Better bottle racking port...really slow?

I tried searching for this and didn't find much, so I hope this isn't common knowledge or anything.

I just loaded up on better bottles w/ the racking port because I was sick of my siphon and having to use a thief for gravity readings. The port works great for taking grav samples, but when I tried to rack my wit the other day it was slow as hell! I mean it took almost 30 minutes to drain it all the way off. Anybody have a similar experience?

I was using 1/2" ID hose (does too big a hose affect flow?). I also had the airlock on at first until I realized it needed some airflow. I put a piece of sanitized foil over the top and it started flowing better, but still really slow. Maybe it was just a little clogged? Anybody have some ideas that I'm just overlooking?

Are you sure the port is completely open? The valve that you pull open has a stop about half way open. Pull it firmly and it opens wide open. If you arent plugging the top, i.e. letting air in the top, it will empty in 10-15 minutes.

I prefer using my racking cane, because those ports get dirty/nasty and I usually ended up replacing them every 4 or 5 batches

Assuming you are using one of these...

Granted, these spigots are great for taking a sample to check your gravity.
I prefer the generic spigot

because they are ALOT cheaper.

No I think he is referring to the racking port on Better Bottles that look like this...




I suspect he isnt opening the high-flow valve fully. It has a stop about half way open that provides a slower flow for taking samples or dumping trub, etc.

Better Bottle Racking Outlet ASSEMBLY - Item #BB07 $38.95
That is 12X more expensive than the ones i used to use!!! I guess the ajustable tube inside is an advantage, I always tilted my bucket when it was low to get the same effect.

Yeah I definitely had it open all the way. I played around with it for a while and nothing changed. I'm suspecting it just got some gunk in there.

I prefer the generic spigot

Click to expand...

Those look perfect. After crash cooling I don't really need the adjustable tube anyways. Where'd you get those?

If by "adjustable tube" you mean the racking cane, then while you may not NEED it, it provides two valuable functions.

1) Allows you to draw off fermented beer above the trub line
2) Allows you to dump yeast/trub after fermentation and allow beer to condition in the same vessel without the need to rack to secondary (if you do this). Great for lagers when you can just leave the beer in the same vessel for its entire process.

I think more importantly though, the racking cane allows you to position the pick up tube above the trub. Without it, you may end up with a beer that has more trub and covers the outlet.

There is something else going on with your port causing the slow flow. I have better bottles and the racking canes. I use 1/2" tubing and can empty to a keg in 10-15 minutes.

There is something else going on with your port causing the slow flow. I have better bottles and the racking canes. I use 1/2" tubing and can empty to a keg in 10-15 minutes.

Click to expand...

Well this is good to know at least. I just threw down on 4 of these bad boys and would have been pretty pissed to find out they all flow slow like this.