Accidentally Fermented in Bottling Bucket

[Barkbrewbake]

OH NO!

I took some time off from brewing and recently racked a new batch. Today, I realized that I fermented in my bottling bucket! Will I be okay? Hope this isn't my first flop I am brewing a double IPA.

 

[RM-MN]

As long as the spigot doesn't leak the bottling bucket is the same as a fermenter. You can carefully siphon the beer to the fermenter bucket when it is done, then clean the bottling bucket and siphon back to add the priming sugar.

 

[SGTSparty]

As long as it was clean and sanitized and as RM-MN said it doesn't leak you're fine. I only ferment in bottling buckets because I like being able to transfer to my kegs from the spigot to avoid o2 issues. I use a CO2 filled keg (filled w/ starsan then emptied via co2), run a QD to an airlock from the gas post and a tube from the spigot to a QD on the beer side and do a closed transfer.

 

[Dee]

All of my fermenters are bottling buckets. With the spigot, there's no need for a siphon. I just hook up a length of tubing and let it drain.

 

[Nokie]

+1 to everything said.
When ever I get to brewing multiple batches I'd use a bottling buckets just for the spigot. Especially if I was doing something that had to go to secondary. I would always justmake certain I cleaned the spigot super good.

 

[BowAholic]

All of my fermenters are bottling buckets. With the spigot, there's no need for a siphon. I just hook up a length of tubing and let it drain.

How in the world do you keep the spigot clean enough to use it for draining the bucket? I can take mine off and clean/ sanitize it before filling the bucket with wort, but after a few weeks in my huge fermentation freezer there is mold and stuff on the bucket so I would assume that there would also be crap in the spigot... so I don't use it. I always just go ahead and use the auto siphon.

 

[z-bob]

Biggest risk is getting the spigot clean. Don't worry about it.

 

[beermanpete]

The spigot on my bottling bucket has an air vent when the valve is turned half way (pointing straight out from the bucket). When in this position the beer flow is stopped and the bottling line is vented to allow it to drain. If the spigot on your bucket has this feature you can set it in the vent position and flush the hose nipple and the other parts of the valve that are on the "outside" of the fermenter with cleaner and/or sanitizer.

 

[MaryB]

I ferment in my bottling buckets all the time. Used to even bottle without transferring to a new bucket by carefully stirring in the priming sugar(take care to not hit the yeast cake in the bottom). I spray starsan up the spigot until it sprays out the vent hole, took a test sample(any yeast that settled in the spigot comes out in it), then add the bottling wand or drain to a keg.

 

[Dee]

How in the world do you keep the spigot clean enough to use it for draining the bucket?

I soak all the parts in StarSan before I assemble and fill the bucket. I usually twist the spigot so it points upside down, spray some StarSan into it, and wrap it in plastic wrap.

There's a landing at the top of the stairs to my basement that stays between 62 to 64 degrees most of the year. The basement is too cool, and the house is too warm, but just behind the door that leads into the basement, it's dry and maintains the perfect temperature for a couple of buckets to ferment.

If I had to use a swamp cooler or something, I'd be worried about a spigot, but this way, I just unwrap it on bottling day, drain the old StarSan out, spritz it with some fresh sanitizer, and hook up my vinyl tubing.

 

[BowAholic]

I soak all the parts in StarSan before I assemble and fill the bucket. I usually twist the spigot so it points upside down, spray some StarSan into it, and wrap it in plastic wrap.

There's a landing at the top of the stairs to my basement that stays between 62 to 64 degrees most of the year. The basement is too cool, and the house is too warm, but just behind the door that leads into the basement, it's dry and maintains the perfect temperature for a couple of buckets to ferment.

If I had to use a swamp cooler or something, I'd be worried about a spigot, but this way, I just unwrap it on bottling day, drain the old StarSan out, spritz it with some fresh sanitizer, and hook up my vinyl tubing.

thanks... My 28 cf freezer/fermenter stays wet and gets moldy pretty quick... great idea though. Sorry for the hijack Barkbrewbake.

 

[ericbw]

I used to do this as well. A lot of StarSan on the spigot, then put a sandwich baggie over it and rubber band it tight. Spray more StarSan on it, all around you, and all over the inside of the fermentation chamber. OK, not all over like that, just make sure the spigot stays clean. If it gets moldy, clean it very well before draining the fermenter.

 

[MaryB]

2 of these in my chest freezer I use as a fridge(I run it iff solar panels/batteries so very efficient) keep the humidity down for a couple weeks. Plug them in and recharge and put back in again https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018842578/snapsafe-rechargeable-gun-safe-dehumidifier-desiccant

 

[dyqik]

Biggest risk is getting the spigot clean. Don't worry about it.

Yeah, I've done this for a few batches. However, getting the spigot clean turned out to be far more hassle than siphoning. A typical bottling bucket spigot has to be completely dismantled to clean the inside of the barrel (wort side of the tap), and I was getting yeast sitting there between brews. The outside portion of the spigot was easier.

 

[myntz]

I used to ferment exclusively in bottling buckets and never had an issue. I put a piece of 2x4 underneath the bucket directly under the spigot so the sediment would settle back away from it, and would transfer the beer directly from there with little to no sediment at all. Works great for kegging and I'm sure it would work great for bottling if you add priming sugar/solution directly to the each bottle.

 

[Dee]

I thought of a question for the OP.

If you fermented in your bottling bucket, do you have another bucket with a spigot to transfer to at bottling time? I know some of the starter kits come with a fermenting bucket without a spigot, and a bottling bucket with a spigot.

 

[MaryB]

Nope I ferment in the bottling bucket and bottle/keg right from it. Take my hydrometer sample to clear any yeast form the spigot then bottle.

I pull the spigots off the buckets every couple of brews and soak in a hot concentrated PBW solution. They come out bright white and clean!