Back in August 2022, we got our hands on Keg King’s Apollo Titan fermenter, and it’s been our go-to fermenter ever since! The stainless steel construction is top-notch, and the small opening at the top gives us a reliable seal every time.
One thing we mentioned in our review was that the Pressure Relief Valve (PRV) port, also known as the dry hop port, was just too small. We suggested adding a 1.5" tri-clover opening on the lid to make the fermenter more versatile. This would let you attach a sight glass or hop bong for oxygen-free dry hopping and dry hop without losing all the pressure if you’re into pressure fermenting.
We certainly weren't the only ones to suggest a larger opening on the lid, and it turns out Keg King were listening to the feedback as they have now released a replacement lid for the Apollo range of fermenters to address this.
What's In The Box?
The replacement lid arrived bubble-wrapped in the usual Keg King-style black printed cardboard box. It came with everything you see in the picture below. Here’s the full list of what you get:
- Apollo stainless lid including 2" tri clover port/opening
- 2" tri clover end cap
- 2" beaded seal
- 2" tri clamp
- Liquid and gas ball lock posts
- 3 x spare/replacement safety bungs
- Stainless steel PRV
- Thermowell port cover/cap
There is no plastic ring collar included as the one that comes with your Apollo fermenter still fits.
Stainless Steel Construction
The first thing you’ll notice is that the lid is all stainless steel, making it the perfect match for your Apollo Titan stainless fermenter. It’s also compatible with the other PET plastic models in the Apollo range. Stainless steel is the superstar of brewing materials - it’s durable, heat and chemical resistant, shiny, and super easy to clean. And there's no shortage of it here, with the majority of the components like the end cap, clamp, ball lock posts, PRV housing all being made from stainless steel as well.
Assembly & Installation
Assembly is a breeze. The lid comes with the ball lock posts and PRV attached. Just attach the 2" seal and end cap, secure with the 2" tri clamp, and you’re good to go. If you want to attach a sight glass or other dry hopping device, you can replace the 2" end cap with those. A bit of food-grade lubricant on the red seal helps ensure a nice, leak-free seal when attaching to the fermenter. The lid is held in place with the plastic neck ring from the original lid mechanism.
A Closer Look
Let's dive in and take a closer look at the features of the Stainless Steel Pressure Lid. The gas and liquid ball lock posts are made with stainless steel, with the standard notches at the base of the gas post to help differentiate between them.
Doubling down on the stainless steel construction, we've also got a stainless steel PRV housing with a white (25 psi) PRV included to protect against over-pressuring.
As an extra safety measure, Keg King have included a “safety bung” that will pop out if the pressure goes above 25 psi and the PRV fails to release the excess gas.
This is a welcome addition since it's sometimes easy to forget about safety when dealing with pressurised fermentation vessels. Even within the recommended pressure range, always double-check and release the pressure first before undoing any clamps. It's a simple mistake to make, and if you need a reminder of what could go wrong, check out this Clawhammer Supply video where Kyle almost lost his head to a flying stainless steel end cap when he didn’t depressurize one of their new fermenters before removing a similar end cap!
So after fitting your Spundy (or other) spunding valve to the gas post, you'll ultimately have three layers of pressure protection with the spunding valve, PRV and safety bung.
On the underside of the Pressure Lid, there’s a large white hexagonal piece that screws onto the 1/2" BSP thread where the thermowell would normally go. You can unscrew this and attach the thermowell that came with your Apollo fermenter or leave it in place. One very small complaint here is that if opting to not attach the thermowell, you're left with a hole in the top of the lid (as pictured below), that will inevitably gather dust and whatever else over time. Of course the white cap on the underside prevents any of this from actually entering your fermenter, but we'd ultimately prefer this to be sealed off. We tried to fit one of the spare pressure bungs into this hole but couldn't make it fit (the bung was too large). A smaller rubber bung/stopper to fit here would be a nice little addition in the future.
The star of the show is the 2" opening though, which is plenty of space for even the most aggressive dry-hop charges. Most other fermenters feature 1.5" openings on the lid, so 2" is pretty generous. You can get a 2" to 1.5" adapter if you already have 1.5" accessories or stick with 2" fittings like butterfly valves and sight glasses/dry hop dosers.
The 2" opening is also large enough to be able to insert things like you're digital hydrometer, fill/transfer from your brew kettle, as well as pitching your yeast without having to remove the entire lid mechanism. It's only a little thing, but we much prefer not having to open the entire lid which reduces the likelihood of contaminants and/or oxygen from entering your fermenter.
It’s impressive how much Keg King have fit onto the relatively small lid. While it might seem a bit crowded, there’s enough space to comfortably attach and remove ball lock disconnects from the posts, though you will need to be mindful of how your tri-clamp is oriented to ensure you have enough room. Having the clamp hinge oriented between the ball lock posts and the clamp fastener facing away from the posts as pictured below seemed to work well for us with our testing.
If fitting some kind of dry hopping device onto the lid, you'll more than likely use a butterfly valve so you'll need to be careful when orienting this to ensure you can operate the butterfly valve and still be able to access all the other components on the lid as well.
The Price
The only real downside is the price. At AUD$74.95, it’s not cheap, but stainless steel equipment rarely is. You’re paying a premium price for a premium product. For us, it was an easy decision - a stainless lid on our stainless fermenter will last for years with proper care and maintenance. Plus, the ability to dry hop under pressure and without needing to remove the entire lid assembly is a real game-changer, and well worth the investment.
Final Thoughts
With the seemingly endless surge in popularity of hop-forward style beers, homebrewers are demanding the best equipment to help them make these styles at home. There's no disputing the negative impact that dissolved oxygen has on finished beer, so equipment to help reduce oxygen exposure is becoming a must. As a consumer it's also great to see manufacturers like Keg King listening to customer feedback and making improvements.
The new Apollo Stainless Steel Pressure Lid, along with a few other accessories, will up your dry hopping game and enhance your hoppy IPA's and Pale Ales. Even without these accessories, you can gain the added convenience of being able to add open your fermenter for filling, pitching yeast or dropping in your digital hydrometer without needing to remove the entire lid.
Sure, it's a bit pricey, but you're paying for top-notch quality. If you're serious about brewing these styles, this upgrade is definitely worth considering for your next brew day!
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