Quick question

[Jayfro21]

Hey all,

I am going to buy my kit tomorrow and was wondering if anybody actually bottles using the spigots that come installed in the 6.5 gallon pails? It seems like it would be easier to control the flow, but I am not so sure if it is high enough to not bring all the sediment with it. My question is if I use one pail as a primary, use a second pail as a secondary, and then re-use the first pail again as a bottling bucket, would enough of the dredge be left behind to not have to worry about it? The reason I ask is 2-fold: 1) I have used the bottling thing that is spring loaded, and its kind of hard to control, and 2) I want to save any amount of money I can (poor college student!).

Thanks again!

Jason

 

[malkore]

I think the majority of people use the bottling spigot. you don't open it all the way though, and it should run to a length of tubing and then your spring loaded wand at the end.

its more equipment but I think its better to primary in a bucket WITHOUT a spigot, then rack to a carboy for secondary, then rack to your bottling bucket and bottle (which is also when you'd add the priming sugar).

also, this is not the cheapest hobby out there. i brewed some in college, but lack of funds for the 'right equipment for how I wanted to brew' lead to some issues.

now that i'm more flush with cash, I got back into brewing and have had great results...to the extent I went to all grain brewing and kegging after 2 months of brewing again.

other people will rack to secondary which is their bottling bucket, but then you can't really mix in the priming sugar without disturbing the yeast you let drop out....the whole point of secondary!

 

[Scimmia]

You mention your bottling wand, most people use both; you connect the tubing to the spigot and the wand to the tubing. I would think bottling directly from the spigot would be VERY tough, and you would aerate your beer more than you want to.

 

[Jayfro21]

Ok thanks! I would love to move to kegging (that would take a lot of reading!), but I love this hobby and will make do with what I can with my funds. I just keep going back and forth on certain things, like hydrometer or not, bottling wand or not, 2ndary pail vs carboy, etc, etc... I guess I'll make those decisions tomorrow when I go to the HBS.

One last question, do people usually buy a scale to weigh out ingredients? I am hoping that I can weigh at the HBS and just buy by the batch, but yet another thing I am up in the air about!

Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

As far as scales, I bought an el cheapo kitchen scale for weighing priming sugar and hops. It only goes to one pound, since I don't weigh grain at home. Like you, I plan on using the LHBS for grain and crushing and weighing that.

I think a hydrometer is a necessity, a bottling wand is an almost necessity and I love my carboys for clearing tanks. Also, an really nice "almost must have" is an autosiphon. That makes racking your beer painless and easy.

Good luck with brewing, and welcome to the world's best hobby!

 

[malkore]

Bed, Bath & Beyond is a good place to find decent kitchen scales. I have a digital that'll do up to 10lbs, and down to .01 ounces.

 

[Chris_Dog]

If you are only using a scale to measure hops. I had always imagined a postal scale would do fine. I would think in a college town you would be able to locate one easy enough or even borrow one.

 

[ThomasRau]

One last question, do people usually buy a scale to weigh out ingredients? I am hoping that I can weigh at the HBS and just buy by the batch, but yet another thing I am up in the air about!

If you start out with kits, then a scale is not really needed, everything will be weighed out and packaged for you.

 

[Galactar]

Looks like the old college town scales I remember...