poll - how do you transfer your beer?

[fluketamer]

not sure if this poll has been done before.

i gave up siphoning beer a while ago in favor of spigots . one downside to spigots is that water baths can be an issue bathing the spigot in swamp water during fermentation.

i got around this using fermentation chambers instead of water baths

i am thinking of moving to floating dip tubes as i think it solves a lot of issues.

thanks for any replies

 

[Bassman2003]

Dip tube in the fermenter. Closed transfer to a fermenter purged keg.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Same as @Bassman2003. I ferment in converted sanke kegs.

 

[scrap iron]

I have SS bucket type FV with a spigot. I cover the spigot with a zip-lock sandwich bag after sanitizing to keep bugs out. Then sanitize again before [ spray it up into spigot] before closed loop transfer to purged keg.

 

[BongoYodeler]

I voted other. Speidel 30L fermenter with NorCal's custom made transfer device. It works flawlessly.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Voted other, closed transfer, fill kegs by weight, inline filter. Purge the transfer line first then hook to keg and fill. Like this

 

[day_trippr]

Like many, this is how I do it. Closed CO2 push through pre-purged cane and tubing to purged kegs...

Cheers!

 

[sibelman]

(Floating diptube isn't exactly a transfer method.)

I do closed transfers from fermenter outlet to purged keg. The transfer is powered by bottled CO2. I don't (yet?) use a floating dip tube in my Flex+ fermenter.

Gravity would be even better, but my fermentation chamber is a top-freezer fridge and I don't want to lift a full (~80 pounds) fermenter.

When I bottle (rare!), I use the keg as a bottling bucket. I do lift the keg onto a table for gravity-assisted transfer.

 

[balrog]

While I "siphon from the top of the bucket" it is into the fermentation gas purged keg with pseudo closed transfer leanings.

 

[Wigglebutts Brewery]

Closed transfer to corny

 

[Broken Crow]

Floating diptube all the way!! Owing to disability, my fermenter sits on the floor and I fill kegs on a scale next to it using a cleaned/sanitized/purged racking-pump and gas-return line doing pressurized closed-loop.
I made these to fit my Fermonsters and sankes;

 

[hilljack13]

spigot at the bottom of the flex+, gravity does the work.

 

[BQ&W]

Another NorCal Oxygen-free Transfer Device here.

 

[eliastheodosis]

Floating dip tube through closed transfer to a keg purged by fermentation, same as @Bassman2003 and @homebeerbrewer. From a Fermzilla mostly for me. I could never get over the fact that at least some air would get trapped in the hose/spigot at that connection point. As soon as you open the spigot that air goes up, right through your beer. Not sure how much is in my mind but definitely noticed an improvement moving to this method.

 

[bwible]

We don’t syphon off the top of the bucket. The syphon goes well under the liquid and we’re picking up from just above the sediment.

That said, I still use the Autosyphon same as I did in the 90s when I first started. I haven’t gotten into closed transfers.

 

[balrog]

We don’t syphon off the top of the bucket. The syphon goes well under the liquid and we’re picking up from just above the sediment.

That said, I still use the Autosyphon same as I did in the 90s when I first started. I haven’t gotten into closed transfers.

Ah, touchet, my friend, touchet.

 

[RyPA]

I ferment and serve from the same keg, using a floating dip tube, so no transfer at all.

I am considering switching to a fermenter, just not sure it's worth it.

 

[moreb33rplz]

My last fifty ish batches I fermented and serve from the same keg, no transfer. I am still surprised more people don't do this.

The two flaws I see are you can't really harvest the yeast and you have less options for dry hopping but worth it for my brewing. Sue me I think transferring beer is a pain and this method is as low oxygen as it gets

 

[RyPA]

My last fifty ish batches I fermented and serve from the same keg, no transfer. I am still surprised more people don't do this.

The two flaws I see are you can't really harvest the yeast and you have less options for dry hopping but worth it for my brewing. Sue me I think transferring beer is a pain and this method is as low oxygen as it gets

I'm in the same boat, but I've lately been wondering if I am getting any negative affects from doing so, primarily having the beer rest on the yeast cake and dry hop (they go in commando) for the life of the keg, typically 1.5-2 months. I do not harvest yeast as I find it easier to spend ~$5-$8 on new yeast then go through all the crap associated with harvesting/starters/etc.

 

[moreb33rplz]

I'm in the same boat, but I've lately been wondering if I am getting any negative affects from doing so, primarily having the beer rest on the yeast cake and dry hop (they go in commando) for the life of the keg, typically 1.5-2 months. I do not harvest yeast as I find it easier to spend ~$5-$8 on new yeast then go through all the crap associated with harvesting/starters/etc.

I'm pretty confident that non-dry hop beers can stay a long time and test good or better than if transferred to serving keg, I often have stouts, light lagers, pale ales whatever go up to 6 months and generally just taste better with age.

Small dry hops of 1-2 oz I think can live indefinitely just fine too

I'm curious if large dry hops would do better if i transferred to serving keg but I'm not sure. I've left commando dry hop charges of 6+ oz in the keg for its life and it tasted good but still searching for better. I've put big hop charges in bags and just pulled the bag out after a few days and that was good too but frustrating to not be able to dry hop commando.

I'm too lazy to start transferring anytime soon but if you do it please report back

 

[RyPA]

I'm pretty confident that non-dry hop beers can stay a long time and test good or better than if transferred to serving keg, I often have stouts, light lagers, pale ales whatever go up to 6 months and generally just taste better with age.

