Draining fermenter

[bassassassin772]

Question for you. I ferment in a 55 lb vittle vault and I want to add a spigot. I am so far only running sweetfeed whiskey. The grain bed is massive for this stuff. For the sake of not putting a spigot halfway up the fermenter can I add it a few inches from the bottom and just drain through the grain bed?

[dakotasnake]

the problem i see with putting the spigot in the grain bed besides the obvious clogging issues is you will get all the yeast from the bed also that you dont want in your boiler or if planning to reuse the little guys. unless you want to let it settle and do it twice. put the spigot above the bed than use a hose or racking cane to get the rest.

[bassassassin772]

Oops sorry forgot to mention i will be draining into another bucket to let it clearify. I will also be adding paint strainers to my fermenter so all my grain will be In that.

[granddad]

i would recomend a brass ball valve because its straight
have you ever tried to look thru a faucet it will plug up in .1 second
ps i bought a ss tube strainer @ the local brew store maybe you could screw it in on the inside of the fermenter ? good luck

[Bushman]

Oops sorry forgot to mention i will be draining into another bucket to let it clearify. I will also be adding paint strainers to my fermenter so all my grain will be In that.

I do not rack to a secondary bucket, after cooling for 2 days I attach the cloth paint strainer in the top of my keg and syphon it into my boiler. When I get close to the end I am able to pick my fermenting buckets up and putting a large funnel into the keg (still have the cloth strainer in place) I am able to pour the rest slowly into the keg.

[Prairiepiss]

I just placed the spigot just above the grain bed. I figured 2 gallons of grain bed to a 5 gallon ferment. You will ne reusing the grain bed anyway. So what the harm in leaving that liquid in it. Adjust the ferment size so that you get a boiler charge and leave behind the grain bed. In my case I get 3 boiler charges from mine. Then use the backset from the last run to melt the sugar and start the next generation. You aren't actually losing the liquid left in the fermenter. If you design your setup around the amounts needed. It's way more efficient. Get two of them setup. And you won't have the need to use a secondary to clear it. Run one one week and the next the next week. Gives it one week to ferment and one week to clear. Then you get a good clear wash out the spigot.

[bassassassin772]

what about adding a false bottom and placing a dip tube under it that way no grain will be under it and a tube will suck up almost all mash

[granddad]

I just placed the spigot just above the grain bed. I figured 2 gallons of grain bed to a 5 gallon ferment. You will ne reusing the grain bed anyway. So what the harm in leaving that liquid in it. Adjust the ferment size so that you get a boiler charge and leave behind the grain bed. In my case I get 3 boiler charges from mine. Then use the backset from the last run to melt the sugar and start the next generation. You aren't actually losing the liquid left in the fermenter. If you design your setup around the amounts needed. It's way more efficient. Get two of them setup. And you won't have the need to use a secondary to clear it. Run one one week and the next the next week. Gives it one week to ferment and one week to clear. Then you get a good clear wash out the spigot.

pp what a inspiratoinal idea ! i am going to have to use that one thanks Granddad

[Prairiepiss]

what about adding a false bottom and placing a dip tube under it that way no grain will be under it and a tube will suck up almost all mash

False bottom would work. But the first stuff you pull off will always be cloudy. So you would need to pour it back into the fermenter. So it could filter through the grain bed. Or filter it off again. I think Myles has a setup like this?

Side note on mine. Even though what I get off the UJSSM fermenter is really clear. There are still corn floatys in it. Not much. Mainly spent grains. So I'm going to add a screen after next drain. Just enough to hold back the floatys. Nothing supper fine.

[Rastus]

i soldered a 1/2" copper pipe about 2" long to a reducer to fit a wand of 3/8" tube i had left over from my condenser coils, then clamped some vinyl hose to it for siphoning and then stuffed the 1/2" pipe with a plug of my copper column packing mesh. the rigid tube i could clamp to the side of the 12 gallon pail i use just near the grainline, I didnt want to draw off the yeasty beasties from the grain bed, figured they were supercharged and ready to go to war on the next wave of sugars i threw at them.

[bassassassin772]

Or I had another idea 1" copper pipe coming off the spigot to a T. Small holes or slices in the copper to bring the liquid into the spigot. What is the flow rate through the grain bed is it a decent amount or will 9 gallons take a long time to drain

[bassassassin772]

Made my drain yesterday. I took a 3/4" boiler drain, used a 3/4" bulkhead, and 1" copper pipe. I came out 7 inches to a T then came off 6 inches from that. I capped the end. I cut slits in the copper using a cutoff wheel with my grinder. i will let you know the results after i drain her off next week.