Newbie Help with my Snub Nose

[buddsy]

Hi friends

For Xmas I had bought myself a snub nose fermentor. All my brews so far have been in a fermenting bucket with lid and airlock.

I was planning to brew a hoppy golden ale today using my snub nose at atmospheric pressure i.e. using a regular air lock. Then to batch prime and bottle

Before I started my brew it dawned on me Ive not really looked at my snub nose in regards how to set it up.

Recently I had brewed the GHB Bohemian Pilsner which came out very well. I had batch primed and bottled. Like many other threads on the priming subject I found it took much longer than expected to fully carb up.

Also I found if I allowed the sediment in the bottle into the glass when I poured apart from the obvious cloudiness I found it added a sweetness.

I am planning to brew larger under pressure and keg. I have bought a Co2 gas bottle and it is my hope going this route will make my larger even better...although ale are still my main thing.

So Im trying to work out what things I will need?

Ive looked one brewkegtap at the Spunding kits.

At pressent Ive no connections for my snub nose. Im thinking I can use the Spunding valve with a tube into a glass of santiser for brewing my ales. Is that easier than trying to fit a bubler into the post hole?

Also I will need a regulator for my Co2 cyclinder and lines to connect to the snubnose and to a keg...oh and a keg. Oh the expense of this hobby!

Anyway sorry looks like Im almost clarifying to my self what I need but still would welcome comment and thoughts on the subject.

Cheers all.

buddsy

 

[DocAnna]

Hi @buddsy, you're in exactly the same place I was in November trying to work out what is needed to use the snubnose. The short version is following advice here I emailed [email protected] who was really helpful and put together an order for what I was looking for - though I did upgrade the gas regulator since I liked the look of the shiny Italian one .

For pressure fermenting at minimum you'll need a spunding valve to control the pressure during fermentation, a line to connect the beer out to the beer in on the keg (2 black disconnects, a length beer line and associated John Guest fittings). That will allow you to control the pressure while fermenting and transfer the beer to the fermenter. To serve the beer from the keg and if required add extra pressure to the snubnose - you'll need a gas regulator for the cylinder and a gas line from this to a grey gas disconnect (with JG fittings again). Personally since I was looking to connect multiple kegs I also went for a 4 tap gas manifold with four gas lines and disconnects, along with a gas to gas line with disconnects for closed loop transfers from the snubnose to keg - but this isn't required to start with.

Spunding valves :
Basic spring type: Adjustable PRV with Gauge
Spring type with a bigger pressure dial: Adjustable (SPUNDING) pressure relief Valve with Gauge
BrewKegtap's better version with a diaphragm valve: BlowTie Diaphragm Spunding Valve Kit - Version 1
Spundit- v good but v v expensive: SPUNDit 2.0 Spunding Valve for Fermentasaurus, Fermzilla, Snub Nose, Picobrew... | eBay

I hope that helps.

Anna

 

[buddsy]

Hi @DocAnna

Many thanks for your reply and I remember seeing when you got your snub nose.

Your suggestions look very good.

On the Spunding valve Im leaning towards the version 1 BlowTie as per one of your suggestions above.

Brewkegtap doesn't seem to have much stock of gas regulators right now but they do have a 19L keg kit which come with one and a couple of lines.

Have you used your snub nose to ferment at normal atmospheric pressure?

Regards

buddsy

 

[DocAnna]

Hi @DocAnna

Many thanks for your reply and I remember seeing when you got your snub nose.

Your suggestions look very good.

On the Spunding valve Im leaning towards the version 1 BlowTie as per one of your suggestions above.

Brewkegtap doesn't seem to have much stock of gas regulators right now but they do have a 19L keg kit which come with one and a couple of lines.

Have you used your snub nose to ferment at normal atmospheric pressure?

Regards

buddsy

I had a bit of a pause in brewing at the end of last year so I'm only on my second brew with it at the moment with the NEIPA (yet to write up the brew day). I've used it at atmospheric pressure till fermentation really gets going, the first time that was a day and a half because I'd pitched too cold. Yesterday fermentation shot off like a rocket after 30 minutes, so by the evening I'd started to up the pressure a little and today its add about 12 psi and still bubbling lots. One of the interesting things is just how much it suppresses the height of the krausen.

I'd be really interested to hear how you get on with the v1 Blowtie - it does look good and uses a diaphragm valve like the spundit.

