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Build Your Own Spunding Valve To Carbonate in The Keg

This document describes how to build a homemade spunding valve to naturally carbonate homebrew in a Cornelius keg. It involves attaching a pressure relief valve and gauge to the inlet of the keg using brass fittings. Beer is transferred to the keg when fermentation is almost complete and the pressure builds as carbonation occurs. The relief valve is adjusted to retain the desired carbonation pressure level of 14 PSI. After a few days of monitoring pressure, the beer is ready to serve from the carbonated keg without further transferring.

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Fernanda Massini
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48 views2 pages

Build Your Own Spunding Valve To Carbonate in The Keg

This document describes how to build a homemade spunding valve to naturally carbonate homebrew in a Cornelius keg. It involves attaching a pressure relief valve and gauge to the inlet of the keg using brass fittings. Beer is transferred to the keg when fermentation is almost complete and the pressure builds as carbonation occurs. The relief valve is adjusted to retain the desired carbonation pressure level of 14 PSI. After a few days of monitoring pressure, the beer is ready to serve from the carbonated keg without further transferring.

Uploaded by

Fernanda Massini
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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8/29/2017 Build Your Own Spunding Valve to Carbonate in the Keg

Beer Styles
Techniques
Home Story Index View by Issue Jan/Feb 2007
   

Build Your Own Spunding Valve to


Carbonate in the Keg
Author:  Marc Martin
Issue: Jan/Feb 2007
With this homemade spunding valve you can naturally carbonate your
homebrew by capturing the carbon dioxide produced late in fermenation
just like many pros do on the commercial side.

Having brewed on some large scale and pilot systems in breweries around the Portland area, I have been able to pick
up some tricks that can be readily adapted to homebrewing. One of these techniques is the  capping of a bright tank for
the retention of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced late in fermentation.  This produces naturally carbonated beer. For
homebrewers, the most logical vessel for a sealed secondary fermenter is the Cornelius keg. The challenge becomes
how to retain enough carbon dioxide pressure to provide for the right level of natural carbonation, but to vent any
excess pressure.

Nine years ago, I sought to solve this problem. The best way I found was to build a version of the valve and gauge
system, called a spunding valve, that is used in large commercial systems. An adjustable pressure relief valve and a 0–
30 PSI gauge are the main two things needed. To connect these to the inlet side of a Corny keg, I used a brass Y adapter
(one MPT “in” side and two FTP “out” sides), a standard ball lock fitting and a brass coupler (FTP on both ends) to
connect the ball lock fitting to the Y adapter. All threads use plumbers pipe fitting tape to 
prevent leakage.

To create your own naturally carbonated homebrew, simply transfer your beer into a sanitized Corny keg when your
beer is 2–5 points above your estimated terminal gravity. For example, if your yeast is 80% attenuative and your
starting gravity was 1.050, your target final gravity is 1.010. Thus, you should transfer your beer when a reading of
about 1.015 is achieved. Place your pressure relief valve and gauge on the inlet tube side of your keg and keep the keg at
normal fermentation temperatures. Check it daily and watch the pressure in the keg build.

To calibrate the adjustable pressure relief valve, you only need to monitor the pressure gauge. When it slightly exceeds
your desired carbonation pressure (I generally shoot for  14 PSI) turn the top adjuster counter clockwise until pressure
just starts to bleed off. Watch the gauge and when 14 PSI is indicated turn the adjuster back in (clockwise) until the
pressure stops escaping.

After 4 or 5 days, turn the relief valve adjuster back in (clockwise) 1/2 turn and monitor the gauge for another day. If
the pressure does not increase, you know that all secondary fermentation has ceased and the proper carbonation level
has been retained.

An added bonus is that you need not transfer your beer again. It is well carbonated and ready to chill. Your secondary
fermenter also doubles as your serving tank. Cheers! 

Parts List:

Brass Y adapter and brass coupler


Pressure relief valve (the one I used is made by the Schrader Bellows Co. in Akron, Ohio. The part number is
RV01A1N030SB)  
0–30 PSI gauge   

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8/29/2017 Build Your Own Spunding Valve to Carbonate in the Keg

Tagged under  Build It Yourself

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