Chapman Fermenter - Closed Transfer To Keg

I modified two seven-gallon Chapman UniVessels to support closed beer transfers several weeks ago. I have since used those closed transfer modifications to fill four kegs. In my experience, the entire transfer process was intuitive and easy to integrate into my brewing routine. The Co2 used to push the beer into the keg also prevented any oxygen from getting inside it. It also eliminated the need to lift beer-filled fermenters out of the chest freezer. The benefits of closed transfers will keep oxygen out and help beer stay fresher longer while keeping my back free of pain.

Before attempting to do closed transfers there are a few things you need to have in place. A fermenter that can hold at least three psi of pressure when sealed. A Co2 regulator that can be set to hold three psi of pressure. These two things are also required when fermenting and cold crashing beer in a sealed vessel. The addition of the gas port on the fermenter serves two purposes. It allows Co2 gas produced during fermentation to escape the fermenter. And adding Co2 pressure to the fermenter during cold crashing as the beer volume decreases.

Using 2 To 3 PSI Of Co2 Pressure To Transfer The Beer From Fermenters to kegs.

When fermenting (5.25 gallon/19.8 liter) batches of 1.055 gravity beers at (68F/20C) degrees the krausen remained well below the gas port in the lid. A plugged gas port would cause pressure to build-up and break the seal between the fermenter body and lid. Creating a mess if krausen were to spill out or worse yet damaging the integrity of the fermenter or lid.

The ball valve outlet port is located (1in/2.54cm) from the bottom of the fermenter. The trub layer remained far enough below the bottom of the ball valve port to allow the transfer of clear beer to the waiting kegs. And the removable lid helped make clean up easy enough to do using hot water and a soft cotton cloth.

Krausen Remained Several Inches Below The Lid Throughout Fermentation

Filling the kegs with StarSan purges them of oxygen before coming into contact with beer. Using Co2 pressure to empty the kegs of StarSan assures an oxygen-free beer transfer. To prepare for the transfer after fermentation completes disconnect the blow-off tube from the Co2 gas post on the lid. Then with the regulator set to 3 psi pressure connect the Co2 line to the gas post on the fermenter. To purge oxygen from the beer transfer line, connect one end to the ball valve on the fermenter. Then loosen the connection to the beer line connector on the other end. To prevent trub from getting into the keg, open the ball valve a little until the beer runs clear. Catching any initial trub laden beer in a small container to be discarded. To transfer the beer, tighten the connection to the beer line connector and attach it to the keg beer post. With the ball valve wide open the closed transfer should fill the keg in about fifteen minutes.

Oxygen-Free Closed Transfer Using Co2 Pressure To Move The Beer

Opening the pressure relief valve on the keg will allow Co2 to escape as the beer volume in the keg increases. The beer will continue to flow as long as the fermenter pressure exceeds the pressure in the keg. Closing the pressure relief valve and disconnecting the beer connector completes the transfer. Close the ball valve and disconnect the Co2 connector from the gas post on the fermenter. Then increase the Co2 pressure to fifteen psi and connect it to the keg to seal the lid gasket. The full kegs can then go into a refrigerator to carbonate and condition.

Still Looking Good As New After Fermenting Two Batches 

The fermenters were easy to clean using nothing more than a steady stream of hot water and a soft cotton cloth. A final soaking of hot Powdered Brewery Wash solution made the inside squeaky clean. Followed by a rinse with clean water and a spray of StarSan on the inside they were ready to dry and put away. The lid needed cleaning once the gas ports, thermowell and hole plug installations. Bar Keepers Friend made short work of restoring the outer finish and making it look like new. Both fermenters will continue to look like new for a very long time with minimal effort.

Chapman Fermenter - Closed Transfer Modification

The plastic fermenters in my brew room are nearly ten years old and ready for replacement. They still produce a good quality beer but they're not likely to support closed transfer keg filling. Using Co2 to push beer into a keg under pressure without having to rely on gravity solves two problems. Not having to dead lift fermenters out of a fermentation chamber will eliminate back strain. And pushing beer into a keg using Co2 will keep the beer fresher by preventing oxygen absorption.

