Are secondary tanks always pressurized?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by perfection, Apr 18, 2024.

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  1. perfection

    perfection Initiate (172) Apr 6, 2018 India

    if a brewer moves the 'green beer' to a secondary tank after primary fermentation. ; are such tanks always pressurized (as in airtight so that the CO2 released by the remnant yeast dissolves in the beer)?

    If so, how do unitanks function? - do they vent CO2 during primary fermentation AND are capable of being pressurized at an appropriate time after attenuated fermentation has ceased?
     
    #1 perfection, Apr 18, 2024
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  2. Genuine

    Genuine Maven (1,347) May 7, 2009 Connecticut

    Depending on what a brewery wants to do and how they want to do it...they could use a device called a "Spunding" valve that'll keep a certain pressure in the tank and only release if it goes beyond that set pressure...and you can get some carbonation into the beer that way and save CO2. If they move to a bright tank, I would imagine it would be purged with CO2 to prevent any oxidation from happening and for the beer to mature. Unitanks are something that you can ferment and carbonate in the same vessel without any sort of oxygen exposure.
     
    #2 Genuine, Apr 18, 2024
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  3. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yes.
     
    #3 BBThunderbolt, Apr 18, 2024
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  4. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,647) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    If the primary tanks aren't vented, they can fail catastrophically. Boom!

    I have seen the aftermath.
     
    #4 hopfenunmaltz, Apr 19, 2024
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  5. MostlyNorwegian

    MostlyNorwegian Pooh-Bah (2,236) Feb 5, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    Yes. In either instance. You can capture, and/or vent off carbonation.
    If a beer is being held for whatever reason in either instance, and where it doesn't need to be carbonated. It will be with a blanket of carbonation of a few psi.
     
    #5 MostlyNorwegian, Apr 20, 2024
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