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Yesfan · 08-16-2012, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wine2Beer

I got 57 problems but the keg ain't one.

LMAO!!!

For what it's worth, I'm going to go to Home Depot and pick up a 90* elbow for my bottling bucket. I did the "Revvy bottling wand mod" by cutting a very short section of tubing from my wort chiller's out feed hose (same diameter as the hose on the siphoning tube). It fits like a glove on the spigot, but the wand feels just a bit lose, but not so lose it will slide off. I ran a few tests with water with no problems, but will probably pick up a hose clamp anyways when I get the elbow for piece of mind.

Thanks Revvy!

zeg · 08-17-2012, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yesfan

For what it's worth, I'm going to go to Home Depot and pick up a 90* elbow for my bottling bucket.

Sorry if this has been covered somewhere in the 58 pages of comments in the thread, if so please someone just tell me so and I'll happily wade through to find it...

But I attempted a dip tube like this, using a screw-on elbow threaded onto the inside of my spigot and it worked, but had a serious problem so I've abandoned it and gone to tipping the bucket when I near the end of the batch. The problem is that there is a little pocket/cavity inside the body of the spigot, between the intake part that goes into the bottling bucket and the actual spigot output. This cavity is a bit taller than the intake opening and it seems that it doesn't fill entirely to the top, probably because a little air gets trapped.

When I begin drawing beer into a bottle, I can see the level of beer in this cavity dip for a moment, then rise back up as flow starts from the bucket. This isn't a problem initially, but as the bucket empties, the flow is a bit slower and the dip is more pronounced. Eventually, the dip falls below the hole into the spigot output and bubbles enter the stream down the bottling tube. For a while, if I very slowly begin the flow into the bottle, I can avoid this problem, but eventually I can't even fill the bottle without continuous burping.

I'm not 100% certain that this is a problem, because it *could* be that the cavity is mostly filled with CO2 produced from the priming sugar, but I'm worried that it's air and I'm aerating the heck out of the beer as I bottle it. I did have one batch of beer that went bad a couple months after bottling, and it just occurred to me that I probably bottled it this way, so it could well have been oxidized.

Anyone had this problem? My spigot assembly looks like the same one as in the photos in the OP. It'd be nice not to have to do the tipping game, but for now that seems to be the only way I can avoid the fizzies in the bottling tube.

**Revvy** · 08-17-2012, 01:02 PM

It's co2. We all get a little bubble action from time to time. But it ALL THE YEARS of using this I've NOT had any liquid cardboard beers.

A lot of people get overly worked up about seeing bubbles. But noone ever thinks those bubbles could just be co2. Especially after you've run a little beer out of the setup.

zeg · 08-17-2012, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revvy

It's co2. We all get a little bubble action from time to time. But it ALL THE YEARS of using this I've NOT had any liquid cardboard beers.

A lot of people get overly worked up about seeing bubbles. But noone ever thinks those bubbles could just be co2. Especially after you've run a little beer out of the setup.

Well, some of us think it could be CO2, but it's difficult to be certain.

Do you experience the level drooping in the spigot cavity with your dip tube? It is a fairly major effect, so I was surprised not to see it mentioned, even if just to reassure noobs that it's ok.

kh54s10 · 08-17-2012, 03:23 PM

zeg, What kind of problem did you have with the elbow.

Mine was a little too deep and hit the bottom of the bucket so I had to saw a little of the "down" end. Then I put the rubber washer on the outside of the bucket and screw the spigot into the elbow until the washer starts to distort. it works very well and leave only about 1/8 inch in the bottom of the bucket.

If you are getting a bubble in the assembly and it is still there at the end of the session you are not aerating the beer. It is obviously not getting into the beer.

It may be co2 but even if it was air, IMO it is not enough to be a concern.

zeg · 08-17-2012, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kh54s10

zeg, What kind of problem did you have with the elbow.

Mine was a little too deep and hit the bottom of the bucket so I had to saw a little of the "down" end. Then I put the rubber washer on the outside of the bucket and screw the spigot into the elbow until the washer starts to distort. it works very well and leave only about 1/8 inch in the bottom of the bucket.

The elbow fit pretty well, if anything it was a bit too short in my case, rather than too long. That's another reason I've backed off on using it, since it wasn't achieving the goal of reducing the unbottled volume.

I haven't attached it in a while, but I believe the configuration was the spigot body with a rubber washer on the outside of the bucket, then the bucket wall, another rubber washer, then the nut that came with the spigot. Enough thread remained to attach a threaded to press-fit adapter, with a press-fit elbow on this.

Thanks to you (+ Revvy) for the replies. I think you're right that it's probably not something worrisome, though I don't like the aesthetics of the bubbling and sloshing while I'm trying my hardest to pour quietly. I may toy with trying to get a better-fitting dip tube to reduce the leftover.

Yesfan · 08-18-2012, 02:01 AM

Here's what mine looks like.

And the elbow on my spigot.

The elbow seemed a little big and I had to tighten it by holding the elbow and turning the spigot. On another note, does it matter what type of elbow? Does it have to be food grade or anything like that? I just got a simple PVC elbow that screwed on thinking it will do the job.

I'll probably look to bottle tomorrow night.

**pacman** · 08-18-2012, 01:14 PM

Just to update on my earlier posts & questions.

1. After fermentation at 10 - 15degC using lager yeast, I store my bottles at the same temps. It works. But only for lager yeasts I suspect.

2. I now rack to secondary - two weeks in primary and one week in secondary. Looking to extend time in secondary. So far, so good.

3. I use a pump bottle for priming my bottles. Dissolve 300 grams of dextrose in 500ml of water. Fill each 500ml swingtop with wand, then pump two squirts, about 7ml of priming solution, then close swingtop.

Cheers
PC

lgilmore · 08-22-2012, 05:52 PM

yesfan,

Idealy you want that end of the elbow facing down with very little clearance between it and the bottom of the bucket. Maybe it's the photo, but it looks like your elbow is a tad too big so you will still have to tip at a certain point and it won't stop the dregs from coming in. Hope this pic shows up... Note: mine uses two connection pieces to make the elbow, as the elbow can sivel. Cost about $1.50 at Home Depot.

Yesfan · 08-22-2012, 10:34 PM

I decided to not use the elbow I bought and judging from lgilmore's reply, I'm glad I did. Mine was too big and hit the bottom of the bucket.

I got about 51 bottles out of my batch. I have very little beer in the primary and the bottling bucket after siphoning & bottling. I just used a scrap 2x4 under the bucket when tipping.

I may cut my elbow down to size and try again on the next batch. Siphoning and bottling went much better than expected, so I'm not going to worry if I can't make the elbow work.