Fermenting in corny, dip tube length?

[Jbrew]

My brewing has been dormant a while but getting back into it. Moving from 5gal batches to 3 gal batches. Got a new set of 3gal kegs, and now planning to ferment in 5 gal cornys for ease of harnessing co2, using it purge the serving kegs, for spunding and for easier pressure transfers.
How much should I cut the dip tube?
I was thinking of adding a half gallon water to the keg and marking the dip tube at that, but not I’m not sure that’s enough. My trub amounts differ based on brew. What do you think is the best middle ground to try and suck up the least amount of trub when using a corny for fermenting?

 

[JohnSand]

I did this once, I think I used short gas tubes on both posts.

 

[Jbrew]

So you took the dip tube out and just used a short gas supply tube in the out post?
Wouldn’t be able to perform a pressure transfer then right?

 

[yowzers]

Consider a floating dip tube. They aren’t expensive and you can transfer as much or as little clear beer as you have. I have the one from www.ballandkeg.com and it works great but there are several out there.

 

[Spikybits]

you can bend your dip tube to the sidewall - no need to actually shorten them - that was i do for mine - pours 1-2 pint with scooby snacks in the bottom and then clear

 

[Spundit]

As you mentioned this depends on the brew and your brewing style. Half gallon will be plenty If you transfer relatively clear beer to the fermenter and don't dry hop loose. I have never had any issue with just yeast itself clogging anything up.

As recommended by spikeybits, I (gently) bent the diptube to give me some clearance. I generally take a sample for a gravity reading before beginning my closed transfer. If this is excessively cloudy, I will pour some more off before transferring in an effort to minimize sediment in the serving keg. 95% of the time, taking the ~8oz gravity sample is enough to clear things up.

 

[crazyjake19]

A floating dip tube is the way to go here. No modification of your original equipment.

 

[vmaxept]

What most have said. I bent the dip tube in one keg. Then bought the floating dip tube assy. Worked well. But then I started to ferment and serve in the same keg. no bottling no transfer. I bought the Clear Beer float system. Works just great. Was able to get almost all the beer without crud.
I use the small float tube for keg serving IF I did a transfer to a 2.5g keg
I mostly keg in the 1 gal metal growler. Then bottle the remaining beer.
Only brew 2.3g batches.

 

[Jbrew]

Thank you all for the responses. I had given a floating diptube a thought, but I had thought they went for $40+. Yowzer thank you for the link, good to see I can get one for under $20.
The only other thing that has me thinking, is how long do you guys think I can get out of the floating dip tube before i need to do hose changes? Or do you think the float can harbor any bacteria?

 

[vmaxept]

I remove the beer out poppet and pull the float hose off the short dip tube, remove and soak all in PWB cleaner then soak in Starsan. Reassemble
The hose and any filters will be good to use if they are cleaned every time.

 

[odie]

I've done a few with full length dip tube. It allows me to harvest the yeast and after a couple pints the beer is pretty clear anyway.

 

[bwible]

I would just consider if you might ever want to go back to using those kegs for 5 gallon batches again. I brew mostly 3 gallon batches too, and I completely understand that decision. But occasionally I either brew a double batch or add extract to a batch to get 5 gallons of something I really like.

Once you cut the dip tube you can’t un-cut it. Maybe see if you can buy a replacement dip tube first and cut that. Some of these kegs are funky and I’m big on keeping the original parts from each keg together. Many times parts from one keg don’t work well on a different keg.

I used to get keg parts from Foxx Equipment but I think they might only sell to businesses. You can probably find them on Amazon.

I have put floating dip tubes on kegs I’m using for dispense. No complaints with them. But I have my original dip tubes put away, “just in case”.

 

[odie]

I'm pretty sold on ferment and serve from the same keg method going forward. After doing a few keg ferments and serving from same, I just love the ease and convenience of fewer transfers, less cleaning, less equipment, less hassle.

I'm transitioning to floating dip tubes but I still have a couple beers on full length.

I just tapped a doppelbock with a full length dip tube. It will take a pint, maybe 2 until it clears for drinking. But you can harvest enough yeast while doing this for another couple three beers.

The beers I have on a floating dip tube, I can serve clear beer immediately but cannot harvest any yeast for multiple batches. However, once the keg blows, I can then pitch fresh wort into the keg immediately and start another batch of same or similar beer. No cleaning, no new yeast pitch. Just dump wort onto the empty keg that will have yeast cake in the bottom and let it ferment.