Anna

 

[chillipickle]

I got the v1 blowtie rather than the v2.When doing closed transfer i use the blowtie to release the co2 from the keg thats getting filled.Start off real slow to begin with, then after there is 3 or 4 ltrs i open it up to transfer a bit quicker.

I remove the pressure gauge from the blowtie, last thing you want is any liquid in the gauge.The blowtie can be opened and cleaned if any liquid gets in it.Touch wood havent had to do that yet.

Just brewing my 2nd neipa, i started off with 5 psi untill the first dry hop just because of the insane krausen with verdant yeast.Then let it rise to 10 psi.

 

[foxy]

OK, spunding valves are set and forget, it isn't like you are adjusting it every day or few hours. Most popular settings are 10 and 15 PSI, forget the spunding valve, and gauge, just swap out the PRV.
You can also get inline regulators, also very accurate at different pressures.

Blue is 10 PSI, Purple 15 PSI, saves quite a few dollars and easy to clean unlike the spunding valves and no fear of getting anything in the gauge, because you don't need one.

 

[chillipickle]

Those prv’s are nice, sadly not available in the uk, great if you want to pressure ferment at 10 and 15 psi.No good if you want to use any other pressure.

There is no fear of getting liquid in the gauge if you remove it from the spunding valve set up when transfering to keg.

 

[foxy]

Those prv’s are nice, sadly not available in the uk, great if you want to pressure ferment at 10 and 15 psi.No good if you want to use any other pressure.

There is no fear of getting liquid in the gauge if you remove it from the spunding valve set up when transfering to keg.

What other pressure would you be fermenting at? Liquid comes out with co2 usually made up of water and alcohol. That's why its a good idea to have a receiver in place before the gauge and spunding valve.

 

[RGeats]

Also no good if you are using the CO2 to purge a keg

 

[foxy]

Also no good if you are using the CO2 to purge a keg

Why not?

 

[RGeats]

Why not?

A prv on the snubnose? So wouldn't vent through a keg

 

[foxy]

A prv on the snubnose? So wouldn't vent through a keg

If you are venting the keg you would put the PRV on the keg

 

[chillipickle]

I have been fermenting under low pressure 5psi until the first dry hop, then raising the pressure, easy with a spunding valve and gauge.Why mess about with different prv, when it’s straight forward with valve and gauge?
Great thing about home brewing there is quite a few ways to skin a cat, no wrong or right way....what ever works for you eh

 

[foxy]

I have been fermenting under low pressure 5psi until the first dry hop, then raising the pressure, easy with a spunding valve and gauge.Why mess about with different prv, when it’s straight forward with valve and gauge?
Great thing about home brewing there is quite a few ways to skin a cat, no wrong or right way....what ever works for you eh

True, but what is the advantage of starting at 5 PSI? 1 ATM is the yeasts happy spot where they can work without stress. Towards the end of fermentation raise pressure to 10 PSI for ale 15 PSI for lager.
My original post was meant for buddsy, saves him the money of forking out for the spunding valve and gauge. Those who have the spunding valve and gauge don't need them unless they are getting sick of cleaning the spunding valve.

 

[RGeats]

If you are venting the keg you would put the PRV on the keg

Do they fit on the corny kegs then? If so then I agree with you. I find it useful to have a gauge, can tell when fermentation is finished as I shut the spunding valve and if the pressure doesn't rise it's done.

 

[foxy]

 

[EveryoneKnowsADave]

OK, spunding valves are set and forget, it isn't like you are adjusting it every day or few hours. Most popular settings are 10 and 15 PSI, forget the spunding valve, and gauge, just swap out the PRV.
You can also get inline regulators, also very accurate at different pressures.
View attachment 40163
Blue is 10 PSI, Purple 15 PSI, saves quite a few dollars and easy to clean unlike the spunding valves and no fear of getting anything in the gauge, because you don't need one.

Those look really useful, are these definitely not available in the UK?

 

[chillipickle]

Not seen them on any of our main brewing web sites, not really jealous but foxy has access to great weather and some great brewing companie at his disposal
guess aliexpress will have them (China)

 

[EveryoneKnowsADave]

I've found these brass pressure release valves but I'm not sure if the threads would be the same as my king keg gen 3?

https://www.contextpneumatics-catal...5&level2=42494&level1=40451&stockistown=False

 

[foxy]

I will see if I can get some sent over, can't see a problem with samples.