floating dip tube?

So I have ben rocking the no chill biab process and fermenting in corny kegs. It's pretty great, but I do end up with more sediment in both my primary and serving kegs (no vorlauf or cold break).

I came across the Cask Widge (caskwidge.com), and I am planning a DIY incarnation. To prototype, I will use an empty white labs vial for a float, wire tied to a length of silicone tubing.

My main sticking point is attaching this apparatus to the liquid post. My best idea is to cut a dip tube down to a few inches and try to slip the hose over it and hose clamp it down, but that's a fairly tricky feat one handed on the inside of the keg.

Anybody try something like this? Any ideas on attaching silicone hose to the liquid post so it can slide in from the top, or an easier way than a hose clamp to do it one handed? While we're at it, any ideas for a more elegant float solution?

I could just trim the dip tubes, but I would rather have something that adjusts for the volume of trub in a given batch. Plus a floating dip tube would make sanitary top cropping a breeze!

Get an extra "gas in" tube and just use 1/4" silicone that will slip on tight over the post, no clamp needed. The hard part is going to be figuring out the float end so that it doesn't suck air.

Just looked at the web site and they sell the float alone in the accessory section. I have seen these before and always thought it as a good idea.

Just checked out the website again myself. It looks like the standard red floats are for 9-11 gallon casks and are 22.5 inches long. The "self cut" clear floats can be cut to about 15" according to the product description. That's definitely not roomy enough for a 9" diameter corny keg, so it looks like the DIY float is the way to go.

EDIT: I am a dummy. I thought those measurements were the float heads themselves, not the float + tube. The floats themselves are reasonably sized-- here's a writeup at homebrewfinds.com on using them in the fermenter/serving keg: http://www.homebrewfinds.com/search?q=widge

Just ordered some 1/4" silicone hose. Will update with results when I get it working (or not).

Look closer, they have just the floating tip with out the hose at all. How were you planing on building one? what material and design?

Maybe this is a bit off the wall, but you could affix some metal to the end of the hose and a big magnet on outside of keg, then you can move your dip hose higher and lower on the keg.

I have no idea if this would actually work tho.

May be obvious to some, but not to others:

The general idea is to have a section of the float that's buoyant (aka the "top" part) sealed, and the bottom which has a screen/pickup portion. The buoyant part has enough buoyancy to float the contraption just up to near the screen/pickup.

M_C

Sounds interesting but we always just bend the dip tubes a little, no reason to cut em...

Well. It's a bit of a kludge but it works, and is basically free.


It's a wlp vial with a few washers to weigh down the bottom end, attached to some 1/4" id silicone hose. There's a gas line dip tube inserted where the tubing is wire tied to the vial to keep it from kinking.

The official cask widge is $35 from the u.s. distributor.

One more pic -- it reaches the bottom pretty perfectly.

While we're at it, any ideas for a more elegant float solution?

Click to expand...

your method appears to work already, so im not sure if this is more elegant or just more expensive...

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/NAUGATUCK-Float-4LTH3

ODI3 said:

Maybe this is a bit off the wall, but you could affix some metal to the end of the hose and a big magnet on outside of keg, then you can move your dip hose higher and lower on the keg.

I have no idea if this would actually work tho.

Click to expand...

I also like this idea. Its also handy when your buddies are always coming over and trying to 'kick the keg!' You can set the magnet to halfway down the corny and then when everyone is disappointed and goes home for the night, you have all that beer to yourself.

Hmm and I wonder why my family calls me a loner...

audger said:

your method appears to work already, so im not sure if this is more elegant or just more expensive...

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/NAUGATUCK-Float-4LTH3

Click to expand...

I've looked at those before, but they seemed a little spendy. Now that the proof of concept is worked out, though, it might be worth looking for some cheapies to develop something a bit more robust than yeast vial and wire. Still have to figure out a connection to the tubing and ideally a screen.

On the other hand, I may end up just sticking with my kludge, assuming it keeps working as well as it seems to now.

dubiouschewy said:

I've looked at those before, but they seemed a little spendy. Now that the proof of concept is worked out, though, it might be worth looking for some cheapies to develop something a bit more robust than yeast vial and wire. Still have to figure out a connection to the tubing and ideally a screen.

On the other hand, I may end up just sticking with my kludge, assuming it keeps working as well as it seems to now.

Click to expand...

I'm following this with great interest for sediment free transfers from my sanke fermenter.

