Installing a plastic spigot for taking samples during fermentation

[scone]

I was thinking about drilling a hole about half way up the side of my 7g. plastic bucket fermenter and installing one of these:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_356_321&products_id=1680

for the purpose of easily taking samples during fermentation to check gravity and taste. I'm just trying to avoid having to wrestle the top off the fermenter to take samples.

Is there any reason why this is a bad idea? The spigot would be open to air/microbes/etc. and I can imagine it will probably harbor some microorganisms (especially after I pull a sample the first time coating it in nice sugary wort). Any chance I can infect the beer, or do these cheapo spigots seal well enough?

 

[Grimster]

I just ferment in bottling buckets, works like a champ so far!

 

[Hammy71]

I'd personally be worried about the gunk/nasties living in the spigot. I know some on here use their bottling bucket as fermenters, but I assume that they only open the valve when it comes time to transfer the beer to another vessel. Beer only comes out once. I'd worry that the constant on/off for sampling would leave some nasties once the beer dried up. Imagine if you didn't clean out the beer from your racking cane for about a week. Maybe I'm just paranoid....

 

[MikeRLynch]

If you hit the spigot with some PBW and then star san/iodaphor in a spray bottle immediately after sampling, you can minimize those risks. You should be spraying up that spigot before sampling/transfering anyway

 

[Moose777]

I use either bottling bucket or BetterBottle with the racking port. I prefer the BB so I can see the happy yeast.
So far no issues at all with BetterBottle but I have had a few leaks with the bottling bucket.

 

[mordantly]

the standard-issue bottling spigots can be finicky to get leak-free. i have two that leak at the swivel union sometimes. starsan before opening is gold.

 

[Grimster]

When I empty a bucket I fill it with about 2 gallons of star san, then drain the whole thing out the spigot (after cleaning the bucket of course).

When I get ready to bottle I just take my bottling wand and hose and fill it with star san, then hook it to the spigot and hold it higher than the spigot. The air hole (when the spigot is close) spews out star san I do that a few times over the open dishwasher door, ends up in a mostly sanitary door and a sanitary spigot (so far so good anyway).

 

[Moose777]

I disassemble, soak in OxyClean then star san