Low Pressure Test Of Co2 Closed Transfer To Keg

The ported Chapman seven gallon UniVessel Tank with ball valve best fit my budget and needs for a stainless steel fermenter. They are well made and sturdy enough for use in low-pressure transfers. However, a few modifications will need to be made to their lids. The center hole needs to be blocked to seal the tank. Holes for a gas ball lock and thermowell weldless bulkhead fittings need to be drilled.

Co2 Ball Lock and Thermowell Weldless Bulkhead Fittings

Tool List:

• A spray can of no-stick cooking oil 
• 3/16 inch drill bit 
• 1/4 to 7/8 inch step bit
• 3/8 inch electric drill
• Ruler, center punch and hammer
• Channel-lock pliers or adjustable wrenches

Mark Center Of Hole Location And Dimple With Center Punch and Hammer

Cooking oil is a food-safe lubricant and perfect for drilling holes in stainless steel. It is easy to wipe off with a paper towel and remove with OxiClean.

Before drilling the 3/16 inch pilot hole spray cooking oil on the lid at the location of the hole. Apply downward pressure on the drill while quickly turning the motor on and off. This will prevent the drill bit from overheating and dulling it.

Slowly Drill Pilot Hole In Lid

Next, coat the step bit with cooking oil. And slowly use it to enlarge the pilot hole to a 1/2 inch diameter. Wipe off any excess oil and drill shavings from the lid.

Increase Hole Size From 3/16 To 1/2 Inch Diameter

Then turn the lid over and carefully remove any sharp edges using the step bit. Using a slow drill speed and minimal downward pressure of the drill motor. Care should be taken to remove any sharp burrs without making the hole larger than 1/2 inch in diameter.

Fermenter Lid With Gas Post And Thermowell Installed

With the holes deburred and all cooking oil removed the weldless bulkhead fittings can be installed. By hand start the threaded fittings into the holes in the top of the lid. Use a wrench if needed to thread the fittings all the way into each hole. Screw the lock nuts with washers on from the lid bottom. Snug the lock nuts up to the fittings hand tight. Then use a pair of wrenches to firmly tighten the lock nuts and fittings. Avoid over-tightening the fittings at this point. Squeezing the washers too tight may cause the fittings to leak or damage the washers.

#10 Rubber Stopper With 5/16 Inch Bolt, Nut And Washers

Stainless Steel Hardware List:

• 2 - 5/16 x 2 inch hex bolts
• 2 - 5/16 inch fender washers
• 2 - 5/15 inch flat washers
• 2 - 5/16 inch hex head nuts

To seal the 1 3/4 inch hole in the center of the lid with a #10 rubber stopper. Drill a 1/4 inch hole down through the center of the stopper. Then thread a 5/16 x 2 inch bolt with a fender, flat and lock washer into the narrow end of the stopper. Push the stopper into the center hole from the top of the lid. Add a fender, flat, lock washer and nut to the bolt end and firmly tighten them together. This will compress and expand the stopper in the hole creating an airtight seal.

Modified 7 Gallon Fermenters In A G&E 7 Cubic Foot Chest Freezer

When fermenting a Kolsch style beer using 1/4 inch inside diameter blowoff tubes connected to the gas posts. The 5.25 gallons of wort inside the 7-gallon fermenters left plenty of headroom for fermentation without fear of clogging the blowoff tubes. When fermenting a heavily hopped beer using a larger diameter blowoff tube is a good idea. Just unscrew the gas posts and clamp 1/2 inch inside diameter silicone tubing to the threaded end of the bulkhead fittings. The larger diameter tubing will further reduce the chance of clogging. But as far as this batch of beer goes primary fermentation is nearly done and everything is working out perfectly.

The maximum pressure rating of the Chapman fermenters is 3 psi. Use care not to exceed 2-3 psi when leak testing or using the fermenter under pressure. Failure to do so can cause the fermenter lid to become disfigured. Other than that as per Steve Chapman "The fermenters hold up just fine for pressure transfers, and many other uses."

Stainless Steel Heating Element Upgrade

High Gravity 5500 Watt Stainless Steel Heating Element

After four years of regular use, I starting seeing small black specks of what I thought were burnt wort at the bottom of the kettle. On closer inspection, I saw that the hard insulator around the heating element was deteriorating. The rubber boot covering the 220-volt wire connections to the heating element had become brittle some time ago. And the electrical tape added as a quick fix didn't appear to be waterproof or safe. It was time to replace the heating element. 

