How are some of you handling keeping valves clean while fermenting for 2-4 weeks? They way I look at it, it doesn’t mater how clean it is when the wort is added if it can’t be trusted at racking. I’m thinking a sanitized water ballon or finger condom (the type used in a kitchen for cuts) over the output might be a good and cheap solution.
The valves them selves also leave plenty of nooks and crannies for stuff to hide, but I think that is less of a concern if they are disassembled for cleaning.
Fermonsters now come pre-drilled with valves so this is why I ask.
I spray the entire valve (exterior and up into the interior) with an Iodophor solution prior to racking out. I also ferment in a chest freezer so the valve isn’t exposed to all that much.
Although the valve on my fermentor can be disassembled for cleaning, I’ve never felt the need.
I do the same as narcout with the exception of the use of star-san instead of idophor. Never had an issue. Also use a chest freezer for my fermentation chamber.
Glad to see this question raised–the other day I filled for the first time a fermenter with a valve (a Bigmouth Bubbler) for a bitter. I plan on using Starsan when I bottle in a few weeks but would like to hear of other options.
As long as you sanitize before fermentation and don’t open it too many times (gravity tests), the possibility of contamination is low. It’s like the brewhouses only on a smaller scale, they do the same thing. Sanitize the output of the valve and nothing bad should get inside.
They are also using ball valves for sampling (still not sanitary) and butterfly valves for transfers (sanitary). Maybe I’m being paranoid, but it’s just tough for me to get past.
I use ball valves, and they are yuge! JK. I have been doing this for a year with no adverse affects. But then I keg so maybe I have a biased opinion since I’m not bottling.
I have BM Bubblers with valves that I installed before they were offered that way. I shoot Starsan from a spray bottle up the outlet after (and before) every time I use the valve. After two years and 30+ batches, no issues!
I use a bucket with a tap at the bottom to ferment, when it comes to bottling time, I spray the outside and inside of the tap with starsan, attach a sanitised PVC hose to the tap, and transfer to my bottling bucket for priming. I then use the same hose to attach to a sanitised tap on bottling bucket, add a little bottler to the hose, and bottle. Never had any issues with infection doing this. The taps get a soak in soda crystal solution at cleaning time, and sanitised before use.