yes that is exactly what I was thinking. to have the second valve 6-8 inches above the valve. but I'm not sure if its necessary or if it would be better to dump the yeast and trub first. I'm planning on yeast cultivation also, so I thought with a rotating arm I could harvest yeast for cultivation. Am I going in the wrong direction here?
Let's ensure we're all on the same page, here.
The point of the upper valve - also called the racking port, that's the one on the side of the cone - is for decanting bright beer. Yeast and trub are removed from the bottom valve - the one at the apex of the cone.
An internal apparatus on the racking port isn't really necessary. If you get turbid beer when you open the racking port valve, remove more mixed trub and yeast from the apex valve. Repeat until the trub level sinks beyond the racking port.
Harvesting from the apex valve is pretty straightforward: crack the valve until trub starts coming out. Once trub stops flowing, you should be able to recognize the tan slime as yeast.
Note: you will always get
some yeast when you open the racking port for the first time. If the beer is still turbid after a half-pint or so is drawn, drop some more trub.
Note II: Don't forget to take the blowoff tube out of the sanitizer before you open a valve! Verily, that sucketh mightily - and literally; ucky sanitizer right back into the conical! Not that that's ever happened to me... :cross:
Note III: Be careful of the yeast you harvest. The stuff that's sitting right on top of the trub is the first to drop out of suspension and is probably weak and therefore undesirable. If you harvest that yeast and keep repitching it, you'll eventually get wierdness in your yeast (low flocculation, low attenuation, etc.). Better to get a good mix.
Note IV: Some yeasts are better than others in a conical fermenter. Ringwood, for example, is a rotten conical yeast, but works great in an open fermenter. Cal V is a great conical yeast.
Yadda yadda yadda. Conicals rock, and you're going to make great beer!
Cheers,
Bob