I submitted a service request to High Gravity Supplies describing what happened to the original heating element. That day I received an email from owner Dave Knott letting me know what replacement options were available. The first option would be to replace the original water heater type element with a newer BoilCoil element. This option would require more rework of my kettle than I cared to. Having a removable power cord would make cleaning in place a thing of the past. But it would require drilling a new hole to allow clearance for the taller BoilCoil. Then plug the original hole used by the old element. And drilling holes for the bolts that hold the basket above the BoilCoil.

The second option would be a direct replacement of the original heating element. There would be no extra holes to drill or plug. Just remove and replace it. I decided to go with this option. The newer element design addresses issues with insulator cracking and flaking. It also replaces the rubber wire connector cover with a sturdy stainless steel cover. All of which are improvements over the original design.

The third option was to replace only the heating element. It meant rewiring the replacement element and reusing the original power cord. It was the least expensive option but not the best one. Not without having a fix for the element insulator and connector issues.

Unscrewing The Existing Bulkhead Fitting Was A Challenge

With the necessary parts ordered and waiting to be delivered, the next step was to remove the weldless bulkhead fitting. I gave the kettle an overnight soak of Powdered Brewery Wash mixed with few gallons of 170F/68C water. Hoping the combination of cleaner and heat would make unscrewing the fitting easier.  It didn't. I soon learned how difficult a four year build up of burnt wort would make this seemingly simple task.

Using two large channel lock pliers to grip both ends of the fitting and all the strength I had the fitting did spin. But to unscrew it from the kettle one end had to be prevented from turning. I sprayed both fitting ends with vegetable oil spray. I tried it again but still no luck unscrewing the fitting. Although now it was easier to spin in the hole.

Finally, I clamped one channel lock on the heating element itself and jammed the handles against the kettle wall to keep the fitting from spinning. With the kettle on its side, I cranked down on the pliers as hard as possible. After a few sharp taps with a hammer to help loosen the carbon build up on the threads. The element started to turn while the inside nut stayed put. Breaking the heating element in two in the process because of the force applied while holding it.

After A Few Choice Words And Some Sweat The New Heating Element Is Working Great

Aside from a few small dents on the bottom of the kettle from the channel lock pliers, the new heating element looks and works great. The new design has a stainless steel cover plate to protect the insulator from direct contact with the wort. And a waterproof stainless steel connector cover has replaced the rubber one. At 5500 watts it's a small but welcome improvement over the 5000 watt element that shipped with my High Gravity system as well.

Upgrading the heating element was a bit more challenging than expected. Replacing the old element with the newer version was definitely worth the cost and effort to install it. The entire process took a little over four hours to complete. Including setup and cleanup time needed to get the kettle ready for brewing. The food-safe vegetable oil used to lubricate the holes during drilling cleaned up easily. And checking the kettle for leaks after filling it took another hour. In all the upgrade cost about $120.00. And worth it to keep my brewing system well maintained and up to date.

Chapman Fermenter - Closed Transfer Modification

The plastic fermenters in my brew room are nearly ten years old and ready for replacement. They still produce a good quality beer but they're not likely to support closed transfer keg filling. Using Co2 to push beer into a keg under pressure without having to rely on gravity solves two problems. Not having to deadlift fermenters out of a fermentation chamber will eliminate back strain. And pushing beer into a keg using Co2 will keep the beer fresher by preventing oxygen absorption.

Low Pressure Co2 Closed Transfer To Keg 

The ported Chapman seven gallon UniVessel Tank with ball valve best fit my budget and needs for a stainless steel fermenter. They are well made and sturdy enough for use in low-pressure transfers. However, a few modifications will need to be made to their lids. The center hole needs to be blocked to seal the tank. Holes for a gas ballock and thermowell weldless bulkhead fittings need to be drilled.

Co2 Ballock and Thermowell Weldless Bulkhead Fittings

Tool List:

• A spray can of no-stick cooking oil 
• 3/16 inch drill bit 
• 1/4 to 7/8 inch step bit
• 3/8 inch electric drill
• Ruler, center punch and hammer
• Channel-lock pliers or adjustable wrenches

Mark Center Of Hole Location And Dimple With Center Punch and Hammer

Cooking oil is a food-safe lubricant and perfect for drilling holes in stainless steel. It is easy to wipe off with a paper towel and remove with OxiClean.

