[spaz]

Hi. The brewing kit i got as a present consisted of two plastic buckets, each with a hole drilled in the side about 2 inches above the bottom and two valves that screwed into that hole. obviously these can be used to empty whats in the fermenter. however, they obviously have to be in the pail in order for it to be sealed, which means the outside portion is exposed to air and dirt and whatever else hangs out in your brewing storage area during your whole fermentation stage...

I am looking at mine and thinking, 'hmm, that sure would be easier than siphoning...' but also thinking, 'hmm, seems a lot of bacteria could hang out there...'

Does anyone else use this style? if so, do you try to do some additional sanitization before you use it to empty the fermenter? The other thing is if you used it to draw little bits to test the specific gravity now and then, it seems that any errant bacteria hanging out on the inside could, in theory, make its way back into the fermenter. i have tried to find the instructions for this kit since i lost the originals, but havent been successful.

im sure someone else has used them and i wanted to get a feel for whether people think they are useful or not.

thanks,

Mike

[wild]

Go to the store and pick up a spray bottle and a bottle of really cheap vodka. Put one in the other and spray the valve before and after use.

Good luck,
Wild