Closed transfer(C02) issues

[VirginiaHops1]

I've been trying to do a closed transfer to my kegs using CO2, to minimize the oxygen exposure. I bought the standard setup most people probably use, SS racking cane, orange carboy cap with tubes going to keg and CO2 canister. Nothing but trouble so far.

Attempt 1 : got very little into the keg. I suspected the QD or poppet clogged, so had to just open the keg and siphon it in. Sloppy transfer

Attempt 2 : I tied a mesh bag around the end of the siphon, with weights to hopefully keep the bag from getting sucked into siphon. Another fail. After this it dawned on me, maybe the reason I was having so much trouble pushing the beer into keg is I need to release pressure on the gas post, while I'm pushing in on liquid post. Duh. Maybe that was actually the problem with attempt 1. Figured 3rd time would be a charm

Attempt 3 : I left the orange tip off the siphon this time, because I figured I didn't need it with the bag around the siphon. Even with the weights in the bag it still sucked the sides of the bag into the siphon though. I had to constantly move the siphon around in the beer to try to keep the bag off it. I finally gave up and went to pull the siphon/bag out to put the orange tip back on, and the bag fell in the beer. HAHA. I put the orange tip on and finally managed to mostly complete the transfer, although I hope my dip tube didn't clog bringing it over without the mesh bag. Will find out later this week.

Sorry for the long post, at the very least at least it was amusing how much I suck at this. Next time I'm leaving the orange tip on the siphon, even with the bag, and I'm thinking of clipping something on the end to provide even more clearance between siphon and bag, like maybe one of those big black office clips. Anybody else have frustration with this, or any methods that work really well?

 

[day_trippr]

I use a SS racking cane pushed through a carboy cap and with a square of nylon hop bag material rubber-banded to the end with a SS washer inside. I've never had any issues with this CO2 push rig - no clogs anywhere. But I do cold-crash the carboy first, purge the liquid line and cane before hooking it up to the Star San purged keg, then position the end of the cane an inch or so above the trub line for most of the racking. When it's down to the last half gallon or so I'll lower the cane so the tip is just above the trub...

Cheers!

 

[IslandLizard]

then position the end of the cane an inch or so above the trub line for most of the racking. When it's down to the last half gallon or so I'll lower the cane so the tip is just above the trub...

That is such an essential step!
Often I see people dropping the cane to the bottom of the fermentor, right down into the trub. I never understand why they do that.

I go as far as starting the siphon about midway between trub and (top) beer level. I use a racking cane clamp on the edge of the bucket to keep it in place, and an o-ring higher up as a "stop" to tell me where to start expecting trub. I slowly lower it as the level drops, tilting toward the end to keep the beer well deep, and stop transferring as soon as yeast starts to get sucked up. I use the flow inverter tippy or sometimes a specially constructed filter over the bottom of the cane.

I never experienced a plug-up anywhere or breaking the siphon during this (semi-closed) transfer procedure. After the keg is full, I often siphon the last few leftover quarts of beer into plastic bottles, the same way, using a carbonation cap and a (vinyl) drop tube. The QD remains on the end of the siphon tube so I can jump from keg to bottle and from one bottle to the next until all beer has transferred.

I'm experimenting with a full closed transfer to keg from fermentation buckets, and it's promising. Getting the last gallon out without trub is the trickiest, as you can't see well inside to know where things stand.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

Yeah I tried to begin the transfer well above the trub line and was having issues. I actually found some success lifting it out of the wort, then putting it down in. Just so slow and painful. day_trippr, it looks like you have a lot less mesh material than I had, which was probably part of the reason mine is getting sucked into the siphon. Next time I'm going to rig something up to keep the mesh bag away from the siphon tip. Hopefully 4th time is a charm.

 

[jdauria]

I've been trying to do a closed transfer to my kegs using CO2, to minimize the oxygen exposure. I bought the standard setup most people probably use, SS racking cane, orange carboy cap with tubes going to keg and CO2 canister. Nothing but trouble so far.
?

When I started doing closed transfers, one of the issues I had was that the CO2 was escaping under the carboy cap, thus not enough pressure was building up in the carboy to push the beer. To solve that, I put a a ring clamp around the cap and screw it down tight and now have zero issues.

Cold crashing the beer so all the trub settles definitely helps, because they you can start the siphon at top of beer and work down until you are just above the trub.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

When I started doing closed transfers, one of the issues I had was that the CO2 was escaping under the carboy cap, thus not enough pressure was building up in the carboy to push the beer. To solve that, I put a a ring clamp around the cap and screw it down tight and now have zero issues.

Cold crashing the beer so all the trub settles definitely helps, because they you can start the siphon at top of beer and work down until you are just above the trub.

I know my cap leaks some, which I would think is a good thing(make shift PRV) so the pressure doesn't build up too much in the carboy. I put a ring clamp on the cap where the siphon enters it because that was leaking the most, but not around the base of the cap/carboy neck. I sometimes use my hand to squeeze the carboy neck though, and it seems like more than enough pressure is building up inside the carboy to push the liquid but who knows. If I continue to have problems I'll take a look at that. Thanks

 

[shoengine]

That is such an essential step!
Often I see people dropping the cane to the bottom of the fermentor, right down into the trub. I never understand why they do that.

I go as far as starting the siphon about midway between trub and (top) beer level. I use a racking cane clamp on the edge of the bucket to keep it in place, and an o-ring higher up as a "stop" to tell me where to start expecting trub. I slowly lower it as the level drops, tilting toward the end to keep the beer well deep, and stop transferring as soon as yeast starts to get sucked up. I use the flow inverter tippy or sometimes a specially constructed filter over the bottom of the cane.

I never experienced a plug-up anywhere or breaking the siphon during this (semi-closed) transfer procedure. After the keg is full, I often siphon the last few leftover quarts of beer into plastic bottles, the same way, using a carbonation cap and a (vinyl) drop tube. The QD remains on the end of the siphon tube so I can jump from keg to bottle and from one bottle to the next until all beer has transferred.

I'm experimenting with a full closed transfer to keg from fermentation buckets, and it's promising. Getting the last gallon out without trub is the trickiest, as you can't see well inside to know where things stand.

The siphons with the stand-off are definitely helpful for keeping the cane out of the trub. Interesting that the SS canes are just open at the end.

I'm working on a completely closed transfer as well with a Ss bucket. The nice thing is that with the cone, the pickup tube is never below the trub.