Before drilling the 3/16 inch pilot hole spray cooking oil on the lid at the location of the hole. Apply downward pressure on the drill while quickly turning the motor on and off. This will prevent the drill bit from overheating and dulling it.

Slowly Drill Pilot Hole In Lid

Next, coat the step bit with cooking oil. And slowly use it to enlarge the pilot hole to a 1/2 inch diameter. Wipe off any excess oil and drill shavings from the lid.

Increase Hole Size From 3/16 To 1/2 Inch Diameter

Then turn the lid over and carefully remove any sharp edges using the step bit. Using a slow drill speed and minimal downward pressure of the drill motor. Care should be taken to remove any sharp burrs without making the hole larger than 1/2 inch in diameter.

Fermenter Lid With Gas Post And Thermowell Installed

With the holes deburred and all cooking oil removed the weldless bulkhead fittings can be installed. By hand start the threaded fittings into the holes in the top of the lid. Use a wrench if needed to thread the fittings all the way into each hole. Screw the lock nuts with washers on from the lid bottom. Snug the lock nuts up to the fittings hand tight. Then use a pair of wrenches to firmly tighten the lock nuts and fittings. Avoid over-tightening the fittings at this point. Squeezing the washers too tight may cause the fittings to leak or damage the washers.

#10 Rubber Stopper With 5/16 Inch Bolt, Nut And Washers

Stainless Steel Hardware List:

• 2 - 5/16 x 2 inch hex bolts
• 2 - 5/16 inch fender washers
• 2 - 5/15 inch flat washers
• 2 - 5/16 inch hex head nuts

To seal the 1 3/4 inch hole in the center of the lid with a #10 rubber stopper. Drill a 1/4 inch hole down through the center of the stopper. Then thread a 5/16 x 2 inch bolt with a fender, flat and lock washer into the narrow end of the stopper. Push the stopper into the center hole from the top of the lid. Add a fender, flat, lock washer and nut to the bolt end and firmly tighten them together. This will compress and expand the stopper in the hole creating an airtight seal.

Modified 7 Gallon Fermenters In A G&E 7 Cubic Foot Chest Freezer

When fermenting a Kolsch style beer using 1/4 inch inside diameter blowoff tubes connected to the gas posts. The 5.25 gallons of wort inside the 7-gallon fermenters left plenty of headroom for fermentation without fear of clogging the blowoff tubes. When fermenting a heavily hopped beer using a larger diameter blowoff tube is a good idea. Just unscrew the gas posts and clamp 1/2 inch inside diameter silicone tubing to the threaded end of the bulkhead fittings. The larger diameter tubing will further reduce the chance of clogging. But as far as this batch of beer goes primary fermentation is nearly done and everything is working out perfectly.

The maximum pressure rating of the Chapman fermenters is 3 psi. Use care not to exceed 2-3 psi when leak testing or using the fermenter under pressure. Failure to do so can cause the fermenter lid to become disfigured. Other than that as per Steve Chapman "The fermenters hold up just fine for pressure transfers, and many other uses."

The Ultimate Hazy NE IPA Brewday

It's definitely about the haze! Case in point, Sloop Brewing Company's Juice Bomb NE IPA. Hazy, golden and unfiltered. This Northeastern style IPA continues to be one of my favorite beers to both drink and brew. Over a two year period, I managed to brew a hundred gallons of what has become my favorite NE IPA recipe. Having this much beer on hand allowed me to share it with a very wide range of beer drinkers. Having sampled from several of my batches many commented on how much they like this beer. Including some who avoid IPAs because they find them to be undrinkable. While a small percentage did not care for this style the majority of beer drinkers liked it.

  

Sloop Juice Bomb Northeastern IPA Clone

Without a doubt, the 'Haze Craze' is a popular topic of conversation for craft beer enthusiasts. The style has generated a lot of questions and its fair share of controversy too. Tales about the rapid oxidation of NE IPAs soon after packaging are not uncommon. And the pains some brewers are taking to avoid it are astounding. But by following a few simple guidelines I have managed to avoid oxidation issues in any of my batches. The following information is a proven approach you can use to brew the ultimate Juice Bomb NE IPA clone.

