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  • Clogged Dump Port

    I brewed my standard IPA earlier and I went to dump the trub and yeast. I hooked up my hose, opened the valve, and nothing. This has happened before when the cake is a little thick. I hooked up some CO2 to the blowoff port to add some head pressure as I usually do when this happend, and again nothing. Now I'm really confused, I then try to hook up some CO2 to the dump valve and knock it free. Again, nothing. With much trepidation, I get down and open the dump valve and look into it and it is packed full.
    After about an hour of messing with this I go to last resort. I sanitized a 18" screwdriver andstart trying to unclog it. This thing is super super clogged.

    Does anyone have any input??

  • #2
    Is this post crash on the fermentor?

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    • #3
      Crashed to 55

      Comment


      • #4
        I get a build up of hops if I crash before dropping some. Only resort was a stainless rod to dig it out and get some flow. Just dropping trub before a crash has pretty much fixed it, so far

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        • #5
          A few suggestions...

          Start much earlier with trub dumps. As soon as you have any hop, grain, or yeast debris. Do not wait until after a crash. This material tastes rude and you should separate it from good beer as soon as you can. If you have a drain valve clogged with debris, do NOT use CO2! Using a compressible media to sort this is not the best approach. If the clog were to break up, then you would blast the fines back into the beer with rapidly expanding CO2 rousing the whole mess increasing the rude flavor extraction, ruining your transfer schedule, making it harder to filter, and foaming your beer so that you'll have head retention issues later. Instead, use water at the drain valve. Water under pressure will push effectively without the threat of rapid expansion. Best of luck!
          Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

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          • #6
            Thanks all for the great information, especially early dumping.
            The good thing is that I successfully got the clog removed without too much screwup. I will start dumping trub sooner. So is this something that you guys are removing small amounts every day or waiting until a certain point to start dumping.


            Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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            • #7
              day 2

              Hey Cros.

              I don't know about everyone else, but I generally drop cold break/trub on the day after I brew.
              Next time I dump is before I'm getting ready to crash a few degrees/cap quick before yeast harvest.
              After that, just the preharvest dump.
              I'm not sure if this is best practice, but it seems practical and it works.
              Dave Witham
              Founder/Brewmaster
              Proclamation Ale Company

              Comment


              • #8
                related Q....

                Rather than starting a new thread, I though I'd ask here. Forgive the stupuid Q, but how do you guys get your trub/yeast beds to stop "rat holing" when you go to drain it off?? I can get some out, but inevitably I end up with a jet of nice beer blasting through the crap. I've tried the slow and patient method, waiting for the plug to work it's way out, but I still don't get a satisfactory rush of yeast. Am I expecting too much by imagining the beer pushing down all across the top of the cake leaving only nice clear beer behind??

                Thx.

                -J.
                Jeremy Reed
                Co-Founder and President, assistant brewer, amateur electrician, plumber, welder, refrigeration tech, and intermediately swell fella
                The North of 48 Brewing Company
                Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

                www.no48.ca

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Jer View Post
                  Rather than starting a new thread, I though I'd ask here. Forgive the stupuid Q, but how do you guys get your trub/yeast beds to stop "rat holing" when you go to drain it off?? I can get some out, but inevitably I end up with a jet of nice beer blasting through the crap. I've tried the slow and patient method, waiting for the plug to work it's way out, but I still don't get a satisfactory rush of yeast. Am I expecting too much by imagining the beer pushing down all across the top of the cake leaving only nice clear beer behind??

                  Thx.

                  -J.
                  I'd like to second this question, having trouble removing enough yeast to get clear beer at the racking arm (packaging directly from small 1.5BBL fermenter with the racking port about 2/3 of the way up the cone). Ideally I'd like to remove just enough yeast so I can have the racking arm pointing down into clear beer to minimise losses, but when removing as much as I can (slowly opening dump valve until clearish beer starts running quickly out) and packaging, I often discover a huge amount of yeast still in the fermenter after packaging
                  Last edited by 438; 02-04-2019, 07:48 PM.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Couple of approaches...

                    First is equipment design: You want the unitank interior mirror-polished. This not only aids in trub sliding down the cone, but also makes cleaning easier. Less chemical, less water, less time, less energy. Then you want to drop tank bottoms EVERY DAY after knockout. Your beer will taste better without the rotting vegetable matter. Slow and deliberate without wasting clear beer. So how do you do this without standing there wasting time watching trub drop? I love peristaltic pumps for this. Small, cheap, and very effective. These positive displacement "hose pumps" will slowly, effectively, and positively drop trub. They will not gush clear beer when the trub is gone. As well, they make great yeast harvesting pumps. And great dosing pumps for fining, flavor, or otherwise. Give them a try. Think you'll find lots of uses for them. Good luck!
                    Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hey Gitch, Can you recommend a good brand of peristaltic pump? Cheers.
                      Joel Halbleib
                      Partner / Zymurgist
                      Hive and Barrel Meadery
                      6302 Old La Grange Rd
                      Crestwood, KY
                      www.hiveandbarrel.com

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                      • #12
                        No. Not really.

                        I bought mine in Korea. But there are a zillion out there, so I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find one suitable for whatever you want to do with it.
                        Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by gitchegumee View Post
                          First is equipment design: You want the unitank interior mirror-polished. This not only aids in trub sliding down the cone, but also makes cleaning easier. Less chemical, less water, less time, less energy. Then you want to drop tank bottoms EVERY DAY after knockout. Your beer will taste better without the rotting vegetable matter. Slow and deliberate without wasting clear beer. So how do you do this without standing there wasting time watching trub drop? I love peristaltic pumps for this. Small, cheap, and very effective. These positive displacement "hose pumps" will slowly, effectively, and positively drop trub. They will not gush clear beer when the trub is gone. As well, they make great yeast harvesting pumps. And great dosing pumps for fining, flavor, or otherwise. Give them a try. Think you'll find lots of uses for them. Good luck!
                          Thanks a lot for the suggestion! Actually its a 'Brewha' all in one system and in fact there is a little build up of residue that I dont generally worry too much about except once in a few months to give it a caustic clean (as the fermenter is also the boil kettle and gets sanitised in the boil). By 'equipment design' are you referring to cleaning or the material surface itself?

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                          • #14
                            Mirror finish...

                            is the preferred surface treatment of fermenter cone interior. Helps yeast slide and is easier to clean.
                            Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

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