Using a spunding valve

[Fal]

I'm planning on brewing a lager in one of my corney's usinv a spunding valve. Does anyone know what pressure to set it at?

Also The yeast recommends a temp range of  10 -13 degrees. Should I aim for higher because of the valve?

[johnrm]

http://brulosophy.com/2015/04/27/under-pressure-the-impact-of-higher-psi-fermentations-exbeeriment-results-2/

[SkiBeagle]

If you are accurate about the remaining extract at the point of transferring to the keg, you may not even need a spunding valve. 1Plato or 4 gravity points above final attenuation is the right amount for a keg. However, it's great to see the pressure increasing as the fermentation finishes, so the valve is worthwhile. For lagers, the GBF crew recommend 0.8Bar at around 5ºC lagering temperature. If you're lagering at say 10º, you'll need to increase the vent pressure to allow for the higher temperature. For ales, I spund at 2 Bar/30psi at around 20º. The correct pressure is based on the volumes of CO2 at a given temperature. Check this calculator at BrewersFriend:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/keg-carbonation-calculator/

Be sure to tell us how you get on.!

[Fal]

 Thanks, that's really interesting. Do you set the valve to 2 bar from the start of fermentation?

[Pheeel]

I normally naturally carb but i've had a few overcarbed beers so was thinking of getting a spunding. Fal where'd you get yours from?

[Fal]

I've just started naturally carbing as well, so now I've two uses for my latest gadget!

I bought it from the malt miller (https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=804&added=1)

The gauge only goes to 15 psi, I should have spotted that in the pic. And I when I tested it one of the joint was leaking gas. But some pfte tape and a retighten sorted that.

[Simon_]

Fal where'd you get yours from?

Now I want one too. Will go halves on shipping with you Phil if you're getting one

[pob]

How about using a AR-2000 valve (http://s.aliexpress.com/BrQVZjUv ~€5 delivered) with 2 x John Guest connectors (1/2" to 3/8" ~€2ea)

I use them on corny for setting carbing & serving pressures - turn one way to increase, the other & it releases pressure through valve.
May need a finer gauge, I use a 2 bar, 1 bar might be better suited to Lager ferment (http://s.aliexpress.com/3YbMF7vm ~€3).

[Fal]

Well I've come across my first problem this morning, liquid (the krauzen I assume) is coming up through the spunding valve blocking the vents and maxing out the gauge. I've had to release the pressure myself a few times and have since moved the keg to the shed where if there is any sort of "violent pressure release" it'll happen there!

I'm hoping that if the pressure will force the liquid out of the vents before bursting the keg or anything extreme like that.

[SkiBeagle]

Hi Fal, you will get some liquid oozing out once you hit the pressure setting. I set my vent locked down until I hit 30psi at 20º. If I get the amount of extract remaining right, I don't need to release any gas. If it goes above 30, I'll tweak the valve to get back down to 30. I put the keg in an old black bucket to gather the slops. I think you'll have a problem with a 15psi gauge. It's too low for ales. You need at least 30psi gauge for ales because of the pressure needed at ~20º. If you drop the temperature to say 10º, your vent pressure will drop too, but that temperature is too low for ale yeasts, and they will just floc out. I'd suggest swapping out the gauge for one that will read higher. Mine reads up to 60psi.

A workaround might be to connect up the gas, and blow out some beer via the keg PRV to gain some headspace. That should stop the beer fountain! In the photo, you can see that pressure has dropped from about 27 to 12psi when the keg is put back into the fridge.

[Fal]

Thanks Skibeagle, I swoped out the gauge with one from work. The only one I could get my hands on reads up to 111 psi, a big difference! Anyway I've it sitting nicely at 35psi.

My fermentation cabinet has died yesterday too so my "lager under pressure" is probably ruined and now just a learning excersise. We'll see. I'll put more info on how I get on for others to read when I'm done.

[Fal]

I completely forgot to reply with the results of my spunding valve experience until now.

So my lager turned out really well in the end. I'm not a big lager drinker but I'm really enjoying this one. I used a Pilsner Urquell recipie I found online with white labs Pilsner yeast and the result is in my pic.

I've copied the ferment temps and pressures below. I thought it was going to be a mess because of the high temps but it wasn't a problem at all. I didn't lager it, I just stuck the keg into my kegerator at 4.5 degrees where it has stayed. The first few weeks it definatly tasted more Ale like than Lager at first and not very clear but now it's much crisper and clearing nicely.




16/9/17 19l into fermenter/keg

Fermented at :
Day 1: 18 degrees @ 16psi
Day 2: 18/20 degrees @ 20 psi krausen shooting out of valve
Day 3:  18/16 degrees @ 35 psi
Day 4: 16 degrees @ 45 psi
Day 5: 14 degrees @47 psi
Day 6: 12 degrees @ 45 psi
Day 5: 14 degrees @ 47 psi sample taken sg: 1.020 doesn't taste too bad, maybe it's not ruined.
Day 12-day 14: 18 degrees @42 psi
Day 14: transfered approx 15 l to new keg and into fridge sg: 1.016

8/10/17 sg 1.012

29/11/17 cleared up nicely - keg half finished.