# Primary Question



## PeterZ (Nov 9, 2006)

When you put the top on your primary, how tightly do you close it? Mine seems to fit such that to really close it would require a rubber mallet, and then it would be very hard to get off.


Do you pound the lid on or just set it on? If you pound it on, how do you open it?


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 9, 2006)

I put a piece of thin fabric over the top of the bucket, tie it down with a string and rubber band and just set the lid on top loosely.
For storage I do snap the lid on tight...it has 4 tabs on the side that I pry it off with....there is a tool that is made for prying off lids...don't know where I have seen it....Like a big can opener thingy.....I think the more often you put the lid on it easier it comes off.


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## Wade E (Nov 9, 2006)

On a primary, there are many different opinions here. Some people do
not use a lid but just cover it with a cloth and elastic band to let
oxygen in to let the yeast multiply. Some people put the lid on tight
and it is tight, you just have to work it around, and put the airlock
on to make sure no bugs get in there. Most of us yse the lid as upon
initial stir and with all the space in there, there is a sufficient
amount of oxygen to feed the yeast and no one that I know of has ever
had a problem using the lid. Taking the lid off is a little hard to but
like I said before, you just have to work it around. Good Luck with
your wine.

Wade


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## smurfe (Nov 9, 2006)

After popping the lid on and off a few times mine is fairly easy to get off. Both of minehave a grip area on the lid so taking it off is easy. I am one of those that snap my lid on tight with an airlock in place. My big (10 gallon)fermenter lid does not snap on tight. It is basically a trash can with a lid on it. You really don't even need a lid on a primary. You can put cheese cloth over it with a rubber band to keep the critters out.
Smurfe


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## kutya (Nov 9, 2006)

I use a sanatized dish towl, wtih a string tied around it. this works well for me. I have used the lid with an airlock, and I agree, the more you work it, the easier it is to get off. Good luck..


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## PeterZ (Nov 9, 2006)

Thanks, guys.

When I did this 20+ years ago I , too had no lid on my primary. I just laid plastic wrap over it. After about 4 - 5 days I racked it into a glass secondary and put in a cork with an airlock.

So now I face another question. The equipment kit has a primary with a spigot that sits about 1 - 1.25 inches above the bottom. Way too high. I would like to use the spigot for the first racking. How thick a wedge should I put under the other side of the primary?

Anybody do it that way?


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## Wade E (Nov 9, 2006)

I use the box my acid kit came in but anything that you can use to get
almost all the liquid out with out to much of the sediment (lees).


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## pkcook (Nov 10, 2006)

PeterZ, 


The first rack (from primary to secondary) is not very critical when it comes to lees. Just tilt the bucket and get as much liquid as you can and leave the really heavy sludge (gross lees)behind.Future rackings will take care of the rest.*Edited by: pkcook *


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## grapeman (Nov 10, 2006)

For racking out of the spigot, I use two wine boxes(full of coarse- all my boxes are full) on their sides. This makes it just high enough to set the primary bucket on and the spigot go into the mouth of the secondary. Open it up and let' er flow. When it gets down fairly close to the bottom, I tip the primary by hand- by now it is good and light. Two minutes and you've transfered the batch. Don't worry if a little of the lees go in at this point.


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## PeterZ (Nov 18, 2006)

Apple and pk-

The spigot worked out fine. As the primary got almost down to the bottom I just started to tilt it and kept tilting until I had the wine at the level I wanted it in the carboy. The gross lees stayed on the bottom of the primary even when the wine drained down past them.

I recon I have about 29.5 bottles in the carboy now. I left a little extra space in case of foam.


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## Wade E (Nov 18, 2006)

Excellent, isnt the spigot so much easier than dealing with the racking cane.


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## kutya (Nov 19, 2006)

Spigot is the only way to go...


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## OldWino1 (Nov 19, 2006)

Im scard I will hit the spigot cleaning and break it or lossen it and
cause a leak. I do hassle with the racking canes. but I do get
the job done. Just have to be re careful with the final racking before
bottling can stir some lees and have to let it sit another
week to settle.


