Taps on fermentation buckets

[Captaindaveman8]

Hi all,new to this wine making and have just started my first kit - Cantina Shiraz/Merlot. I have 2 fermenting buckets with taps. I understand the taps will be no good for racking, but what about bottling? Would it introduce too much air?

My guess is that they are only useful for pulling off samples?

 

[FTC Wines]

In our early days we used the tap to both rack & bottle, with no ill effects. Now we do it all with vacuum. Roy

 

[sour_grapes]

I have always used a tapped bucket, along with a bottling wand (see picture below). One purpose of the wand is to reduce air exposure. However, the last time I bottled, I realized this was probably an unnecessary step. I don't think it reduces air exposure all that much; moreover, every method of filling a bottle (including using a vacuum pump) is going to cause a comparable amount of air exposure. So, I bottled straight from the tap last time, and plan to do that in the future, as well.

 

[Captaindaveman8]

Thanks

Interesting, thanks for the replies. I had assumed taps would allow to much sediment to pass.

 

[sour_grapes]

Interesting, thanks for the replies. I had assumed taps would allow to much sediment to pass.

Oh, the wine should be clear before using a bottling bucket! The procedure for me is to ferment in a bucket; transfer to a carboy for alcoholic fermentation to finish; rack off the lees; degas and add a fining agent if needed; rack off of those lees; let age in carboy for desired length of time, possibly racking again if any sediment drops; transfer to bottling bucket for bottling. There is no sediment in the bucket at this point.

 

[meadmaker1]

Im missing something.
Bottling from a bucket to use a tap.
After racking to the bucket?
Not just racking to the bottle?
Why?

 

[willie]

Oh, the wine should be clear before using a bottling bucket! The procedure for me is to ferment in a bucket; transfer to a carboy for alcoholic fermentation to finish; rack off the lees; degas and add a fining agent if needed; rack off of those lees; let age in carboy for desired length of time, possibly racking again if any sediment drops; transfer to bottling bucket for bottling. There is no sediment in the bucket at this point.

I wasn't crazy about using the bottle filler ether so I just fill the bottles from the spicket on the bucket and I have not noticed anymore bubbles than what the filler made in the bottle while filling it.

Will

 

[Ajmassa]

My family used to do it this way forever. With spouts on the demijohns not the bucket. But I imagine it's a cleaner easier operation- just opening and closing the valve. Sometimes hey attached a small hose to the spout to fill bottom up. Opposed to stopping and starting a siphon- which can be messy---unless using a pump bottling system.

*** best part about this way having to sip each neck down to the proper height. Bottling always ended with a good buzz!

 

[sour_grapes]

Im missing something.
Bottling from a bucket to use a tap.
After racking to the bucket?
Not just racking to the bottle?
Why?

Speaking for myself, because it is a lot easier to rack once to the bucket via siphon than it is to start and stop the siphon 30 times.

 

[bkisel]

Are the taps/spigots a big deal to keep clean and to keep from leaking?

 

[Ajmassa]

Even though I stopped using the spigots I still try to remember opening the valve when cleaning to let some water/solution/sanitizer through. That's pretty much the extent of how I clean it. Never leaked, though one did break and should be replaced. ---the stainless steel spigots on the demi's this is.
I bought a plastic spigot to install on my kit fermenter 7.9 gal bucket but haven't put it on yet.

 

[meadmaker1]

Speaking for myself, because it is a lot easier to rack once to the bucket via siphon than it is to start and stop the siphon 30 times.

I use a hose clamp to stop flow, fill several then switch to corking.
So no reason not to siphon into bottles other than ease or choice.

 

[balatonwine]

what about bottling?

Taps work well with gravity bottlers such as:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HOD1PVS/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Putterrr]

when i use my bottling bucket (which is mostly for beer) i find it easier and less messy to add a small 3 inch piece of racking tube to the bottom of the tap. this way i can put the tube down the inside of the bottle a ways thus avoiding spillage and the inevitable back burp of wine/beer if the bottle is not positioned correctly (especially bad with smaller necked beer bottles). also the taps can be taken apart for cleaning.

cheers

 

[VanMkr]

My Speidel 30L fermenter has a spigot and getting the wine off the lees is a snap! So I'm in favor of spigots!

 

[rustbucket]

Speaking for myself, because it is a lot easier to rack once to the bucket via siphon than it is to start and stop the siphon 30 times.

I use a bottling bucket also. My wines get racked from the bulk aging bucket. and filtered if necessary, to the bottling bucket. From there, it is a simple matter of opening the spigot and filling the bottles using a Ferrari Bottle Filler.

 

[Scooter68]

Are the taps/spigots a big deal to keep clean and to keep from leaking?

That's one question I would have too. I guess if one keeps a bottling bucket for just that purpose there would be little chance of the valve getting clogged or difficult to clean. Does seem like a lot of effort for bottling. With the wand the flow is cut off and the re-starting the siphon is not needed.

All this talk is bothersome though. Keeps making me want to create a full fledged home winery room with a cool room (Or vault for wine storage/aging, fermentation area, sink, bottling area etc. Maybe I need to start buying lottery tickets.

 

[balatonwine]

Does seem like a lot of effort for bottling. With the wand the flow is cut off and the re-starting the siphon is not needed.

A wand is a nice gravity filling device. But if you think a wand is easy, check this out this type of gravity fed bottle filler :

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZwCXCFYCY8[/ame]

You do not even need to buy lottery tickets. Such bottle fillers usually run less than $200.