Filling My New Top Manway 3.5BBL Fermenter

[Luke7e]

I have upgraded my equipment substancially in order to keep up with demand. On my old 1bbl system I always just dropped my silicone tubing that came directly from the plate chiller into the 1.5" triclamp fitting and went until there was no more wort to transfer. Should I be doing this through the top manway of my new fermenter? I figure that I have to have i open anyway to dump in the yeast... Just not sure if there is a better way or if I am oxygenating my wort by doing it this way...
Luke Sevigney
Theory Brewing Company
Wells, Maine 04090

[wailingguitar]

Does it not have sanitary fittings? Generally you would fill through the triclamp on the cone bottom.

[mswebb]

Filling through the bottom port with an inline oxygenation stone is a more consistent method. You want oxygenation at this stage but clean, consistent levels are better than simply vigorously dumping wort. Your fermenter should be sanitized and closed up tight prior to filling. Open the blow-off port on the top when filling. Once filled, pouring yeast through the upper manway should be fine but I prefer to use the smallest port possible (ie. on our pilot system 1Bbl fermenter, I use the 1 1/2" blow off port). When opening any port be sure to sanitize with a spray, open the port, do what you have to do and close up quickly.

[dick murton]

You rarely have to oxygenate if using fresh dried yeast every time. So that will normally simplify matters considerably.