False bottom/screen for carboy?

[SRJHops]

Has anyone experimented with a screen or type of false bottom for a carboy?

I am not transferring to secondary, so I have a lot of yeast/hops slurry in the bottom of the carboy after fermentation.

I am using a Big Mouth Bubbler with a spigot, and bottling right from that. Works well, but the yeast cake/slurry is right at the level of the spigot, and the first few bottles tend to have too much debris floating around and causing off flavors. (The bottles from the beer in the middle of the carboy taste just fine, though even those have some stray hops/large particles at times.)

I have tried tilting the carboy during fermentation, but that didn't work for me. I am thinking of trying to put something inside the carboy, in front of the spigot, to try to keep the area clear.

Suggestions?

 

[Calaeb]

you could modify the opening of the hole maybe with a stopper and a piece of copper tubing almost like a racking arm?

 

[IslandLizard]

Before racking/transferring your wort from the kettle, let it sit, covered, for an hour or so. Most break and hop pulp will drop to the bottom. Then transfer the clear wort from the top to your fermenter. That will reduce the amount of trub at the end of the fermentation, so it all stays under the spigot level.

 

[SRJHops]

Before racking/transferring your wort from the kettle, let it sit, covered, for an hour or so. Most break and hop pulp will drop to the bottom. Then transfer the clear wort from the top to your fermenter. That will reduce the amount of trub at the end of the fermentation, so it all stays under the spigot level.

Agree -- I need to do a better job of keeping the trub in the kettle. On the other hand, I kinda want some of that hop pulp to transfer...

 

[SRJHops]

you could modify the opening of the hole maybe with a stopper and a piece of copper tubing almost like a racking arm?

Thanks, that makes me think. Maybe I could attach a kettle filter somehow, but angle it up and out of the yeast/slurry...

 

[odie]

I use a PVC 1” threaded elbow on the fermenter spigot end as a dip tube since my trub cake is usually well below the bottom of the spigot opening. But u can twist the elbow any direction to raise or lower the level to which you can drain. Or you can trim the open end of the elbow to raise it but still maintain the dip tube siphon effect. On my kettle I sometimes use a SS threaded elbow for the same thing

 

[IslandLizard]

I kinda want some of that hop pulp to transfer...

Why?

 

[kh54s10]

Or better yet, get a fermenter that doesn't have a spigot, then siphon the clear beer to a bottling bucket or directly to a keg, from ABOVE the trub.

 

[lump42]

Route 1. Transfer to a bottling bucket first, then bottle
Route 2. Place a wedge under the front of the fermentor so all the trub settles away from the spigot during fermentation. Then carefully move it to the table/counter for bottling so as to leave the trub to one side.

 

[Soulshine2]

Has anyone experimented with a screen or type of false bottom for a carboy?

I am not transferring to secondary, so I have a lot of yeast/hops slurry in the bottom of the carboy after fermentation.

I am using a Big Mouth Bubbler with a spigot, and bottling right from that. Works well, but the yeast cake/slurry is right at the level of the spigot, and the first few bottles tend to have too much debris floating around and causing off flavors. (The bottles from the beer in the middle of the carboy taste just fine, though even those have some stray hops/large particles at times.)

I have tried tilting the carboy during fermentation, but that didn't work for me. I am thinking of trying to put something inside the carboy, in front of the spigot, to try to keep the area clear.

Suggestions?

I don't . I still use the standard neck carboys. First of all, I think it would be extremely difficult to get anything inside or remove later. I use a racking cane with the trub guard on the bottom and jam a piece of tubing in the space in the neck when the cane is in it so it stays suspended and doesn't slide/fall into the trub. I get down to so far then gently tilt the carboy to get as much out as I can without kicking up the bottom .Best I've done consistently from a 6 gallon carboy is enough to fill the 6.5 gallon bottling bucket up to the hard lip of the bucket by the handle. Doesnt take a lot of tilt, just enough to get the beer deep enough to keep siphon.

