Finite
All Grain Gremlin
- Joined
- 17/1/06
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The fermenter tap can be one of the primary places to catch a bacterial infection, lets face it all the beer runs through it eventually and not everyone pulls them apart to clean them. I found out a mate of mine has never cleaned his and he got an infection through it. I told him how to do it and he said although he has cleaned the threads he didnt know to pull it apart. I had a quick search on the net and on the forums and couldnt find a thread which mentioned it in detail. I personally didnt know to pull them apart until I stumbled across a conversation on this forum about it and now I pull them apart to clean every time.
Even though its a basic thing and most people know how to do it. I was racking a brew today and I thought it cant hurt just to put up a quick few photos showing how to pull them apart to clean properly for new brewers as it is something that can understandably get forgotten.
Feel free to sticky it in the FAQ if you like or flame it. Just thought it would add to the great wealth of knowledge at AHB or at the very least help someone.
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Cleaning Fermenter Taps:
This is an explanation of how to clean a standard water tap normally found on most fermenters (not the
snap tap kind)
You will need:
Step 1:
Turn your tap so it is half-on and half-off or so the indicator tab is halfway between on and off. A good way to be sure is to centre the tab on the line which runs across the side of the tap where the plastic mould has left a mark. The tab is shown in figure 2 by the blue square.
fig.2
Step 2:
Place the tap on a bench with a 90 degree edge so it is resting in the spout (fig.3)
fig.3
Step 3:
Insert the handle end of the wooden spoon into the end of the tap and grip it with your hand so to support the wooden spoon and put downward pressure on the tap. (fig.4)
fig.4
Step 4:
Using the palm of your outstretched hand hit down on the top of the wooden spoon. If the tap has been in one piece for a while its understandable for it to become stubborn. Place a rag or something over the top of the spoon to soften the impact on your hand. If it still doesnt come loose, give it a light tap with a hammer. If it still wont budge your better off just throwing it and buying a new one. If you clean your taps every brew they will be easier to pull apart and you will find that one or two hits with your palm will do the job and the tap will slide out. (fig.5), (fig.6) & (fig.7)
(fig.5) - Click to play animation
(fig.6)
(fig.7)
Step 5:
Although not as essential as the tap itself you can remove the rubber o-ring and clean it too which I do. Get a butter knife and insert the tip under the o-ring and lift it up to remove the o-ring from the tap. (fig.8) & (fig.9) It might be a bit caked on the first time so run the knife around the diameter of the tap to free it up first.
fig.8
fig.9
Step 6:
The tap is now disassembled; I throw mine in the fermenter to soak in bleach overnight along with other bits (airlock, lid etc.), clean the thread and inside the tap with a soft bristled toothbrush. Rinse well and air dry.
Step 7:
To put it back together put the rubber o-ring back on the tap and place the two ends together with the tab again in the centre following that mould line (fig.10). Use the palms of both hands to push the tap back together (fig.11), you will feel it slot back into place, give it a bit of a twist to free it up. It maybe a bit stiff at first which is normal because there is no moisture in it and its so squeaky clean.
Fig.10
Fig.11
Youre all done!
This is a very long winded and detailed explanation obviously but once you know how it wont even take you 30 seconds to pull the tap apart and throw it in the cleaning solution with your other bits, at the same time reducing the chance of infection.
A clean brewer is a good brewer. Hope this helps someone.
Even though its a basic thing and most people know how to do it. I was racking a brew today and I thought it cant hurt just to put up a quick few photos showing how to pull them apart to clean properly for new brewers as it is something that can understandably get forgotten.
Feel free to sticky it in the FAQ if you like or flame it. Just thought it would add to the great wealth of knowledge at AHB or at the very least help someone.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleaning Fermenter Taps:
This is an explanation of how to clean a standard water tap normally found on most fermenters (not the
snap tap kind)
You will need:
- A wooden spoon or something to fit in the end of the tap which is blunt and wont create scratches or gouges in the plastic.
- A butter knife
- Your dirty tap
- A bench with a 90 degree edge (eg. not rounded)
Step 1:
Turn your tap so it is half-on and half-off or so the indicator tab is halfway between on and off. A good way to be sure is to centre the tab on the line which runs across the side of the tap where the plastic mould has left a mark. The tab is shown in figure 2 by the blue square.
fig.2
Step 2:
Place the tap on a bench with a 90 degree edge so it is resting in the spout (fig.3)
fig.3
Step 3:
Insert the handle end of the wooden spoon into the end of the tap and grip it with your hand so to support the wooden spoon and put downward pressure on the tap. (fig.4)
fig.4
Step 4:
Using the palm of your outstretched hand hit down on the top of the wooden spoon. If the tap has been in one piece for a while its understandable for it to become stubborn. Place a rag or something over the top of the spoon to soften the impact on your hand. If it still doesnt come loose, give it a light tap with a hammer. If it still wont budge your better off just throwing it and buying a new one. If you clean your taps every brew they will be easier to pull apart and you will find that one or two hits with your palm will do the job and the tap will slide out. (fig.5), (fig.6) & (fig.7)
(fig.5) - Click to play animation
(fig.6)
(fig.7)
Step 5:
Although not as essential as the tap itself you can remove the rubber o-ring and clean it too which I do. Get a butter knife and insert the tip under the o-ring and lift it up to remove the o-ring from the tap. (fig.8) & (fig.9) It might be a bit caked on the first time so run the knife around the diameter of the tap to free it up first.
fig.8
fig.9
Step 6:
The tap is now disassembled; I throw mine in the fermenter to soak in bleach overnight along with other bits (airlock, lid etc.), clean the thread and inside the tap with a soft bristled toothbrush. Rinse well and air dry.
Step 7:
To put it back together put the rubber o-ring back on the tap and place the two ends together with the tab again in the centre following that mould line (fig.10). Use the palms of both hands to push the tap back together (fig.11), you will feel it slot back into place, give it a bit of a twist to free it up. It maybe a bit stiff at first which is normal because there is no moisture in it and its so squeaky clean.
Fig.10
Fig.11
Youre all done!
This is a very long winded and detailed explanation obviously but once you know how it wont even take you 30 seconds to pull the tap apart and throw it in the cleaning solution with your other bits, at the same time reducing the chance of infection.
A clean brewer is a good brewer. Hope this helps someone.
