Question about fermenting in Brewzilla

[licn2chill]

I just ordered a conical dome for my Brewzilla 3.1 along with the plug pre-drilled to accommodate an airlock. If after sparging and removing the grain pipe, chilling the wort, is it possible to pitch my yeast directly into the kettle and use it as a primary fermenter? If so, this would alleviate lots of extra work, including accidentally introducing oxygen to my wort. I began to worry if the dead yeast would create a problem. My plan was to then attach a hose to the spigot and run the fermented beer into the bottling bucket. I wouldn't use the pump once I pitch the yeast to prevent and clogging. Has anyone tried this idea yet and also does anyone have any thoughts or other hints/ideas?

 

[BOB357]

Introducing oxygen to the wort prior to or just after pitching is a plus in most cases, so transferring to a fermenter can be a plus. As for transferring to the bottling bucket after fermentation, between kettle trub and settling in the fermenter, the trub level may well be above the spigot so I'd just go with using a fermenter unless you plan on siphoning. Probably easier to just use a fermenter. You'd need to clean the Brewzilla either way.

 

[licn2chill]

Thanks for replying Bob. I use an aerator prior to and for a while after pitching my yeast, so that's not a problem. I was watching a video of a guy brewing with a Brewzilla and actually he was trying out the version 4 and unpacked the conical lid. That got me thinking about simply putting the plug with airlock into the hole in the lid. I'm not interested in distilling, but would like to be able to use the hinged latches on my brewpot for something. The pour spigot is several inches above the bottom. I saw that version 4 has a conical bottom, no more tipping the Brewzilla over to collect the last of the beer. Just thought of using my 'zilla to it's full potential.

 

[McMullan]

It's not really recommended. A little nutritious trub is considered beneficial for fermentation (yeast) generally and sometimes it helps promote yeast flocculation, but a kettle full, potentially containing hop debris, too? Probably not a good idea. There's a risk of introducing 'trub bite', potentially requiring additional time to get a stable product ready for packaging. When it finally goes bright, which probably takes longer than usual, due to residual yeast activity disturbing the sedimenting trub, the colloidal properties (suspended solids) potentially get altered negatively, stripping desirable flavour from the beer. The charged trub particles acting like a filter, that is. Potential problems with yeast harvesting as well. So, as already noted, if the kettle were used for fermentation, ideally, the wort is transferred off the cold break and the kettle gets cleaned and sanitised, before transferring the wort back. I'm struggling to see any real benefit to using the kettle for fermentation, tbh. Unless it were the only available means of controlling fermentation temperature. If done 'properly' it involves additional steps on brew day. If done to cut corners it introduces unnecessary risks of producing a beer not as good as its alternative.