Draining wort from kettle by gravity: best ball valve fitting to direct flow downward

[ArnoldTheBat]

Hi,

I drain my (chilled) wort from the kettle by gravity, splashing straight into the fermenter oxygenating as it goes. Nice and simple.

Currently I used a street elbow (like: http://www.brewershardware.com/1-2-MT-X-FPT-90-Street-Elbow.html) to redirect the flow from the ball valve downwards.

This is fine, but a bit of a pain to take off the valve when I want to give it all a proper clean.

Is there a better way of doing this? Some sort of quick disconnect attachment? Hose barb and short length of hose?

How does everyone else do this?

Tom

 

[Rev2010]

I just slide my (sanitized) silicone tubing over the barb. I use a strainer at the top of my fermenter to catch hop gunk and trub so I hold the end of the tubing in the strainer. But if I weren't using a strainer I'd just rest the other end of the tubing at the bottom of my fermenter. You can cut the tubing for optimum length. No need whatsoever for elbows or anything, my kettle is above the fermenter and never has a problem draining. I can also tilt the kettle and get out the very last bit if I need to.

Oh, and btw... I use silicone tubing now simply because it doesn't stiffen up in cold weather and also removes from the barb easily. When I used vinyl tubing that crap held on for dear life! Removing it I always thought I was going to destroy the tubing.


Rev.

 

[kombat]

I also just slip silicone tubing over the barb, but I do this with the hot wort (after the boil), and pump it through a plate chiller, then directly into the fermenter(s).

 

[ArnoldTheBat]

Cool, silicon tubing and a hose barb it is then. You use a hose clamp on that or not necessary?

 

[brewpool]

I also just let mine splash in. Is there any issue with this as the yeast need oxygen to get going? My first couple all grain batches seem to have turned out just fine with no off flavors as far as I can tell.

 

[Rev2010]

Cool, silicon tubing and a hose barb it is then. You use a hose clamp on that or not necessary?

No, no clamp, at least I've never used one. The pressure coming out from the kettle ball valve isn't strong enough to pop off the tubing.


Rev.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

I use a barb http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013S23HJM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 on mine and let it just pour into the bucket. It aerates pretty well and usually end up with a few inches of foam on my wort.

 

[ArnoldTheBat]

Ah, cool, so don't even need a elbow or a bit of hose to direct the flow downwards? Guess I'd assumed that the wort would spray out too far from the kettle for that to work but perhaps I should do a test and find out.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

I usually hold the bucket up to the spigot, let the wort pour into the bucket and walk the bucket back to the floor. It usually ends up about 2 feet away from a counter top height.

 

[ArnoldTheBat]

Excellent, two feet sounds workable, will give that a go.

 

[bucfan1234]

MPT x Hose barb with silicone tubing.