Fermentation bucket

[KenK]

Quickie question: Do you ferment in a bucket with a spigot to make racking to secondary easier or do you use bucket without spigot and then siphon? Seems like there's pros/cons both ways.

 

[Starter Hops]

I gravity rack to the secondary from the spigot. But yes, it depends.

 

[Nosybear]

Quickie question: Do you ferment in a bucket with a spigot to make racking to secondary easier or do you use bucket without spigot and then siphon? Seems like there's pros/cons both ways.

Definitely. There are pros and cons to everything, my friend. Here are a few pros to the spigot: You can control the flow to limit splashing. You can sanitize the spigot and the line much easier than sanitizing a racking cane. It's just easier to do. The cons: You can't be sure the spigot doesn't have gunk in it that could infect your beer. It costs more to buy the bucket and the spigot. To me, it's clear: Advantage spigot.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I have a strict policy, all smooth no scratches no crevices, nowhere for nasties to hide, freshly rinsed with cleaner and sanitizer right before using so I use the auto siphon but I'm thinking of a way to transfer to my keg from the fermenter using a sealed line and co2 to push so that may change and if that happens I’ll be taking it apart and cleaning every brew day

 

[GFHomebrew]

Bucket and spigot man or should a call it a tap as most Australians do .
I've found don't hold onto the tap for too long as it will harbour baddies in the barrel eventually. Watch it closely when you open it there is a barrel within a barrel with a hole in it when you turn it that hole slides over the outlet to let the beer out when you shut it back off I sits back inside the barrel. My thoughts are its hard to sanitize in this barrel bit. So toss the spigot and get a new one every so often or it it looks suspect in that barrel bit I give it a good sniff too for any nasty beerie smells.

When cleaning in oxycleen I'll turn it on and off a dozen times to try and get that cleaner into the section.
Oh and keep an eye on the thread on both bucket and tap/spigot as Oz said lots of crevices there .

Well I've had me rant cheers have a good day .

 

[KenK]

Looks like we're running 3-1 in favor of the spigot (tap, for you southern folks). I'm thinking about using a spigot too, and just removing it after every ferment and chucking it in a jar of starsan. They're easy enough to put on/take off and cheap enough to replace now and then. I like the autosiphon but cleaning that plus hose every time is a pain.

 

[jeffpn]

I use glass carboys. I've never seen one of those with a spigot!

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Plastic FVs all the way , can drop them without stitches and having a tap makes transfer easy as Gravity never fails
I won't even open the can of worms about secondary

 

[jmcnamara]

Plastic FVs all the way , can drop them without stitches and having a tap makes transfer easy as Gravity never fails
I won't even open the can of worms about secondary

Well, there's your problem right there. No way to sanitize a can of worms really. You have to take the worms out first

 

[jeffpn]

Use leeches. They're sanitary!!

 

[Head First]

Never was much for spigots. I use a racking cane. Can see if it gets clean.
I like to cold crash then rack. Leaches are for secondary's.