Super Simple 15G Plastic Conical

[FredTheNuke]

Also in my opinion a secondary is only useful for lagering or if you are going to gelatin fine an ale. I normally just cold crash the primary and then filter with a 5 µm element while transferring into a corny keg for carbonating

 

[SavoryChef]

I guess it depends on the type of beer you are brewing but I can tell you that a 4700 mL liquid volume yeast trap is twice as big as you need for a 60 gallon batch of beer.... I can see my Trube level as I have clear PVC in that section. Pictures are in the thread called HDPE conical.

I think it's in the HDPE solera thread

 

[FredTheNuke]

You were spot on. Damn my poor typing skills or is it this tasty bourbon…

 

[Artifishal]

Your issue is the reason to install a yeast trap - then you don't get a stuck conical outlet. But you have to make sure your trap is sized big enough to contain maximum trub and yeast for your conical size. worst case it is a bit big and you lose a small amount of beer when switching from your yeast trap to your drain fitting. With a yeast trap there Is no need to use the upper conical drain fitting - you lose even more beer when using it.

I took the yeast rap off last night. It went well. Yeast cake volume had filled the trap and up past the valve a bit. I had to open it back up into a bucket to let a little more out. I sure do like the clear nalgene collection vessel but it inly shows you action for about two days, then it's just filled. I may so it over with a larger volume piece of pvc.

 

[grrickar]

Anyone know if Ohio Valley still sell the 15 gal ones, and if so what they are going for? The links in the older posts to the part on their website don't launch, and I could not get the search on the OVA website to find anything with Roto Ace in the part description.

 

[Artifishal]

Try rural king

 

[FredTheNuke]

Agrimart.net

 

[p40whk]

Try rural king

That's where I got mine, best place I could find price wise and there are many of them in Ohio. They will ship to store as well if you want to save on Freight.

 

[Surly]

I am currently racking the beer from my 15 gallon fermentor through the top using a racking cane.

I now would like to keep the system closed throughout my brewing/fermenting/racking processes.

I would like to add a racking arm to use for moving beer and harvesting the best yeast availble.

I have read posts where people use various sealing techniques with silicone or foam products to seal the cover to the fermentor. They then pump co2 through a blow off tube to push beer into kegs.

My question is, can I simply use gravity for racking and not seal the cover so tight? I am not overly concerned about unscrewing the cover a bit to allow the syphon action to occur. A clean towel placed over the cover wouls act as an appropriate filter.

Thanks for your ideas.

 

[chrisdb]

I have two 15G fermenters that I assembled with silicone gaskets on the lid. They are not completely airtight but do hold some pressure- when I pressurize the conical with an air compressor to check the seal I get a visible expansion of the vessel, but I get no bubbles in a blow-off tube.
After touring old breweries in Belgium and seeing how they used to ferment in open tanks I've changed my mind about the importance of sealed fermentation chambers... I'm very happy with the results I get from my "semi-closed" conicals and have no problem racking off the beer by gravity.

 

[Artifishal]

+ that.

I have only done three batches in mine, never bothered with sealing the top or modifying it in any way. I just open the bottom valve and rely on gravity every time. All three have turned out great.

 

[Surly]

It sure gets difficult to search large and active forums for specific information. So, I am asking you folks after extensive searching.

I have a 15 gallon plastic conical. I need a blow off tube as I have leaked krausen out of the top a number of times. I will want to move wort through the tube fittings directly from my chiller into the fermentor.

I do not need the cover to be airtight.

I do need an example of a blow off tube with hopefully pictures and a list of materials.

Thanks

 

[grrickar]

It sure gets difficult to search large and active forums for specific information. So, I am asking you folks after extensive searching.

I have a 15 gallon plastic conical. I need a blow off tube as I have leaked krausen out of the top a number of times. I will want to move wort through the tube fittings directly from my chiller into the fermentor.

I do not need the cover to be airtight.

I do need an example of a blow off tube with hopefully pictures and a list of materials.

Thanks

Is that with a 10 gallon batch?

I am looking to buy one, and hoping I can ferment 10 gallon batches in one.

I'd drill the lid, use food safe silicone caulk to install a hose barb and plumb us a piece of vinyl on there.

Maybe someone else has a better idea...

 

[Surly]

Is that with a 10 gallon batch?

I am looking to buy one, and hoping I can ferment 10 gallon batches in one.

I'd drill the lid, use food safe silicone caulk to install a hose barb and plumb us a piece of vinyl on there.

Maybe someone else has a better idea...

I brew 15 gallons of beer using this fermentor. It probaby holds 17-18 gallons.

