Primary Bucket w/ Spigot

[Sayvillebrew]

Hi All - I am a new brewer and these posts have been really helpful and fun to read!

My Question - I am fermenting in a primary bucket with a spigot which is about 1.5 inches from the bottom of the bucket. I will be kegging this beer. After fermentation and dry hopping, can I attach a tube and just rack directly into the keg? Would there be too much sediment, or is this less of an issue since I am kegging. Any input would be helpful.

Thanks! Mike

 

[henchman24]

I've done it before with no issues. The amount of sediment would depend on how much you transferred to the bucket and if you dry hopped. Personally I have only had sediment go up to the spigot's level on my bottling bucket (I use it as a fermenting bucket sometimes) on a couple IPAs that were very aggressively hopped. I had a APA that would have been close if it was in that bucket.

 

[unionrdr]

All my fermenters have spigots on them. Makes racking easier for me. Having said that, I always rack to the bottling bucket to get it off the yeast & trub before proceeding.

 

[MonsterBrew]

It really depends on the amount of sediment at the bottom. I usually use a racking cane/auto siphon to remove liquid from the top first just in case. There will probably be a little more sediment if you use the spigot but I don't think it would be much of an issue.

-Jeff

 

[Rockn_M]

This is what I do and I only get a little bit of trub for the first second or two when you first open the spigot. After that it's clear beer.

 

[unionrdr]

Well, usually, Since I strain the chilled wort into the fermenter, I get on average 3/8" of trub/yeast in the bottom by bottling day. But if I used Whirlfloc in the boil, & get a good cold break with ice-cold top off water, then I get a little in the spigot at the start. But usually, I don't & get clear beer all the way to tilting to get that last bottle or two's worth into the bottling bucket. You just have to strain at the beginning & tilt slowly & gently at the end to keep the trub & yeast in it's place. And clean the spigot & mounting hole after every use.

 

[Braufessor]

Set the bucket on the counter (that you plan to drain from), 2-3 days before draining into keg. This will let everything settle down from moving it.

Be sure to spray your spigot very well with star san before draining through it into keg. (I also keep mine covered with plastic baggie during fermentation to keep dust, fruit flies, etc. out).

I usually run the first little bit off into a glass for tasting/hydrometer reading, etc. The first few ounces will have the most sediment. After that, I just go straight into the keg and it is generally quite clear from then on. Gotta be a bit careful right at the end if you tip bucket to get as much as you can into keg - be very gentle and shut it off if you are picking up a bunch of sediment off bottom and call it good.

 

[unionrdr]

If I do it right, tilting gently get's me all but about the last half bottle or so out of primary. I typically get 54-56/12 ounce bottles from 5 gallons.