Spigot Contamination

[badnaam]

I have heard a lot about it.

Does the risk still exists if I am using a bucket with a spigot only for bottling (after siphoning the beer into it from the fermenter).

Thanks

 

[Kayos]

I would think if the spigot were contaminted you could get some bad stuff anywhere the beer passes. If bottles are not sanitized, you could get an infection from that, too. The sugar you use for bottling will be enough to sour if bad yeasties get in there. BUT......most spigots come off of the bottling buckets that I have seen. I keeop the spigot stored unattached to the bucket. I sanitize mine before I put the spigot together on bottling day with a small puddle of sanitizer (diluted of course) or a spray bottle of the stuff. When you put it on, run some sanitizer through the spigot before you start running your beer through. Then your worries are gone.

I think I am answering what you are asking......don't mean to insult you if not.

 

[badnaam]

Is it easy to simply bottle from the fermenter using easy siphon?

 

[EdWort]

When I bottled, I used a bottling wand attached to a spigot with a short piece of hose. The wand has a spring loaded tip so beer flows it is is pressed against the bottom of the bottle. When it reached the top, let up on the bottle so the flow stops, and when you remove the bottle from the wand you end up with just the right amount of head space. Works like a charm and much easier than with an Auto siphon.

 

[Kayos]

Auto siphon is a bit tough because of the clip having to completely shut and at exactly the right time. You can.....but a bottling bucket is a grat resource for a bunch of things. If you need to bottle right away, you can get away with it. But buy a bucket for future recipes and you will be happy in life. I do now what EdWort did when he bottled.

 

[raceskier]

I use the Better Bottles that have the racking outlet. The valves will sometimes weep a bit, so I have a small buildup of dried wort in the outlet. I have been using Alpet:
http://morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=16034
(from B3) to clean and sanitize the outlet in place. Works great. You could probably do the same thing with your preferred sanitzer and get good results as well.

 

[Blender]

I have heard a lot about it.

Does the risk still exists if I am using a bucket with a spigot only for bottling (after siphoning the beer into it from the fermenter).

Thanks

You will be fine. I have been doing this for over a year with no problems. I run hot water through it when I am done bottling and follow it with iodaphor.

 

[jdoiv]

When I bottle, I'll use a bottling bucket with a spigot and have not had any problems. I will fill it up with water and BTF and let set for half an hour. Then I drain have the bucket or so through the spigot, dump the rest and fill with my beer from the fermenter. My bucket is probably 7 years old and I've only pulled the thing completely apart a couple of times. I also thoroughly rinse after every use and run the rinse water through the spigot.

 

[mew]

I normally use a bottling wand attached to an auto-siphon. But it's a matter of personal preference; plenty of people use a bottling bucket with a spigot with no problems.

 

[magno]

I use a bottling bucket with a spigot. I had never reeally considered the spigot as a potential infection source until I tasted my ESB a couple of months ago.

The ESB was the first batch that I had bottled after converting my bottling bucket into a part time Zapap mash tun (and part time bottling bucket). The batch got infected, although it did not apear to be infected in the secondary. Since then I have been careful to disassemble it after each brewing session, and have had no more infections.

BTW the beer was drinkable, just cloudy, and the bottles gushed a bit.

- magno