Question: Pressure Fermenting - Can you bottle this beer? How do you prime it?

C

Chuck Roast

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Hello all!

Well, I"m getting back into home brewing after a LONG hiatus (I pretty much quit from Katrina 2005 till a few months ago)....and I've gone to the electric systems and SS conicals which can ferment under pressure.

Living in New Orleans, as you might guess...it's MUCH easier to ferment at higher temps and unless you shell out for glycol or dedicated fridges/keezers, it's tough to do anything requiring fermenting cold.

So, to start with, I've been experimenting with kviek yeasts...did an ale that was good and just now with Lutra, trying a pseudo Mexican lager that is showing promise.

However, I'd like to try my hand at using real lager yeast, but under pressure. I have a conical that can stand up to 15psi.

Right now, I'm bottling...kegging is coming soon, but I gotta pull out the old kornies (unused since 2005)...and take them apart, clean, new seals, and get a Co2 setup.....so, still bottling for now.

My question is...if you pressure ferment....that partially carbonates the beer, right?

If I were to bottle it...I'd not know how much priming sugar to use so as not to create bottle bombs...

OR...if I ferment near 12-15psi...would that beer be carbonated enough to just put into a bottle and cap with no priming sugar needed?

I"m thinking if pressure fermenting, you can only keg....but thought I'd ask the experts if you can somehow still bottle and what the best procedure would be.

Thank you in advance!!

C
 
Chuck Roast said:
Hello all!

Well, I"m getting back into home brewing after a LONG hiatus (I pretty much quit from Katrina 2005 till a few months ago)....and I've gone to the electric systems and SS conicals which can ferment under pressure.

Living in New Orleans, as you might guess...it's MUCH easier to ferment at higher temps and unless you shell out for glycol or dedicated fridges/keezers, it's tough to do anything requiring fermenting cold.

So, to start with, I've been experimenting with kviek yeasts...did an ale that was good and just now with Lutra, trying a pseudo Mexican lager that is showing promise.

However, I'd like to try my hand at using real lager yeast, but under pressure. I have a conical that can stand up to 15psi.

Right now, I'm bottling...kegging is coming soon, but I gotta pull out the old kornies (unused since 2005)...and take them apart, clean, new seals, and get a Co2 setup.....so, still bottling for now.

My question is...if you pressure ferment....that partially carbonates the beer, right?

If I were to bottle it...I'd not know how much priming sugar to use so as not to create bottle bombs...

OR...if I ferment near 12-15psi...would that beer be carbonated enough to just put into a bottle and cap with no priming sugar needed?

I"m thinking if pressure fermenting, you can only keg....but thought I'd ask the experts if you can somehow still bottle and what the best procedure would be.

Thank you in advance!!

C
Click to expand...
I’ve bottled to give away. I’ve also bottled and added a smidge of sugar with no issues. They make special beer guns that are supposed to be awesome for bottling off of a keg
 
Josh Hughes said:
I’ve bottled to give away. I’ve also bottled and added a smidge of sugar with no issues. They make special beer guns that are supposed to be awesome for bottling off of a keg
Click to expand...

Thank you...yeah, I'd seen those bottling guns from out of a keg....but I"m not set up to keg yet, so trying to figure if it is ok to bottle straight out of pressure fermenting in my conical and how best to do that.

I"m just hesitant to take a wild guess on how much priming sugar to use...as that I"ve had bottle bombs way in the past and wanting to avoid those if at all possible.
:)

Thanks for the reply!

CR
 
Pressure fermenting does not change much. Yes, the beer is somewhat carbed, so maybe less priming sugar, but that's about it.
 
Donoroto said:
Pressure fermenting does not change much. Yes, the beer is somewhat carbed, so maybe less priming sugar, but that's about it.
Click to expand...
Yeah...but not knowing how much to prime...is what concerns me....
;)

CR
 
Minbari said:
If you pressure ferm at 15psi it would have some carb. remember you are at 15psi at ferm temp not 38F

Having never done this, I would degass first :(
Click to expand...
Degassing....that's just basically stirring it enough to see it producing CO2 bubbles....but not enough splashing around to incorporate O2 into the beer....right?

Thank you in advance,
CR
 
Chuck Roast said:
Degassing....that's just basically stirring it enough to see it producing CO2 bubbles....but not enough splashing around to incorporate O2 into the beer....right?

Thank you in advance,
CR
Click to expand...
I wouldn't open to the air, it will get oxygenated. Use your spunding valve set to like 2psi. Heat the beer to 80F and wait.
 
Minbari said:
I wouldn't open to the air, it will get oxygenated. Use your spunding valve set to like 2psi. Heat the beer to 80F and wait.
Click to expand...
I didn’t read I thought he was using a keg or pressure fermenter where it wouldn’t let and oxygen in by using the pressure release valve.
 
Josh Hughes said:
I didn’t read I thought he was using a keg or pressure fermenter where it wouldn’t let and oxygen in by using the pressure release valve.
Click to expand...
He said "stirring" so I assumed he meant to open it
 
You actually will have significant co2 into solution. If you ferment at 68F @ 15psi, you carbonation level would be at 1.7 volumes. Typical lager has @ 2.5 volumes. If you could prevent co2 loss during the transfer to bottles, you would only need 1.5-2.0 ounces of dextrose per 5 gallons to achieve 2.5 volumes of carbonation.

The problem lies in all the unknowns. How much co2 will be driven off during bottling? Is the yeast truly done fermenting? Is it at 1.7 volumes? The other problem would be transferring the beer into bottles warm, the warmer temperatures will cause the co2 to come out solution fairly quickly. Cold transfers are typical used for carbonated beer to prevent excessive foam.

I think it can be done, but if would be an educated guess as to how much sugar would be required and how much co2 is lost during the bottling. If I had to guess, I would say that 2.5 -3.0 ounces of dextrose per 5 gallons should do the trick. If it's a little low, you would have a less than sparkling beer. If it's too much. you could get gushers or worse yet, bottle bombs.

Most people who ferment t under pressure keg the beer. I pressure ferment and I spund all my lagers and it works really well. At 52F I will set the pressure relief valve to 25psi. It seems a little high, but the beer is fully carb'd and lively. It definitely has a carb bite to it.

Good luck and let us know how it works if you decide to try it. Your kind of brewing on the edge, but it's a lot more fun on the edge.
 
You could cold crash the beer in the conical maintain the 15psi for a week then bottle straight off the conical :).

Better yet grab a beer line and pour a few pre bottling warming beers too:D!

Just purge the pressure off the conical to like 2psi before filling the bottles and cap on foam straight away and you should have reasonably carbonated bottled beer...
 
I do this all the time. Warm beer under 15 PSI spunding. I just bottle with the normal 3 grams of sugar per 12oz bottle. I do try to release all the pressure a week before setting the spunding to zero. Warm pressure is not the same as cold pressure. I found 15 PSI at room temp doesn't carb much. Try NovaLager Yeast. It does better at higher temps.
 
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