Problems harvesting yeast in my conical

[breyton]

I have the Blichmann 14 gallon conical fermentor and have brewed about 10 batches of beer with it. One of the main reasons for getting the conical was to harvest the yeast. I have been unsucessful in getting the yeast to empty out the bottom valve.

I have typically been waiting 10 days for fermentation to complete, then opening the bottom valve to collect the yeast sediment. When I open the valve, nothing flows out. I have removed the airlock to release the vacuum and even tried adding CO2 pressue to force the yeast out the bottom and nothing has worked.

After cleaning the connical, the yeast at the bottom valve is very thick and stiff and mixed with bits of hop pellet leftovers from the boil. It is so thick that I have to forcably shoot water into the conical to clean it out.

How are others that use conicals harvesting yeast? Am I doing something wrong?

[bub]

Sounds like your tube is too small
Try dumping a little sooner... like 24 hours after putting wort/beer in conical... just dump a bit to get the trub and hops out then do it again a couple of times at a few days intervals to keep it from packing in again, you don't have to get it all each time just enough to keep it moving
BUB

[Bugeater]

Yeah, definitely sounds like you are waiting too long for the first dump. Dumping a little after 3 or 4 days and then a little again every couple of days should solve the problem. Just remember not to dump too much early on.

I remember a thread on a forum a couple years ago along the same lines. One guy was having trouble getting all the yeast to settle all the way to the bottom. A lot was sticking to the sides and getting into the racking port. He solved the problem by sticking his wife's vibrator to the side of the conical with some duct tape! Vibrated that stuff right down! Talk about looking for brewing equipment in strange places!

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[bub]

Ok Wayne.... where do I send the cleaning bill for my couch... It now has a nice coating of Bohemian Pilsner.
BUB

[codewritinfool]

He solved the problem by sticking his wife's vibrator to the side of the conical with some duct tape! Vibrated that stuff right down!

Serv-OOOOOHHHHHH-OOOOOOHHHHHH-OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-myces.