Is there no such thing as premium bottling equipment?

[flars]

I errored, a poor memory. After seeing your pictures I took a close look at the wand I'm using. It is made by E.C. Kraus, the tubing is three-eighths inch inside diameter. The tubing needs to be heated and stretched to fit the end of the wand. This makes a near smooth inside fit, no trap or constriction to hold air or gunk.
Link to photo: http://www.eckraus.com/plastic-bottle-filler-3-8.html

The spigot I use also looks like the E.C. Kraus model: http://www.eckraus.com/barbed-container-faucet.html

 

[iijakii]

I'd say maybe ferment in a SS conical and just bottle off of that? Only trouble is you'd have to switch to carb. tabs or stir the solution in. So maybe not a good solution. I wonder though if light stirring is worse than racking? I'd bet about equal. Although is light stirring enough to equalize sugar distribution?

 

[jmcquesten]

You could actually use a beer gun to fill bottles without having a kegging system. I'm not sure how this would qualify as premium, but it could be done. You would still have to batch prime in some kind of bottling bucket with a spigot and use gravity. If you wanted to flush with CO2, you'd need a tank and regulator. Otherwise it would be used like a trigger operated bottle filler wand. Not recommending, just saying it could be used without a kegging system.

 

[Yooper]

Your spigot, tubing and wand are all different than mine. Mine are very old, certainly more than 10 years old- but sturdy and working well.

Here's my spigot:
http://www.homebrewsupply.com/easy-on-off-spigot-1-2-id.html

and my bottling wand:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/fermenters-favorites-bottle-filler

My spigot "locks" open, with the top flipping down, and never gets a bubble in it once I start it by filling it completely with beer (the first bottle will get bubbles, so I start in a glass until the beer flows).

I don't know if that is the issue with yours.

 

[TxBigHops]

I errored, a poor memory. After seeing your pictures I took a close look at the wand I'm using. It is made by E.C. Kraus, the tubing is three-eighths inch inside diameter. The tubing needs to be heated and stretched to fit the end of the wand. This makes a near smooth inside fit, no trap or constriction to hold air or gunk.
Link to photo: http://www.eckraus.com/plastic-bottle-filler-3-8.html

The spigot I use also looks like the E.C. Kraus model: http://www.eckraus.com/barbed-container-faucet.html

Your spigot, tubing and wand are all different than mine. Mine are very old, certainly more than 10 years old- but sturdy and working well.

Here's my spigot:
http://www.homebrewsupply.com/easy-on-off-spigot-1-2-id.html

and my bottling wand:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/fermenters-favorites-bottle-filler

My spigot "locks" open, with the top flipping down, and never gets a bubble in it once I start it by filling it completely with beer (the first bottle will get bubbles, so I start in a glass until the beer flows).

I don't know if that is the issue with yours.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Apparently I'm a horrible communicator, because these two posts are exactly what I was looking for when I started this thread, and it only took 30 posts to get here! Suggestions for equipment to replace what I'm using now that might be of a higher quality. Compared to these two spigots, mine looks like a toy!

My only remaining question before I buy one (or both) of these is, what is at the back of these spigots? The one I have now has threads, I think 3/4" diamenter, that I screw on my pvc elbow dip tube that picks up nearly every drop of beer in my bucket. So do these spigots also have threads on the back side for a dip tube, and do you know the size? What are you two using as dip tubes with these spigots?

Also Yooper, your spigot mentions that is uses 1/2" (ID?) hose. Does that mean that your wand also fits into half inch hose? That would make it considerably larger in diameter than any other bottling wand that I have seen.

 

[Melana]

http://www.homebrewing.org/product....P-51yBK9cpE7sHry7dYjeB-OvDAqWKZ4fUaAouS8P8HAQ

 

[flars]

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Apparently I'm a horrible communicator, because these two posts are exactly what I was looking for when I started this thread, and it only took 30 posts to get here! Suggestions for equipment to replace what I'm using now that might be of a higher quality. Compared to these two spigots, mine looks like a toy!

