Safe to Primary in Bucket w/ Spigot?

I have read some things that say just be sure to clean very well.

My LHBS has a kit with 6gal Better-Bottle, 7.8gal bottling bucket w/ lid and spigot, airlock w/ stopper, springless bottle filler, racking cane, 5ft of tubing, hydrometer and sanitizer/cleanser.

I assume I would primary in the 7.8gal.

Other than this kit I was thinking about buying a jet bottle washer, a case of 1/2L PET bottles w/ caps, and a stick on thermometer for the Better-Bottle.

Should I just buy another bucket w/o spigot for primary?

My bucket with spigot would never seal completely, it always had a LITTLE drip. Even if fluid cannot get out, make sue no air can get in. I bought a 6.5 gallon carboy.

Pol

I imagine they intended for the better bottle to be your primary and the bucket for bottling; however, I don't see why you couldn't ferment in the bucket. You don't get to see the fermentation but that's not always a big deal. Personally, I would use the better bottle, especially if you get it ported and put the spigot w/ racking assembly on it!

I really want to do a secondary stage so I figure the Better-Bottle is better for that.
Not to mention I would rather transfer wort into a bucket cause its so much easier.

Maybe I'll just pick up another bucket and use it and the lid for primary, better-bottle for secondary, and bottling bucket for well, bottling Not to mention it will be nice to have two buckets to sanitize things in.

This stuff adds up fast.

I've used a bucket with spigot as my primary for every batch. No problems. If there was a leak, product/air would be forced out by the CO2 production, nothing would get it. That being said, I've never had a leak in any of mine.

I have used my bottling bucket for primary when my other primary was full. No problem!

So it seems like bottling bucket as a primary will be alright. Should I still rack out into the secondary or use the spigot?

I've read about sanitizing bottles with the heat cycle of the dishwasher. Does anyone know if that is alright for PET bottles? I'm pretty sure they cannot go above 140deg so doubt it.

Also I just realized that my largest pot is 8 Qt, even though I plan on partials, I think I'm gonna need something bigger. Any suggestions?

Make your wort... dump it in the bucket with the water to make the 5 gals... Aerate the crap out of it... open the spicket and let it go into the better bottle... Once primary is done transfer the beer to the bottling bucket, clean the better bottle, and transfer back.... If you sanitize properly you won't have a problem...

DeadYetiBrew said:

Make your wort... dump it in the bucket with the water to make the 5 gals... Aerate the crap out of it... open the spicket and let it go into the better bottle... Once primary is done transfer the beer to the bottling bucket, clean the better bottle, and transfer back.... If you sanitize properly you won't have a problem...

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That sounds like a lot of extra unnessecary work. Dump the wort into the bucket, airate, add yeast and let it go. When you are ready to transfer to seconday (better bottle) use the spigot and a hose. I do every batch like this and have had no problems.

I brew mine in a 25 Litre primary, which has a spiggot and lid. Its GREAT! it makes it SO easy to siphon to secondary, and the great big open lid is awesome for putting a sieve (SP?) into when pouring wort into it. The spiggot is great for siphoning because, just attach your pipe to the spiggot, hold the pipe so the exit is higher then the spiggot, open the tap, then lower the hose into secondary, and it just drains out. No air, no trub, just easy as hell siphoning! I love it!

Plus the hole deal about "watching out because spigots harvest bacteria" is only true if you dont rinse out your primary straight after use. Never had any problems with mine!

I've used my bottling bucket as my primary for ~12 batches or so. I've never had a problem except for the occastional leak around the spigot gasket. Once I realized that I was over-tightening the spigot the leaks stopped. When you make the spigot too tight it causes the gasket to not seat properly.

When racking to secondary I just use the spigot and my bottling tube. Sure, a minimal amount of yeast comes through but that will settle after 2 weeks in the secondary.

JnJ said:

That sounds like a lot of extra unnessecary work. Dump the wort into the bucket, airate, add yeast and let it go. When you are ready to transfer to seconday (better bottle) use the spigot and a hose. I do every batch like this and have had no problems.

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If you put it in the bucket then the carboy it enables a couple things... 1) hydro readings before pitching. 2) coming out of the spigot splashing into the carboy aerate's ALL of the wort. Extra Work? Nah, i think of it as more time with my children... I haven't had a problem yet with it.

I as well have used a bucket with spigot for every single batch made (6)

... no problems