Does anybody have an innovative way to fill the Speidel plastic fermenters? I use stainless camlock Q/D's everywhere else on my system and my fermentor filling hose ends at a stainless racking cane that I send down the airlock opening for filling. It is clumsy to deal with and gets messy after filling is complete. Looking for ideas on how to modify my filling setup so that it uses a hose connection to a port on the fermentor. I'm typically making 10 gal batches and using the 60L Speidel plastic fermentor.
Aren't you overthinking this?
Is the cooled wort previously aerated or oxygenated before entering the fermenter?
How are you adding the yeast?
I use the same fermenters (I'm assuming we are talking about the same 60l Speidel plastic fermenters), and fill through the main large opening protected with some foil. Once filled I add the yeast and screw on the large lid. Through the small opening I feed a stainless steel oxygenating stone and give a quick blast of oxygen. Once removed I install the airlock.
I don't see any necessity for a racking cane, just a short length of silicon tubing from the vessel holding the chilled wort to just inside the neck of the fermenter.
If you are trying to ensure it is all enclosed, all the way from the boil to the fermenter, it is only really a worthwhile objective if the chain is never broken. How do you add your yeast? If you open the vessel up to add the yeast, then all the other steps seem (to me) to be potentially worthless.
If it is simply to ensure no drips of wort on your fermenter, turn off the valve supplying the filling tube, leave it for a few seconds to drain, carefully lift it out with a paper tissue in one hand and the tube in the other. Seems to work for me. A spray bottle of Star San deals with any cock ups. I have a large dispenser for commercial kitchen roll paper, which is invaluable for keeping surfaces clean and dry.
