Keg / Fermenter query

[Mossy]

I have a 50L keg that I'm planning on turning into a fermenter and I'm not sure whether to stick a tap on the side or have it bottom draining.

If the tap is on the side there'll be a good amount of beer lost due to the concave bottom in the keg. I know a lot of that would be yeast but id still imagine you'd loose a couple of litres of beer.

If I drain from the bottom of a keg would all the yeast drain out before the beer? I would imagine that some yeast would come out first and then the beer but would a small amount of yeast continue to come out along with the beer? 

If anyone has any experience with this I'd love to hear your take..
Cheers.

[darren996]

The yeast won't drain from a bottom valve, you will end up racking beer through the yeast cake.

I installed an ss brewtech rotating racking arm in my keg and this does the job for me. The fermtaurus has a similar tap. 
https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/ss-brewtech-racking-arm/


You could get away without a tap and just use an auto siphon, but you won't be able to take samples without a tap.

[DEMPSEY]

fit your outlet on the bottom but push a draining tube up through it to a height just above where you think the yeast cake will settle to. This way you will be able to drain off the fermented wort and leave a good yeast cake behind.

[Tom]

Just doodling some keg fermenter designs, and I saw recently somebody cut a hole in their keg for a Corny lid (oval shape). If you're cutting and drilling a keg, why not turn the keg upside down and use the spear hole as a bottom drain, and cut your opening at the top?

On my doodles I've added a sprayball for CIP and made it a 75litre FV by welding one half onto a full, but I doubt it'll get much further than a sketch for the forseeable future!

[delzep]

The yeast won't drain from a bottom valve, you will end up racking beer through the yeast cake.

I installed an ss brewtech rotating racking arm in my keg and this does the job for me. The fermtaurus has a similar tap. 
https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/ss-brewtech-racking-arm/


You could get away without a tap and just use an auto siphon, but you won't be able to take samples without a tap.

You can take samples using a sanitised turkey baster. I've even used a sanitised jug before

[Mossy]

Im wondering, if i was to go with a tap at the bottom would it pull off a certain amount of yeast/dry hops and then stop or would there be a constant stream of trub coming out with the beer?

[Frequent Sequence]

Im wondering, if i was to go with a tap at the bottom would it pull off a certain amount of yeast/dry hops and then stop or would there be a constant stream of trub coming out with the beer?

It's constant. first all yeast then yeast/hops then clear beer then yeast/hops, repeating. And this is with 30HL conical fermentor. if you dont go with a side port and racking arm you will need an upstand.  even withe a racking arm have to be careful. Cheers, Seán.

[Mossy]

Thanks for the input everyone. Think I'll go with a tap on the side. Worked well enough on the fermenting buckets I've used over the years.

[Darragh1980]

I also have a spare keg I'm thinking of turning into a fermenter. I was just going to buy a bung stopper that fits the mouth of the keg and put an airlock in it. Clean it out with a tonne of PBW, and maybe boil some water in it aswell. This image is not mine but you see how it works.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi296.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fmm172%2Fday1240%2FP1020900.jpg&hash=64ae4a556d9559fecd168e6e74f6d0e2