FastFerment problem

[LesFCHB]

Here's a FastFerment problem I'm having. This is my 3 batch with it. Not really a problem with the equipment but rather its use. After primary and "secondary" I'm ready to keg. There are patches of trub hanging on the sides of the conical. As it drains into the keg patches of trub flow into the keg. I'm rather impressed with the clarity of the beer otherwise. When I draw a draft after force carbonation at 28psi +/- and 40 degrees (backed down to 8 psi for serving) the beer is cloudy no matter the first or second pint.
How does one limit the amount of trub from flowing in there with the FastFermenter.
Les

 

[eluterio]

Here's a FastFerment problem I'm having. This is my 3 batch with it. Not really a problem with the equipment but rather its use. After primary and "secondary" I'm ready to keg. There are patches of trub hanging on the sides of the conical. As it drains into the keg patches of trub flow into the keg. I'm rather impressed with the clarity of the beer otherwise. When I draw a draft after force carbonation at 28psi +/- and 40 degrees (backed down to 8 psi for serving) the beer is cloudy no matter the first or second pint.
How does one limit the amount of trub from flowing in there with the FastFermenter.
Les

Several ways to help out with this.

Let it sit for a longer period of time before you drink it, but who am I kidding your a home brewer. If the first 2-5 pints its still cloudy let it sit longer and don't move it.

The old yeast around your carboy will just settle if you get some in your keg. Nothing you really can do about that.

When your racking your beer into your keg don't rack from the bottom. Start about 4 inches from the bottom of your carboy and slowly move it down. Try not to disturb the yeast cake.

If you have to move your carboy let it sit for an hour to let any yeast settle back down.

Most of all letting it sit in your keg at cold temp for a week or two will drop all the yeast out of suspension and clarify your beer.

There will be a few what yeast you used how high does it flocculate, your new at this and would worry about that stuff until you feel ready to learn more!!

Welcome to the hobby and congrats on your beer making abilities.

 

[NickTheGreat]

Several ways to help out with this.

Let it sit for a longer period of time before you drink it, but who am I kidding your a home brewer. If the first 2-5 pints its still cloudy let it sit longer and don't move it.

The old yeast around your carboy will just settle if you get some in your keg. Nothing you really can do about that.

When your racking your beer into your keg don't rack from the bottom. Start about 4 inches from the bottom of your carboy and slowly move it down. Try not to disturb the yeast cake.

If you have to move your carboy let it sit for an hour to let any yeast settle back down.

Most of all letting it sit in your keg at cold temp for a week or two will drop all the yeast out of suspension and clarify your beer.

There will be a few what yeast you used how high does it flocculate, your new at this and would worry about that stuff until you feel ready to learn more!!

Welcome to the hobby and congrats on your beer making abilities.

The FastFerment is not a normal "carboy." It is almost like a upside-down carboy.

OP, I feel like you almost need to go into a different carboy as a secondary, or maybe rack to a keg, let it set a bit, and rack to the serving keg.

Sounds irritating, and part of the reason I haven't jumped to something like this. I wonder how anybody else with any concical does it?

 

[stpug]

Install a spigot with rotatable pickup tube about 6 inches up from the bottom of the cone and use that when transferring to keg. Rotate the pickup tube to desired position above the cake/trub prior to transferring.

 

[eluterio]

Letting you keg sit for awhile will allow it to clear up a bit.

 

[TheHappyHopper]

I'm not sure if everyone is realizing that the Fast Ferment is basically a small plastic conical fermenter - you are supposed to be able to dump the yeast and other sediment prior to bottling/kegging without having to go through the process of racking/siphoning. I think I would dump the sediment a day or two before kegging and then again on keg day. If you still have a lot going into the keg, let the keg sit for longer at cold temperatures to help it all settle out and compact to the bottom of the keg.

The last resort would be to do some kind of inline filter when you are transferring the beer from the Fast Ferment to the keg.

 

[cernst151]

That is unfortunate. I had considered getting the FastFerment but decided it wasn't worth the money to me. I've never used one before but I agree the whole point is that you're not supposed to have to do a secondary in another container.

What I'd start with is trying to tap the sides before you remove the trub. Maybe tapping the walls would help to dislodge the sediment that's collected up high and get it sliding down early so it comes out in the initial trub removal.

