Stainless conical fermenter advice needed

[snails07]

I've had a mate build a conical fermenter for me and I still need to sort out the racking port/valve.
The plan so far is to drill a hole and use a standard 1/2" 3 piece ball valve attached via a weldless bulkhead.

Question is, do I need some type of dip tube/racking arm internally or will it be fine without one? If i don't add one, I'm picturing it filling up with yeast and crap and possibly getting clogged.

Also, is there an ideal height to mount it? How could I work out the ideal height to mount it?
If it's mounted too low it will surely be clogged with yeast and trub but mounted too high and I'll be leaving lots of beer behind.

I've seen the ssbrewtech valve with the racking arm which looks ideal but it is only 3/8" so I'd imagine the flow rate would be pretty shit. It's a 40 litre fermenter so I don't want to spend forever waiting for it to drain.

Any advice or thoughts on the best way to go would be unreal!
Cheers

 

[malt junkie]

Note most conicals use tri clover fittings as they are sanitary. I know the brewtech ones are released with ball valves but this is on their lower spec items. Threads give nasties a place to hide. Height of the take off for the racking arm is dependant on the arm itself. Triclover rotating racking arms are available from most of the big US suppliers, pick one, ask here for dimensions from someone with a conical from that supplier . Use butterfly valves and your good as gold. Pay once cry once.

 

[snails07]

Yeah this fermenter will be a 'lower spec item'
I understand the risks but it will be taken out, thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after each batch. I'm pretty anal about cleaning and santizing so I'm pretty confident to take that risk.
If i had more cash I'd be going for the tri clover but I kind of have to make do for now

 

[malt junkie]

Then do what brewtech do, use a furrel for the take off and a tc to bsp adapter to your tap, easy upgrade path later.

 

[snails07]

I'd need to get the ferrule welded into the fermenter, which is basically the whole reason i am going for the weldless 1/2" fitting.
I can easily drill a hole and fit the valve myself but I'm thinking that getting the weld done would be costly, and I'm all out of favours with the mate!!
Mmmm maybe I should stop being a tightarse though and just do it properly...

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Nice piece of steel there. Home made there is some work put into that.
It looks like you could boil that with some water in it. Heat sanitizable is a nice option if you want to be thorough.

 

[snails07]

Great idea but I'm all electric unfortunately so can't boil it

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

What size is the TC fitting on the bottom?

 

[scooterism]

Any chance of some more photo's?

 

[snails07]

It's 1.5" on the bottom. Here's a couple more pics

 

[huez]

Nice work for a love job. What are you going to do for a lid though?

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

If it's 1 1/2" then you can do a double fitting that puts a 3/4" racking standpipe up through a 1 1/2" elbow.

 

[peteru]

Nice work for a love job. What are you going to do for a lid though?

Glad wrap and a big rubber band?

 

[snails07]

If it's 1 1/2" then you can do a double fitting that puts a 3/4" racking standpipe up through a 1 1/2" elbow.

Sounds interesting. I've done a search though and can't come up with anything. Would you have a link to what you are talking about?

Nice work for a love job. What are you going to do for a lid though?

Not 100% sure yet.
We currently employ something very similar to the old glad wrap and rubber band - we use a clear vinyl (foodsafe) that has been heat molded to fit the top of our current fermenters, which are just 19L bigw pots. It's all very ghetto but works well and we can see what is happening through the 'lid'. Our best beers have come from using this method although I'm sure it is despite this, not because of this!

The plan for this fermenter was to have a lid with proper catches and a good seal, but to be honest it may even be the molded vinyl again. Annnndddd cue the laughter ......
But it's ridiculously easy and works well. No airlocks, no blowoff tubes. Just sanitize a piece of vinyl and pop it on top.

 

[Weizguy]

Micro-polished 60° cone?

 

[snails07]

The cone is about 6° flatter than the apparently ideal 60, but it needed to squeeze into the fridge!

Not sure if it is micro-polished?? It looks like any other stainless pot I have...

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Sounds interesting. I've done a search though and can't come up with anything. Would you have a link to what you are talking about?

I did an image search and came up empty (and I know what it's meant to look like).

If I get time to draw one up I'll post it for you.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Sounds interesting. I've done a search though and can't come up with anything. Would you have a link to what you are talking about?

I did a quick drawing, left off the valves.

 

[Matplat]

I see you have to suffer the use of Inventor also... heinous piece of software.... :icon_offtopic:

 

[snails07]

I did a quick drawing, left off the valves.

Thanks for taking the time to draw it up, that might actually be an alright solution.
I might do some more digging and see if I can track one down!