Better Bottle carboys and the Spigot

[tired]

I am about to pick up a Better Bottle Carboy. The problem is that I am cheap and I do not want to pay the extra cash to get a spigot. Since I already have a racking cane, I don't really care about having a spigot for bottling or transferring to the bottling bucket, but I am tempted to get the spigot to make it easier to get hydrometer readings while the brew is in the carboy.

What are people's opinions? Is the spigot worth the extra cash? If not, what is the easiest way to get a hydrometer reading while the brew is still in the carboy?

Thanks,

tired

 

[Yooper]

I paid extra for the spigot and never use it. I thought it would make racking easier, but it really doesn't flow very fast. Using the racking cane is much faster. I take my samples, etc, the same way I do with my carboy- a sanitized turkey baster.

 

[Blender]

I can't comment on the spigot but it seems like it could be handy. I use a wine thief to draw samples.>http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=4356

 

[tired]

Thanks for the quick replies. I am not sure if I am going to use a turkey baster or pick up a wine thief, but both are a hell of a lot cheaper than the spigot.

-tired

 

[Beer Weevel]

The better bottle concept is great the racking port is'nt at first mine leaked and lorena is right it's just to slow. If I repurchased I would go without a racking port. Besides if you think about it, it's just anouther point that the carboy can leak. I catch myself checking and rechecking before I use the carboy to make sure the valve is closed and I don't even use the port!!! Go figure!!

 

[anojones]

I have to agree, the racking port is too slow for the $. I just brewed my first batch in one, and I'm going to bottle with the spigot today but I'll be transfering it with the racking cane to the better bottle from a glass carboy secondary. It's a neat system, but it really needs to flow faster to be really useful.

 

[user 4295]

The racking adapter and high flow valve is worth every penny to me. I have four, soon to be six, Better-Bottles and they all have the racking adapters. I have no problems with flow rate (time to rack to secondary is the same as autosiphon). I have made dozens of batches in them and I have never had one leak. They are easy to install, remove, clean and sanitize.

The racking adapter also allows for oxygen free transfer from primary to secondary. With some tubing, you can use the CO2 produced during the primary to purge the air out of the secondary. Then the valves and gravity are used to transfer the beer in an oxygen free environment.

The bags of water are there to allow me to see the bubble rate from Better-Bottle's Dry Trap Air Lock.

 

[EdWort]

Very cool. I have 5 Better Bottles and none of them have the spigot. I use a Auto Siphon to get my beer out. I do have a spigot on my plastic bucket primaries though and that makes racking a breeze. I ferment 5.5 gallons of beer and open the spigot to pour into a cup before connecting to the hose to the Better Bottle.

I don't use a secondary for my Hefe and Haus Pale Ale. Cold crashing and letting a keg sit in the keggerator for a week after tapping makes for very clear beer.

 

[abracadabra]

Talking to Doug the owner of Just Brew It 770.719.0222 about better bottles a few weeks ago. He showed me where he carries rubber stoppers that fit the better bottle's neck opening.

I don't remember the price around $2 I think. A darn site cheaper than the better bottle proprietary cap. If anyone's interested in saving some money this looked like a great way. I'm sure other brew stores have them also.