Conical Fermenter Beer Transfer!

Hey all, I am new here, been looking around and there is some nice stuff on here. I could spend the day looking at all the info. I am in need of some ideas for moving the beer from my conical to the keg. I've thought of light pressure or perhaps a pump. Not sure which way to go yet. The conical is too low to the floor to get a gravity drain into a keg, so I need another idea. I hope to later set this up so I can transfer the wort from from the mash by pump or something, so I no longer have to dump. I am slowly building up a nice brewing setup. ANy suggestions would be great, thanks. Also, is a march pump the only one to use? Or are there some smaller pumps that would work also. Thanks.

Co2 tank and Regulator for transfering. You want to use a march pump because it has a magnetic drive.

What is the benefit of magnetic drive? I figured Co2 would be the way, currently there is no hook up for a tank on the lid, so I will need to put one in. I thought that if I did use pressure, I could use quick disconnects. Would you pump beer into a corny using the ball lock fittings or just through the lid? If through the fittings, through the beverage out valve or the Co2 in? Thanks for your help.

Assuming you get the connections on your conical for CO2, I would use a corny post (no need to change stuff around). For transferring, I would use the out line on the conical to the beer out post on your keg. Pressurize your keg to seat the lid properly, pressurize your conical to the same, hook up your beverage lines, disconnect the CO2 from your keg, and slowly keep pulling the release on your keg to push the beer over (I do the same method corny to corny, because I ferment in corny). Hope this helps!

A magnetic drive pump does not have a shaft that goes from the motor through a seal to the impeller. The motor has a shaft with magnets, and the impeller has magnets on it. This way you don't get crap in your beer.

The March pump housing is made of food grade high temp material. But since you're doing a room temp transfer, you may be able to find a mag drive pond pump that would fit your needs, with some rigging. I don't know the plastic ratings of the pond pumps though.
With the conical, couldn't you use a siphon from the top of the fermentor down to a keg? As long as the end of the tube (dip tube in the corny) is lower than the pickup tube in the fermenter you can get a nice siphon. You can fill the tube with sanitized water or beer, and then connect to the out ball lock to fill.
-Ben

I've seen more than a few folks use pumps out of dishwashers. Makes sense to me. I don't know what the inner mechanics of a typical dishwasher pump are, though, but you can get them a LOT cheaper than a March.

More money than a March and you can't use it for hot liquids but it is an option SELF PRIMING PUMP WITH VARIABLE SPEED @ Williams Brewing

I don't have one but that does not mean I don't want it.

If you already have CO2 but not a pump, try the CO2 first. If it you don't like the way it works, get a pump.

Of course a pump can also be used to fill your fermenter.

Can't you just raise the conical higher, say put it on a table, and let gravity do the work? It shouldn't be too much heavier than an ale pail, and it saves you a bit of money. Get a brew buddy to help you lift it up and call it good!

someone recommended this one. I have not used it.
SELF PRIMING PUMP WITH VARIABLE SPEED @ Williams Brewing