CPVC Blow Off Tube

[geniz]

Ok. So here's the problem:

I bought a 15gal blue plastic drum from the LHBS. It originally held LME. I wanted to use it to ferment 10gal batches.

When I put it into the fermentation fridge, there was not enough head room to put a bubbler on one of the screw-in caps. There wasn't even enough room to put a piece of vinyl tubing into the fermenter without it kinking:




Here is a closer picture of the clearance between the top of the fermenter and the top of the fridge:

 

[geniz]

Solution:

First I drilled a 1/2" hole in the small fermenter cap.





I had some 1/2" CPVC and elbows lying around from a previous manifold project.

I cut 3 pieces of CPVC. A piece 7" long, a piece 1.5" long and a piece 3.5" long

I assembled them with two elbows to make a "U". I stuck a piece of 1/2" ID vinyl tubing on the end of the 3.5" piece:

 

[Dan]

Great idea! How's it working?

 

[geniz]

I sterilized everything.

I screwed the plastic cap back onto the fermentor, and stuck the short end of the CPVC "U" into the hole in the cap:




I stuck the other end of the vinyl tube into a mason jar full of starsan:




Voila. A great low profile CPVC blowoff tube.

 

[geniz]

Great idea! How's it working?

Works great. Things are bubbling away nicely.

I thought about glueing the pieces together, but they fit so snugly and I didn't want to chance having the smell of the CPVC glue mess things up so I left it unglued.

 

[Rivenin]

good thinking! i ran into the same problem in my smaller fridge, had to end up taking out the light up at the top to get to fit properly

 

[Dan]

This is a great post, I have room in my temp controlled freezer for another fermenter bucket but not enough head space for a standard airlock so your low profile blow off tube should resolve that. Thanks Geniz!

 

[opus345]

Nicely done. I will keep that one in the idea box.

Another angle would have been to lower the base? Remove the glass shelves and crisper drawers and build a low profile base.

 

[Xalwine]

Instead of glue, I use Teflon tape for my cpvc manifold and drain from my MLT. that way I can still take it apart for cleaning. Maybe you'll wanna try that?

 

[FirstStateBrewer]

geniz, how are you racking your beer out of that fermentor?

 

[geniz]

Instead of glue, I use Teflon tape for my cpvc manifold and drain from my MLT. that way I can still take it apart for cleaning. Maybe you'll wanna try that?

Mine is not glued. Just press fitted. I take it apart for cleaning.

 

[geniz]

geniz, how are you racking your beer out of that fermentor?

I had made a long copper racking cane. But I have found that I can use an ordinary autosiphon if you leave the racking cane extended out about 1/2 of the way out of the autosiphon. Works like a charm

 

[FirstStateBrewer]

I had made a long copper racking cane. But I have found that I can use an ordinary autosiphon if you leave the racking cane extended out about 1/2 of the way out of the autosiphon. Works like a charm

Next time you do it, can you take a picture?

 

[geniz]

Sure. I'll try to remember to do it this weekend.

 

[geniz]

Ok so finally got around to taking pictures of using an auto siphon to rack out of the larger fermentor.

I start the auto siphon as normal, and when the beer is flowing, I pull the racking cane slightly out of the auto siphon so that the end can rest near the bottom of the fermentor. Once the siphon is established, it works just fine.

In these photos I'm siphoning starsan, but you get the point:

 

[barrooze]

How heavy is that thing to carry out of your fridge? Did you jostle it around a bit?

 

[milldoggy]

I use a simliar blow off. I just put 1 in vinyl over the cpvc fittings. You can make the same shape with it and it seals great.

Edit: 3/4 in cpvc elbows

 

[geniz]

I use a simliar blow off. I just put 1 in vinyl over the cpvc fittings. You can make the same shape with it and it seals great.

I like it