Why do I need a Ball Valve on my Pot

[evandam]

If I'm planning on using a immersion chiller why can I not just use my auto siphon? Convince me to spend another 50 bucks.

 

[BierMuncher]

You don't need it.

I'm 70+ batches into my brewing career and doing just fine with a racking cane.

 

[Jared311]

I think the easiest argument is that your auto-siphon may not be designed to rack 200+ F. A stainless steel ball valve is very simple to use and you can control the rate at which your transfer your wort.

 

[Bobby_M]

Well, he's right though. If you chill in place, you can rack it off no biggie.

 

[Matt Foley]

I think the easiest argument is that your auto-siphon may not be designed to rack 200+ F. A stainless steel ball valve is very simple to use and you can control the rate at which your transfer your wort.

But you chill with ther immersion chiller prior to siphon. So I agree, you don't NEED it. I suppose draining from valve may some how provide some convenience.

 

[DUCCCC]

Why siphon at all? I just pour out of my boiling pot through a strainer right into the primary, after cooling with an IC.

 

[Tankard]

Why siphon at all? I just pour out of my boiling pot through a strainer right into the primary, after cooling with an IC.

Many use a keg to boil their wort. Good luck pouring that thing into a fermenter

 

[BierMuncher]

Why siphon at all? I just pour out of my boiling pot through a strainer right into the primary, after cooling with an IC.

You're strong. :cross:

 

[DUCCCC]

Many use a keg to boil their wort. Good luck pouring that thing into a fermenter

OP did say a "pot" in the thread title, not keggle. (not trying to sound like an a$$ here, so don't take this the wrong way or anything other than a simple observation)
I wouldn't pour out a keggle, as the design of the top edge isn't very conducive to proper, or sanitary pouring. The empty keggle weighs alot more than my 7.5 gallon alum. pot as well. Of course you have to get that keggle or pot up to the level where you'll be able to siphon back down to a fermenter. This can be done with a pump for $$$, or you can lift the MLT, or do it with a smaller container many times. Any way, I pick up 7 gallons in an alum. pot and lift it the foot or so to move it to the burner, and I pour out the 5.5 gallons that are left in the pot after the boil, into the bucket. My MLT is in the kitchen, and the burner is about 15' feet away out the back door, on my patio. It's not a huge distance, but I do appreciate that some people can't do this, and I am by no means putting those people down.

You're strong:cross:

I'm no bodybuilder, but at 6' and 270 I'm not a toothpick either I regularly lift up the rear of my motorcycle to reposition it for maintenance, and that bike weighs in around 390-400lbs. I also have two sons, one around 30lbs and the other at 40+lbs, so I get plenty of kid curls in daily. After all that a full pot of 5.5 gallons of cool wort ain't too bad!

I guess the OP needs to plan a little more about how they're going to brew. Do they have a problem getting the boiling pot full of liquid high enough to siphon from in the first place?

Just curious now, I guess I take it for granted that I can lift 100+ pounds at this point in my life.

 

[Jared311]

Oh, I am ADD and didn't read your original post properly. I didn't notice that you said it was an immersion chiller. Either way, I agree with everyone else that you dont NEED it, but damn I love having it.

 

[evandam]

Why siphon at all? I just pour out of my boiling pot through a strainer right into the primary, after cooling with an IC.

I'm 6' 195 and pouring 10 gallons of wort through a strainer by myself is gonna be hard.

I should have read all the other posts before I replied. Sounds like this has been dealt with.

 

[tbulger]

I just swtiched over to using a spigot on the kettle and i like it a whole lot better. Cleaning the autosiphon and sanitizing and then cleaning after racking was kinda pain in my brew day (i know its not much work but it cluttered my process). Its reaaly nice to open the spigot and watch it go. You definitely dont need it, you can always go weldless later if you feel it necessary or have a a little more cash.

 

[kaptain_karma]

EDIT: Yeah, so I'm kinda druck and didn't notice that the OP uses an immersion chiller. The following post is based on my experience with my CFC.

Having a ball valve at the bottom of your kettle is great if you use a counter-flow wort chiller. I use a bazooka screen in my kettle to catch hops and hot break, then run boiling hot wort through my CFC. As long as I keep my flow rates right, 68*F wort comes out the end, along with the cold break.

The advantage of this method, from what I've read, is that yeast can use cold break elements during their reproduction phase when the wort has insufficient dissolved oxygen. The only way to get an ideal level of oxygen in the wort is through diffusion of pure oxygen. I use a siphon sprayer followed by lots of shaking. While this method dissolves a reasonable amount of oxygen, it falls short of what yeast really need. Allowing the cold break into the fermentor should in theory make up for the rest.

I haven't isolated all the variables in my brewing process enough to prove anything, but using the above method with an adequate starter, I've always had quick fermentation with good attenuation.

 

[McKBrew]

Having a ball valve at the bottom of your kettle is great if you use a counter-flow wort chiller. I use a bazooka screen in my kettle to catch hops and hot break, then run boiling hot wort through my CFC. As long as I keep my flow rates right, 68*F wort comes out the end, along with the cold break.
.

+1 on using the ball valve with a bazooka screen for a filter. While I agree that a ball valve isn't necessary, I'd say it's a nice to have item.

 

[srm775]

If I'm planning on using a immersion chiller why can I not just use my auto siphon? Convince me to spend another 50 bucks.

Because it's super easy, and if you ever go to a CFC, then a spigot will definitely come in handy.

 

[MrFebtober]

These have all been good points, but i'll build on what srm775 said: get a spigot for convenience now, and the potential for future equipment upgrades. A spigot will make the most sense when you decide to upgrade to a counter-flow or plate chiller, or if you want a hop-strainer in your kettle at some point.

just my $0.02, though.

 

[bigben]

I'm 5' 8.5" 170lbs and I have a spigot. just installed it tho,havent brewed yet, but im sick of siphoning...cant wait to use the spigot.

 

[Brewer3401]

I use valves for everything. Much easier, quicker, and more sanitary than a racking cane.

I use a piece of S/S 8" x 10" to put under the valve on my brew kettle - worried about melting the seats in the valve.

Just have to be very careful with ball valves. They keep some fluid behind the ball when you close them.

 

[olllllo]

If I'm planning on using a immersion chiller why can I not just use my auto siphon? Convince me to spend another 50 bucks.

You are saying that a pump is not in your immediate future also then.
Priming a pump with a siphon can be done but... seems to defeat the purpose.

 

[AnOldUR]

6ft / 155lbs . . . No pouring the pot here. I have been using my autosiphon after chilling without any problems, but just ordered on of these. Anyone have an opinion on the Siphontap?