Pressure Fermentation Easy Guide

[David Heath]

It is time for another educational video and this one looks at pressure fermentation in easy guide form so that no matter what your background is you should come away from watching it with a good understanding of the topic. This video gives key advice as to how to apply this to your fermentations along with lots of information as to why you would want to and what you will need to get started. It does not have to be expensive either and you might find that you already have much of what is needed already.

As usual, thank you for all your kind support and enthusiasm for my channel.

Please keep your questions, feedback and requests coming but please give me some time to answer, I get a lot of messages and answer them in the order they were sent in, particularly those on Facebook messenger tend to stack up! If you are comfortable then please ask questions within Facebook groups or Youtube, so that others can also either benefit or contribute.

Happy brewing!

 

[Brew_DD2]

Another great video. Liked. I currently have a Fermzilla with all the gubbins on it's way to me. I'm really looking forward to utilising this feature.

 

[jceg316]

Thanks again for another interesting video. I'm doing a lot of research on the Fermzilla as I have one on the way (birthday present from my parents). Have you tried bottling a batch from a unitank yet? I don't own any kegs and bottle all my brews, would be good to carbonate during fermentation then bottle, but understand it's not as simple as bottling from my non pressurised FV.

 

[David Heath]

Thanks again for another interesting video. I'm doing a lot of research on the Fermzilla as I have one on the way (birthday present from my parents). Have you tried bottling a batch from a unitank yet? I don't own any kegs and bottle all my brews, would be good to carbonate during fermentation then bottle, but understand it's not as simple as bottling from my non pressurised FV.

Great, thank you. Yes, bottling is easy from a unitank. The best way is to use a beer gun, making sure you purge with co2.

 

[BeerCat]

I really look forward to trying some lagers in one of these (if i can ever get the 55l version). Fits in nicely with your previous video on oxidisation. Always happy when i see you have a new video out. Thanks David.

 

[David Heath]

I really look forward to trying some lagers in one of these (if i can ever get the 55l version). Fits in nicely with your previous video on oxidisation. Always happy when i see you have a new video out. Thanks David.

Always nice to hear :) Thank you :)

 

[itry]

Great, thank you. Yes, bottling is easy from a unitank. The best way is to use a beer gun, making sure you purge with co2.

Would you be able to do a video on this?

 

[David Heath]

Would you be able to do a video on this?

It is possible for the future :)

 

[BradleyW]

Could you use a normal pressure cooker to ferment under pressure? Or at least dry hop under pressure? I have 3, ranging from 3 -8L in size so would be great if I could and avoid having to splash out. My main concern would be bottling as there is no tap on the pressure cookers so I'd have to pour it out which would probably lead to oxidation.

 

[itry]

It is possible for the future :)

Itd be great if you could.

 

[David Heath]

Could you use a normal pressure cooker to ferment under pressure? Or at least dry hop under pressure? I have 3, ranging from 3 -8L in size so would be great if I could and avoid having to splash out. My main concern would be bottling as there is no tap on the pressure cookers so I'd have to pour it out which would probably lead to oxidation.

This is not something I have tried or have heard of anyone trying.

 

[foxy]

Could you use a normal pressure cooker to ferment under pressure? Or at least dry hop under pressure? I have 3, ranging from 3 -8L in size so would be great if I could and avoid having to splash out. My main concern would be bottling as there is no tap on the pressure cookers so I'd have to pour it out which would probably lead to oxidation.

Yes you can, and it is being done. I looked at it to make small trial batches, I even looked at making one but the cost of the finished product would have been more costly than buying one.
I watched a demo of a beer being made in one, 5 days from grain to glass.
Mash is in an oven taken up to 70 C switched off, pot grain and liquor placed in the oven for 1 hour, pot taken from the oven bag of grain removed, boil for one hour, cool to 30 C add yeast pressure ferment at 15 PSI place in the fridge and serve. It was either a 12 or 15 litre pot and it used the co2 produced down to the last drop. He does have a face book page as a web address.
https://upcyclepop.com/event/beer-brewing-at-home-with-pot-au-brew-2/

Home Brew Lab or Homebrewer Lab.

 

[Drunkula]

Wow, pressure fermenting in a pressure cooker is on my experiment idea list.

I've got a standard old pressure cooker and was going to disable the safety pintel with a rubber band to make a small batch, then do a full batch by taking out the holder for the weights and making a cap for a full size vessel. Completely for funsies rather than buying a spunding valve.

Don't know if I'll bother now.

 

[BradleyW]

Sounds interesting! I love messing about in the kitchen so may give it a whirl

 

[foxy]

Wow, pressure fermenting in a pressure cooker is on my experiment idea list.

I've got a standard old pressure cooker and was going to disable the safety pintel with a rubber band to make a small batch, then do a full batch by taking out the holder for the weights and making a cap for a full size vessel. Completely for funsies rather than buying a spunding valve.

Don't know if I'll bother now.

I have made a spunding valve just with a rubber band and a blow off tube.

Sounds interesting! I love messing about in the kitchen so may give it a whirl

If you do Brad don't make the beer like he does, its bloody awful.
A couple of good ideas he uses is a piece of sealed silicon tube down the centre as a thermowell, and a really simple but good idea is a stainless steel fishing swivel on the floating dip tube, stops the ball getting stuck on the side.

 

[johncrobinson]

There is a lot of interest at the moment about pressure fermenting wines/beers.On this forum
So far the results look good.
Apart from the equipment required every one seems positve.

However personally i have only done it with champagne clones,The results were outstanding.

Keep the info coming guys

 

[Drunkula]

I have made a spunding valve just with a rubber band and a blow off tube.

How how! I needs to know. Is it easily calibratable? I was going to to tests with S30 valves as well as the pressure cooker weights.

Unless I'm doing something completely pointless to replicate something for which there is a pre-existing device that costs sixpence I don't feel alive.

In two days I'll be creating a force carbonation device that'll save 14p in co2 that'll cost... pffft, maybe 8 quid to make and I'll use once, but it will have quelled the demons.

 

[foxy]

Difficult to calibrate with a rubber band, 2 ways to do it, a broad rubber band over the end of the tube, wrapped around the tube forms a diaphragm. The other way is to bend the tube and wrap the rubber band tightly around the two pieces. Where the rubber band is placed determines the pressure held back.
I did read they trialed pressure fermenting in the late 19th century using mercury, the blow off tube was placed in a bucket of mercury the weight of the mercury held back the pressure. Problem was a drop in temperature and the mercury gets sucked up into the beer.

 

[johncrobinson]

Ugh Mercury Its amazing how late in the day it was recognised Mercury was toxic.

 

[lukey_brews]

Hi David. I recently watched your video on pressure fermenting and it really got me interested! So... after too many oxidised hoppy brews, I'm converting a corny to a pressure fermenter this weekend. I can't wait to brew my first batch. I'm struggling a bit to find information on what sort of temps are realistic, the consensus seems warmer than normal....I'm planning a session IPA using imperial flagship (chico? ) Have you, or anyone else here got any tips with this yeast? Psi? Temps? Any insight would be really appreciated!!

Cheers