BetterBottle Installation Instruction
Installation & Operating Directions - Racking Outlet
Introduction – Racking with a Better-Bottle Racking Outlet involves little more than connecting quick-disconnect fittings and letting gravity take over – no siphon is necessary.
Engineered – Better-Bottle Racking Outlets are equipped with Teflon®-encapsulated (not just coated) Viton O-ring seals and Teflon bearing washers, so the Outlets can be rotated smoothly by hand and never need lubrication.
Convenient – Better-Bottle Racking Outlets are also equipped with quick-disconnect fittings that have built-in, normally closed valves. The valves open automatically when a hose barb adapter is connected.
Durable – Made of an incredibly tough, proprietary type of PET-P that does not stain and can withstand continuous service at 100° C (212° F), the Racking Outlet will perform better and last longer than any other type of outlet.
Suggestions for Racking Outlet Use – These suggestions assume the user is familiar with general winemaking and beer brewing techniques and precautions.
Assembly/Installation – Better-Bottle Racking Outlets have been designed so they are very easy to install, operate, and service. Be certain all of the component parts are installed in the correct order.
Racking Outlet Assembly
1– Quick-disconnect hose barb adapter; 2– Valved, quick-disconnect socket; 3– Buna-N O-ring; 4– Teflon slip washers; 5– Teflon-encapsulated, Viton O-ring.
Installation in 5 & 6 Gallon Bottles – A 50 cm (20") length of 1/4" diameter rod or 44 cm (18") 3/8" inside diameter (clearance) tube is needed to install outlets in 5 or 6 gallon Better-Bottle bottles. The following items will serve the purpose nicely and can be purchased from your Better-Bottle dealer or most hardware stores for about $2: Nominal 1/4" Schd. 40 PVC pipe (0.540" OD x ~0.344" ID), bored at one end to 25/64"; Nominal 3/8" Schd. 40 PVC pipe (0.675" OD x ~0.473" ID); Quarter inch steel (plated or stainless) rod; or 1/4"-20 steel (plated or stainless) running thread. The rod is slid into the Outlet stem and the tube is slid over the stem.
1. With the Teflon-encapsulated O-ring in place, use a rod or tube to slide the Outlet body into the neck of a bottle. 2. Guide the threaded portion of the Outlet body into the hole in the side of the bottle.
3. Hold the Outlet body in place with the rod or tube and install the two Teflon slip washers, the Buna-N O-ring, and the nut (bevel side toward the washers and bottle) in that order. Finger tighten the nut, using just enough force so the Outlet makes a good seal, but can be comfortably rotated by hand. 4. Install 2 turns of Mil. Spec. T-27730A, white, Teflon thread tape on the thread of a valved, quick-disconnect socket (may already be installed) and tighten the socket firmly into the Outlet body by hand. The thread tape should make an excellent seal without using much force.
5. Slide out the rod or tube and double check that the Outlet assembly rotates smoothly, but with enough resistance to indicate a good seal. Adjust the tightness of the nut as required.
Installation in 3 Gallon Bottles– A rod or tube is not needed to install an Outlet in a 3 gallon Better-Bottle bottle, because the stem of the outlet will contact the bottom of the bottle and prevent the Outlet from rotating continuously in one direction.
Drop the Outlet body, with the Teflon-encapsulated O-ring in place, into the bottle and guide the threaded part of the body through the hole in the side of the bottle with a stiff piece of wire or something like a small screwdriver inserted through the hole from outside the bottle.
Once the thread pokes through the hole, pull it all the way into the hole and install the two Teflon slip washers and Buna-N O-ring in that order.
Install 2 turns of Mil. Spec. T-27730A, white, Teflon thread tape on the thread of a valved, quick-disconnect socket (may already be installed).
Place the Outlet nut over the thread of the quick-disconnect socket with the bevel side of the nut away from the body of the quick-disconnect socket.
Hold the thread of the Outlet body with one hand and screw the quick-disconnect about 1 1/2" turns into the Outlet with the other hand. The bevel side of the Outlet nut should be facing the wall of the bottle.
Use the quick-disconnect socket to turn the Outlet body clockwise until the stem of the Outlet comes in contact with the bottom of the bottle and using the quick-disconnect to steady the Outlet, screw the Outlet nut onto the thread of the Outlet body.
Finger tighten the nut, using just enough force so the Outlet makes a good seal, but can be comfortably rotated by hand.
Then, tighten the socket of the quick-disconnect firmly into the Outlet body by hand. The thread tape should make an excellent seal without using much force.
Operation – Before a Better-Bottles bottle is filled for a primary fermentation, turn its Racking Outlet so the stem is angled slightly downward. This will prevent heavy sediment from filling the stem. The normally closed valve within the quick-disconnect socket will open when a hose barb adapter is inserted and close again when the adapter is withdrawn. Start racking with the open end of the stem well above the sediment layer, so rapid flow will not disturb the sediment. As the level of clarified wine or beer falls, slow the flow by constricting the output hose and rotate the Racking Outlet so the open end of the stem is close to the sediment layer. Racking from one Better-Bottle bottle to another is a clean, simple operation that takes less than 2 minutes per gallon (gravity / no pump assist).
Cleaning / Sanitizing – Detergents and sanitizers, including bisulfite, chlorine, or iodine inorganics as well as organics, recommended for winemaking and beer brewing do not damage Racking Outlets when used according to the manufacturer's instructions. It is rarely necessary to remove a Racking Outlet from a bottle in order to clean and sanitize it or the bottle. When racking is complete, connect a quick-disconnect hose barb adapter to the Outlet and a hot water faucet (<60° C [<140°F]) and rinse the sediment out through the neck of the bottle by running hot water through the Outlet under full pressure. The Outlet can be rotated to maximize the effect of the water stream. Patiently soaking an assembled bottle and Outlet in a hot solution of detergent that is specifically designed for winemaking and beer brewing is an easy and extremely effective way to loosen stubborn contamination – a bottle brush is rarely required. At each stage of washing and sanitizing, be sure to run a portion of the solution in the bottle through the Outlet by connecting a quick-disconnect hose barb adapter to open the internal valve.
If an outlet is removed for cleaning, a soft bush, such as a tooth brush, can be used to loosen stubborn contamination. Abrasive scouring pads and cleansers should never be required or used.
Servicing – If a any part of Racking Outlet is damaged or lost, it can be replaced as a service part. The Teflon capsule on the recessed O-ring is soft and can be easily punctured or torn, so use a pick with well rounded edges to coax an edge of the O-ring out of its groove.
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