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HuggerOrange

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Just out of curiousity, and I'm sure this has been asked before, but why don't they put a spigot on the fermenting bucket you get with beginner kits (Like the one I got from Midwest). The bottling bucket and the fermenter look exactly the same minus the spigot. Now if using the spigot reduces the chance of sloshing around the beer and oxiginating it when you transfer it then why don't they give you two buckets with two spigots, thus making life a little easier - kinda like the way they have the ported Better Bottles. In fact, if I'm not doing secondary fermentation what's to keep me from cooking everything up, puting it in the bottling bucket to ferment, getting carb drops and bottling right from there using the spigot.
 
My kit came the same way. But, since I got the deluxe kit from Brewer's Best that came with the carboy, it also came with an auto-siphon. So, the lack of a spigot is really no big deal on my primary. Honestly, to me a spigot on the fermenter is just another port for bacteria and wild yeast to sneak into the beer. As far as bottling right from the primary, I don't think I'd suggest this. When you stir in the priming sugar, you'd stir up all the trub in the primary, making for a whole lot of sediment in your bottles.
Just my 2 cents.
 
The spigot makes a fermenter a perfect bottling bucket and I have used it for primary occasionally. The point of racking into a bottling bucket is to bottle the beer without all the trub on the bottom being transferred. I use a secondary with every beer, and even in the secondary there is an inch or two of "gunk" that settles out. I don't want that stuff in my beer. The spigot is not to reduce the sloshing, as that is why you rack the beer. You don't use the spigot (unless you'd have the right tubing) to transfer the beer because you want to transfer quietly not open the spigot and pour.

As gnets said, you don't want to stir up the trub and resuspend all that junk to bottle. You want to rack above the trub. The spigot is too low for that, as it's situated low on the bucket so you can all the beer out and into the bottles.
 
I understand, that's why I was thinking about using carb drops - that way you don't have to add anything to the fermenter.
 
I'm not a fan of carb drops but I have used them. Still, the spigot is too low to not transfer some trub and that can lead to some off flavors. It's really up to you!
 
I gotcha, what about those ported Better Bottles? Are they any good - or are Better Bottles any good at all? I'm really still in that phase where I'm feeling out what equipment I feel is best and what techniques give you the best beer. I think I'm over-read on the subject because everyone's got their own take and some of them contradict each other and then it gets confusing. So far I think John Palmer makes the most sense to me.
 
Yeah, even when I have used my spigotted bucket as a primary vessel, I've still racked to secondary, rather than used the spigot. Drawing off the bottom like that means you transfer a whole lotta trub. No good. I think the ported better bottles have the opening a little higher on the carboy wall than the spigots on the buckets, but I'm not sure since I've never seen on in person. Either way, I prefer to autosiphon. There's no sloshing or aeration if you do it right.
 
HuggerOrange said:
I gotcha, what about those ported Better Bottles? Are they any good - or are Better Bottles any good at all? I'm really still in that phase where I'm feeling out what equipment I feel is best and what techniques give you the best beer. I think I'm over-read on the subject because everyone's got their own take and some of them contradict each other and then it gets confusing. So far I think John Palmer makes the most sense to me.
The ported Better Bottles have a "racking adapter" which is a small tube sticking out of the port at an angle. This tube can be positioned above the trub to avoid siphoning off anything unwanted. I would imagine something similar could be done with a bucket but I havn't seen it.

As for using a bucket with spigot as a primary and bottling right from there:
1. the spigot gives bugs a better place to hide so you have to be very cautious about your cleaning when doing this.
2. The spigot will drain off some of the trub into the bottles. The first couple of bottles especially maybe mostly trub.
3. Bottling with carb tabs is generally considered overly expensive without much gain. It is easier to boil 3/4 cup sugar in a little water then rack the beer into a bottling bucket. This way you get the most consistent results.

Craig
 
Yooper Chick said:
You want to rack above the trub. The spigot is too low for that, as it's situated low on the bucket so you can all the beer out and into the bottles.
I mounted my own spigot, and drilled the hole an inch or so higher. This way I'm able to gently drain into my secondary through 3/8" tubing without picking up the trub. Towards the end, I peer into the top of the primary and slightly tilt it to get the last of the clear beer, stopping just before I see the sediment starting to head towards the outlet. I have no trouble recovering nearly all of the clear liquid.

It's working out well for me, and after two weeks in the secondary I have beautifully clear beer and less than 1/4" of sediment in the carboy.

Of course it's important to dismantle the spigot after each batch and clean it thoroughly. You also want to drill the hole in the bucket very cleanly, and not create rough surfaces where bacteria can hide out.
 
another reason is that those spigots are notorious for harboring bacteria and wild yeast.
they're easy to sanitize then put on the bucket on bottling day...but if you ferment in the bucket, you have to hope and pray that nothing has contaminated the spigot in the 7-14 days during primary, before you use it.

it'd just be another variable to have to try to control...not impossible...but still its 'one more thing to worry about'.
 
Just asking, not saying I was going to do it. I have read in more than one book people brewing in buckets with spigots (and some of these people have won awards, which is why I was asking). Like I said, you read so much and some of it contradicts some of the other things you read so I thought I'd throw it out there.
 
I have three fermenters with spigot in them and never had any problems. I used them for the primary vessel. I get no trub and I use a hose to go into the secondary.
 
If you're really careful sanitizing the spigot, and then rubberband some clean plastic wrap over the outside during the primary fermentation, you'll be OK. However, I don't recommend trying to bottle directly out of primary. If this is about saving 9 bucks for another bucket, this is the wrong hobby for you....really.

I'm pretty close to you here in NJ so if you ever want to hang and talk brewing, let me know.
 
Bobby_M said:
If you're really careful sanitizing the spigot, and then rubberband some clean plastic wrap over the outside during the primary fermentation, you'll be OK. However, I don't recommend trying to bottle directly out of primary. If this is about saving 9 bucks for another bucket, this is the wrong hobby for you....really.

I'm pretty close to you here in NJ so if you ever want to hang and talk brewing, let me know.

9 dollars is definitely not the issue - I bought a kit with both a fermenter bucket and a bottling bucket - so I have what I need. I guess the issue that got me asking the question is reading so much about not oxiginating the beer when you transfer it. I thought that maybe a spigot on the fermenter would solve this. It was more a thought about technique than wanting to actually do it.

BTW I work in Somerset so it would be great to get together.
 
williams brewing sold me a beginner's kit with their "siphonless fermenter." it has a spigot which is set higher into the side of the bucket, and instead of a regular nut holding the spigot on, it has a larger nut with a tube sticking out of it. however, they also include a bottling bucket with a more normal spigot height, so you have a second chance to leave behind sediment.
 
I have two primary buckets with spigots. Just make sure you clean it out well and run the sanitizer through it before you fill the primary. You can put some sanitizer in a spray bottle and spray it good when racking. And I always hold back the first cup or two from the primary after it's finished from the yeast plugging the spigot. After that it runs clear.
 
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