Fermtech "Thief" leaking

[bearpaw8491]

Anyone having trouble with a Fermtech wine “THIEF” leaking besides me?

I purchased “The Thief” about 6 months ago but just opened the package yesterday. You sanitize the thief, submerge it into the fermenter and the level of the wine equilibrates to the insertion level. The Thief is withdrawn and a small check valve is supposed to closes on the bottom allowing the use of a hydrometer in The Thief without adding the sample to a hydrometer jar for a reading. The sample can then be returned to the fermenter without possibility of contamination.

Only problem is mine leaks like a sieve! I have tugged on the valve pin as suggested in the instructions and tried shaking the Thief while submerged - all without any luck.

Has anyone found a fix for this problem?

Thanks

 

[cmason1957]

The one I had for a short bit leaked the same way. My fix for it was the trash can.

 

[bearpaw8491]

Was kinda afraid of that! I have a call into Fermtech to see if they will replace but haven't heard back yet.
It was an impulse buy instead of simply replacing my old tried and true test jar. You know the old saying: "If it ain't broke, fix it until it is"!!!

 

[Ohio Bob]

My wine thief is all glass. Hold your thumb on the end to preserve what’s in the tube, then let go once your near the cup. Only problem is it’s glass, so easily broken, hope I didn’t jinx myself.

 

[winemaker81]

I use the Fermtech wine thief and have to watch for solids getting stuck in the valve. Submerge the business end in hot water for an hour to soften any material there, then turn it upside down and run hot water into the business end.

When done using it, I do the second part (run hot water into the business end_) every time to keep it clean.

 

[bearpaw8491]

Thanks Bob. I still have my original glass thief but seldom use it. Bought the Fermtech version to replace my test jar and cut down on sampling time. Looks like a bad plan on my part; Fermtech still hasn't responded.
Not a big loss if I trash like cmason1957 but probably won't give them anymore business. They could take a lesson from Steve at AIO!!!

 

[bearpaw8491]

I use the Fermtech wine thief and have to watch for solids getting stuck in the valve. Submerge the business end in hot water for an hour to soften any material there, then turn it upside down and run hot water into the business end.

When done using it, I do the second part (run hot water into the business end_) every time to keep it clean.

Thanks Brian, will give that a try and let you know if it works. It's almost like the pin in the check valve isn't seating. Wondering if its a manufacturing defect since its new.
Does yours leak at all?

 

[winemaker81]

Thanks Brian, will give that a try and let you know if it works. It's almost like the pin in the check valve isn't seating. Wondering if its a manufacturing defect since its new.
Does yours leak at all?

Mine is a few years old and doesn't leak, unless I get a chunk of something in there. Since yours is brand new, I'd see about a replacement, although cleaning it as I suggested may fix it. Could be a chunk of plastic in there, and water may push it out.

 

[Rocky]

Anyone having trouble with a Fermtech wine “THIEF” leaking besides me?

I purchased “The Thief” about 6 months ago but just opened the package yesterday. You sanitize the thief, submerge it into the fermenter and the level of the wine equilibrates to the insertion level. The Thief is withdrawn and a small check valve is supposed to closes on the bottom allowing the use of a hydrometer in The Thief without adding the sample to a hydrometer jar for a reading. The sample can then be returned to the fermenter without possibility of contamination.

Only problem is mine leaks like a sieve! I have tugged on the valve pin as suggested in the instructions and tried shaking the Thief while submerged - all without any luck.

Has anyone found a fix for this problem?

Thanks

There are several molded plastic parts in the wine thief and there is always a chance for "flash" in the molding process. I would guess that is what is going on with your thief, because it is new and "leaks like a sieve."

 

[winemaker81]

Fermtech still hasn't responded.

When did you contact them? Give 'em a few business days.

Fermtech are not the highest quality plastic. I like their auto siphons, but they're only good for about 5 years.

 

[bearpaw8491]

Well, I decided to take a look inside after 3 hot water baths failed to correct the leaking. Heated the base gently with a heat gun until the glue released and I was able to disassemble. There is a small "O" ring around the valve pin that appeared under magnification to be intact . I couldn't see any scarring on the pin seat nor extraneous material from the moulding as Rocky suggested.
I reassembled and tested. Leaking just as bad as before.
Will take the same corrective action cmason1957 did if I don't hear from Fermtech in the next couple of days. In the interim, back to my old turkey baster and test jar.
Thanks to all and I'll let you know.

 

[cmason1957]

I should probably have added that I now use one of the three piece wine thiefs like this - everybody sells these and they work fairly well, easy to sanitize:
https://morewinemaking.com/products/sample-takerthief-3-piece.html

 

[Raptor99]

I should probably have added that I now use one of the three piece wine thiefs like this - everybody sells these and they work fairly well, easy to sanitize:
https://morewinemaking.com/products/sample-takerthief-3-piece.html

I have one of those, but it leaks like crazy. I've had a Fermtech wine thief for a few months, and so far it is working well.

@bearpaw8491 maybe you just got a defective item. With the fierce price competition in our time, many companies let the customer do quality control testing for them.

 

[bearpaw8491]

Well, Customer Service at Fermtech is alive and well.
Just got a note from Patrick stating that he was shipping me a new one.
That's the level of customer support all companies should strive for.

 

[bearpaw8491]

Well Duh!

Trying to figure out a way to retrieve samples from a newly acquired 54 l demijohn that is only half full (at this point). Had hoped I’d hear something from Fermtech letting me know when to expect the replacement “Thief’ but nary a word - not even a response to my last note. My comment concerning their customer service is in danger retraction!

The wine in the demi is ready for backsweetening and bottling but there’s no way my turkey baster or even my old glass thief will reach.

Got to thinking about on line recommendations to jiggle the “Thief” up and down in the carboy to increase the fluid level. BING!

I removed the “flow cane” from the barrel of one of my racking canes, jiggled it up and down in a pitcher of water and watched the level rise in the barrel AND it didn’t even dribble/leak like the “Thief”!! Guess you could reinstall the “flow” cane equipped with a short length of tubing and use the entire racking cane as a pump syphon like the old soda fountain pumps (Oops, some of you are too young to remember what a soda fountain even is!!) if you needed a larger sample.

This can’t be a new idea; I’m probably just a little slow on the uptake and I claim no credit whatsoever.

So there you have it - a simple way to grab a sample from deep in a carboy, barrel or demi without purchasing any new equipment.

We don’t need no stinkin’ “Thief”!

 

[bearpaw8491]

I'm happy to report that the new "Thief" arrived in the mail this afternoon.
Many thanks to Patrick at Fermtech for standing by their products and ensuring customer satisfaction.