keggle pickup tube

[chavez]

First off, long time listener, first time caller.

I have a question for you all. How close to the bottom of the keg should the inlet of the pickup tube be? I would like to have it as close to the bottom as possible, but am worried about picking up the break material.

Travis

 

[Bobby_M]

I have mine off to the side a bit, probably 3" off center and it's 1/4" off the bottom.

 

[Desert_Sky]

running a bazooka tube setup if you are familiar with those. Im seriously considering running it off the side so I can whirlpool though. I just hate seeing that little bit left over.

 

[Bobby_M]

The biggest problem I have with the bazooka is that it doesn't have an internal siphon tube. The siphon will be broken as soon as the top of the open nipple can pull air.

 

[bigben]

Here is a pic of my pickup tube. It's a 1/2" copper ppipe and a compression elbow. It leaves about 56oz left in the center of the keg...

I dont worry about filtering stuff out.

 

[Desert_Sky]

The biggest problem I have with the bazooka is that it doesn't have an internal siphon tube. The siphon will be broken as soon as the top of the open nipple can pull air.

You're right, and it kind of sucks. Bit it does a killer job of keeping a flow no matter how many ozs hops you use. But then again, if I whirlpooled I wouldn't need a screen anyways.

 

[chavez]

How excactly do you create the whirlpool? Am I correct in assuming that the whirlpool moves all of the junk to the middle of the keg?


Bigben, how much junk gets into your fermentor without filtering?

Thanks guys
travis

 

[bigben]

I dont know yet...I just installed it!!!

But I used to just dump the whole kettle into the fermentor before I started AG, so I' not worried about stuff going into the fermentor.

I just hope my pickup tube doesn't get clogged. I use Pellet hops tho, so I dont think they will clog up the 1/2" tube and I dont mind if they get sucked up a little. I do whirlpool so that should help too

 

[Funkenjaeger]

My pickup tube goes right in the center, and is just barely off the bottom, so I pretty much drain every last drop. I use a hop bag, and I don't really buy into the 'no cold break' mentality, after reading this:
http://www.bodensatz.com/homebrew/columns/jirvine/trub.html

 

[chavez]

Funken;

Interesting read, I am not to concerned about it, but am just trying to keep as much trub out of the fermentor as possible as I like to harvest my yeast cakes.


I think I will just offset the tube a few inches off center and use a hop sack for my additions.

My brew parter and I are brewing our first AG batch this saturday, so I will know then if this is adequate.



Thanks for all your replies,
Travis

 

[Desert_Sky]

I strain the hops out though. Chalk it up to my OCD.... but to me cold break is ok, hops in the fermentor are not. Personal preference not trying to say its bad if you do.