PP wants me to this spin off...............................
From here: http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1912
My comment: I thought I’d talk about single stage fermenting right in the brew kettle. It is something I’ve done for my last 15 batches and I love doing it. I single stage ferment for 10 days in kettle with a ball valve, and then keg (or bottle) from the ball valve. The ball valve has a bazooka screen on the inside which works well to keep my leaf hops out of the keg/bottles. I have some smaller stock pots that I use for test batches. These pots have glass lids so I can watch the yeast. For my big kettles with the stainless steel lids, I allow myself to lift the lid slightly, once only, the following morning to check on the yeast.
There’s very little on the net about this. There is a forum thread or two. One or two guys timidly asking if it could be done, followed by a whole lot of put downs, like “should work, but I’d never do it as it would tie up my brew kettle” (get another pot!) and “what’s the point?” One guy made himself a brew kettle with clamps on the lid to seal it and an air trap and proudly posted his pictures. He was pooh-poohed as well, but most of the commenters said you don’t need to seal the lid and you and you don’t need a trap, just let the CO2 “burp” the lid. Poor guy! he’d welded all kinds of clamps to his pot and he was so proud.
Then there was one short post, it’s the one that really pricked up my ears, and I wish I could find it. His post was completely ignored. He said he was busy but he wanted a batch of beer. He put his pot of wort on the step to cool, sprinkled dry yeast on the surface, put the lid on, and left it to ferment. He called it his “lazy beer” and he said “it turned out to be the best beer he ever made”.
The advantages for me are that, there is no fermenting bucket to clean, sterilise and fuss with. No transfer of wort to fermenter. No air trap. Lots of saved time. The brew pot, which then becomes the fermentation vessel is sterilised by the boiling (except the lid, which I heat separately in the oven to sanitize).
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Yeasty Comment: I wouldn't discount this method but I think the point of it tying up your pot is a valid one, A FV costs £10 my pot cost £50. I ferment for around 14 days, sometimes longer so to have a pot out of action for that long is not practical. I can manage to buy 3 FV's but 3 pots no way, I can buy a whole bunch of malt for £120. Another problem could be that a pot may not fit into your Fermenting fridge whereas most FV's will. And is it really a short cut ? you still have to cool and oxygenate.
The biggest short cut I think is No chilling and fermenting in the cube with S04 yeast. You'll be done in a week.
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PP Comment:I don't see a problem at all with GR's suggestion - I love it .
I am going to PM a mod though to get it moved to the advanced section and suggest a different title. (I think the current title should be re-posted with a link to the new thread. Will PM you more on this GR though I'm sure you'll think it's okay.)
There's a few reasons why I think it needs to be moved to the advanced area. The main reason is that new brewers should be taught safe, proven practices. The second reason is that we experienced guys are all lazy and are in the best position to test this stuff out .
You're not alone in your thinking here GR. A few guys here will remember many emails I sent them years ago before this forum even started about my great idea to ferment and dispense from a corny. I never did it because there was too much work and too many problems with the idea. I still have a heap of the crap here though I tinkered up for that project.
Your idea is muchbetter.
Come to think of it, I actually did do a few posts years ago on boiling and fermenting (and even dispensing) in the same vessel but I dismissed these myself as I was too rule-bound. Kept focussing on how to get rid of the trub at various stages etc etc.
I am wrapped that you have done this GR .
The Advantages
This is brewing with only two main bits of equipment, a kettle and a heat source so...
- No ferementor or fermentor and cube to clean. (How good is that?)
- Only one transfer.
- Time, labour, chemicals and water usage drastically reduced.
- Increased production due to the above.
- Risk/reward ratio reduced more than you may think (see below).
The Disadvantages
- Lots of theoretical advice that says you aren't going to win the comp (but in several styles, you might).
- Lots of theory/anectodotes/judges/people in the know that will tell you that this this practice will produce some dodgy things. I think they are probably right but...
Weighing it all up...
I really think there is a place for this. I have a fellow AG'er who lives up the street. He can't stand diacetyl. I can't stand acetyldehyde. I don't even know what diacetyl is after years of brewing. But, then again, I'll give other experienced brewers a beer I can't drink due to acetyldehyde and they love it - I have silvers from two to five years ago to prove it .
If you bear this in mind, what's the problem with trying this method on your house beer? Surely it's worth a one batch trial at least?
Side by Side
I'm out of my house beer and have two BIAB set-ups so I can do side by sides. I have a glut of cubes here waiting to be fermented but this is definitely going to be my next side by side.
If the one-vessel turns out to be within 90% of my house beer (in my opinion, no one else's), it will make a huge difference to me. Would I try it on a lager or pilsner I'm putting in a comp? Not now.
Great thread GR ,
PP
Fermenting in the Brew Kettle
Post #1 made 12 years ago
Last edited by GuingesRock on 19 Jan 2013, 02:31, edited 2 times in total.
Guinges
) I have to think on the run all week, and it's Friday! 
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I like that 12FRM a bit too much and was Friday Night. 
Read this if you get a chance, it's why I think the beer is so good: 
