Sanke fermenter with a ball valve??

[steinsato]

Ok, so I recently was given a sanke keg and was all set to turn it into a keggle, I had drilled a hole in the bottom of it for a ball valve when I found two precut sanke keggles (shells only) on craigslist for $40 each. I bought both of them and have added weldless ball valves to both. So now I have a keg with a hole in the bottom but the top isn't cut off yet. I have removed the spear and would like to turn it into a fermenter but am worried that putting a ball valve in it would give critters a good place to hide. Is it conceivable to continue with this plan or should I forget about it and turn this into a keggle and try to sell it? Wish I hadn't put that hole in the damn thing.

 

[MonkeyWrench]

You can turn the keg up side down and use the tap connector with a 2" tri-clover and add a ball valve to that. Then use the hole on top (the old bottom) for filling and blow off.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Or, you can go ahead and cut the top off this Sanke and use it for a 3 vessle system.

In fact, if you use it as a HLT I don;t reallyt see the need to cut the top anyway. The steam will leav the Sanke via the spear hole anyway. Unless you have really hard water, there won't be much cleaning needed in a HLT.

 

[steinsato]

Is it possible to just leave it as it is and use it as a fermenter with a ball valve or am I asking for trouble?

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

I don't understand how you are going to get a ball valve in it with the top still on, unless you plan on welding?

If that is your plan, make sure you clean the crap out of it.

Otherwise, I don't see why it would present a problem.

 

[Chad_C]

You can turn the keg up side down and use the tap connector with a 2" tri-clover and add a ball valve to that. Then use the hole on top (the old bottom) for filling and blow off.

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[steinsato]

I actually managed to get it sealed with a weldless fitting, took some doing but I managed. I think if I go with this, I will have it welded (that is, if I can get the weldless fitting off LOL) I basically put a silicon o ring on the inside portion of the bulkhead, got the valve started on the threads then pulled the whole thing up flush against the inside of the keg so the o ring was "gripping" it from the inside. I could then just screw it right on without the inside portion spinning around. The valve is positioned on the bottom to drain the whole keg but about 1 gallon, which I think is a good amount to allow fro trub to settle out, I may get some junk when I first turn the valve on, but can just wait til it clears out a bit before I start collecting beer into the serving kegs.

 

[steinsato]

You can turn the keg up side down and use the tap connector with a 2" tri-clover and add a ball valve to that. Then use the hole on top (the old bottom) for filling and blow off.

I'm having a hard time comprehending this. By "tap connector" do you mean the ball valve and spear that came in the keg? Does this option basically give me a draining valve in the middle of the "bottom" of the keg now instead of one on the side near the bottom?

 

[Randar]

I'm having a hard time comprehending this. By "tap connector" do you mean the ball valve and spear that came in the keg? Does this option basically give me a draining valve in the middle of the "bottom" of the keg now instead of one on the side near the bottom?

Yep, it acts more like a dump port/valve on a conical. Would allow you to dump trub yeast too, but it will need some kind of support to rest on to give it the clearance required.

 

[MonkeyWrench]

Ah, when you said you put a hole in the bottom, I thought you meant in the bottom bottom, not side at the bottom.

But yes, you could still do like I said, remove the ball and spear and use it as a dump valve, you would need a stand of sorts to allow clearance for the valve.

Or like said, use it as one keg in a 3 vessel system.

 

[gracho]

You can turn the keg up side down and use the tap connector with a 2" tri-clover and add a ball valve to that. Then use the hole on top (the old bottom) for filling and blow off.

I use a Carboy cap over the Sanke portion of the keg. Put you vent lock on one side and use a stainless steel racking cane to siphon out the beer when the time comes. I have marked on my racking cane in 1/2 inch increments so I know how far off the bottom I am. A very slight counter pressure from the other port on the carboy cap and there it flows, right in to the Corney. No mods necessary and a carboy cap and racking cane will run you about $15.

Harvesting the yeast is just as easy as siphoning the beer. I usually pull up the racking cane to knock the small cap off the bottom of the cane then shove it back in. Churn up the yeast cake to make it soluble and push racking cane to the bottom.


...and... when I am not using it to ferment in I put it back together and serve from it.

 

[steinsato]

I use a Carboy cap over the Sanke portion of the keg. Put you vent lock on one side and use a stainless steel racking cane to siphon out the beer when the time comes. I have marked on my racking cane in 1/2 inch increments so I know how far off the bottom I am. A very slight counter pressure from the other port on the carboy cap and there it flows, right in to the Corney. No mods necessary and a carboy cap and racking cane will run you about $15.

Harvesting the yeast is just as easy as siphoning the beer. I usually pull up the racking cane to knock the small cap off the bottom of the cane then shove it back in. Churn up the yeast cake to make it soluble and push racking cane to the bottom.


...and... when I am not using it to ferment in I put it back together and serve from it.

I've got a carboy cap and everything already fit over the spear hole and this is exactly what I was planning on doing but instead of using pressure and a racking cane thought I could just open the valve near the bottom and let it flow out, that way I wouldn't have to deal with a racking cane. It would be almost like a bottling bucket/fermenter.

