william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
I have a 15 gallon Blichman boilermaker I use to make 5 and 10 gallon batches. It has a dip tube on the inlet that comes within 1/4 inch of the bottom of the pot. There is a petal type steamer element placed upside down on the dip tube to minimize the hops settling onto the dip tube. I place the pot on a banjo burner that is elevated on 4 levels of concrete bricks. The pot has the Blichman standard globe valve (quarter turn to open and close). The discharge of the valve is fitted with stainless steel elbow and a 3" nipple that juuuust allows a fermenter to be removed from beneath it. The problem is when I open the valve, the pot stops draining with 2.5-3 gallons remaining. I always have to glove up and pick up the pot to pour the remining wort into the fermenter. I recently disassembled the valve to check for obstructions. Both the dip tube and the valve are flowing freely.
Does anyone have any ideas how I can get the pot to drain more completely? i suspect the discharge needs to be longer to establish a siphon. Even the part of the pot that does drain does so very slowly. If I extended the nipple I fear I would be unnable to get the brew bucket free, and if I raise the pot and burner I would be unable to easily monitor the pot.
Does anyone have any ideas how I can get the pot to drain more completely? i suspect the discharge needs to be longer to establish a siphon. Even the part of the pot that does drain does so very slowly. If I extended the nipple I fear I would be unnable to get the brew bucket free, and if I raise the pot and burner I would be unable to easily monitor the pot.