Is this leak something to worry about, it's my first beer....

[Osborne]

I checked my fermenter just a few minutes ago, and at the bottom of the spigot from my Speidel was a single drop. I rubbed my finger on the drop and it felt like syrup and smelled extremely good. I hadn't noticed it previously though my beer has been in the fermenter since Saturday. I really hope there's not a place in the spigot that could be cause for infection.



View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1435114261.212860.jpg

 

[d3track]

I'd give it a star San squirt

 

[Osborne]

I'd give it a star San squirt

Up the spigot? Will do.

 

[Osborne]

I lifted up the little plastic lid that pops up and down in the airlock when co2 is released and peered down . Didn't see anything crazy just looked like krausen, yeast floaties and a lot of small co2 bubbles

 

[zippy84]

Just after I pitch yeast before I walk away from the fermenter for a few weeks, I tend to turn my spigot upside down, rinse with sanitizer and cover with clingfilm for the duration of the ferment. Then I give it another rinse before bottling.

 

[unionrdr]

Since I have a fermenter stand, I spray some Starsan up the spout on the spigot before & after taking samples. It looks like your spigot assembly screws on?

 

[Osborne]

Just after I pitch yeast before I walk away from the fermenter for a few weeks, I tend to turn my spigot upside down, rinse with sanitizer and cover with clingfilm for the duration of the ferment. Then I give it another rinse before bottling.

How do you turn it? I didn't think you could once it screws on.

 

[Osborne]

Since I have a fermenter stand, I spray some Starsan up the spout on the spigot before & after taking samples. It looks like your spigot assembly screws on?

Yes it screws on, a washer is what seals it and the screw threads just tighten the washer .

 

[ChucknBeer]

I have had leaks... 1 large enough to make an emergency transfer to another fermenter, another one very small that stopped itself after some days... maybe 30cc of beer were lost.

I love/hate spigots... but always wondered if a leak really is an infection treat. If small enough, the liquid will always go out and nothing should go in (if the leakage is small enough to not requiring an air pressure compensation from the outside), so how can any organism crawl inside the fermenter?

 

[zippy84]

How do you turn it? I didn't think you could once it screws on.

It just turns without loosening, maybe it's a different type of tap than yours. This is something like what I have.

 

[Osborne]

It just turns without loosening, maybe it's a different type of tap than yours. This is something like what I have.

Ah I don't know if that would work on mine.

 

[Osborne]

I have had leaks... 1 large enough to make an emergency transfer to another fermenter, another one very small that stopped itself after some days... maybe 30cc of beer were lost.

I love/hate spigots... but always wondered if a leak really is an infection treat. If small enough, the liquid will always go out and nothing should go in (if the leakage is small enough to not requiring an air pressure compensation from the outside), so how can any organism crawl inside the fermenter?

And none of your beers got infected ?

I just now checked and my beer hasn't dripped any more. Since that one single darn drip I posted picture of.

 

[zippy84]

Ah I don't know if that would work on mine.

Check next time your cleaning up!

 

[Osborne]

Check next time your cleaning up!

I will! I know I could insert it that way but in order to get it pointing back down I would have to unscrew it... and you can see why that could be a problem.

 

[zippy84]

I will! I know I could insert it that way but in order to get it pointing back down I would have to unscrew it... and you can see why that could be a problem.

Not necessarily, like I said I can flip mine up and down without unscrewing. Either way, do whatever works, I generally always cover up with clingfilm or something to keep it clean during the ferment.

 

[unionrdr]

I wonder, do those type of spigots have any kind of seal, or does it count on screwing in against the threaded portion to seal? Many of us use these Italian spigots with two white hose washers on it; http://www.midwestsupplies.com/bottling-bucket-with-spigot.html
Kind of strange they don't have the Italian spigots like on this bottling bucket separate any more? But this is the kind I & others have been using. I also made another seal to add to the one on the inside. The spigot tightens up more easily without squeezing the seals out of place to where they'd leak. No more drips...
I cut the extra seal out of some rubber sheet I got at lowe's on the end cap of the aisle where the bulk tubing is.

This pic shows that I installed the extra seal, then the white stock seal, & jam nut.

 

[Temptd2]

That looks like a Speidel fermenter? If so, once you get that screwed on and full of liquid, you aren't gonna be turning it again til it's empty, not any way I've been able to see anyhow!

We turn ours at a slight angle instead of straight up and down, make sure the ring is screwed on tightly, spray with StarSan and let 'er go. So far never a problem. I'm betting yours is just fine - may have been a residual bit of liquid in the spigot. I agree with others, spray some StarSan, then put a folded paper towel under it to catch THOSE drips.

 

[ChucknBeer]

And none of your beers got infected ?

I just now checked and my beer hasn't dripped any more. Since that one single darn drip I posted picture of.

Nope.

I ended buying 3 new spigots, took them apart brand new, cleaned them with PB and disinfected using peracetic acid, put them together again and tested with the fermenter full of water... and 1 of them leaked :/

Wait, 1 single drop? Then relax, nothing will go wrong with your batch, at least from the spigot rinse it with starsan, then cover it with some aluminum foil and voila!

 

[fuzzy2133]

That looks like a Speidel fermenter? If so, once you get that screwed on and full of liquid, you aren't gonna be turning it again til it's empty, not any way I've been able to see anyhow!

We turn ours at a slight angle instead of straight up and down, make sure the ring is screwed on tightly, spray with StarSan and let 'er go. So far never a problem. I'm betting yours is just fine - may have been a residual bit of liquid in the spigot. I agree with others, spray some StarSan, then put a folded paper towel under it to catch THOSE drips.

Yep looks like a Speidel (I have one too). I usually do not tun the spigot that far in the off position. The Speidel spigot has tons of rotation (over 180 degrees) compared to the generic bottling spigot that has positive stops at 180 degree of rotation.

 

[Osborne]

Yep looks like a Speidel (I have one too). I usually do not tun the spigot that far in the off position. The Speidel spigot has tons of rotation (over 180 degrees) compared to the generic bottling spigot that has positive stops at 180 degree of rotation.

I'm too scared to touch it now haha!

 

[Osborne]

That looks like a Speidel fermenter? If so, once you get that screwed on and full of liquid, you aren't gonna be turning it again til it's empty, not any way I've been able to see anyhow!

We turn ours at a slight angle instead of straight up and down, make sure the ring is screwed on tightly, spray with StarSan and let 'er go. So far never a problem. I'm betting yours is just fine - may have been a residual bit of liquid in the spigot. I agree with others, spray some StarSan, then put a folded paper towel under it to catch THOSE drips.

Yup sure is....I'll be sure to try and put it at an angle next time... Still not another drip I'm hoping its a fluke.

 

[Osborne]

I wonder, do those type of spigots have any kind of seal, or does it count on screwing in against the threaded portion to seal? Many of us use these Italian spigots with two white hose washers on it; http://www.midwestsupplies.com/bottling-bucket-with-spigot.html
Kind of strange they don't have the Italian spigots like on this bottling bucket separate any more? But this is the kind I & others have been using. I also made another seal to add to the one on the inside. The spigot tightens up more easily without squeezing the seals out of place to where they'd leak. No more drips...
I cut the extra seal out of some rubber sheet I got at lowe's on the end cap of the aisle where the bulk tubing is.

This pic shows that I installed the extra seal, then the white stock seal, & jam nut.

The compression of screwing the threads seals the oring in between the two parts of the spigot.

 

[unionrdr]

My point being that the extra seal, being thinner, seems to help the original seal to tighten up to seal better without the worry of over-tightening. Snugs up quicker with no more leaks in several batches since I started using them.