 

[Soulshine2]

Agree -- I need to do a better job of keeping the trub in the kettle. On the other hand, I kinda want some of that hop pulp to transfer...

no , you don't. Its more than hop pulp. Its a slurry of live/dead yeast cells hop particles and grist solids . Nobody wants beer with junk floating in it. Cloudy is one thing, "pulp"...not so much .

 

[mirthfuldragon]

Cold-crashing helps compact the trub / yeast cake below the point of the spigot - or rather, it does on my fermonsters. It leaves a pretty solid, viscous layer of gunk in the bottom of the fermentor, so even tilting the fermentor doesn't disturb it too much.

 

[Staticsouls]

Has anyone experimented with a screen or type of false bottom for a carboy?

I am not transferring to secondary, so I have a lot of yeast/hops slurry in the bottom of the carboy after fermentation.

I am using a Big Mouth Bubbler with a spigot, and bottling right from that. Works well, but the yeast cake/slurry is right at the level of the spigot, and the first few bottles tend to have too much debris floating around and causing off flavors. (The bottles from the beer in the middle of the carboy taste just fine, though even those have some stray hops/large particles at times.)

I have tried tilting the carboy during fermentation, but that didn't work for me. I am thinking of trying to put something inside the carboy, in front of the spigot, to try to keep the area clear.

Suggestions?

Yes, I have two Chapman stainless buckets, and have put stainless bulkheads and ball valves on them. I use 6 inch bazooka tubes on the inside to help filter out hop debris when kegging. I frequently add free floating ingredients like pineapple, coconut, hops, coffee to my beers. Since adding these bazooka tubes I have not had a stuck or slow transfer to keg.

With your big mouth fermenters you should be able to do something similar.

 

[SRJHops]

Why?

Tasty hops, and some evidence that trub actually helps a beer ferment faster and lead to tastier beer. So, not really trying to keep ALL the trub out of the fermenter.

 

[SRJHops]

Route 1. Transfer to a bottling bucket first, then bottle
Route 2. Place a wedge under the front of the fermentor so all the trub settles away from the spigot during fermentation. Then carefully move it to the table/counter for bottling so as to leave the trub to one side.

Well, I am bottling right from the fermenter to avoid oxidation (it's a NEIPA), and I guess either my wedges weren't high enough or the yeast cake slipped, because that didn't work for me, sad to say...

 

[SRJHops]

no , you don't. Its more than hop pulp. Its a slurry of live/dead yeast cells hop particles and grist solids . Nobody wants beer with junk floating in it. Cloudy is one thing, "pulp"...not so much .

I was talking about the boil kettle, and needing to keep more of the trub there. But you are correct -- I need to figure out how to keep the dead yeasties and loose hops out of the finished beer. The challenge is that I am not transferring to secondary, which I used to do. Hence, I have a really big yeast cake that comes right up to the spigot, and dead yeasties and hop floaters are coming through it. Need them to stay in the fermenter!

 

[SRJHops]

Or better yet, get a fermenter that doesn't have a spigot, then siphon the clear beer to a bottling bucket or directly to a keg, from ABOVE the trub.

That would work, and might be the route I go if I can't design some kind of screen. My current idea is to somehow affix a kettle screen to the spigot (inside), but somehow angle it up and over the yeast cake.

 

[SRJHops]

I use a PVC 1” threaded elbow on the fermenter spigot end as a dip tube since my trub cake is usually well below the bottom of the spigot opening. But u can twist the elbow any direction to raise or lower the level to which you can drain. Or you can trim the open end of the elbow to raise it but still maintain the dip tube siphon effect. On my kettle I sometimes use a SS threaded elbow for the same thing

That sounds like it might do the trick! Could you attach a photo? Thanks!

 

[Staticsouls]

Here is the bazooka tube inside.

 

[IslandLizard]

^ A Bazooka tube won't hold back yeast or fine (dry) hop particles and trub.
You're still going to have the same issues with transfers.

Even with my most dry hopped NEIPAs, using 12-16oz of dry hops in the (bucket) fermenter, the volume of the roughly 1" yeast/trub cake is no more than 64 oz after cold crashing for 1-2 days. I know that because it all fits in a 64 oz pickle jar I use for yeast harvesting. It's thick but still pourable, it still has some beer in it, maybe a pint's worth.

