Racking & Bottling From Fermenting Bin Tap?

[BrewingBob]

My 5 gallon fermenting bin (plastic, standard model with airlock in lid) has a standard red tap installed low down on the side. It's this one in fact:

I've been faffing around with siphon tubes for a while and it seems like a pants way of doing things (I often spill or waste some, it's hard to start the flow without contamination from mouth) if instead I can just use the built-in tap.

Presumably to do so I'll have to sterilise it first which will be hard while the fermenter is full.

And presumably it'll be difficult to avoid oxygenation of the content if it drops from a great height as opposed to flowing smoothing from the end of a siphon tube.

Does anyone successfully use their fermenting bin tap for racking and bottling?

TY!

 

[Cwrw666]

I always use the tap and don't sterilise beforehand either. The tap gets sterilised only when I sterilise the whole thing before fermentation. Never had a problem. You could always wrap it in clingfilm after sterilising so no bugs can get at it during fermentation if you're really paranoid! :lol:

 

[GanGan]

Fitting some tubeing to the tap.... long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle might help reduce the oxygenation.

 

[Niman]

Looks like the same as one of mine. A bottling stick should fit on the tap.sanitise it and spray the tap. Never had a problem

 

[simon12]

I use this http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Brewferm-Bottle-Filler.html#.VGJTC_msXjc with I think that exact fermenter.

 

[user 4004]

I always use the tap and don't sterilise beforehand either. The tap gets sterilised only when I sterilise the whole thing before fermentation. Never had a problem. :lol:

I agree never bothered me either just fill a glass first to wash the tap out and something to drink as you go, if you run it down the side of the bottle so it does not splash you should not suffer much from oxidation either.

 

[BrewingBob]

Fantastic. Phew. What a pita siphoning was - now a thing of the past

Thanks all!

 

[AlexBB]

A little tip for sterilising the tap.... (presuming you did originally sterilise it when you did the FV to start with)

First sterilise your syphon tube, then warm up end in hot water and push over tap outlet. (I have a short length I use for doing this, and also for racking off from the FV) Hold or clip other end of hose above height of tap. Use a little Star San and pour into hose and let it run up inside tap, leave this sitting for a couple of minutes... this will sterilise the air exposed elements of the tap.

Lower syphon hose and drain of Star San into a jug, then remove hose from tap and fit little bottler etc..

Voila.... one sterilised tap...

PS... Same (similar principle) process is used in breweries, saw it used on a brewery trip and thought "What a good Idea!!!" :-)

 

[bravemurphy]

To be honest I gave up on the tap method , I found that nearly evry time I turned it on it would stir up sediment and then that would lie in the tap on the inside and we would get cloudy wine.
I went back to the siphon in the end.

 

[Fil]

The major issue with bottling from a fv tap is the last bit when the level drops below the tap input, air starts to get sucked in with the beer and that is a recipe for disaster as it will oxidise that beer.

if filling bottle by bottle i would keep an eye on the level and when it approaches the tap start to gently tip and wedge the bucket forward, to keep the tap entry covered. as soon as any air comes thru the tap stop..

sanitising the tap is crucial IF you have drawn off samples especially early on when very sweet and rich with food for bugs, a warm water wash from a squeezey bottle up the spout prior to a sanitiser rinse in a similar fashion should sort that out, tattoo wash bottles with a flexible nozzle are great but an ex washing up bottle works too