Collecting CO2 from Primary and Using in a Keg

[floydmeddler]

Hey folks,

I want to serve my beer from on of these:



Here's the idea:

Connect a polypin to a primary fermenter and colllect the co2. Rack into the jerrycan with gelatine and allow to clear and condition. When the beer is ready, connect the polypin of CO2 to the jerrycan and drink beer. When beer is drawn off, co2 is sucked into the jerrycan from the polypin keeping that all important protective layer of CO2 above the beer.

Obviously I won't be able to carb the beer, but that suits me as I don't like fizz. I'd also consider hooking it up to a beer engine.

So... will this work? Will I be able to collect enough CO2 from primary to feed it back into the jerrycan? I have a few polypins so am not limited in that respect.

Have heard of this being done before... just not sure where!

Cheers

[gnutz2]

Yes it will.

Your idea is perfectly sound, as long as the polypin has the same (or more) volume as the keg only co2 will come into contact with the uncarbonated beer.

You certainly dont like wasting things do you

[floydmeddler]

Yes it will.

Your idea is perfectly sound, as long as the polypin has the same (or more) volume as the keg only co2 will come into contact with the uncarbonated beer.

You certainly dont like wasting things do you

Excellent news! This, to me is the perfect set up and so damn cheap. Will have to give this a try with Saturday's brew then use the collected gas with my American Mild.

[gnutz2]

Can i ask one quetion though?

Why dont you put the beer in the poly pin in the first place, then draw it off with the beer engine?

[Wolfy]

The WilliamsWarn Personal Brewery does exactly that - only in stainless (and is expensive).

[floydmeddler]

Can i ask one quetion though?

Why dont you put the beer in the poly pin in the first place, then draw it off with the beer engine?

One less thing to sanitise I suppose plus this will take extra time. I would only ever fill a polypin with clear beer from a secondary vessel. Easier to simply hook the CO2 filled polypin to secondary and simply pour. Also, it would only be on rare occasions that I'd use the beer engine.

[floydmeddler]

The WilliamsWarn Personal Brewery does exactly that - only in stainless (and is expensive).

Shit! That is EXPENSIVE... and for a kit brewery too. Shocking.

[Andy]

How about this...

http://www.genre.fsnet.co.uk/brewery/co2/index.html

[jonnyt]

I reckon the drawback is only collecting CO2 at Atmospheric pressure.

What about fermenting in a cube or other vessel that can be pressurised a little. Dare I suggest using cheap PBs for both fermenting and collecting gas?

Of course too much CO2 pressure will stop the fermentation so its going to be very experimental.

[Wolfy]

The WilliamsWarn Personal Brewery does exactly that - only in stainless (and is expensive).

Shit! That is EXPENSIVE... and for a kit brewery too. Shocking.

That's the usual reaction.

However a home-brewer from NZ did win a gold medal at the (Professional brewing) Asian Beer Awards using one of the WilliamsWarn thingys.

[floydmeddler]

How about this...

http://www.genre.fsnet.co.uk/brewery/co2/index.html

Brilliant! Lots of food for thought there!