Hazy Versus Cloudy 

Any discussion of the NE IPA style eventually leads to the question of "what causes the haze to form?". While some brewers say they add raw flour to their beer to make it cloudy. In reality, the secret to brewing a juicy tasting beer with a long lasting haze comes down to two things. Biotransformations and permanent chill haze. The former describes the process of converting non-aromatic hop compounds into aromatic compounds. Aromas that include citrus pine and floral that would otherwise not be present. The later is a product of malt protein and hop polyphenols that cause a beer to form a haze at cold temperatures. It is worth noting that permanent chill haze is flavorless having no impact on beer taste.

There are very good reasons not to add flour to a beer. Flour will make a beer cloudy, murky and opaque. But flour will not make a hazy beer. To me adding flour to a beer in an attempt to make it hazy is pretty much nothing more than a ruse. Adding flour to beer will make the beer murky and also introduce flavor and stability issues. Another thing to avoid is using a low flocculating strain of yeast. The cells of those strains will make your beer cloudy by staying in suspension longer. But they will also add a yeasty flavor profile that is uncharacteristic for a true NE IPA beer style.

Add Plenty Of Whirlpool And Dry Hops

On To The Recipe

I first learned about Sloop Brewing Company and their Juice Bomb NE IPA at my daughter's wedding. It was the only IPA that Foxfire Mountain House had on tap at the time. Little did I know then but Zymurgy Magazine had published a Juice Bomb clone recipe in their May/June 2017 issue. In that same issue, Martin Brungard also had an article for creating the perfect NE IPA water profile! Coincidence? Or had the stars had aligned at the right moment in time? After rejecting the idea of brewing a hazy beer for months I finally relented.

Hops are a major contributor to the appearance and taste of an NE IPA. Having the ability to whirlpool hops after flameout for an extended period of time is a must. Especially when it comes to juicing up aroma to NE IPA levels. Late boil, whirlpool, and dry hop additions each contribute a different aroma character. This recipe relies on whirlpool hops and dry hops for its aroma. At flameout whirlpool the hop addition until the wort temperature drops to [170 ° F/76 ° C]. When brewing a [10-gallon/38 L] batch this process takes approximately 45 minutes on my system.

I like the citrus character that Cascade hops add. And I've modified the original recipe to include them in the whirlpool. About ~75% of the total IBUs come from the whirlpool and dry hop additions. The remaining ~25% of the total IBUs come from a small 30 minute Citra hop addition. The following ingredient amounts listed are for a [10-gallon/38 L] batch of Juice Bomb. When brewing a [5-gallon/19 L] batch divide the ingredient amounts in half where applicable

Juice Bomb Original Gravity 1.059

I realize not everyone brews 10-gallon batches on a 15-gallon BIAB system like I do. For convenience follow the link to ezRecipe "The easy way to awesome beer!" Use it as needed to adjust this recipe to work with your brewing system. ezRecipe is a 100% free full-featured recipe designer that is easy to learn and easy to use. And it's available now in both US and Metric versions.

Remove the complexities of mash pH prediction once and for all. ezRecipe uses 100% pure reverse osmosis or distilled source water. No more struggling to interpret outdated or incomplete water reports.

10-gallon/38 L Batch Size:

Adjust Mash Strike Water Volume Efficiency And Thickness Where Needed

When preparing the wort mash the grains at 148 ° F [64 ° C] for 60 minutes. Using ezBIAB makes it easy to adjust the brewhouse settings to your own brewing system. My brewing system needs a 13.5-gallon [51-liter] pre-boil wort volume. A 11.75-gallon [44.5-liter] post boil wort volume. And a 12-gallon [45.5-liter] treated mash strike water volume. Remember to adjust the mash efficiency to match that of your brewing system. Targeting a 75% mash efficiency is a safe bet for most BIAB systems. Although after brewing several batches my results are a few percentage points higher.



Grains:

Nothing At All Complicated About The Grain Bill

Ever since moving to a BIAB system I like to double crush my grain to increase mash efficiency. Crushing the grain no more than a day or two in advance will assure the most freshness. Giving the mash a good stir every 15 to 20 minutes will also help increase mash efficiency too.

