Have a 6 gallon batch of mead that I racked into a new vessel onto campden tabs and potassium sorbate. Fancied a sample this evening and took a glass from the spigot in the fermenting bucket only to discover a major leak. Had to scramble and quickly sanitize another bucket. After emptying I saw that the gasket on the inside had slipped/squeezed out a little. Don't know if I want to trust these spigots anymore....
Fermenter spigot malfunction
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What fermenter are you using?
bjhbrew
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I used to use a fermonster with spigot all the time and one time had the problem you describe. I learned not to over tighten the nut and I would always put enough sanitizer in to cover when sanitizing. I’d let the fermenter sit for 5 mins or so just to prove the spigot was water tight before dumping and filling with beer.
bobeer
Fermentation Specalist
Those French style spigots can fail for sure. Maybe take it out and redo the gasket, fill it with water, and see if the leak is still there. If so, they're cheap enough to replace and usually come in packs of 2 so you can have a backup.
I use one of these in my bottling bucket for the few batches I bottle each year. Maybe every 3 or 4 years I have to replace it because it either breaks or it starts to leak. Adjusting the gasket seems to help in most leaky situations but I use a regular 6 gal bucket w/o a spigot for fermentation to avoid this altogether.
I use one of these in my bottling bucket for the few batches I bottle each year. Maybe every 3 or 4 years I have to replace it because it either breaks or it starts to leak. Adjusting the gasket seems to help in most leaky situations but I use a regular 6 gal bucket w/o a spigot for fermentation to avoid this altogether.
The mating surfaces of the spigots are flat, the sides of buckets are round. One gasket may not be enough to seal properly.
I took it apart and redid the gasket seals then left it sitting with water in it all morning. No more leaks. Problem is, it wasn't leaking before either until I touched the spigot to take a sample. I won't be buying any more of these. I'll use a siphon to take samples from now on.
You can also use a wine thief. That's probably easier than setting up a siphon and less waste.
Thanks for the suggestion. I just ordered one
