I have only fermented at home in carboys and now a large Brute trash can. I used to brew for Hub City Brewery in Lubbock and got to play with the big toys like 15bbl jacketed SS conicals. I bought a TMS hopper and am about to build my own conical but.... I have a question.
Will the yeast completely dump out (with the exception of the krausen ring in the top of the fermenter) of the conical if> My design for the conical before adding anything won't have a racking arm or anything but a lid and a 1" mpt union. I plan on a temp probe coming through the lid (easy application) so that it remains vertical and won't catch yeasties (again with exception of the krausen ring). I will install a 1" butterfly or full port ball valve to the union on the bottom and then attach to the valve a machined part that will allow me to hook up a beverage bottle to the valve. This machined part is already drawn up and I simply need to get the time to machine it. Ok, now more on the part. I planned a CO2 fill valve and a release valve into this bottle adapter so I could purge my bottle before opening the valve to the fermenter. I am wondering if this will work for first the collection of cold break, and then the constant collection of repitchable yeast. My thinking is that since so many bottles have the same type of threads. One could move from a small bottle, like a whitelabs yeast vial to collect break and junk, to a larger 12-16 ounce bottle to start your yeast collecting. Also, during the ferment you could fill your hydrometer container from the release valve to check gravity (same as we did at the brewery only with a little SS valve and spout). My thinking is that since the bottom is always open the yeast will fall to the bottle and when done you can transfer to keg out of the same bottom port. I am doing large batches and understand this wouldn't be logical for smaller batches. Beer goes fast around me and my friends so I brew 24-31 gallons sometimes (in multiple brew days of course). What are you conical owners opinions on my idea? I am planning on using a crown royal bag that is insulated to keep the light out of the bottom bottle as well as keeping its temp low. I need some criticism here fellow brewers so I can start this puppy. :rockin:
Will the yeast completely dump out (with the exception of the krausen ring in the top of the fermenter) of the conical if> My design for the conical before adding anything won't have a racking arm or anything but a lid and a 1" mpt union. I plan on a temp probe coming through the lid (easy application) so that it remains vertical and won't catch yeasties (again with exception of the krausen ring). I will install a 1" butterfly or full port ball valve to the union on the bottom and then attach to the valve a machined part that will allow me to hook up a beverage bottle to the valve. This machined part is already drawn up and I simply need to get the time to machine it. Ok, now more on the part. I planned a CO2 fill valve and a release valve into this bottle adapter so I could purge my bottle before opening the valve to the fermenter. I am wondering if this will work for first the collection of cold break, and then the constant collection of repitchable yeast. My thinking is that since so many bottles have the same type of threads. One could move from a small bottle, like a whitelabs yeast vial to collect break and junk, to a larger 12-16 ounce bottle to start your yeast collecting. Also, during the ferment you could fill your hydrometer container from the release valve to check gravity (same as we did at the brewery only with a little SS valve and spout). My thinking is that since the bottom is always open the yeast will fall to the bottle and when done you can transfer to keg out of the same bottom port. I am doing large batches and understand this wouldn't be logical for smaller batches. Beer goes fast around me and my friends so I brew 24-31 gallons sometimes (in multiple brew days of course). What are you conical owners opinions on my idea? I am planning on using a crown royal bag that is insulated to keep the light out of the bottom bottle as well as keeping its temp low. I need some criticism here fellow brewers so I can start this puppy. :rockin: