Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Spunding Valve - When to add it

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Spunding Valve - When to add it

    When should I add my spunding valve? There must be a calculation for current gravity and estimated terminal gravity and how much CO2 that would produce? I am also wondering about what sort of CO2 loss I can expect going from FV to kegs.

  • #2
    There are calculations...

    But there are more variables, too. Like headspace. Calculations just get you in the ballpark. 1.0P above FG is a normal ballpark. My advice is to install the spunding device at 1.0P above FG. Be absolutely sure that the spunding device is set at or below the working pressure of your tank. Monitor carefully. You want to achieve--just barely--the working pressure as the yeast finishes. If you miss this because there are more fermentables than you figured, or because timing doesn't work out to install the device at 0darkthirty when the gravity gets this low, then you have peace of mind that the spunding device will bubble away and keep your tank safety from being challenged. Cool after 3 days of continuous gravity readings, and you may then remove the spunding device. Adjust as necessary on the next fermentation.
    Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

    Comment


    • #3
      You can expect about a loss of 0.05-0.1 volumes from keg transfer. Keep in. Mind that most bars still serve their beers at "Butt Light" temps and it's difficult to get a proper head formation with anything below 2.4-2.5 volumes with those cold systems. Going into bottles you can expect about 0.1-0.15 volume loss into the bottle since the headspace is depressurized after filling and before capping.


      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

      Comment


      • #4
        I always put them on 24 hours after pitch, assuming there was active ferment. Set the pressure I needed, made sure it was blowing off at that point and let it go. It works and you don't have to stress over timing for gravity drop.

        Comment


        • #5
          When spunding isn't there a concern for putting too much pressure on the yeast cells?

          I'm thinking about adding the spunding valve after 24hrs of fermentation, but I dont' know what psi to set it at. I"ll be fermenting around 72F and ramping up (it's a saison), until I get full attenuation. Do I set the CO2 psi for the temp at 72F or for my final temp? That' can't be right. If I want 3 vol of CO2 at 65F I would need 30psi. Maybe the spunding valve is to add some CO2 to the beer, then I can add the rest of the CO2 with my air stone?

          Comment


          • #6
            Any lessons learned since the original post?

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by wakeele View Post
              Any lessons learned since the original post?
              Wondering the same (bumping for interest.)

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Alphaacid View Post
                When spunding isn't there a concern for putting too much pressure on the yeast cells?

                I'm thinking about adding the spunding valve after 24hrs of fermentation, but I dont' know what psi to set it at. I"ll be fermenting around 72F and ramping up (it's a saison), until I get full attenuation. Do I set the CO2 psi for the temp at 72F or for my final temp? That' can't be right. If I want 3 vol of CO2 at 65F I would need 30psi. Maybe the spunding valve is to add some CO2 to the beer, then I can add the rest of the CO2 with my air stone?
                Theoretically yes, but I couldn't tell any difference in the finished product. Used this method with a few different yeasts strains, both ale and lager

                For my part, no new information

                Comment


                • #9
                  I agree with WailingGuitar. Theoretically, but not so much in practice.

                  We spund both ales and lagers at about 6*P with an average FG of around 2-3*P. Add some gas when needed. Have never had issues with yeast viability, although we harvest yeast within a few days after crashing. Larger tanks will see some osmotic stresses, and that can lead to an impact on yeast viability, but in my personal experience time in the tank has much more effect on causing autolysis.

                  Strain variety might play some small part. I wouldn't try it with WLP585, but that's about it. Beer quality is equal to beers I have free fermented to FG in the past.

                  Comment

                  Working...
                  X