Keggle to Conical - Separate areas. How?

[atkinsr]

I am putting together a few Keggles. I also just purchased a 15 gallon minibrew conical. The keggles will be used outdoors to make 10 gallon batches. The conical is inside, about 50 feet away.

I imagine this is a common problem, but how do you get keggle to the conical? I'm not too thrilled with the ideal of moving 75+ pounds of wort (possibly near boiling) that far by hand. 50 feet of hose and a pump doesn't seem real practical either.. half the beer would be left in the hose.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[killian]

well I would chill the wort in the keggle, transfer to a carboy or some other vessel and carry it to your fermenter.

 

[bmarley5780]

March pump

 

[JVD_X]

I have the same issue and I also have the 15 gallon minibrew.

I usually pump it using my self priming pump (I can't see why march pumps are so popular - they are an absolute PITA to work with) or carry the wort over in two gallon increments. I take the opportunity to slosh it around to oxygenate it.

Word of caution - one thing I absolutely hate about the minibrew (actually all the minibrew equipment) is the lids. When either mashing and sparging or fermenting, there is always moisture that gets on the top of the lids and either drips down the outside or stays up top and drips back down into the ferment - I have gotten several infected brews since I started using it (not all) and I directly attribute that to lifting the lid to look inside and also the moisture dripping down.

 

[atkinsr]

Thanks for the replies so far! I do not want to split it up into smaller amounts and carry it. One of my main reasons for buying the conical is for airless transfers. from keggle to bottom of conical (trub valve), from conical racking valve into corny keg. A little CO and the beer never sees outside air at all.

JVD_X: I'm curious... how are you getting al this moisture? Is it condensation from putting warm/hot wort into the conical or ?

Now I'm worried. It would be a drag infecting my first 10 gal batch... of my favorite beer, no less!

Also, how much far are you pumping, what size hose, and how much do you lose in the hose?

 

[john from dc]

does your conical not have caster wheels on the bottom? i'd imagine those, perhaps paired with a board as a ramp if necessary, would get the job done.

 

[JVD_X]

Thanks for the replies so far! I do not want to split it up into smaller amounts and carry it. One of my main reasons for buying the conical is for airless transfers. from keggle to bottom of conical (trub valve), from conical racking valve into corny keg. A little CO and the beer never sees outside air at all.

JVD_X: I'm curious... how are you getting al this moisture? Is it condensation from putting warm/hot wort into the conical or ?

Now I'm worried. It would be a drag infecting my first 10 gal batch... of my favorite beer, no less!

Also, how much far are you pumping, what size hose, and how much do you lose in the hose?

The moisture in the fermenter is caused by the ferment itself. In the MLT is is from the steam. Just don't ever ever open the conical to look. You can use the racking port to check your specific gravity. Just be sure to spray some starsan in the port after you close it. You should not be worried - I have used this conical for many many beers with very few issues.

I use 50 feet of 1/2" reinforced vinyl tubing from Lowes. Probably not food safe but neither is the air we breath these days. We all got to die horribly some day.

 

[david_42]

Use a pump and add a ball valve & fitting to the outlet to allow you to connect a CO2 bottle. Then blow the rest of the wort out of the line.

 

[BierMuncher]

...The keggles will be used outdoors to make 10 gallon batches. The conical is inside, about 50 feet away.
...

Sounds like the conical really just doesn't fit into your brew setup.

I'll PM you my shipping info.

 

[samc]

I have a plastic fermenter mounted on my hand truck, roll it to the boil pot, fill and move it back to where I want it!

$30.00+

 

[wehumble]

I have a plastic fermenter mounted on my hand truck, roll it to the boil pot, fill and move it back to where I want it!

$30.00+

Quick! Patent that bad boy before Blichmann puts out an all-stainless motorized version!

 

[XXguy]

I use 50 feet of 1/2" reinforced vinyl tubing from Lowes. Probably not food safe but neither is the air we breath these days. We all got to die horribly some day.

Have you considered the tubing as a more likely source of your infected brews?

I have gotten several infected brews since I started using it (not all) and I directly attribute that to lifting the lid to look inside and also the moisture dripping down

Just asking.

 

[ScottyT]

Thanks for the replies so far! I do not want to split it up into smaller amounts and carry it. One of my main reasons for buying the conical is for airless transfers...

Don't you want to get as much oxygen in there as possible when going from kettle to fermenter?

 

[atkinsr]

co2 and ball valve. Very cool idea! I don't know about the hand truck, but was thinking of mounting the base to a furniture dolly. Hmm. More tinkering. woo-hoo!

 

[atkinsr]

Don't you want to get as much oxygen in there as possible when going from kettle to fermenter?

Oxygen, yes, air.. full of mold spores, wild yeast, etc. no. Once it starts fermenting, from that point on, the less exposure, the better.

 

[samc]

co2 and ball valve. Very cool idea! I don't know about the hand truck, but was thinking of mounting the base to a furniture dolly. Hmm. More tinkering. woo-hoo!

I thought of furniture dolly, but if the fermenter starts to go in a direction you don't want it to you have nothing to steer it with other than the fermenter.

 

[atkinsr]

I thought of furniture dolly, but if the fermenter starts to go in a direction you don't want it to you have nothing to steer it with other than the fermenter.

Good point. I didn't consider that.

For those that don't know, the minibrew is a 2 part system. the conical, and the stand. The conical rests in the stand at the top of the cone, so trying to steer it would make it tip in the stand.