new conical

I just got a new 15 gallon m.d.p.e. plastic conical(actually a biodeisel tank) and I'm trying to come up with a seal setup for a rotating racking arm that would seal without leaking. anyone have any ideas on how I could do this? i want to figure this out before drilling the hole in it. LOL

 

Post a photo so that we can see what you are dealing with.

 

My camera recently died, but go to plastic-mart.com. under biodieseltanks its model NFD15-19 (15 gallon fully draining conical). I plan on getting new camera to show my stuff off as its built.

 

Here's the link:

http://www.plastic-mart.com/class.php?item=2800

Looks pretty nice, I don't know if it matters but is that food grade plastic? Anyway, it shouldn't be too hard to find something that will thread on there, it says that it comes pre-threaded. Good luck.

 

F.D.A. approved linear polyethylene. this plastic one seemed the best route to go since me and all my welding friends have never worked stainless. yes the dump is threaded. Are you suggesting there is no need for a racking arm? just make 2 dumps, one to purge trub and then one to drain the beer? this is my first conical so all input is appreciated.

 

If you thread something on with a valve then run into clear tubing you could see when it ran clear... just a thought.
You may want a slightly higher valve for sampling trub-free wort, as well.

 

You might want to check out this thread. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=66373

You might also want to check with Yuri since he's the one who has it.

 

Be sure to post an update to this... I'm very interested in using one of these for 10 gallon batches once I complete my brewstand build (waiting on my electrical box to wire my panel). I have a pair of 6.5 gallon minibrew conicals and love them, but would prefer not to have to split 10 gallon batches into two conicals.

 

get the stuff they use to port better bottles, the plastic is probably similar and should not be to big of a problem.

 

yes that is exactly what I was thinking. to have the second valve 6-8 inches above the valve. but I'm not sure if its necessary or if it would be better to dump the yeast and trub first. I'm planning on yeast cultivation also, so I thought with a rotating arm I could harvest yeast for cultivation. Am I going in the wrong direction here?

 

I have one like that. Try as I might I could not get the top to seal water tight much less air tight.

I have found out that the Norwesco Inductor tank from http://www.gvminc.com/ has a single piece top that screws directly into the treaded fill tank, rather than a 2 piece affair like plasticmart's. And according to folks on the web that I've had communication with it seals up much better.

I decided the plasticmart unit would make a good primary but a poor secondary and that after a week the beer needed to be racked to another container.

I also have a SS conical with a racking arm.
I feel like the racking arm isn't necessary. It's a nice addition and allows more flexablilty. But in the end I decided I could live without it. But before I decided not to try installing a racking arm I intended to get the accessory racking arm for the Better Bottle.

Best wishes for your project.

 

well the weekend started off like sh**. I was supposed to attend the Phoenix BATF day but was called in to work Saturday. When I got home around three thinking I was never going to get a chance to watch a successful AG session (my first failed miserably due to lack of knowledge about mashing several months ago) a surprise waited at my door. My new conical was here!! I had to return the first one due to shipping damage, but this one was in great shape. here are the pics. Note:this is my first attempt with image upload. http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll153/beerthirty_01/DSCN2226.jpg http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll153/beerthirty_01/DSCN2230.jpg http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll153/beerthirty_01/DSCN2229.jpg http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll153/beerthirty_01/DSCN2233.jpg http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll153/beerthirty_01/DSCN2234.jpg
I was a little disappointed that the screw on lid did not screw directly into the conical but into a screwed on collar, and that no gasket came with the lid as promised. the gasket I plan on emailing about because Home Depot didn't have any sheet rubber to make one with. As for the collar I picked up some SS screws and plan on running a bead of silicone under the collar then installing the screws to make it airtight.

 

Man that looks like it will work great.. One question though, why are you worried about making it air tight? What do you think will get in there? Ok, I know that was two not one.

 

2 reasons first any type of contamination. Second since I plan on a blow off tube I would like to keep any mess in the blow off bucket, not running down the sides of the conical. then again since I plan on 10-12 gal batches that leaves plenty of head room for the kreusan. this was one of the last pieces I needed to move up to 10 gallon batches. I'm now building a single tier rig and grain wagon. I will post pics as it comes along.

 

Again I ask why? Air tight is not needed other then to give you the warm fuzzy feeling. It just needs to be covered (some don even do that IE. open fermentation) so that nothing can fall or crawl into it. The CO2 coming out will keep anything from getting in there and with that head space you most likely wont need a blow-off.

 

air tight isn't even nessesary. here is pretty good example of open fermenter.

Steam Anchor.



