Side or Top manhole on FV's

[leehammerton]

I am ordering some 20 bbl conical fermentation vessels very soon and have the option between a side manhole or a top manhole. What is peoples opinions on what option is best?

There is a similar post on the forum already but wanted fresh opinions on what I should chose and why.

Thanks for you answers in advance

[Natrat]

Side manway. Top manway only if you plan to have a two story cellar, with a walkway or built floor around the tops of your tanks. Unless you love ladders.

Natrat

[wailingguitar]

Personally I can't stand top manways, I always get very paranoid that I am going to drop something into the tank! Like the door itself, for instance... the one place where I used them I was told by another brewer that it did happen on occasion and it was a real PITA. I also hate climbing ladders (fell from the top of a ladder on a 20bbl HLT, bounced off the BK on the way down and took a TC valve in the kidney), so any time there is a choice between climbing a little or a lot, I opt for little

[gitchegumee]

I also like side manways. They are below the krauesen ring. Top manways may get thick scum from fermentation. The area around the manway is very tough to clean perfectly. Better if it's lower. The only drawback is if you have to pitch a full fermenter after the wort has cooled a bit. Or if you dry hop. Then top manways might be OK, but you could still pitch through the SRV port. Best of luck!

[dick murton]

It depends how you intend to operate. If you intend to dry hop, dip the vessel to gauge contents volume, then a top access door is best. Otherwise, a side door is easier, particularly if you want to use a thimble to reduce yeast carryover. But if you are operating conicals, with CIP - why do you want to get in the vessel?

Top access doors don't need to be full size manway doors providing you have a side door or removable cone for maintenance access. Make sure they open outwards on a hinge - no risk of dropping in. Top access is useful for viewing, for instance checking physical state of fermentation and blockages in sprayballs / spray patterns / power / coverage.

So I would always have top access as well as lower access (removable cone or manway)

[d_gardonio]

consider top opening

I will throw in a vote for top entry. I have noticed my fermenter spray balls getting plugged occasionally by kraüsen krud, so I like to remove them and clean that stuff out for a more uniform spray. In breweries that I have worked in where the beer fermented up and out of the tank I have also noticed that the CIP doesn't clean the actual sprayball/pipe leading to the sprayball. With a top manway it is easier to scrub these with a brush.

I do agree that falling off a ladder sucks, though! If I was ordering a lot of FVs and I could set up a mezzanine or catwalk to access the tops of the tanks then I would definitely do top manholes. If you are even going to think about operating just with ladders, then just go for side manways and keep in mind what was mentioned above.

[leehammerton]

Thanks for all your messages guys, I think we may well go for side manways in that case. We would have a hop port added though as may want to add hops at stages of the fermentation.