Starting a thread that capture my experience building a yeast capture device in line with the blow off tube. Credit for the idea goes to JZ an Chris White, who documented the contraption in their yeast book.
Doubtless other folks have already figured this out, but I thought a little trial an error would be healthy.
First attempt used a small carboy cap on a 2000ml borosilicate flask from amazon, along with some silicone tubing on the inlet and some reinforced vinyl on the outlet. I boiled the flask w/200 ml of water on the stove (gas only-electric can shatter the flask) to steam sterilize the tubes and the contraption, then sprayed things down with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
I ended up scrapping this one after about 8 hours - blow-off foam kept clogging the neck, and sending yeast straight up the 2nd part of the tube. In attempt 2 I'll use something like a copper or stainless racking tube as the inlet, so yeast will drop in below the choke point.
Edit - reinforced vinyl was way too loose on the outlet - need to use something tighter like 3/8 or 5/16 tubing that will fit the thinner carboy cap outlet. You can see the switch to the smaller tubing in the last picture.
Doubtless other folks have already figured this out, but I thought a little trial an error would be healthy.
First attempt used a small carboy cap on a 2000ml borosilicate flask from amazon, along with some silicone tubing on the inlet and some reinforced vinyl on the outlet. I boiled the flask w/200 ml of water on the stove (gas only-electric can shatter the flask) to steam sterilize the tubes and the contraption, then sprayed things down with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
I ended up scrapping this one after about 8 hours - blow-off foam kept clogging the neck, and sending yeast straight up the 2nd part of the tube. In attempt 2 I'll use something like a copper or stainless racking tube as the inlet, so yeast will drop in below the choke point.
Edit - reinforced vinyl was way too loose on the outlet - need to use something tighter like 3/8 or 5/16 tubing that will fit the thinner carboy cap outlet. You can see the switch to the smaller tubing in the last picture.