how do you take these spigots apart?

[fluketamer]

this is a very common spigot for a lot of fermenters. similar to MR beer also . do these come apart. i think day tripper or mac suggested pushing a dowel into it to remove the valve arm but i cant seem to get it out. and am worried it wont go back

are these not made to be dissassmebled.
can someone advise or post a pic of how to clean these.

thanks

 

[Broken Crow]

Did you remember to throw it in a pot of hot water on the stove (or very carefully use a heat gun)?
Back when I used them I'd just heat it up, shove a chop-stick up the spout and turn it open and closed while pulling on the valve with one hand and pressing to body down with the chop-stick on my countertop.

 

[whoaru99]

I use a small dowel.

Stick it all the way up the spout, get a firm grip on the part with the nuts, then give the protruding dowel a good, solid whack with something hard.

 

[Broken Crow]

^^ Yeah; Bang it, but do yourself a favour; Go to amazon or ebay and get a cheap bulk pack of 6-12 extras so you can follow one of the "Laws Of Murphy" This used to be on a poster in my dads shop and I adopted as words to live by;
"If it jams; Force it. If it breaks: It needed replacing anyway."

 

[whoaru99]

Yes, I keep one or two spares on hand for just in case of whatever. Never had one break doing it, but there is always a first for everything.

 

[mac_1103]

Proof that they do in fact come apart:

They do require a good hard push to snap back together.

I don't currently have any spares lying around. I do, however, have at least three buckets and two carboys with these spigots, and they're never all in use at the same time, so in that sense I guess I do have spares.

 

[Broken Crow]

Thanks! You're helpng prove an extension of Murphy's Law: If you have spares you won't need them, if you don't; You will need them. When I had to clean the spigot from my first bottling bucket, I read the same questions and answers how to do it on here, but was worried I'd break it so I found an 8-pack on amazon for the same price the single orginal cost and immediately ordered it....I went and heated then pounded the original with wild abandon and on the first whack it popped out with no damage. 7 of the spares are still sitting in my brewing cabinet, having eventually found another use for one of them, but not as a replacement. Heck..if you were in Canada, I'd mail you couple for free.

 

[mac_1103]

So according to my Amazon order history, I actually should have a couple of spares lying around somewhere. I'm sure they'll turn up at some point when I'm looking for something else, and then disappear again when I do need one.

 

[Graham H]

So according to my Amazon order history, I actually should have a couple of spares lying around somewhere. I'm sure they'll turn up at some point when I'm looking for something else, and then disappear again when I do need one.

I think that’s another corollary to Murphy’s Law of Spares.

 

[wsmith1625]

Put the handle on a solid surface with the body hanging over the edge. Then push pull down on the body of the spigot and they'll come apart. Simple.

 

[tracer bullet]

Interesting. I was never sure that they'd actually seal after being dis and re-assembled. I just replace them every so often, once the hard to reach corners start turning dark. Or before I make something like an Imperial Stout which I will plan to store for 6 months or more and I want to take no chances at all of screwing up with an infection.

 

[Broken Crow]

Put the handle on a solid surface with the body hanging over the edge. Then push pull down on the body of the spigot and they'll come apart. Simple.

That's actually the first thing I tried with my used one and it wouldn't work without heat and a good pound. When I recieved my new ones, I experimentally tried it on one that way it popped right apart.. I just assumed from that, that it must acquire some build up with each use.

Interesting. I was never sure that they'd actually seal after being dis and re-assembled. I just replace them every so often, once the hard to reach corners start turning dark. Or before I make something like an Imperial Stout which I will plan to store for 6 months or more and I want to take no chances at all of screwing up with an infection.

Probably a "Best Recommended Practice", but with heat and a good bang they really are easily cleanable.

 

[hotbeer]

You can search for those spigots and buy them in quantities that gets their cost down to almost a $1 (USD) each. Then you can just use them once and toss them into the recycling bin for plastic or just the trash bin.

Those look like these
https://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Bottling-Bucket-Spigot-Valve/dp/B07Z1KD4HK
So about 1.50 each. I have found other brands of plastic spigots in larger quantities at less cost per item.

I use to take them apart too. Putting them back together was more of a pain. And if they weren't seated correctly, they dripped. So the effort wasn't worth the cost to toss them for me. However now I use a different fermenter with a SS butterfly valve. Much easier to clean and sanitize.

 

[shavy]

View attachment 839606


this is a very common spigot for a lot of fermenters. similar to MR beer also . do these come apart. i think day tripper or mac suggested pushing a dowel into it to remove the valve arm but i cant seem to get it out. and am worried it wont go back

are these not made to be dissassmebled.
can someone advise or post a pic of how to clean these.

thanks

Try this:

 

[wsmith1625]

That's actually the first thing I tried with my used one and it wouldn't work without heat and a good pound. When I recieved my new ones, I experimentally tried it on one that way it popped right apart.. I just assumed from that, that it must acquire some build up with each use.

I find that the valves get tight over time and eventually need replacement. New ones open and close easily and come apart for cleaning pretty easy too.

 

[fluketamer]

thanks for all the responces i got it apart the hot water soak helped.