Small dry hops of 1-2 oz I think can live indefinitely just fine too

I'm curious if large dry hops would do better if i transferred to serving keg but I'm not sure. I've left commando dry hop charges of 6+ oz in the keg for its life and it tasted good but still searching for better. I've put big hop charges in bags and just pulled the bag out after a few days and that was good too but frustrating to not be able to dry hop commando.

I'm too lazy to start transferring anytime soon but if you do it please report back

I primarily brew NEIPA's and find that they all taste pretty much the same, regardless of what hop varieties I use. They all have a slight hop astringency opposed to a nice juicy softness that NEIPA's are known for. I am wondering if this is a result of the commando hop matter remaining in suspension and ending up in the glass.

So where I am at now is trying to figure out if I can change my process to potentially get the commando dry hops to settle out onto the yeast cake and then transfer the beer to a keg.

Once my beer reaches FV, I toss the dry hops in, purge the keg 10 or so times with CO2, and then put the keg in the fridge on CO2. I am wondering if I should first cold crash to get the yeast to settle out and then add the dry hop charge. Maybe the hops are latching onto the yeast in suspension and remaining in the beer, not completely settling out onto the yeast cake. I don't know.

The FermZilla all rounder + hop bong combo, which will support pressure fermentation, sealed transfers, and oxygen-free dry hopping can be had for around $240. It's in my cart, unsure if I am going to pull the trigger.

 

[seilenos]

Other - Ferment and serve in the same keg so no transfer.

 

[seilenos]

primarily having the beer rest on the yeast cake

After having done a number of batches via ferment and serve with keg lifetimes pushing 6 mo I am convinced that, given a few potential exceptions, this is one of those homebrew myths that needs to die.

 

[RyPA]

After having done a number of batches via ferment and serve with keg lifetimes pushing 6 mo I am convinced that, given a few potential exceptions, this is one of those homebrew myths that needs to die.

Yeah, I agree. My issue may be dry hopping while the yeast is still in suspension, and not the yeast cake at the bottom of the keg.

 

[BongoYodeler]

After having done a number of batches via ferment and serve with keg lifetimes pushing 6 mo I am convinced that, given a few potential exceptions, this is one of those homebrew myths that needs to die.

Yeah, I agree. My issue may be dry hopping while the yeast is still in suspension, and not the yeast cake at the bottom of the keg.

I’ve only fermented and served from the same keg once, it was a Kolsch, so no dry hop. It tasted fine all the way through the last pint, after 6 months in the keg.

 

[moreb33rplz]

After having done a number of batches via ferment and serve with keg lifetimes pushing 6 mo I am convinced that, given a few potential exceptions, this is one of those homebrew myths that needs to die.

My thoughts exactly. For the beers I brew the one situation I'm still not sure if transferring would be an improvement would be NEIPA with massive dry hop. I've left dry hops in my keg for 1-2 months and it tasted very good but I am still curious to see what I get if I dry hopped for a few days or week and then transferred the beer.

That said I have dry hopped in a bag and pulled it out after 5 days and results seemed about the same as leaving the hops in there for the duration of the keg. I wouldn't have guessed that but that's my impression. More expbeeriments needed

 

[RyPA]

@moreb33rplz Curious on the same. Is there a difference between:

1. No yeast crash, dry hopping commando and never crashing/transferring

And

2. Crashing yeast, dry hopping, crash the hops, transfer

My hypothesis is that with #1, you will be drinking hop matter where #2 it would be none or less hop matter and potentially less astringency/bite.

 

[moreb33rplz]

I think you're probably right @RyPA but I hope you're wrong cuz that's more work

 

[redrocker652002]

Spigot at the bottom of my bucket. I purge the keg with starsan, put the bucket on top of the clothes washer, keg on the ground. I have to open the prv on the keg or else the beer runs out of the pressure relief hole in the valve on the bucket. I then let gravity take over. It isn't perfect, but it is about at O2 free as I can do it right now. I am really thinking of fermenting in a corny keg, but my kegs don't fit in my fermenter fridge, and my house temps can get in the 70'. But, that would truly be O2 free if I can figure out how to do it. But that is for another post. Sorry to ramble.

 

[mac_1103]

I use the famous @Dgallo fermonster floating diptube modification to do a low pressure transfer. But I still ferment in buckets sometimes and then I do a gravity closed loop transfer. Either way the keg is purged with fermentation gas.

 

[Brewdog80]

I've a anvil fermenter and drain through hose into a kegs. Easy and quick. No splashing.

 

[jwill911]

Floating dip tube through closed transfer to a keg purged by fermentation, same as @Bassman2003 and @homebeerbrewer. From a Fermzilla mostly for me. I could never get over the fact that at least some air would get trapped in the hose/spigot at that connection point. As soon as you open the spigot that air goes up, right through your beer. Not sure how much is in my mind but definitely noticed an improvement moving to this method.

I purge my transfer hose/tubing w/ co2 before starting transfer. Use co2 pressure to force beer from Fermzilla via floating dip tube. Works for me.

 

[Airborneguy]

Closed loop gravity/low pressure transfer into a purged keg. Brand new to this (I've done 3) but I will never do it another way again. I noticed a marked difference in the first one which is currently on tap.

 

[ZapperMike]

This is how I do it. I use a scale to split a 10 gallon batch into two purged 5 gallon kegs.

 

[timeeeee]

Sandor Katz ruined me for quality beer brewing. You all are going to be so angry... I use my mouth to start the siphon