 

[gracho]

I've got a carboy cap and everything already fit over the spear hole and this is exactly what I was planning on doing but instead of using pressure and a racking cane thought I could just open the valve near the bottom and let it flow out, that way I wouldn't have to deal with a racking cane. It would be almost like a bottling bucket/fermenter.

I just didn't want to deal with the cleaning of too many parts. At the end I have just a racking cane, a carboy cap, vent lock and keg to clean. No valves to disassemble, etc. Everything is easy to get at and get cleaned. In fact the easiest thing to clean is the keg and the racking cane. Spotless in less than 5 minutes. I figure the less time cleaning leaves more time for drinking. I already feel corney kegs are too much cleaning, still better than bottles. Since I have a dip tube brush already anyway it makes cleaning the racking cane pretty easy.


At this point it is a matter of preference I guess.

 

[steinsato]

Gracho, believe me I would prefer not to need the ball valve in the bottom but unfortunately a hole has already been cut so I need to do something to work around it. I'm starting to think flipping the keg upside down and putting a dump valve on the spear will be the best way to go. I could just cork the 1 inch hole I have drilled and put some kind of a 90 degree angled air lock into that. Maybe I'll just take some kind of copper tubing and bend it so the airlock can stand up straight. Or I guess I could rig up a blowoff tube fairly easily as well.

 

[bendavanza]

just put a triclover blank and clamp on the spear hole and use it upside down. The spear hole will aid in rinsing the keg out. Use it upside down. There are drilled stoppers for the airlock that will fit the hole you drilled.

 

[gracho]

I could just cork the 1 inch hole I have drilled and put some kind of a 90 degree angled air lock into that. Maybe I'll just take some kind of copper tubing and bend it so the airlock can stand up straight. Or I guess I could rig up a blowoff tube fairly easily as well.

Blow off tube would or airlock would work.

just put a triclover blank and clamp on the spear hole and use it upside down. The spear hole will aid in rinsing the keg out. Use it upside down. There are drilled stoppers for the airlock that will fit the hole you drilled.

I have just come to hate stoppers too. They get nasty pretty easy still. Another thing i really like about the carboy cap is that it completely covers the sanke hole so nothing ever has a chance of running in to the beer. I have had on occasion that the a vent lock blows up and kinda runs all over the hole and stopper. I know, I should use a blow off tube, but for most of my beers there is enough head space to not need one. Some of the bigger beers and Hefeweizens will do it though. Now with the carboy cap it runs off, not in.


Again, this is personal preference stuff. I am not saying that this is the golden rule. This is just what I have come to find to be a simpler process... for me.

 

[steinsato]

anyone have a picture of this triclover setup on a sanke? I've been searching the forums but it seems that most people use this setup for Mash Tun's and Brew kettles. I love the idea of basically turning this keg into a conical just don't know what kind of parts I need to order to get them all at once. A how-to would be ideal. Thanks.

 

[gracho]

anyone have a picture of this triclover setup on a sanke? I've been searching the forums but it seems that most people use this setup for Mash Tun's and Brew kettles. I love the idea of basically turning this keg into a conical just don't know what kind of parts I need to order to get them all at once. A how-to would be ideal. Thanks.

Here a a couple:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/sanke-fermenters-106253/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/15...sion-fermenter-129018/index2.html#post1449468

 

[steinsato]

hmm. The description of that modified end cap reads:2" Modified End Cap $120 in stock
2" Modified End Cap will work on any American Sanke BEER keg (with the valve removed).
2" TriClamp End Cap modified with 5/16 " hose barb for Gas-In, 1/2" hose barb out (Triclamp hose adapter--see photo), safety pressure relief valve, and stainless tube to draw wine from bottom of the keg, and Sanke-TriClamp gasket and 2" TC Clamp.

With a dip tube on it, is looks like this is actually made for the keg to be used right side up. I'm trying to rig up some kind of dump valve on an upside down keg. Maybe I'm making this more complicated than I should. I may just stick with a ball valve near the bottom of the keg and use the spear hole for filling and just stick a carboy cap and airlock on it for fermenting. If needed I could use a racking cane from the top to get any yeast I might want to wash.

 

[gracho]

hmm. The description of that modified end cap reads:2" Modified End Cap $120 in stock
2" Modified End Cap will work on any American Sanke BEER keg (with the valve removed).
2" TriClamp End Cap modified with 5/16 " hose barb for Gas-In, 1/2" hose barb out (Triclamp hose adapter--see photo), safety pressure relief valve, and stainless tube to draw wine from bottom of the keg, and Sanke-TriClamp gasket and 2" TC Clamp.

With a dip tube on it, is looks like this is actually made for the keg to be used right side up. I'm trying to rig up some kind of dump valve on an upside down keg. Maybe I'm making this more complicated than I should. I may just stick with a ball valve near the bottom of the keg and use the spear hole for filling and just stick a carboy cap and airlock on it for fermenting. If needed I could use a racking cane from the top to get any yeast I might want to wash.

I had thought of just modifying the spear. Basically removing the dip tube and the modifying the rest to incorporate a valve. Turn it upside down. Then you could use your existing hole for the vent lock. No need for a tri-clover clamp.

I had actually contemplated the build with the Corney lid cut in to the bottom of the keg.