Why do think you need a screen? Just stop the transfer when the beer gets cloudy. The grainger float is neat, but I think you need something non round. The tube needs to be secured to the bottom so the tube hits the bottom before the float does.

Keep pursuing this, it could be epic.

This is a pretty interesting idea. I'm interested to see where it goes.

Tried taking some yeast through the floating dip tube this morning, to see if the float is a viable top cropping technique.

My IIPA was at 24h after pitching, so it may not have been truly at high krausen yet, but there was definitely a nice layer of foam on top, and the airlock was chugging away.

At any rate, the results aren't too promising on the top-cropping front. It threatened clogging and picked up much more beer than yeast. On the other hand, I've never actually top-cropped. so I don't know what the yield is supposed to be. But it may be that a ladle is just plain easier for we corny keg fermenters.

That said, I'm still confident in the float for when it's time to transfer.

Here's a pic:

Haven't updated in awhile, but the float tube has been in regular operation for some time now, and it works great!

Just wanted to check to see if you have made any changes to the original set up? How is this working out for you?

dubiouschewy said:

Haven't updated in awhile, but the float tube has been in regular operation for some time now, and it works great!

Click to expand...

I know you haven't posted to HBT in a while, but I was wondering if you still use this method, or have made improvements, or given it up. I am considering giving it a shot.

Has anyone else tried it?

I was thinking about modifying the design slightly, by gluing some very small weights (or maybe just the glue) into the bottom of the vial so that it is weighted down slightly so the tube will always point up (until the vial rests on the bottom), and thus will always be a predictable distance from the surface.

adamant said:

I know you haven't posted to HBT in a while, but I was wondering if you still use this method, or have made improvements, or given it up. I am considering giving it a shot.

Has anyone else tried it?

I was thinking about modifying the design slightly, by gluing some very small weights (or maybe just the glue) into the bottom of the vial so that it is weighted down slightly so the tube will always point up (until the vial rests on the bottom), and thus will always be a predictable distance from the surface.

Click to expand...

Midwest/Northern Brewer Just release a kit for this:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/clear-beer-draught-system.html?PID=4534259

adamant said:

I know you haven't posted to HBT in a while, but I was wondering if you still use this method, or have made improvements, or given it up. I am considering giving it a shot.

Has anyone else tried it?

I was thinking about modifying the design slightly, by gluing some very small weights (or maybe just the glue) into the bottom of the vial so that it is weighted down slightly so the tube will always point up (until the vial rests on the bottom), and thus will always be a predictable distance from the surface.

Click to expand...

Midwest/Northern Brewer Just release a kit for this:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/clear-beer-draught-system.html?PID=4534259

Replace the wire with a large silicone rubber band

dubiouschewy said:

Well. It's a bit of a kludge but it works, and is basically free.


It's a wlp vial with a few washers to weigh down the bottom end, attached to some 1/4" id silicone hose. There's a gas line dip tube inserted where the tubing is wire tied to the vial to keep it from kinking.

The official cask widge is $35 from the u.s. distributor.

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Click to expand...

A4C said:

Midwest/Northern Brewer Just release a kit for this:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/clear-beer-draught-system.html?PID=4534259

Click to expand...

Seeing that, and not wanting to pay $50/keg is what started me on this quest and led me to this thread.

Saw that on Midwest brewing website. Price was not too unreasonable but the DIY one on this one speaks to me more... Thanks for the post.

Redbeard5289

adamant said:

I know you haven't posted to HBT in a while, but I was wondering if you still use this method, or have made improvements, or given it up. I am considering giving it a shot.



Has anyone else tried it?



I was thinking about modifying the design slightly, by gluing some very small weights (or maybe just the glue) into the bottom of the vial so that it is weighted down slightly so the tube will always point up (until the vial rests on the bottom), and thus will always be a predictable distance from the surface.

Click to expand...

I have these on two of my kegs & they work great! I keg condition the majority of my beers & even though you can add a screen to the pick up tube I haven't found it necessary.
I'll definitely be adding to
More of my kegs!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
Edit: I have three of these.

How do you get the label cleanly off the darn vial?

I tried to build one of these and my label ended up with a ton of near impossible to get off goo left behind, didn't really think I wanted that in contact with the beer for weeks.

Ended up wrapping the whole thing in plastic bag, threading the cap over the bag to seal it and then connecting it to my dip tube.

