Closed vs "semi closed" transfer to keg

[Flat Foot]

I'm currently in the "if I do one thing better each time I brew, things can only get better" phase of my brewing career.

My current fermenting setup is a standard plastic bucket, about 25L in size, with a bottom draining tap fitted.

Last time I brewed my 'new thing' was kegging the beer.

Last time I just used an autosyphon and minimised splashing by using a really long syphon hose that comfortable reached the bottom of the keg.

This time I was going to try minimalising how much oxygen touches the beer as I transfer it to the keg.

Looking at my setup, I could try purging the keg, then using a combination of gravity and feeding the displaced CO2 back into the top of the fermentor. I'm aware that I'd need to wary of pressures if I do this to avoid blowing the lid of the bucket off! Seems like most people recommend about 1PSI for this but I'm not sure how to measure this - surely if I'm using the pressure release valve to release excess CO2 it's also letting air back in?

Alternatively an alternative method I've seen is that I could purge the keg of CO2, take the lid off so there's still a blanket of CO2 sitting in the keg, and syphon to the very bottom of the keg as last time. With this I figure that whilst this won't be a closed transfer (semi-closed?) oxygen pickup is likely to be minimal, and may be easier with the current setup I have.

So some standard questions:

a) any thoughts on fully closed transfer vs semi-closed/blanket of CO2 transfer? Is there really going to be a massively huge difference?
b) what setup would make my life easier next time to do a fully closed transfer without having to worry too much about the pressure of the keg blowing up the bucket? (slight hyperbole)

 

[2Beers]

Could you use gravity to feed?

 

[chrisb8]

What I do is after sanitising the keg, seal it and purge with co2 from my gas bottle. Then I siphon from the fermenter directly to the beer out post on the keg using a barbed connector. Then another connection to the gas in post allows for a length of hose to run to a tub of sanitiser for the displaced co2 to bubble out of. As soon as beer appears in the 'gas out' hose I know the keg is full and the 'beer in' connection is disconnected. Very simple and very effective.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

To be honest, I just use gravity from tap on FV to beer in disconnect. I purge the keg first and have had no problems thus far.
As I write this, I see @chrisb8 has respondend and I do exactly that, except my Gas disconnect is not connected to anything...

 

[Flat Foot]

Could you use gravity to feed?

I believe, from reading lots of other advice, is once the pressure equalises the syphoning will cease

What I do is after sanitising the keg, seal it and purge with co2 from my gas bottle. Then I siphon from the fermenter directly to the beer out post on the keg using a barbed connector. Then another connection to the gas in post allows for a length of hose to run to a tub of sanitiser for the displaced co2 to bubble out of. As soon as beer appears in the 'gas out' hose I know the keg is full and the 'beer in' connection is disconnected. Very simple and very effective.

Would O2 not be pulled into the bucket?

 

[Flat Foot]

To be honest, I just use gravity from tap on FV to beer in disconnect. I purge the keg first and have had no problems thus far.
As I write this, I see @chrisb8 has respondend and I do exactly that, except my Gas disconnect is not connected to anything...

Ta - out of interest do you pull the pressure release valve before and/or during the transfer?

 

[2Beers]

 

[2Beers]

Gravity from tap to beer post, hubbly bubbly on the gas post.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Ta - out of interest do you pull the pressure release valve before and/or during the transfer?

No, I stick a gas disconnect on the gas in post with nothing attached to it, which essentially vents the co2 in the keg as it fills with beer via the beer disconnect

 

[Flat Foot]

Great, cheers all - I have everything I need in that case!

 

[Ben034]

I understood that you can do a closed transfer if you purge the keg with co2, vent so no pressure but only co2 in the keg and then use gravity and then connect the fermenter to the liquid out. At the same time, connect the gas in to the top of the fermenter (instead of the airlock). This should then be a closed transfer as the c02 in the keg is moved to the fermenter and the flow won't stop. I recently got a couple of small kegs and this process seemed to work for me.

 

[Buffers brewery]

I use pressure barrels with lids that mimic kegs, i.e. they have beer and gas posts. This clip shows my “closed” transfer (barrel has been filled with fermentation gas prior to transfer).

 

[danmac]

To be honest, I just use gravity from tap on FV to beer in disconnect. I purge the keg first and have had no problems thus far.
As I write this, I see @chrisb8 has respondend and I do exactly that, except my Gas disconnect is not connected to anything...

Yeah I do the same as transferring only takes a few mins

 

[scrap iron]

I use the 5-gal soda kegs, flare fittings from an Anvil SS FV. To sanitizer full purged keg beer in post on the keg. Then flare from keg gas back to a drilled stoper on top of FV. I use gravity feed but I leave a little co2 in the keg and purge the lines before hooking them up. This places the co2 back in the top of the FV. I learned this from the American Homebrewers forum.