So I am fermenting Northy 12, need to transfer it to secondary fermenter. I am doing primary in my bottling bucket, so it has a spigot.
Should I use the spigot to transfer it to secondary or should I use the siphon?
How would I clean / sanitize the spigot? The spigot was cleaned after bottling my last batch 6 months ago, but the outside of it was NOT cleaned again before brewing, so not sure if there is any dust in there or something. Could I get away with just trying to submerge it in Star San? Or would it be safer to use the Siphon?
A spray bottle filled with Star-San is your friend.
Personally, I’d go the spigot route. Less chance of excessive aeration that way, but you want to be 10000% certain you have the spigot clean and sanitized.
Edit: Spigot with some tubing to get to the bottom of the secondary vessel, that is.
What @voltron said. I’ve gravity fed a keg through the liquid out post as well as fermenters off the spigot. Spray the crap out of it with Star San, sanitize the tubing with Star San and run it into your sanitized jug. Sometimes I put a sanitized piece of foil or plastic wrap over the fermenter opening as well.
Me use a auto siphon. Feel more control transfer the brew. With out getting left over trub. Me clean during brew day my siphon with pdw together with other brew stuff. Than spray with starsan lots
So there you go @maartendc! Just like everything else, if you follow certain rules you can use whatever method you’re most comfortable with. Happy Brewing!
True story, it seems like everyone has their preferences on how to do things. I think for this batch, I will use the auto siphon, because I am not sure how clean the spigot was to begin with, don’t want to risk it.
For future batches, I will make sure to clean the spigot thoroughly when I start brewing, and then a good sanitize job should make it safe enough right before the transfer.
Personally I would just use the siphon, but if you want to use the spigot in the future, then perhaps after you do your good job of sanitizing before the start of fermentation, then cover the spigot with a piece of sanitized saran wrap and/or aluminum foil. Then before using it, take the wrap off and spray inside and outside with sanitizer.
Nothing wrong using the spigot why do you think they put them on fermenters. Why the heck would you purposely add an extra thing to wash. Maybe I’m missing something. If you’re that paranoid about sanitation how do you clean your siphon and tubing.
I’ve got stainless steel buckets with spigots on them. I do disassemble after use for a good cleaning. I also just spray some star san on before I rack out of the bucket using the spigot… Not had an infected batch… So spray, then dump a couple ounces into a glass, then rack into whatever going to. Sneezles61
Bottling day has almost come. The Northy Quad is still in its secondary fermentor with spigot currently.
I think I will use the Spigot, partially because my auto-siphon is somewhat broken (missing a tiny plastic piece).
Now my question is: Can I bottle straight from the fermenter, adding the priming sugar to the secondary fermenter and gently stir to mix? Or would it be better to transfer to a bottling bucket and bottle out of the bucket? The only downside to bottling straight out of the secondary fermenter I could see is that there would be sediment at the bottom that would risk disturbing and going into the bottles?
What do you think? Bottle out of secondary or use bottling bucket?
I have bottled from the fermenter using the Flars method ( one domino dot/bottle) or you can buy the fiz drops. The problem with adding sugar to the fermenter is stirring it will turn up the sediment. You can go to the hardware store and get another bucket and spigot and just drain it into that bucket with priming sugar and not even need a siphon. Or just siphon using a piece of tubing and your mouth. Plenty options
Just like everything else, if you follow certain rules you can use whatever method you’re most comfortable with. Happy Brewing!