Just make sure you have have a really strong yeast starter!

John

 

I wish you good luck, but a lot of the people have tried sealing it and it fails. Hence the reason why the recomendation was to switch to the Norwesco model.

I should be back home by Friday and I'll post some of the links.

 

I'll be following this one
-J

 

i would love a conical! looks like lots of fun

 

Link to where you bought this tank please.

 

Let's ensure we're all on the same page, here.

The point of the upper valve - also called the racking port, that's the one on the side of the cone - is for decanting bright beer. Yeast and trub are removed from the bottom valve - the one at the apex of the cone.

An internal apparatus on the racking port isn't really necessary. If you get turbid beer when you open the racking port valve, remove more mixed trub and yeast from the apex valve. Repeat until the trub level sinks beyond the racking port.

Harvesting from the apex valve is pretty straightforward: crack the valve until trub starts coming out. Once trub stops flowing, you should be able to recognize the tan slime as yeast.

Note: you will always get some yeast when you open the racking port for the first time. If the beer is still turbid after a half-pint or so is drawn, drop some more trub.

Note II: Don't forget to take the blowoff tube out of the sanitizer before you open a valve! Verily, that sucketh mightily - and literally; ucky sanitizer right back into the conical! Not that that's ever happened to me... :cross:

Note III: Be careful of the yeast you harvest. The stuff that's sitting right on top of the trub is the first to drop out of suspension and is probably weak and therefore undesirable. If you harvest that yeast and keep repitching it, you'll eventually get wierdness in your yeast (low flocculation, low attenuation, etc.). Better to get a good mix.

Note IV: Some yeasts are better than others in a conical fermenter. Ringwood, for example, is a rotten conical yeast, but works great in an open fermenter. Cal V is a great conical yeast.

Yadda yadda yadda. Conicals rock, and you're going to make great beer!

Cheers,

Bob

 

PORSTed just for that post.

 

thanks for all the advice, this is my first step from the five gal bucket. turns out that the store http://www.plastic-mart.com/class.php?item=135 is going to credit 1/2 the price of the gasket since they mis answered the gasket question. So total shipped cost was $124 if I dont worry about the gasket. I also happened to find another dealer on ebay that would probably sell them cheaper if he can get the smaller 15 gal conicals. they appear to be exactly the same including stand and screw on lid. http://stores.ebay.com/Dudanations-Biodiesel-Supplies_W0QQsspagenameZL2QQtZkm. I was looking for chillers (hoping for fathers day gift) when I ran across this site. he also has filter bags and such. Anyway I probably wont be able to use it for the next few weeks. I have collected the necessary parts to build my rig and will be spending a couple weeks building and testing. I will be posting new thread in DIY about this in couple days and show you the birth of the beast.

 

I have received a few PM's as to the progress of this conical, so here is an update. Due to the temps in Phoenix and plan changing concerning the rig, and ongoing work on the fermentation freezer, Hell on Earth wort chiller, serving keezer, yeast bank, etc. I have put the conical on hold for the next couple months. I need to build a shorter stand for it so I might be able to fit it in the fermentation freezer and a lift contraption of some sort to load and unload. I'm getting old and the thought of trying to lift 12.5 gallons in something that doesn't have a handle and still making it to work the next day... no thanks. I have planned a cooling ring to sprinkle water down the sides if the "crane" becomes unfeasible. Any way it will probably be Oct/Nov before I have a chance to concentrate my efforts solely on the conical. By that time all the other projects that were started at the same time and were of more importance will be complete.

 

Is this tank any different than the one from us plastics? http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pr...SPlastic&category_name=20726&product_id=33150

plastic mart quotes $120 + $40 shipping

us plastic $72.07 + $12.97 shipping to my zip code

 

go for that 110 gal :rockin::rockin:

 

I think that doesn't include a stand...

 

it say's it doesn't

 

The picture is the same no matter which tank you look at. The max SP is the same(1.7). and the full draining one(item8784) has the same size 1 1/2" opening as mine. Manufacturer is the same. I'm pretty sure they are the same. It looks like it comes with the stand also, but I would email and ask. I hate it when this happens, looks like a good deal. How would you cool it? When you build the valve I would use pvc if I had it to do over. The copper was very pricey.

 

15 Gallon Biodiesel Tank / Wine Tank (A-IN0015-19)
has the same tank as well. Tank + Stand are $112 plus shipping.
Good luck!

 

That page says it ships from Iowa and I'm wondering where? I'll be in the state for a wedding in 2 weeks and if its close, might save a few bucks on shipping.

 

NV. They're in Hospers in the far NW corner of IA. They said you could pick up though.