 

[Ridenour64]

For people using the floating dip tube, have you ever tried fermenting a heavily hopper beer without a bag or any type of filter? Such as a NEIPA. I ferment in a 15 gallon torpedo keg and am thinking of doing a 6-7 gallon ferment with 10-12 OZ of dry hops loose. Disaster waiting to happen?

 

[odie]

I think you would be ok. The hops will just fall to the bottom. The hop oils or "essence" or whatever it is should dissipate through out the beer. The hops debris will just compact on the bottom.

 

[Jbrew]

Thank you all for the help. I think I’m going to go with the floating dip tube. I’ll need to replace my dip tube with a gas in post correct?

 

[odie]

I bought floating dip tubes on Aliba for about $10 a pop. came complete with SS float, short gas tube, o-ring and more than enough silicone tubing (had to cut several inches)

 

[odie]

Here is my doppelbock I just tapped.

Fermented and served in the same keg. Full length dip tube. And full 5 gallon batch.

These are the "purge" samples. Darker on the left cause the glasses are wider and less light gets thru. This is almost a full pint total. Probably ready for the first "drink". very little yeast is coming out on the right glasses. Mostly because my wort is screened and is trub free early in the process. Plus the keg has been lagering for months so the yeast inside is packed hard.

 

[yowzers]

I leave my floating dip tubes from Ballandkeg in the keg all the time and just sanitize the whole inside of the keg with starsan as usual. No issues with infection after more than two years

 

[odie]

I leave my floating dip tubes from Ballandkeg in the keg all the time and just sanitize the whole inside of the keg with starsan as usual. No issues with infection after more than two years

My floating dip tube plan is a little different....not gonna clean anything...just dump fresh wort in the empty keg and let the yeast cake start up again.

 

[seabrew8]

What size plastic tubing are you guys using for the tubing on the keg post? 3/8"?

 

[odie]

What size plastic tubing are you guys using for the tubing on the keg post? 3/8"?

please be more specific on what exactly the tubing is fitting to and for what purpose. I can imagine 4 different possibilities...

 

[seabrew8]

I meant once the fitting was removed from the keg, i was going to insert some tubing down through the hole. Probably need 1/4" tubing for that.

I'm going to just use a regular carboy now. I'm just back into homebrewing and corny kegs are on the small size and the trub buildup would be huge.

I remember trying to turn beers around quickly but it never really worked out that well. Beer tasted "ok" but usually i would get an upset stomach from all the yeast in suspension.

This time around i'm going to try to see if i can turnaround a very clear beer in 3 weeks.

Most all the really nice beer i made in the past was 4+ weeks old. Minimum.








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[odie]

I meant once the fitting was removed from the keg, i was going to insert some tubing down through the hole. Probably need 1/4" tubing for that.

make that "5" different possibilities....

The way you are describing you need to be looking at OD sizes.

Still not sure for what purpose. What are you specifically trying to accomplish?

 

[seabrew8]

Blowoff tube for the first few days before i put a spunding valve on it.

 

[odie]

The way you describe will be inadequate. To get a hose "inside" the post hole will be a small OD and even tinier ID. If it can't vent fast enough or clogs, it's going to build pressure and blow that hose out the post.

I used a 1/2" ID silicone hose fitted over the "outside" of the threaded gas post. It sealed and flowed well as a blow off tube. Once the bubbles slowed down I installed the gas post fitting and spunded to finish the fermentation.

 

[seabrew8]

Ok thanks, i'm not going to ferment in a corny now.

 

[odie]

Why not? It's easy.

 

[Knightshade]

Why not? It's easy.

Are those "food safe" elbows or just Home Depot pieces? I tried to position a BO tube on the PRV and it never sealed that great. Said funk it and put a piece of tubing on a gas connector and just kinda hoped it wouldn't get out of hand...which it didn't. This time.

I can see how w/the threads on the post, this would be a better solution and give the tubing something to hold onto.

 

[soccerdad]

At the moment I am fermenting with a floating dip tube and serving in the same keg with no transfer. So far so good, but it's new. The only issue that I might see upcoming is beer sitting on trub for a lengthy period. Not an issue - yet.

 

[crazyjake19]

At the moment I am fermenting with a floating dip tube and serving in the same keg with no transfer. So far so good, but it's new. The only issue that I might see upcoming is beer sitting on trub for a lengthy period. Not an issue - yet.

I've had no noticeable issues with that, including some light lagers that sat in the fermenting/serving keg on the yeast & trub for up to 4-5 months.