Spunding

[Banjo-guy]

Is anyone using a spunding valve? From what I’ve read it let’s you ferment at a higher temperature and makes fermentation go more quickly. I ferment in a corny keg so it would be easy for me to spund.
What’s the theory behind spunding? I think it has to do with the higher pressure controlling esters that are produced at high fermenting temperatures.

[MadBrewer]

I have been doing it for about a year now. Yes, fermentation with a little bit of pressure can help keep some sters in check or decrease them when fermenting at a warmer temperature but I don't think it's really a concern or advantage at our home brewing level.

The main purpose of a spunding valve is to naturally carbonate the the beer. If you catch the tail end of fermentation, only a few gravity points left you cap the fermentation and the sounding valve allows fermentation to carbonate the beer naturally while letting any excess pressure bleed off at your set point.

It has it's pros and cons. I mainly use one because I can't stand air locks and with a couple psi on the fermentation, it keeps blow offs under control.

[MadBrewer]

I put this one together myself. Here it is carbonating the beer near the end of fermentation.



Here it is finishing up carbonation at higher psi.

[Banjo-guy]

I’m going to try it when I get back to brewing in the fall. I don’t have any problem with air locks although I rarely use them.
Free carbon while spunding is a nice thing and it would speed the process up a little.