Sanitizing Conical Dump Valves (and similar)

[disney7]

How do pro brewers and others that use conicals (of whatever size) with the big butterfly dump valves deal with sanitation?

I know they use a triclover block off plate to keep it sealed off when not in use.

When they want to harvest yeast, do they just spray it out with StarSan before and after they dump it?

It seems like it would be a really good place for nasties to grow if it wasn't kept really, really clean.

How about those of you that use a fermenter that has a smaller valve on it, like the ported better bottles or buckets, or the Spiegels? How do you make sure it is clean and sanitized before you rack out of it? After all, its been sitting around for a couple of weeks or more while fermenting.

 

[Nightshade]

How do pro brewers and others that use conicals (of whatever size) with the big butterfly dump valves deal with sanitation?

I know they use a triclover block off plate to keep it sealed off when not in use.

When they want to harvest yeast, do they just spray it out with StarSan before and after they dump it?

It seems like it would be a really good place for nasties to grow if it wasn't kept really, really clean.

How about those of you that use a fermenter that has a smaller valve on it, like the ported better bottles or buckets, or the Spiegels? How do you make sure it is clean and sanitized before you rack out of it? After all, its been sitting around for a couple of weeks or more while fermenting.

I use 6bbl fermenters and it is all pretty simple really.

We have what is known as a CIP system (clean in place) which allows you to attach a "cleaning wand" and a pump to force cleaning solution through it to form a high pressure jet wash for the inside.

The process is as follows (for me at least):

Dump anything left inside
Fully disassemble racking port assembly and clean thoroughly by hand
Fully disassemble and hand clean sampling port assembly
Hose out fermenter with spray nozzle
Scrub racking port and sampling port, leave tap open
Reassemble racking assembly and sampling asssembly, leave tap open
Partially fill fermenter with hot water and add detergent
Cycle through pump into CIP and through cleaning wand for 30 minutes (rough number)
Drain detergent and hose out with spray nozzle
Fill with hot water and add descaling agent
Cycle through pump into CIP and through cleaning wand for 30 minutes (again rough number)
Drain descaling agent and water then rinse using spray nozzle and water
Add tap water and sanitizer to fermenter
Close racking port and sample port
Cycle through pump into CIP and through cleaning wand for 30 minutes (again rough number)
When cycle is finished seal all ports and leave sanitizer in the fermenter, remove the sanitizer just before transferring wort to fermenter.

I think I wrote that correctly but I have been sampling an RIS all morning

 

[Doctor_M]

I use 6bbl fermenters and it is all pretty simple really.

We have what is known as a CIP system (clean in place) which allows you to attach a "cleaning wand" and a pump to force cleaning solution through it to form a high pressure jet wash for the inside.

The process is as follows (for me at least):

Dump anything left inside
Fully disassemble racking port assembly and clean thoroughly by hand
Fully disassemble and hand clean sampling port assembly
Hose out fermenter with spray nozzle
Scrub racking port and sampling port, leave tap open
Reassemble racking assembly and sampling asssembly, leave tap open
Partially fill fermenter with hot water and add detergent
Cycle through pump into CIP and through cleaning wand for 30 minutes (rough number)
Drain detergent and hose out with spray nozzle
Fill with hot water and add descaling agent
Cycle through pump into CIP and through cleaning wand for 30 minutes (again rough number)
Drain descaling agent and water then rinse using spray nozzle and water
Add tap water and sanitizer to fermenter
Close racking port and sample port
Cycle through pump into CIP and through cleaning wand for 30 minutes (again rough number)
When cycle is finished seal all ports and leave sanitizer in the fermenter, remove the sanitizer just before transferring wort to fermenter.

I think I wrote that correctly but I have been sampling an RIS all morning

While that's great info I'm pretty sure the op is asking how to take care of sanitization after dumping trub/ taking samples from a sample valve/ and before racking the beer.

OP everything I've read and what I plan on doing is using a spray bottle of distilled water and starsan mixture and and spraying the open areas very liberally before and after manipulation of the valves. In between use they will be covered with tri clamp plates.

 

[disney7]

While that's great info I'm pretty sure the op is asking how to take care of sanitization after dumping trub/ taking samples from a sample valve/ and before racking the beer.

Yes, that's exactly what I was looking for. But the overview of the whole process was interesting.

 

[Nightshade]

Boy I could have saved a lot of typing then and just said a spray bottle with sanitizer in it.

 

[NervousDad]

Yep , that's how they do it. If you ever go on a brewery tour and they take a sample, they always have a spray bottle of Starsan with them.