Burton Union

[hopshead]

Ok, I really liked the session with the whites talking about harvesting yeast. The top cropping method got the creativity in my brain going. I wanted to top crop yeast, but, I remember a couple of years ago byo did an article on building a burton union. My google search of the beast left me unsatisfied. I ask the bn army - what the hell is a burton union really for? Can this be a method of top cropping yeast? How would you build one? Do you recommend building one for top cropping? Have at it guys - feed me some good knowledge.

My google search did show that firestone walker uses a modified burton union, "firestone union." Shat, get off your master cleansing rump and schedule these guys for a sunday session to explain how this system works and the pros and cons.

[TapItGood]

Burton Union, Isn't that like a Rusty Pirate or a Clevland Steamer

[Mylo]

My googling turned up these links to homebrew versions of burton unions.

http://people.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswingle/br ... _union.php
http://www.oscarurrutia.net/beer/burtonunion/

It looks like you could use it for top cropping, but is more useful to prevent the loss of the "super" yeast on top of the krausen, by returning it to the fermenter. As long as you are not blowing off, it looks to be of little value. Probably good for hefe's and big belgians, which tend to spew forth.

To me it looks like a lot of hoses and an extra bucket to keep sanitary. If I wanted to top crop from a carboy, I think I would try the method that Sam posted a few weeks back (using a racking cane).


Mylo

[ChrisKennedy]

Ferment 5 gallons in a 5 gallon corny, then have the blowoff tube leading into a sanitized container, and a second tube from the sanitized container into the bucket. Bam. Closed top cropping.

Otherwise, just use the Tasty method and scoop yeast off the top during high krausen with a sanitized spoon.

[Thirsty Boy]

Extra volume from your fermentor, top cropping, return of the super active yeast to the fermentor rather than lost to blow off. I just posted this picture in another thread about using a corny for a fermentor.. this is how you can perhaps do it and not have to leave the corny 1/3rd empty to avoid yeast all over the floor. It would work just as well with a carboy or bucket.

Its actually more like a segmented yorkshire square than a burton union, but kinda the same..

[Mylo]

I think T.B.'s diagram has some shortcomings, although the fundamentals are correct. In order to "return the super yeast to the fermenter", you would have to put some sort of dip tube all the way down to the bottom. Otherwise you will just collect them in the union and return the fermenting beer back to the corny.


Mylo

[Thirsty Boy]

I think T.B.'s diagram has some shortcomings, although the fundamentals are correct. In order to "return the super yeast to the fermenter", you would have to put some sort of dip tube all the way down to the bottom. Otherwise you will just collect them in the union and return the fermenting beer back to the corny.
Mylo

Yep - thats why the return connects to the Liquid Out post - which has a diptube that goes allteh way to the bottom. In a carboy/bucket... you would need to add it.

[Mylo]

Well, I actually meant that some sort of dip tube is necessary in the union. Otherwise you won't pick up the settled yeast.


Mylo