Pressurized FIAK
Background:
I want to do pressurized fermentation with my unique set up. Some refer to my current set up as minimalist brewing, one pot brewing or just plain lazy brewing. I mash, boil, ferment and bottle from the same vessel. My batch size is 12 liters which makes a perfect 24 pack of 500 ml bottles. I brew once a month to keep the beer pipeline going (supply myself and any guests). This lazy brewing allows to brew inside (cold in Canada), have less than 2 hour brew days (can brew after work) and enjoy the brewing part without the pain of cleaning sterilizing.
This is possible through a few combined techniques: (knowledge of techniques obtained from brulosohpy, John Palmer latest book, Beersmith podcasts)
My equipment: (optimized for minimal cleaning and equipment footprint)
What I want to add/ Want advice on. Pressurized fermentation using:
Put ball lock post on kettle lid. Put seal around lid only. Lock lid down with C clamps. Attach one MFL ball lock connect to co2 charger, use the other one with the relief valve. Use disposable co2 to pressurize up to like 13 PSI, disconnect and connect relief valve and set to release at 15 psi. Pray for good beer.
Concerns:
If experiment fails maybe one day I go to kegging when I have more space and it wasn’t a complete waste of money?
Possible Advantages:
Background:
I want to do pressurized fermentation with my unique set up. Some refer to my current set up as minimalist brewing, one pot brewing or just plain lazy brewing. I mash, boil, ferment and bottle from the same vessel. My batch size is 12 liters which makes a perfect 24 pack of 500 ml bottles. I brew once a month to keep the beer pipeline going (supply myself and any guests). This lazy brewing allows to brew inside (cold in Canada), have less than 2 hour brew days (can brew after work) and enjoy the brewing part without the pain of cleaning sterilizing.
This is possible through a few combined techniques: (knowledge of techniques obtained from brulosohpy, John Palmer latest book, Beersmith podcasts)
- BIAB (brew in a bag) all grain mashing on stovetop. Sparge with bucket and cold tap water
- 40 minute mashes and 40 minute boils
- No chill -put lid on and let sit over night to reach pitching temperature. I also add aroma hops (<20 minutes additions) as a hop tea, when I pitch my yeast the next morning. This fixes hop utilization for all but bittering hops which I just add instead as first wort hops.
- FIAK (ferment in a kettle) stress free with right equipment see below
- Bottle Priming -using perfectly measured out 3.5g sugar bags from walmart (don’t want bottle bombs). Anvil kettle allows you to rotate pick-up arm to not pick up the sediment.
My equipment: (optimized for minimal cleaning and equipment footprint)
- Anvil Kettle 5.5 gallon w/ FIAK kit
- Anvil Scale
- Anvil spoon
- **can you see I am a john palmer fan yet**
- Large Nylon bag (for BIAB)
- Brewing gloves (takes fear of squishing nylon bag to up mash efficiency)
- Grain Mill (just to be able to store grain for long periods of time and bc my lhbs charges for grain to be milled)
- Home depot bucket to; store grain, mill grain into, sparge.
- Refractometer
- Mason Jar for Hop tea
- Big bottle wand and some 1/2in silicone.
- 36 x 500ml bottles
- Spray bottle with star san
What I want to add/ Want advice on. Pressurized fermentation using:
- (29.99 OBK) adjustable pressure relief spunding valve with gauge
- 2x(5.49 obk) MFL Gas disconnect
- (51.99 obk) Silver regulated CO2 charger
- (25.99 OBK) Ball lock single post
- Anvil FIAK silicone seal - only wrap around lid portion so it lies between lid and pot
- (already own) **** load of C- Clamps
Put ball lock post on kettle lid. Put seal around lid only. Lock lid down with C clamps. Attach one MFL ball lock connect to co2 charger, use the other one with the relief valve. Use disposable co2 to pressurize up to like 13 PSI, disconnect and connect relief valve and set to release at 15 psi. Pray for good beer.
Concerns:
- Need a better seal maybe?
- Will like 12 C-clamps be enough?
- I have heard you don’t need to carb with pressure fermentation. Will carbonation stay in liquid when i release the pressure to use bottle wand without foam or do i need to make my own counter pressure system and to bottle fill.
- Headroom in kettle/air compressibility. Do I need bigger batches aka concentrated wort method so I don't “go ham” on disposable co2s
If experiment fails maybe one day I go to kegging when I have more space and it wasn’t a complete waste of money?
Possible Advantages:
- No need to bottle carb
- Drink homebrew straight from bottle without having to pour into cup
- Pressure fermentation according to Chris White can allow you to do lager fermentation in 2 weeks at room temp.