Open Fermentation and/or Different Fermenter Geometry.

[DuncR]

Found this thread fascinating.
However I’m now even more confused than normal. I have been going through a one person argument for several months as to whether to buy an overpriced shinny fermenter with full glycol chilling setup allowing closed transfer etc. As everyone knows, slightest hint of oxygen after the first few days of fermentation and beer might as well end up down the drain.
Not worried for my top fermenting ales but rather more concerned for lagers which will sit in the fermentation fridge for weeks (or months).
Reading the above, should I save my money and stick with my plastic bucket approach?

Also… if pressure kills yeast, how does pressure fermentation work?

 

[Sadfield]

Also… if pressure kills yeast, how does pressure fermentation work?

Pressure doesn't kill yeast.

Pressure increases CO2 in solution. CO2 in solution changes the way yeast function. Manly, it limits growth and therefore ester production.

"Our yeast contributes to 50% of the final flavour of our beer, which highlights how important it is that we keep our unique strain"

Above is a quote from Harvey's Brewery website, highlighting why one might not want to inhibit ester formation.

There's more information on pressure and esters in this piece.

https://wildflowerbeer.com/blogs/blog/process-e1-primary-fermentation-geometry

 

[Twostage]

I've

Can’t you take the tube out or seal round it with clingfilm?

I've put cling film on it. Why does cling film want to stick everything (including me) but not the thing your trying to get it to cling to ?

 

[Twostage]

We have fermentation. I was initially concerned that the temperature of the wort in the gastronorm (love that word) wasn't climbing as fast as the pot then I realised that it has a greater surface area and no insulation (until it has a good krausen) so heat can escape easily. This might be a factor affecting the flavour profile as it will ferment cooler.

I'm thinking ahead to the transfer to the secondary. Technically the closed pot doesn't need it but as it could be a flavour affecting activity I'm going to do it anyway. Probably either later on on Sunday or Monday.