Inexpensive Yeast Harvester DIY

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arhaeusler

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I was drinking from my Klean Kanteen the other day (rehydrating) while shopping for yeast harvesters online, when I realized the mouth of the Kanteen is the same size as a 1.5" triclamp / sanitary fitting. After a quick drain on the 4th day of fermentation, I attached I a 12 oz. stainless steel Klean Kanteen bottle to the 1.5" triclamp fitting on the bottom of my 12.5 gal conical fermenter (see updated post below). On the 10th day of fermentation I removed the Klean Kanteen and cold crashed the yeast to suspend in a chilled 50/50 water/glycerol mix for longterm storage in a freezer. This works great with no leaks! Although it does not have the window view like the ultimate yeast harvester for 10x the price, but based on the history of this website I think someone will probably come up with a creative DIY window feature using plexiglass and silicone or something similar.

I will have pictures of the setup duing fermentation soon.

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Here are some pictures showing the set up for attaching the 12 oz. Klean Kanteen to the bottom of the conical fermenter. It is that simple.

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The yeast is quite clean after letting it sit for a few days at 38°F and decanting off the top layer of residuals. The picture is of a WLP400 and WLP550 mix that I added one part yeast 1 part glycerol for a freezer stock. I typically harvest at least 250 mL ( 1 cup) of yeast, which translates to 10 freezer stock starter cultures or possibly 5 direct injection cultures (50 mL) that can be stored at 38°F for a short period of time. Therefore, a single harvest can save me close to $70.

I purchased the sterile conical tubes and food grade glycerol from amazon.

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I can see a couple different uses for the kanteen. Maybe a couple of soldered fittings and it could be a cheap rims tube. Or a hopback/filter. Bobby's triclover element housing would mate up perfectly to this.
 
Put a triclamp fitting on a Mason Jar lid, and go to town!

TeeJo

This obviously is not an original idea........ but it's a good one, and I wonder why nobody is manufacturing one commercially.


H.W.
 
Which model Klein lantern are you using here

I just got my hands on an 18oz klean Kanteen and planning on using it on my 12.5 gallon eBay stainless conical that looks almost identical to yours...
My question is, is your 12 oz big enough or too small? I guess I'm just wondering if 18oz is too big... I don't want to waste any beer...

Thanks:mug:
 
Here are some pictures showing the set up for attaching the 12 oz. Klean Kanteen to the bottom of the conical fermenter. It is that simple.

I just got my hands on an 18oz klean Kanteen and planning on using it on my 12.5 gallon eBay stainless conical that looks almost identical to yours...
My question is, is your 12 oz big enough or too small? I guess I'm just wondering if 18oz is too big... I don't want to waste any beer...

Thanks
 
I just got my hands on an 18oz klean Kanteen and planning on using it on my 12.5 gallon eBay stainless conical that looks almost identical to yours...
My question is, is your 12 oz big enough or too small? I guess I'm just wondering if 18oz is too big... I don't want to waste any beer...

Thanks:mug:

My 12 oz works great for me. You could probably just pitch the next round with what you pull off of the bottom, but I always do a starter culture. However, with an 18 oz you can collect more yeast.
 
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