then connect one of your gas kegs through a regulator at a reduced pressure to the serving keg.

If you're experiment works out and your braumeister has the capacity and you have enough kegs, you may want to increase your
batch sizes

 

[MashBag]

I like that. Already dropping out of BM just before end. I like dropping - defo a keeper. Your idea is a bit sooner

Water keg chain - get that. That's got to be given a go. Thanks

Quick question, what is your dispense pressure then?

 

[Davegase]

I like that. Already dropping out of BM just before end. I like dropping - defo a keeper. Your idea is a bit sooner

Water keg chain - get that. That's got to be given a go. Thanks

Quick question, what is your dispense pressure then?

Dispense pressure would be suck it and see, depending on temperature and be a line length with your picnic tap.
Check what pressure the keg finishes at after cooling.
You will have disconnected it from The daisy chain before conditioning.
If you start serving without connecting to your stored gas and it's too foamy you can adjust the line length.
If you can live with it till it settles down to what you're happy with, you can then check the pressure again and use that as your serving pressure.
Edit: I would go for the lowest possible pressure to limit the amount of gas required.

 

[Davegase]

I know you are trying to do away with buying gas but I prefer my kegs to be filled with beer rather than gas
But if it works and you want to go further and do the same, but with lower carbonation, and if you have enough kegs. Just increase the number of kegs in the daisy chain and reduce the spunding pressure.

 

[MashBag]

Tbh is a bit trial and error at the moment. It will always be ale, not lager. So that makes it easier.

A co2 generator keg is also on the list and v easy to make/use.

A foamy start doesn't worry me. And I am sure are a few goes a idlers process will appear.

Need to cut some pipes down too.

Thank you for the heads up / ideas.

I had sort of assumed at room temp beer carbonation and gas head pressure would equalise over a day or so. Its that right?

 

[Davegase]

I had sort of assumed at room temp beer carbonation and gas head pressure would equalise over a day or so. Its that right?

Yes, once fermentation is finished and you start cooling it to serving temperature, I'm guessing in your coldest room, but ideally in a fridge at about 9 o10°c for ale. Pressure will drop and stabilise.
Hope you're successful but enjoy the process anyway.