Plugged conical! What to do?

[cpferris]

I am draining the yeast out of the bottom valve of my conical on my first batch. It started out as pasty substance, but now appears to be plugged. With the valve wide open I only get a drop at a time.

The goal was to wait until I saw beer like liquid coming from the bottom before I fill the keg from the side valve.

What do I do?

 

[Francus]

If your valve on the bottom is a standard ball valve you can buy a fitting that screws into the valve on one side and has a barb for a siphon hose on the other. Then sterilize the fitting, attach the hose, and suck out the yeast blockage.

Or, use a siphon hose to bottle/keg from the top of the conical or use the side valve if it is running clean. When you are done, clean it out and see what the blockage is. I personally don't like the side valves so I turned mine into a thermowell and regulate my ferm chamber temp using the actual temp in my conical. (But that's another story.)

Sometimes the yeast gets packed in pretty hard. Especially if you leave it too long before draining.

 

[freisste]

I'd sanitize a coat hanger and jam it in there, just to get it moving. Not saying its good advice, just what I would do (I don't have a conical fermenter, so take my advice with a grain of salt).

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

I'd sanitize a coat hanger and jam it in there, just to get it moving. Not saying its good advice, just what I would do (I don't have a conical fermenter, so take my advice with a grain of salt).

This, or a stainless bolt or nail or something thats sterilized....if the beer is done and going into the keg and freezer/fridge immediately your not going to infect it at this point no matter what you do.

 

[dlester]

I've had the same issue on my 90° fitting. I've used the 1/4" scrub brush, but anything that fits will work. However, be careful, when the damn breaks (so to speak), it comes out fast and hard. Keep your catcher below it.

 

[microbusbrewery]

I've used the "suck it" method (TWSS) that Francus describes and it works well. I use a threaded nipple on the racking port, so I just moved it to the dump port, attached a hose and suck 'til the yeast starts to flow. Fortunately it doesn't happen very often but certain yeasts like highly flocculant strains seem to experience this more than others.

 

[VladOfTrub]

If you have CO2, pull the air lock and inject a pound or so of CO2.

 

[chickypad]

I found pounding on the side the conical with a wrench to be helpful once. But like Francus said, check the side port it might be running clean especially if the yeast is so compacted down.