Closed transfer from plastic fermenter?

[fury_tea]

My most recent beer might've been ruined from using a dodgy racking cane. During the transfer it just decided to stop working half way through. I had loads of bubbles going through when it was working, then once it had stopped i tried pumping it again and it just pumped bubbles into the fermenter and keg, had loads of troubles getting it going again then it after a few more pumps of air into my brew (and stirring up the hops and yeast I had cold crashed/geletin fined out of it) I gave up on the racking cane. After some quick thinking I sanitised a mesh hop basket and dunked that in, then used the tube from the racking cane inside the basket and gave it a quick suck to get it going. I tried the beer yesterday (after around 48hrs under 30psi in the keg) and it definitely tastes cardboardy, and the aroma and flavour from the hops seems reduced. I think I'm going to bin the racking cane and rethink my method.

I bought a tap a while back but haven't installed it yet. Has anyone here tried pumping a small amount of co2 into the top a plastic fermenter to create a bit of pressure, then using a tube attached to a tap to transfer to the keg? Seems like it would work as long as you don't overdo it on the co2.

If this is a viable option, what pressure would you think would be appropriate in this situation?

 

[foxy]

My most recent beer might've been ruined from using a dodgy racking cane. During the transfer it just decided to stop working half way through. I had loads of bubbles going through when it was working, then once it had stopped i tried pumping it again and it just pumped bubbles into the fermenter and keg, had loads of troubles getting it going again then it after a few more pumps of air into my brew (and stirring up the hops and yeast I had cold crashed/geletin fined out of it) I gave up on the racking cane. After some quick thinking I sanitised a mesh hop basket and dunked that in, then used the tube from the racking cane inside the basket and gave it a quick suck to get it going. I tried the beer yesterday (after around 48hrs under 30psi in the keg) and it definitely tastes cardboardy, and the aroma and flavour from the hops seems reduced. I think I'm going to bin the racking cane and rethink my method.

I bought a tap a while back but haven't installed it yet. Has anyone here tried pumping a small amount of co2 into the top a plastic fermenter to create a bit of pressure, then using a tube attached to a tap to transfer to the keg? Seems like it would work as long as you don't overdo it on the co2.

If this is a viable option, what pressure would you think would be appropriate in this situation?

I have done it using cubes to ferment in, purge the secondary with the gas being produced from the ferment when transferring at the half way mark the pressures will equalise, then you use the bottled co2 to push the liquor into the secondary and the secondary vents the co2 as the liquor level rises and you have a oxygen free transfer. You can do it with the bog standard HDPE fermenter with a lot of keg seal lubricant on the 'O' ring but it will take a little more gas because of the size.

 

[terrym]

I use a simple rigid cane with a trap on the bottom connected to a plastic tube and then siphon the beer out into my bottles. I discarded the tap in the tube after the first attempt of use. When I used to dry hop by chucking the hops directly into the beer I used a nylon mesh sock over the trap. Siphoning is a very old way of doing things but it works for me. I never get any problems with entrained air or blockages or the like, and put up with a tiny loss of beer as I transfer from one bottle to another if I don't get things quite right. Sometimes the simplest methods are best in my view.

 

[fury_tea]

Upon trying it again today it's not quite as bad as I thought it was. Maybe I had a glass of yeasty crud from the bottom of the keg that changed my perception a bit.

Still going to find a better way to transfer though. Sick of dodgy racking canes.