Pumping wort into FastFerment

[Chris W]

Hello fellow brewers!

Looking for some ideas from the group. I use a pump to push the wort through a plate chiller into a FastFerment 14g. When I have a helper it's no problem, they just hold the hose into the top of the fermenter. The top of the fermenter is nearly 5-1/2 feet of the ground with the extension legs and rolling base. When I don't have a helper it is nearly impossible to be close enough to the pump switch AND hold the tube into the fermenter.

Any ideas on how to secure the silicone tube (under pressure) onto/into the fermenter?

 

[IslandLizard]

Even with a bucket on the floor, slowly pumping wort into it makes the silicone hose jump out. Even when I put a 10# weight on the lid it still finds it way out. Don't know how many times I've ended up mopping and rinsing off my Crocs due to that alone.

I really should make a dedicated lid for that job with an 11/16" hole in it to hold the tubing in tightly.

Can you make or find some sort of bracket cradling the hose, with a hook on it keeping the end inside the vessel?
Maybe from one of those 90° support elbows used for PEX tubing? You'd almost need a 180°, like for a washing machine drain hose.

 

[VTX1300]

If you have a sampling port i would attach the hose to it with a hose clamp.

 

[Chris W]

If you have a sampling port i would attach the hose to it with a hose clamp.

I was considering putting a sampling port on it. But, for filling, I was worried that the pressure would be too much.

 

[VTX1300]

If you don't have a sampling port I would recommend putting one in even if you don't use it to fill via a pump. I do any bottling from it and use it to do a closed transfer to a keg. For bottling it is more controllable than the bottom valve and hose assembly. I don't think you would have any problems with too much pressure as long as you secure the hose to the sampling port with a hose clamp. The valves are sturdy to don't have much restriction when in the full open position.