Losing siphon / stuck at last 1-2 gallons when going to primary...

[wmubronco]

Title says it all, but having some trouble when transferring last 1-2 gallons from BK to primary. I have a 90degree-pickup arm that's positioned at a 45degree. This is enclosed by a DIY hop-cone-screen that actually does a great job. When the wort level reaches this level of the ball valve, this is when I always seem to lose the siphon.

I do "slow" the flow by adjusting the ball valve that permits flow into the pump. This helps a little but I am always having to "tip" by BK in order to get proper/consistent flow. It's quite troublesome when brewing solo... tipping the BK, holding hose, managing ball valve control, in order to get every last bit of that sweet wort into the primary.

Anything else I can try? Use a different setup/configuration for the pickup tube in the BK? Remove the DIY hop-cone-screen and use a different filter for trub/hops?

Appreciate any insight.

-Patrick

 

[tll77]

Possibly the seal at the pick up tube is not tight and allowing air to be pulled in once the liquid level gets to the valve/pick up tube.

 

[kh54s10]

A picture inside of the pick up might help. It should not stop flowing until air gets into the lines. You may need to watch to see when and where air is getting in.

Anything below where the air stops the flow would be considered loss and must be accounted for in your software/calculations to get the right volumes and gravities.

 

[kh54s10]

Possibly the seal at the pick up tube is not tight and allowing air to be pulled in once the liquid level gets to the valve/pick up tube.

It does sound from the description that the valve to pickup is where the air is getting in.

 

[wmubronco]

Possibly the seal at the pick up tube is not tight and allowing air to be pulled in once the liquid level gets to the valve/pick up tube.

I wouldn't doubt, since I usually rotate the tube when taking off / putting on the cone-screen. I would lean this would be the number 1 concern right now. It's only attached via compression fitting, but like I said, I can rotate it very easily. For the ease of cleaning this make sense, but when brewing, this needs to be sealed airless tight. What other "convenient" fitting/connection could I use inside the BK where pickup tube connects to ball valve?

 

[tll77]

If you can turn a compression fitting without a wrench, then it is most certainly not air tight. I would start there.
Maybe replace the 'olive' portion of the compression fitting with silicone, you could likely get that tight enough by hand.

 

[wmubronco]

I will try that.. and can also just fill the BK up with just enough water to have a level above the elbow... and then run a trial. I WILL do this prior to next brew to save myself the headache. I was even tipping the BK and collecting the last few gallons to then dump into screen filter and into primary... tsk tsk tsk...