I recently had a stuck keg and found this thread very useful. Big mistake racking into keg #2 of a 10 gallon batch of IPA. I let a lot of trub and hops into the keg. Didn't think about it for several weeks while I was working on keg #1.

From the start nothing would pour out of this keg. I tried dropping a sanitized SS racking cane in to break up the trub, tried shaking the keg and leaning it to get the trub away from the dip tube......nothing worked.

I put this together in about 15min, boiled everything for 20min, sanitized, then put on the keg. Only change is that I used a silicone flashlight holder thing instead of wire.

Beer poured perfectly!

was reminded of this thread when I got an email today. I saw these on 11.11 and wanted someone braver to try it before i did:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/5-pc..._78_77_80,searchweb201644_5,searchweb201560_6

It looks like it can easily be attached to a tube and hopefully the top will float

My brother in law and I made a 3D printed object to hold both the tubing and the vial. To make it food safe and reusable (3D printing is porous) I coated it in Plastidip.

Works great!

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1448433361.725533.jpg

Resurrecting this thread after seeing the morebeer fermentasaurus floating dip tube. Looks rather elegant in the solution.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/fermentasaurus-pressure-kit.html

Get one or more of these: http://clearbeerdraughtsystem.com
I currently have 5 in my kegs & they work very well!

Golly.... ya hit a pause on the homebrew hobby for a couple years, and come back to a longish thread on think you made! All these improved versions are super awesome-- I especially dig the replacement of the wire tie with a silicone bandy thing or 3d printed custom piece! The morebeer kit and cleardraught products are essentially what I had in mind originally.... but of course $35-$50 is kinda bonkers when you can get the same effect for < $5.

Anyways. It is HIGH time that I brewed a batch of beer!

I have been very interested in this thread as I have just started fermenting in Corny kegs. My take on this was to get a keychain pill holder like this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SJG1E2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

and replace the cheap split ring with a stainless one like these.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RQVDQC0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

then just poke a hole in the end of dip tube and run the split ring through it. This worked very well for me and the pill case floats just below the surface so the dip tube is in liquid the whole time.

My follow up question to anybody that's using any form of these floating dip tubes, do they use this method to ferment and serve from the same vessel? I am starting out with transferring from fermenting keg to serving keg, but why not cut out the extra step. Couldn't I just ferment/crash/serve from the same keg? Anybody doing this?

An optimal solution for you:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/r...t-60-cm-silicone-dip-tube-fermentasaurus.html

arrasmithf said:

I have been very interested in this thread as I have just started fermenting in Corny kegs. My take on this was to get a keychain pill holder like this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SJG1E2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Click to expand...

https://www.amazon.com/Large-Size-M...qid=1516745915&sr=8-5&keywords=large+pill+fob
Personally nothing touches my beer except silicone or stainless steel. I wouldn't put some cheapo aluminum trinket in my keg, period.

arrasmithf said:

My follow up question to anybody that's using any form of these floating dip tubes, do they use this method to ferment and serve from the same vessel? I am starting out with transferring from fermenting keg to serving keg, but why not cut out the extra step. Couldn't I just ferment/crash/serve from the same keg? Anybody doing this?

Click to expand...

People do, but you're putting your beer in contact with the yeast in trub permanently.

pocketmon said:

An optimal solution for you:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/r...t-60-cm-silicone-dip-tube-fermentasaurus.html

Click to expand...

So, I ordered this because the float looked like it worked better. I have since done three batches like this and its working great. The extra trub in the keg has not affected my beer in any way and the floating dip tube keeps the beer nice and clear. I recommend this method for anyone that wants to simplify their process.

Has anybody tried a DIY float tube? I have seen the one with the yeast tubes. I'm looking for a source for the SS float balls.

to resurrect this thread, has anyone found a source for the ss float balls? I am looking for them but cant seem to find them (cheaply). I have tried to get one from morebeer for 18 bucks but they are out of stock. I dont mind spending $18 for one that is premade, but I do mind spending more than, spend my time all to make my own that is an inferior quality. If I could make some for half price, I would def do it. I need at least 2, I would imagine.

Check Ebay- i bought one for $16- it came from China and took a month to get in.

I'm not sure I know exactly what the SS float ball is you are talking about but I have a SS hollow ball that came with the Blickmann auto sparge that I don't need. It has a hole through it that you can push a plastic hose through. You can have it for the shipping cost or a beer. I'll find it today if I can.