If that doesn't work, maybe pick up the whole thing and give it a swirl to loosen the stuff up then let it settle out for the next day or two. Still, sounds like a pain and exactly the sort of thing that's supposed to be eliminated by buying one. Good luck.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

I would suggest moderately aggressively tapping on the walls. Just like train cars have vibrators attached to make sure everything falls out. The trub will settle, but unless you continually empty the trub so it doesn't settle on the sides you're going to have some that turns to cake.
The other option would be to use a degassing rod like for wine through the bung. Once you rack off most of the trub you'd give it a stir to dislodge the stuck cake and let it settle again (hopefully into the collection ball). Kinda defeats the purpose but it will likely stay as large enough chunks that they will settle fast.
Also be careful cleaning or any scratches will encourage trub to stick on the walls instead of sliding to the bottom.

 

[1975brewer]

I do tap mine. When ever I walk by them if I see anything collecting on the sides I gently tap with a piece of 2x4. You may not see anything moving but the next day the sides should be clear.

 

[Monkey-BB]

I use mine mostly as a primary lately. I like to send it to a glass carboy before kegging. They do work great, mmmm I love beer!

 

[beerdedman]

I use a 30 micron filter ( the housing was 16$ and the filter about 6$ )as I keg and it works excellent

 

[Kalmah]

I use a 30 micron filter ( the housing was 16$ and the filter about 6$ )as I keg and it works excellent

Do you have a link for the filter?

 

[beerdedman]

Pentek R30 Pleated Polyester Filter Cartridge, 9-3/4" x 2-5/8", 30 Microns Pentek http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014C283K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014C283K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
And the housing
Pentek 158117 1/4" #10 Slim Line Clear Filter Housing Pentek http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VT79VA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VT79VA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

You will also need two plastic hose barb fittings like this View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1424088511.310091.jpg
I used a 1/4x1/2in fitting from the fastfermenter to the filter and 1/4x3/8in fitting from the filter to the keg View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1424088710.372507.jpg

Rinse and soak the filter in sanitizer before and after you use it and then let it dry. It should last you a long time. Also, since it's only 30 microns, there should be enough yeast transferred over to bottle condition if you want to

 

[bravejuicebox]

I did my first batch over the past 2 weeks and got the same issue. Everything looked to be clean, until I went to bottle. First I had to MacGyver hoses of 2 different sizes together to get my bottle filling wand attached. Then I started bottling. Immediately clogged the bottling wand and I was stuck for a bit. I ended up going to a carboy and bottling from there. Not sure what else to do as I usually dry hop during second ferment and that seems to be what was left in the fastferment during bottling. Most of it made it into the ball, but a good amount was left in the conical. Any thoughts?

 

[Beerinnj]

I just did a mixed recipe including a liquid malt, specialty grains, and hops. I had a clog during the first collection ball dump. Used my long spoon to poke a hole through it. I ended up having to do an extra collection ball dump to get rid of the extra trub. I have been tapping the sides every once in a while to get it to settle from the sides. Looks like it's working. I'm thinking the next time I might strain the wort as I pour into the fermenter through a muslin bag or cheese cloth. If anyone has tried this let me know. I'll update after I try it. I have high hopes for this fermenter. I am going to add the sampling spigot before the next batch.

 

[Beerinnj]

I just did a mixed recipe including a liquid malt, specialty grains, and hops. I had a clog during the first collection ball dump. Used my long spoon to poke a hole through it. I ended up having to do an extra collection ball dump to get rid of the extra trub. I have been tapping the sides every once in a while to get it to settle from the sides. Looks like it's working. I'm thinking the next time I might strain the wort as I pour into the fermenter through a muslin bag or cheese cloth. If anyone has tried this let me know. I'll update after I try it. I have high hopes for this fermenter. I am going to add the sampling spigot before the next batch.

I did a total of 2 collection ball dumps during the first 2 weeks. Then the rest of the trub settled into the ball and the beer came out clear. After bottling I cleaned and drilled a hole for a a sampling spigot. Best upgrade to the fast fermenter. I'm on my 2nd beer since doing this and it seems to be working out.
Tap sides as often as I can. Clean out collection ball 1-2 extra times.
I also have been adding a burst of CO2 to the collection ball before reopening the valve. Fast ferment doesn't think this is necessary but I do it anyway.

 

[Mobstar76]

I'm having the same problem with mine. Everything seems to build up right before the valve. I've done the double dump, tapping, poking before kegging but still way too much sludge making its way into my keg. I bought this setup to cut air exposure and reduce workload but so far I'm pretty disappointed.
I'm thinking of installing the sampling valve and just dumping from there.

 

[ninjamonkey80]

Not much you can do about that besides getting a second keg and a cold filter and filtering it