Using a Siphonless Big Mouth Bubbler for Secondary Fermentation?

[Timbo619]

Has anyone used the siphonless Big Mouth Bubbler for secondary fermentation or heard of anyone using it?
(https://www.northernbrewer.com/coll.../siphonless-big-mouth-bubbler-ported-5-gallon)

To me, it seems like it would be cleaner, easier, and more convenient to use but was specifically wondering if anyone has ever had issues with the yeast cake on the bottom getting sucked up during the bottling process.

 

[Ohio Bob]

but was specifically wondering if anyone has ever had issues with the yeast cake on the bottom getting sucked up during the bottling process.

I’m not aware of the system you suggest. My comments are that, in my opinion, one should never bottle from a carboy that has sediment.

1. It’s too easy to accidentally suck up some sediment into a bottle.
2. Especially with oak cubes, staves, etc the oak flavoring is known to stratify in the carboy. Doing a racking homogenizes the wine so every bottle is consistent from start to finish.
3. You will need to add some Kmeta before bottling and doing that to a vessel that has sediment will be impossible without stirring up the sediment.
4. Tasting the racked wine will let you judge whether any last minute adjustments are needed. These could be sweetening or throwing in some bottles of another varietal, making a blend on the fly.

 

[ratflinger]

I use 6 gallon Fermonsters as a secondary. However, I ferment to dry in the primary and bottle after 3 more rackings and 6 to 7 months of bulk aging. Bottling out of the secondary is asking for a bottle full of lees.

 

[Rice_Guy]

I have used a variety of 120 mm lid containers for a secondary. I have maxed at six months in a BMB. Oxygen is a serious risk for wine and I feel they aren’t the best once out gassing has stopped. I also have an issue with getting the lid snug so will use a silicone bowl cover instead of the original lid.
https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/damn-broke-a-carboy-today.78045/#post-873207

Bottling? ,,, the part of me that enters wine in contests would say that it will look prettier if you cleanly rack. Possible rack into another BMB that has the spigot. Bottling off the fine lees works, just be careful, ,,, and maybe mark the last three bottles so that you are the only one that gets a few lees.

 

[Jim Welch]

I concur with others that it’s not ideal to bottle from that. I use ported Better Bottles as a secondary/bright tank. I transfer to them from my Brute buckets at 1.010-1.000 and let fermentation finish in them then transfer again after about a month to glass carboys. Doing this I generally have very, very little sediment in the carboys and since the wine is still very slowly fermenting/outgassing no oxidation issues.

 

[szap]

I have a friend who uses them for secondary and bottling kits. I have never been very impressed with their wine and wonder about the amount of head space in the Big Mouth.