FermZilla

[Brew_DD2]

Thanks for the heads up @foxy and @Brew_DD2 . I've been looking into this and some people do bottle without CO2 input, one trick is to keep the beer at <2°c and also expect a bit more waste than usual. I think I'll give it a go without CO2 and see how I'll get on. Do keep an eye out for my next thread "how to use CO2 with a pressure fermenter"

I'd imagine if you used a load of 3/16 line you could get the pressure low enough to rack.

 

[foxy]

Are you kegging jceg316?

 

[jceg316]

I'd imagine if you used a load of 3/16 line you could get the pressure low enough to rack.

I have one of these on the way. My fermzilla has arrived, just waiting for the pressure kit and this line to turn up.

Are you kegging jceg316?

I'll be bottling. I may also use the Fermzilla as a keg though and serve straight from it on occasions.

 

[Brew_DD2]

I have one of these on the way. My fermzilla has arrived, just waiting for the pressure kit and this line to turn up.


I'll be bottling. I may also use the Fermzilla as a keg though and serve straight from it on occasions.

That second point was going to be my next suggestion.

 

[jceg316]

Al my kit including blow tie etc has arrived. This weekend I was thinking of making a schwarzbier using WLP old Bavarian Lager. As my fridge is occupied I could ferment at room temp under pressure, could be a good way to break in my new kit.

 

[the_quick]

I like idea of this fermenter, but not planning fermentation under pressure - so I wonder is there any point of buying it, or just stick with typical fermentation bucket?

 

[foxy]

I like idea of this fermenter, but not planning fermentation under pressure - so I wonder is there any point of buying it, or just stick with typical fermentation bucket?

Not much point unless you are going to ferment under pressure, the whole point about closed vessel fermentation is to naturally carb the beer when the gravity is down to the last couple of points, by capping the spunding valve.

 

[the_quick]

Oh, maybe I understood the procedure wrongly, are you saying under pressure fermentation can be done, without CO2 bottle and whole installation? Just by using natural occurring CO2?

 

[foxy]

This is where it all started for the home brewer, has been taken out of context since though.

Closed System Pressurized Fermentation
by Teri Fahrendorf
Copyright 1992-2010 by the Author
You have the Author’s permission to distribute this article, as long as her name remains attached.
The best home brewing system is the simplest to use. The less complicated your technique, the
more you can concentrate on the joy of the art of home brewing. Many homebrewers spend more
time brewing one batch of beer than a professional microbrewer would per batch. And they worry
about their beer more (and they should be relaxing) because their equipment is jerry-rigged, not
sanitary by design, or is not easy to work with.
After I began to brew professionally in 1989, I began to think about how some of the fermentation
techniques used in a microbrewery could be adapted for home-brewing use. One of the wonderful
pieces of equipment in the brewpubs that I have worked for, are the pressurized fermentation tanks.
Once fermentation has begun, the system is "closed" from that point forward; the beer is never
exposed to the air again until it is served into your glass. The tank can be held under pressure, so
that the beer is naturally carbonated from the primary fermentation.
The advantages to this system are that you no longer need to prime, rack, or bottle the beer, or clean
bottles and the beer is ready to drink sooner!
Fermentation at Steelhead Brewery
The wort from our kettle is chilled to yeast pitching temperature and transferred to a fermenter and
then the yeast is pitched. As fermentation begins, the CO2 created is allowed to escape out of a hose
attached to the top of the fermenter with the other end in a bucket of bleach water. This is essentially
an air lock. (A fermenting beer creates much more CO2 than that which is needed to carbonate the
beer.) As the beer ferments, the gravity is falling in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol being
produced. When the gravity has fallen almost all the way to the beer's predicted final gravity
(usually two to three days after pitching), the hose is removed and a pressure-relief device and a PSI
gauge are attached instead. The CO2 produced by any further fermentation is trapped, and this
becomes the natural carbonation and head on the beer. The pressure will build to about 15 to 18 PSI.
No need to prime the beer with more wort or corn sugar, and the beer has been sealed in a closed
system.
Because we have no secondary fermenters or conditioning tanks, the beer is conditioned in the
fermenters for another week or two. At that point the beer is chilled to near freezing temperatures.
Chilling forces most of the yeast to fall or flocculate out. After being chilled for 1 to 2 days, the beer
is filtered and transferred (still under pressure) to a serving vessel, where it is tapped. This transfer is
done via a closed system and the beer is not exposed to the atmosphere. The total elapsed time from
brew day to drinking day is about 10 to 14 days. Darker and more alcoholic beers may take 3 to 4 weeks

Search on Google for the full text as she explains how the home brewer can build a system.