 

[jcorn]

I brewed 10 gallons of cream ale one time in this thing. Everything was great until I added a brand new pack of orange peel after about 2 weeks of fermentation. I didn't think to soak it in alcohol to sanitize before hand. Long story short I ended up with a crazy Lacto Brett infection and one year later had a kick ass sour ale. Bad side was I am going to have to throw this thing away because I cannot do sacc ferments in it anymore. Every batch I have tried since has went bad. That bacteria is engraved into the plastic.

To make matters worse I have an awesome stand hand built of wood for the fermenter.

 

[jcorn]

Stand

View attachment 1422312375060.jpg

 

[Surly]

I brewed 10 gallons of cream ale one time in this thing. Everything was great until I added a brand new pack of orange peel after about 2 weeks of fermentation. I didn't think to soak it in alcohol to sanitize before hand. Long story short I ended up with a crazy Lacto Brett infection and one year later had a kick ass sour ale. Bad side was I am going to have to throw this thing away because I cannot do sacc ferments in it anymore. Every batch I have tried since has went bad. That bacteria is engraved into the plastic.

To make matters worse I have an awesome stand hand built of wood for the fermenter.

What processes did you use to clean and sanitize the system?

 

[FredTheNuke]

Fill it with 2 gallons of bleach and 13 gallons of water... Soak for a week. Nothing will live

 

[grrickar]

And put it in the sun after. UV should kill what bleach doesnt

 

[jcorn]

I have tried a full pbw soak, full star San soak. I will try the 2 gallons bleach to 13 water. Also now battling a leak from where I installed a plastic sampling valve about 6 inches up

 

[FredTheNuke]

2 gallons is too much though. 1 cup per gallon gives you 3200 ppm available chlorine. That is very strong. You MUST rinse thoroughly before the fermentor is used for beer again. Regular food strength sanitizing is at 200 ppm per gallon by FDA standards assuming no rinse.

 

[FredTheNuke]

More info:

http://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/files/26437.pdf

 

[Surly]

When I first got my tank, people here were encouraging us to place the plastic fermenter in the sun. It did rid all plastic smell from the unit.

I would recommend you do this as well after the clorine process.

 

[jcorn]

Amazing ideas fellas! How much bleach should I throw in this with water to the brim? I can rinse out afterwards

 

[Surly]

Amazing ideas fellas! How much bleach should I throw in this with water to the brim? I can rinse out afterwards

Google is your friend.

Go through the process you used post boil and figure out what happened. Could it have been something other than the orange peel?

Rewash everything using a good cleaner. Soak the fermenter parts, cover, cover ring, screws that hold the ring, sight glass and racking parts. Take them apart. Wash, soak, rinse.

Then repeat with chlorine. Rinse well.

Place in sunlight for days.

Sanitize with star san or whatever you use before adding wort.

Discard/replace plastic tubing, racking cane etc.

Good luck

 

[jcorn]

Im not even ready for the sanitizing step again yet. I drilled a 1 inch hole into this fermenter to fit a plastic ball valve for that sample valve. I have spent HOURS and different plastic valves trying to get it to where it will not leak. It is absolutely not possible at this point. I use gaskets on the inside and even outside. I hand tighten and it leaks. I wrench tighten and it still leaks. This thing leaks no matter what! I even tried Teflon and that didn't work either.
Is it possible to put a weldless kettle style metal ball valve on this? That way maybe I can tighten the absolute sh°° out of it and won't have to worry about the gasket getting all funky on me! ?

 

[FredTheNuke]

Food safe silicone sealant in conjunction with O-rings

 

[Surly]

Im not even ready for the sanitizing step again yet. I drilled a 1 inch hole into this fermenter to fit a plastic ball valve for that sample valve. I have spent HOURS and different plastic valves trying to get it to where it will not leak. It is absolutely not possible at this point. I use gaskets on the inside and even outside. I hand tighten and it leaks. I wrench tighten and it still leaks. This thing leaks no matter what! I even tried Teflon and that didn't work either.
Is it possible to put a weldless kettle style metal ball valve on this? That way maybe I can tighten the absolute sh°° out of it and won't have to worry about the gasket getting all funky on me! ?

What Fred said.

But to add: Yes, you can put a SS weldless valve on it. But the cranking the hell out of it may not be the issue. Gaskets only need to be snugged enough to create the seal.

Is the problem that where the hole is drilled the circumference of the conical does not allow a decentl flat surface for the valve to sit properly?

 

[FredTheNuke]

TOO tight is just as bad as too loose...

 

[Chrisl77]

Have you tried one of these flat silicone orings?