 21 lbs. [9.5 kg] Pale 2 Row-US Malt
  2 lbs. [0.9 kg] Torrified Wheat-US



Adjuncts:

** Optional  Can Be Added To Increase ABV If Desired **

As far as adding an adjunct to increase the recipe's alcohol content I leave that up to the brewer to decide. If omitted the ABV of this recipe will be 5.8% instead of 6.5%. To me the increased alcohol content is a nice to have. It dries the beer a bit and adds what I perceive to be a subtle sweetness that works well with this beer style. Add the sugar to the wort while stirring with 10 minutes remaining to the boil and you're done.


  1.5 lbs. [.68 kg] Pure Cane Sugar



Brewing Water:

Classic Brewing Water Profile For A NE IPA

Filtering your reverse osmosis water the day before will save time on brewday. I store the water in a covered 15-gallon food grade tank overnight. The next morning I stir in the gypsum, calcium chloride, Epsom Salt and lactic acid additions. An hour or so later allowing time for the brewing water pH to stabilize I transfer the brewing water to the mash tun. My BIAB vessel is too small to hold the grains and brewing water at the same time. So I filter an extra 4-gallons [15.1-liters] of water to use for sparging the grains to hit the required pre-boil volume. The sparge water for this recipe doesn't need brewing salts or acid additions.



Hop Additions (Pellets):

Add Whirlpool Addition At Flameout And Circulate Until Wort Drops To 170 ° F [76 ° C]

One of the goals when brewing a NE IPA is to cut out all harsh bitterness that's associated with an IPA style beer. The hop schedule and brewing water set this recipe apart from the typical IPA. Unlike the IPA style the majority of IBUs in a NE IPA come from late kettle hop additions and from dry hopping. While the NE IPA brewing water profile delivers a maltier character one not as harsh or bitter as an IPA.

A single bitterness hop addition goes in at 30 minutes remaining to the boil and is removed at flameout. The whirlpool hops are then added and the wort circulated until the temperature falls to 170 ° F [76.5 ° C]. This takes about 45 minutes on my BIAB electric system. Remove all whirlpool hops once the wort cools down to [170 ° F/76 ° C]. Using a counter-flow chiller to cool the wort when filling the fermenters takes about 20 to 30 minutes.

Once the airlock slows to 3 or 4 bubbles per minute its time to add the dry hops to the fermenters. Put the dry hop additions in a weighted hop bag to keep them completely submerged in the fermenting beer. I use sanitized stainless steel bolts as weights with great results. When dry hopping the most recent batches I left the hops soaking in the fermenting beer for 7 days. The end result was an pleasant easy to drink beer loaded with juicy citrus flavor and aromas.


2 ozs. [57 g] Citra - first wort hop addition
2 ozs. [57 g] Amarillo Gold - whirlpool
2 ozs. [57 g] Cascade - whirlpool
2 ozs. [57 g] Citra - whirlpool
2 ozs. [57 g] Simcoe - whirlpool
2 ozs. [57 g] Amarillo Gold - dry hop
8 ozs. [227 g] Citra - dry hop
2 ozs. [56.7 g] Simcoe - dry hop




Yeast And Fermentation:

The recommended yeast for fermenting this recipe is White Labs - English Ale Yeast WLP002. A very high flocculation strain with medium  attenuation. For best results make a yeast starter and pitch at a rate of 200 billion yeast cells per [5-gallons/19-liters] of beer. For a [10-gallon/38-liter] batch make a starter using [1-cup/180-grams] extra light dry malt extract in 2000-ml water. Into the room temperature wort pitch 2 - White Labs English Ale Yeast WLP002 pure pitch packets. Use a stirplate to keep the cells oxygenated until the starter reaches high krausen.

Yeast Starter To Increase Cell Count And Vitality

After oxygenating the wort pitch the starter and ferment at [65 ° F/18.3 ° C] to reduce ester production. Starting on day 8 increase the fermentation temperature until it reaches [68 ° F/20 ° C] on day 12. Allow 2 days to cold crash the beer. Transfer to kegs and carbonate at 12-psi for one week before serving.

Pitch Yeast And Ferment At [65 ° F/18.3 ° C]

Nothing brings people together better than enjoying a few delicious beers. Juice Bomb NE IPA is best enjoyed with friends and family alike. One thing is for sure. Once they've tried this beer they will always come back for more. So keep this recipe handy and be ready for the next time you're asked to brew a batch.

You'll Love Juice Bomb Either On Tap Or In Bottles