True Brew Bottle Filler

Has anyone used something similar to this True Brew Bottle Filler?
Homebrew.com: True Brew Bottle Filler

It's spring loaded and has a 3/8" OD to fit into a racking hose. If you have used it or know someone who has, let me know what you think (did it work well, is it hard to keep sanitized with the spring, reliability, etc.). I'm brewing my 1st batch in 3 weeks, and think this would work pretty well.

Beers!

No picture but sounds like the ones we all use for bottling. Just run sanitizer through it like you would beer. Then anything beer would touch, Sanitizer would be touching.

I personally do not like the spring loaded ones because I also use an auto siphon. When I am racking alone I don't have someone to hold down the spring tip to the bottom of the bottle which in turn means the wort won't flow... which makes it difficult to start a siphon!

Just closing the loop on this topic...
I bought this bottle filler, and I don't see how anyone could bottle without it.

It is helpful to have an assistant brewmaster with you to help.

Truebrew


Fermtech


I use the Fermtech. The force of the beer in the tube closes off the valve whenever i pull it out of the bottom of the bottle. It is the same price, but with just 1 moving part, it seems that it is easier to clean. KISS....

http://brewgadgets.com/beergadgets/bottling.htm

Arkador said:

. . . It is the same price, but with just 1 moving part, it seems that it is easier to clean.

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My first filler was the Truebrew type with a spring, but I recently bought a second one as a backup. I didn't know that there was a difference and the new one turned out to be a Fermtech. The cleaning issue is exactly why I don't like the Fermtech. I can take my Truebrew apart, soak the parts and run a brush through the tube. The Fermtech does not come apart. You can't see if there is any crap stuck in the end and can't get a brush through it if there is.

JVD_X said:

I personally do not like the spring loaded ones because I also use an auto siphon. When I am racking alone I don't have someone to hold down the spring tip to the bottom of the bottle which in turn means the wort won't flow... which makes it difficult to start a siphon!

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sounds like someone needs a bottling bucket...

JVD_X said:

I personally do not like the spring loaded ones because I also use an auto siphon. When I am racking alone I don't have someone to hold down the spring tip to the bottom of the bottle which in turn means the wort won't flow... which makes it difficult to start a siphon!

Click to expand...

You can pull the end off of the Truebrew for cleaning. When you do this, don't put the spring back in. It will work just like the Fermtech.


Edit:
By the way, there's an o-ring in there. I don't know if the Fermtech has one. Take it apart and pull the o-ring off for cleaning. Bacteria can grow behind it. I always soak the parts in Starsan before bottling.

Edit2:
The Fermtech does not come apart. The internal seam where the valve meet the tube can hold bacteria. And to make it worse the black color makes it so that you can't see the nasties that may be there.

Arkador said:

Truebrew

Fermtech

I use the Fermtech. The force of the beer in the tube closes off the valve whenever i pull it out of the bottom of the bottle. It is the same price, but with just 1 moving part, it seems that it is easier to clean. KISS....

Wine making supplies home brew beer supplies for the homebrewer

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I, too, use the Fermtech, and wouldn't bottle without it. I prefer it to the spring loaded ones because it's easier to verify that it's clean. I suppose that the spring-loaded jobs might shut off better, but given my bottling methods, that might mean I lose a few milliliters of beer, a tradeoff I'm more than willing to make.

rico567 said:

I, too, use the Fermtech . . .I prefer it to the spring loaded ones because it's easier to verify that it's clean.

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I give up . . .

AnOldUR said:

I give up . . .

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I am sure they both work well. For the price they cost, get both! I bought my last Fermtech for less than $3