Draining primary using a spigot, without yeast pickup

[stoutaholic]

This is a question for all those people who use a primary fermenter with a spigot, and transfer from primary using this spigot instead of a siphon. I like this approach, as it eliminates one more piece of equipment to clean and would make it easier to reduce oxidation during transfer, but I can't figure out how to eliminate large amounts of yeast/trub pickup through the spigot.

In other words, unlike a siphon, which you can adjust as the beer level in the primary decreases, the spigot has to be installed at a fixed height. Installing it too high wastes beer. Installing it too low pulls the beer through the yeast cake into the destination vessel, thus bringing a lot of yeast/trub with it.

The only solutions I can think of are:
1. To use some sort of filter, like a false bottom or bazooka screen (don't know if this would even work, and seems like it would only filter out large clumps of yeast/trub)
2. To install the spigot higher than any yeast layer that would potentially accumulate and then tip the bucket towards the spigot during end of the transfer.

How do you guys deal with this problem?

 

[david_42]

I put a block under the edge of the fermenter below the spigot while the beer is fermenting. The trub settles 'level'. Leaving the fermenter alone for 3-4 weeks makes for a much tighter packed trub. I drain most of the brew first, then set the pail level and finish draining. I go straight to kegs, so minimizing trub is important.

 

[Hophazard]

To install the spigot higher than any yeast layer that would potentially accumulate and then tip the bucket towards the spigot during end of the transfer.

This is how I do it. After a couple of weeks in the primary, the trub should be pretty settled. I keep the bucket level until the beer level approaches the top of the spigot pipe and then slowly begin tilting it. Most of the beer drains before the trub starts to slide, and once it does, I call it quits (usually only a tiny bit left at that point).

 

[stoutaholic]

Cool, that sounds like a good solution. Thanks.