10
Fermenator
™
V2
© Blichmann Engineering, LLC 2019
For replacement parts, visit: blichmannengineering.com/genuine-replacement-parts
Procedure:
Connect a clear 1” ID X 24” long hose (not supplied) to the bottom dump valve with the hose barb fitting provided and place
the other end into a suitable container. If you are not harvesting the yeast the hose and fitting do not need to be sanitized. If you have
a large amount of sediment or it has compacted over time, it may take one to two minutes for the flow to begin. Over time, yeast takes
on the consistency of toothpaste (as opposed to molasses) and even commercial breweries have trouble with plugging. More frequent
dumping earlier in the fermentation process will alleviate this. It is recommended to dump when primary fermentation has slowed, and
then every few days until the yeast has all been removed. Performing a protein rest (for wheat and under modified malts) and using
proper techniques to leave trub in the boil kettle will reduce the amount of trub carried into the fermentor and improve the quality of
your beer. Consult any homebrewing text for recommended procedures. If you are still having trouble with yeast cake compaction it is
permissible to use pressure to provide additional force to remove the yeast. This is a common procedure in commercial breweries. See
the “Racking finished beer – pressure pumping” section for instructions and warnings before attempting this!
CAUTION:
Remove the pressure relief piston on the lid hatch prior to draining beer/wort from the tank or you will suck the liquid out of
the airlock and into the fermentor! The CO₂ from the actively fermenting beer is generally sufficient to purge any ingested air from the
tank.
Hold the valve body to prevent it from rotating and adding unnecessary bending force on the tank wall! Slowly open the valve until you
have removed the trub or yeast (the valves have a locking tab that needs to be lifted before opening). Watch the flow through the hose
and close the valve when the trub and yeast have been drained. Reinstall the pressure relief piston. That’s it!
Harvesting yeast:
If you’re harvesting the yeast, you’ll need to sanitize the hose and fittings first. The valve threads can easily be
sanitized by a spray bottle of sanitizer a few minutes prior to installing the barbed fitting. Allow the trub to pass first, and collect the
cream colored yeast. A wide mouthed glass jar 8-16 oz works well. If you have CO₂ available, purge the jar of oxygen before use. With
proper sanitization techniques, yeast can be stored for 1-2 months and harvested up to 4 times in a typical homebrew environment.
Since you’ll have plenty of yeast to pitch (reactivate in a starter if more than 2 weeks old) you’ll find your ferments starting faster and
progressing much more quickly.
Rotating Racking arm Operation
This feature is used for taking wort samples during the fermentation process and for racking the finished beer into kegs or a bottling
bucket.
Aseptic Valve Operation:
After installing the aseptic valve, angle it so that one of the threaded inputs is facing upward and the other
is faceing downward. Spray the inside with sanitizer then install the bottom QuickConnect™ cap. Fill the inside of the aseptic valve with
sanitizer through the top and install the other QuickConnect™ cap.
CAUTION:
Remove the pressure relief piston on the lid hatch prior to draining beer/wort from the tank or you will suck the liquid out of
the airlock and into the fermentor! The CO₂ from the actively fermenting beer is generally sufficient to purge any ingested air from the
tank.
Wort sample:
Hold the valve body to prevent it from rotating and adding unnecessary bending force on the tank wall! Remove the
QuickConnect™ caps and drain the sanitizer out the aseptic valve. With both caps removed spray the inside with sanitizer and slowly open
the valve until you have removed the sample. It is not necessary to rotate the racking arm to remove a wort sample. Limiting rotation
of the racking arm will reduce the possibility of a leak. You do not need to connect a hose or barb to the valve to take a sample. Spray
sanitizer in the valve and reinstall the bottom QuickConnect™ cap. Refill the valve with sanitizer and reinstall the top QuickConnect™ cap.
Racking finished beer – gravity drain:
As shown in
Figure 25
, connect the sanitized ½” QuickConnect™ stem to the aseptic valve. Then
connect a clear sanitized hose. Remove the pressure relief piston. Hold the valve body to prevent it from rotating, and slowly open the
valve, draining it into your keg or bottling bucket. Then slowly rotate the racking arm assembly downward as in
Figure 26-27
, stopping
when you see a yeast pick-up, then turn it back a bit to keep from picking up additional yeast.