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## Wade E (Nov 19, 2006)

The Spigot is actually pretty tough there Old Wino. It gets screwed on
with two 2 soft gaskets that are very forgiven. If 1 were going to
break I would have done it already.


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## paubin (Nov 20, 2006)

I use both, although I must admit that I love my spigot. As to your original question I have to say that I always sock my lid down nice and tight. The pain of opening is worth not letting any creepy crawlies in my go go juice!


Pete


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## maize (Nov 20, 2006)

I prefer the spigot method - since it is quick an easy. The first time or so I had a small drip leak, but after I got it tightened properly - not a drop for the last fifteen batches. It gets bumped and turned a bit too - but no problems. I have hear that spigots can be a source of contamination if you do not clean and santize them well - once again, cleaning is essential.


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## smurfe (Nov 20, 2006)

My boo boo I always seem to do is when I clean and sanitize the primary prior to adding the juice, I forget to close the spigot and you know the rest. I have done it more than once.







Smurfe


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## Wade E (Nov 20, 2006)

Yikes!


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## Mike1 (Nov 21, 2006)

I don't have a primary with a spigot, so I'm using the cane. I've made just one batch so far and have a question about the first racking. When using the cane, given that you can't see through the side of the primary, how do you know how far down to go? My first wine was a red, so I couldn't really see through that either. Once I got everything into glass, I could see a lot of sediment at the bottom. I also didn't see anything that I'd really call a sludge. The lees were very loose in a lot of liquid. If I had stopped at the first sign of drawing up the lees, I think I would have lost about 3/4 gallon of liquid.


Any tips would be appreciated.


Mike


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## scotty (Nov 21, 2006)

The cane has a tip to raise it off the bottom. My idea is just rack it because you will also be throwing sediment in the carboy. I have read where being too fussy atthe primary point wastes wine.
Just my thoughts here


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## Wade E (Nov 21, 2006)

Dont worry about what you get in there on first racking as long as you
get all the juice. I would get the spigot as it makes life so much
easier and only costs like $ 2.50. Id get the one that swivels the
spout out of the way.


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## PolishWineP (Nov 23, 2006)

smurfe said:


> My boo boo I always seem to do is when I clean and sanitize the primary prior to adding the juice, I forget to close the spigot and you know the rest. I have done it more than once.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


At least you're consistent!


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## AAASTINKIE (Nov 24, 2006)

I just put spickots in all my primarys two weeks ago, I hesitated for a long time cause I drilled too large a hole in one last year and its a 8 gallon parts pail now, but if you drill the correct size hole it works just fine!!


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## PeterZ (Nov 24, 2006)

I like the spigot, too. It makes the first racking quick and easy. 

The grommet for the airlock, however, is useless. As soon as I tried to push the airlock into it, the grommet pushed through and went straight to the bottom.

Before the next batch I will drill that hole out to cork size.


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## jsmahoney (Nov 24, 2006)

I think I lost something here. Am I correct in the reading that you place your primary bucket high enough, so as to place the carboy directly underneath the spigot for transferring?! Or are you placing a tube on the end of the spigot and into the carboy, tilting the bucket when it gets close to the bottom?


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## Wade E (Nov 24, 2006)

I guess you could do it either way. As for the rubber grommet, it
leaked as soon as I bought it on both primaries. I redrilled and fitted
with 1" drilled rubber bungs to use the airlocks with them.


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## PeterZ (Nov 28, 2006)

jsmahoney said:


> I think I lost something here. Am I correct in the reading that you place your primary bucket high enough, so as to place the carboy directly underneath the spigot for transferring?! Or are you placing a tube on the end of the spigot and into the carboy, tilting the bucket when it gets close to the bottom?



The Primary is on the counter (my winery is a guest bathroom - no basment here). I use the 1/2 inch tubing to prevent splashing. I'd hate to try to hit the little opening in the secondary from 6 - 8" up.


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