I do keep kettle trub in the kettle as much as possible, hops are bagged and well agitated during the boil. All hot and cold Break sink together with the hop dust within 20-30 minutes after the whirlpool and recirculating chilling process (plate chiller). I sometimes whirlpool again after the chill.

 

[Staticsouls]

Works in my experience. yeast may get through if it were roused and still in suspension. It it definitely solved my clogged poppets. YMMV

 

[SRJHops]

Here is the bazooka tube inside.View attachment 612906

Thanks. I ordered one of those and plan to attach it inside the carboy, but to an elbow joint pointing up, so it's well above the yeast cake. Once I get it together I will post a photo, and also report back on how it works!

 

[SRJHops]

Here it is so far. This is the spigot for my Big Mouth Bubbler carboy. Got the clear piece of tubing for free from the hardware store, and the elbow tube was $2.50. This actually might be all a need, because the opening is now pointed up and away from the yeast cake. But the current plan is to attach a bazooka screen to the elbow for good measure, and point it straight up into the beer.

Assuming it doesn't clog up, the anticipated downside is that there will still be beer underneath it, but that's a good trade-off for keeping the hops and yeast out of the beer, and one of the reasons I brew 6 gallons instead of 5. I can also now freely throw in loose dry hops and not worry about whether they completely settle out, etc. Looking forward to giving it a test!

 

[SRJHops]

The finished product!

 

[SRJHops]

Well....drat - it clogged. My guess is the double-dry hop (commando style) resulted in hop particles going through the screen and clogging the tube. Or perhaps when I moved the carboy to get it ready for bottling, which kicked up some yeast/hops. (I used a new yeast that did not flocculate as well as my trusty Safale-04.)

I suppose I could bag the dry hops, but I'd prefer not to... So next time, my plan is to cover the screen with a hop sock/bag, then remove it when it's time to bottle. If THAT doesn't work, I'll probably just be good with having the first few bottles have some extra hops/yeast.... and open those to check the carbonation.

 

[Staticsouls]

When you transferred did you throttle the valve, or just open it up full bore? Bottle or kegging?

 

[SRJHops]

When you transferred did you throttle the valve, or just open it up full bore? Bottle or kegging?

Sadly, nothing happened when I opened the spigot! I had to reach in and take the whole thing out... It was clogged with hops. All I can figure is they settled in through the screen during dry hopping and regular settling during the soft crash. Or maybe some got kicked up when I lifted the carboy up to the counter for bottling. I bottle right from primary to keep out oxygen.

 

[Staticsouls]

Were the hops on the inside of the screen? I have not had that issue with beers that have had 8 oz dry hops. How was your set up oriented with the elbow? Straight up, to the side?

 

[SRJHops]

Were the hops on the inside of the screen? I have not had that issue with beers that have had 8 oz dry hops. How was your set up oriented with the elbow? Straight up, to the side?

The hops were inside the plastic ebow, which was pointed straight up. I could probably angle it... The screen kind of hits against the side of the carboy, but I could maybe crimp it and make it smaller somehow. It was in the carboy the entire time, of course -- for two weeks. So I think the most likely thing is the hops just settled in to the tiny opening in the elbow. Or I suppose it's possible it clogged right when I opened the spigot.

 

[Staticsouls]

If the elbow was point up i would make the assumption that yeast, trub, or other sediment had likely settled in it during fermentation.

Maybe reorienting the angle down or horizontally would help.

 

[CircaChris]

I agree with using a racking cane in the mouth of the spigot and attaching a muslin bag (tubing not necessary). When I transfer under pressue I attach a muslin bag to the racking can with a zip tie and it keeps yeast and hops at bay, although I am racking from above and can easily adjust the height of the cane through a carboy cap to avoid that yeast cake.

 

[balrog]

someone really needs to invent something like this on the 6gallon scale:

 

[SRJHops]

someone really needs to invent something like this on the 6gallon scale:
View attachment 616933

Not quite the same, but Big Mouth Bubbler has the Depth Charge. I actually have one, but I've never used it because I need to use a different carboy top for my fermentation control.

https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/big-mouth-bubbler-depth-charge