Coopers DIY Fermenter Tip - This may save you a batch of beer.

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HopHeadGrady

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Hey All,

Just wanted to pass along an experience I just had that I hope I dont have to repeat again. I had just finished bottling a batch of my Pitch Invasion ESB (Mash Extract using Muntons Yorkshire Bitter) I had in a 6.5 gal fermenter. Its week 4 and its time to go. So I ended up having 6 sanitzied 1L bottles kicking around after and decided to see how my Jack the Sipper is doing (another mash extract but this time using Muntons Premium Gold Smugglers Ale). It was 1012 for 3 days so I decided to bottle a couple. It had been fermenting for 10 days. I wanted to test these 10 day old beers against the beers I will bottle in another few weeks.

So I go over to my coopers diy fermenter and pop the racking cane in and it immediately starts to drip, leak and seep beer everywhere from around the spigot.

I got my 6 bottles full (save the children first) and proceeded to try and stop the leak. No dice.

I had to scramble to sanitize the other fermenter I just racked from and rack the Jack the Sipper from Coopers DIY into the 6.5 gal pail. I lost about a pint, nothing major, cost of doing business. This ale was expensive though, I used a lot of top grade stuff. Proabably 60 bucks for the 25L batch (haha)

Its strong (for me)and tastes amazing even before going into the bottle. OG was 1054, FG was 1012. Makes me wonder how my Midas Touch Mash Extract recipe is going to be like which was 1060

At this time I am looking at about 60 1L beers in my beer cellar room... lol

So I filled the coopers diy fermenter up with water and repeated my actions and sure enough the leak happened again. I went 3 for 3...

CLIFF NOTES: You may want to take caution before deciding to do a partial rack from the coopers diy fermenter. Only rack if you are racking the entire batch as inserting the racking cane seems to kick off a leak in the tap. This is just my experience.

On the other hand I will be able to test out the difference between a 10 day fermentation and a secondary fermentation that has sat for a month.
 
Where was it leaking..? I've only done two batches so far in my DIY and have had no issues. MY THOUGHT is that the entire valve assy needs to be lubricated with a food safe lube when putting it together.

I will probably use something like food grade silicone or KY Jelly. I'm sure even Canola Oil would work well. When I assembled my valve the last time, I noticed that the rubber "bunched up" a bit. I put it together with Star-San to wet it. It went together very well.. but, I think the lube would work better.

Thoughts?
 
Where was it leaking..? I've only done two batches so far in my DIY and have had no issues. MY THOUGHT is that the entire valve assy needs to be lubricated with a food safe lube when putting it together.

I will probably use something like food grade silicone or KY Jelly. I'm sure even Canola Oil would work well. When I assembled my valve the last time, I noticed that the rubber "bunched up" a bit. I put it together with Star-San to wet it. It went together very well.. but, I think the lube would work better.

Thoughts?

It was leaking from all around the spigot. The more I tried to push the spigot down and secure the seal, the more it would want to gush out. I too will add some sealant and re test. Its really an excellent fermentor aside from this. I do that with my other fermenters. This is my second time racking with this. First time it was drippy and stuff, but I thought it was just me being a newb and I was bottling the entire batch so I didn't notice this. I have been able to take gravity readings by filling the hydrometer up with no issues. This time around I was really careful and got the racking cane in there perfect. Everything was going great until I closed the spigot and removed the racking cane... Frustrating. This is the second leaky fermenter I have had to scramble to fix in 6 batches. From here on it I am keeping a reserve fermenter ... and beer... lol

At least for the first time in my short brewing career I was able to RDWHAHB.... lol

EDIT... OH SHT, I forgot a bottle on my deck... been out there an hr in -9.... @)@*(&^
 
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