 

[the_quick]

Thanks Foxy
Looks like it would need a closed transfer system. Need to read more.

 

[foxy]

More reading here..https://discussions.probrewer.com/s...the-purpose-of-quot-Capping-quot-fermentation
And here is Terri Fahrendorfs full article.
http://www.terifahrendorf.com/Closed-Pressurized-Fermenatation.pdf

Al my kit including blow tie etc has arrived. This weekend I was thinking of making a schwarzbier using WLP old Bavarian Lager. As my fridge is occupied I could ferment at room temp under pressure, could be a good way to break in my new kit.

Before you use it for fermenting your first beer it would be wise to pressure test it, almost fill with water and use a bike pump if you have no gas. The biggest complaint about the FermZilla is not holding pressure.
No fridge space? Get yourself one of these little 12 volt units 20-21 C differential in ambient and fermenting temperature. Ambient of 30 C around 10 C fermenting and thats without a jacket.

 

[jceg316]

Before you use it for fermenting your first beer it would be wise to pressure test it, almost fill with water and use a bike pump if you have no gas. The biggest complaint about the FermZilla is not holding pressure.

What would be great is to have an attachment for those CO2 canisters which pressure barrels use. For what I want it would be a lot simpler.

 

[SteveH]

What would be great is to have an attachment for those CO2 canisters which pressure barrels use. For what I want it would be a lot simpler.

You can use a mini regulator and Co2 bulb if you want, they just get expensive when using to force-carb and/or dispense large quantities:

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/mini-co2-regulator-charger/

You could also use a sodastream cannister but again they're expensive compared to a typical 6kg bottle

https://brewkegtap.co.uk/search?type=product,article,page&q=sodastream

 

[jceg316]

You can use a mini regulator and Co2 bulb if you want, they just get expensive when using to force-carb and/or dispense large quantities:

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/mini-co2-regulator-charger/

You could also use a sodastream cannister but again they're expensive compared to a typical 6kg bottle

https://brewkegtap.co.uk/search?type=product,article,page&q=sodastream

Thanks for posting these links, looks like what I'm after. It might be needed to get the fermented beer out into bottles if the pressure isn't enough. Looks like it will add 87p per batch,

 

[SteveH]

Thanks for posting these links, looks like what I'm after. It might be needed to get the fermented beer out into bottles if the pressure isn't enough. Looks like it will add 87p per batch,

I've got one of the MM mini regulators and use 2-3 cartridges to force-carb and dispense from a 9.5l corny, so if you're brewing 20+ litres in the fermzilla I expect you'd need at least two cartridges to dispense, more if you need to carb as well.

 

[Stockport1]

It's arrived! If you've any questions or want more detailed pictures, let me know. So excited!

View attachment 20896 View attachment 20897

Hi
How does it heat the wort?

 

[Brew_DD2]

Hi
How does it heat the wort?

It doesn't. It's just an insulated jacket.

 

[Stockport1]

Ok thanks. Can you use a heat mat or belt to ensure a constant temp?

 

[Stockport1]

I'll check it out online as I'm not sure I understand the increased pressure process on the fermentation.
I'm ex fire brigade and understand the gas laws But this has got me confused.

 

[Onlyme]

More reading here..https://discussions.probrewer.com/s...the-purpose-of-quot-Capping-quot-fermentation

No fridge space? Get yourself one of these little 12 volt units 20-21 C differential in ambient and fermenting temperature. Ambient of 30 C around 10 C fermenting and thats without a jacket.

Where would I get one of these coolers? No fridge space, but plenty of 12v !