My only remaining question before I buy one (or both) of these is, what is at the back of these spigots? The one I have now has threads, I think 3/4" diamenter, that I screw on my pvc elbow dip tube that picks up nearly every drop of beer in my bucket. So do these spigots also have threads on the back side for a dip tube, and do you know the size? What are you two using as dip tubes with these spigots?

Also Yooper, your spigot mentions that is uses 1/2" (ID?) hose. Does that mean that your wand also fits into half inch hose? That would make it considerably larger in diameter than any other bottling wand that I have seen.

I'll get my calipers and measure the outside diameter of the threads which extend into the bottling bucket a little later this afternoon. I don't use a pick up tube inside the bucket. When I have three-quarters of the bottles filled, I tilt the bucket. Only leaves a four ounce taste in the bucket doing the tilt.

I use a second nylon gasket, same as the outside one, inside the bucket. Seals well without distorting the side of the bucket. Order two spigots to get the extra washer and have a spare spigot on hand.

 

[TxBigHops]

I'll get my calipers and measure the outside diameter of the threads which extend into the bottling bucket a little later this afternoon. I don't use a pick up tube inside the bucket. When I have three-quarters of the bottles filled, I tilt the bucket. Only leaves a four ounce taste in the bucket doing the tilt.

I use a second nylon gasket, same as the outside one, inside the bucket. Seals well without distorting the side of the bucket. Order two spigots to get the extra washer and have a spare spigot on hand.

So it only ships with one gasket? That seems odd. I can probably use the gaskets that I have for the one I'm currently using.

Also, have you seen this one: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...-favorite-bottling-spigot-for-bottling-bucket
It looks very similar (maybe the exact same?) at half the price. And I just read the reviews for the one you're using. Quite a few people have experienced some breakage / quality issues. I'm assuming this hasn't happened to you. Do you have any quality concerns on yours?

Arrrggg... I've gone from no choices to too many! Ha!

 

[jmcquesten]

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/cho...-choice-beverage-dispensers/176AT90NOZZL.html

 

[TxBigHops]

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/cho...-choice-beverage-dispensers/176AT90NOZZL.html

Certainly looks to be of good quality, but not sure it was designed for the purpose. Can't think of how I would attach the bottling wand. Also unclear what is inside and how thoroughly it can be cleaned and sanitized.

 

[flars]

So it only ships with one gasket? That seems odd. I can probably use the gaskets that I have for the one I'm currently using.

Also, have you seen this one: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...-favorite-bottling-spigot-for-bottling-bucket
It looks very similar (maybe the exact same?) at half the price. And I just read the reviews for the one you're using. Quite a few people have experienced some breakage / quality issues. I'm assuming this hasn't happened to you. Do you have any quality concerns on yours?

Arrrggg... I've gone from no choices to too many! Ha!

The spigot does look the same. My home brew shop sells the one I have for $2.95.

I only had a problem once, just a few weeks ago. Started leaking during a bottling session. I found I had reinstalled the spring upside down the after the last cleaning. (The bent spring end, crossing the spring, needs to be against the flat of the plunger tip.) No problem with the short tubing to the spigot. It is fused on. Would need to be cut to take it off. It stays on since there is no place for gunk to accumulate without seeing it and wiping it out.

 

[TxBigHops]

Alright, I placed an order. I needed a couple of things for my Big Mouth Bubbler, and apparently they can ONLY be bought from Northern Brewer. So I got a couple of the spigots that look like the ones flars is using. And I got the wand that Yooper is using. I'll attach some 3/8 tubing (permenently?) to the wand and we'll see how my next bottling day goes next Saturday. I'll update here with the results.

Thanks to all who helped, and even those who messed with me with their multi hundred dollar suggestions! HBT rocks! :rockin: