Fastferment 3 gallon "unintentional ball valve disassembly" solution

[Walken100]

Ok, this is maddening. Let me start by saying if someone else posted this solution I'm sorry for the enclosed rant but I couldn't find the post....

I've had the problem with the ball valve coming apart with trying to replace the ball valve adapter with the bottling adapter on a 3 gallon fermenter (as have many other people). This tends to dump the contents of the fermenter. It turns out Fastferment has the fix but isn't advertising this or offering the piece separately that solves the problem. The mason jar adapter for the larger fermenters comes with a botting fitting that replaces the mason jar. This same bottling fitting fits a 3 gallon fermenter. You don't have to remove the mason jar adapter, which causes the valve disassembly, to bottle or keg. However you have to buy the full mason jar kit for the larger fermenter to get the bottling adapter. They don't sell the bottling adapter separately.

The two pieces on the left make up the mason jar adapter for the larger fermenters. The piece on the right is the mason jar adapter for the 3 gallon fermenter. The piece on the far left is the bottling adapter that comes with the larger fermenter kit. This piece fits the mason jar adapter for the 3 gallon but you cannot buy it separately. I don't know how may threads that I've read that complain about the valve coming apart and this solves the problem... AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGG

 

[GFHomebrew]

Ok, this is maddening. Let me start by saying if someone else posted this solution I'm sorry for the enclosed rant but I couldn't find the post....

I've had the problem with the ball valve coming apart with trying to replace the ball valve adapter with the bottling adapter on a 3 gallon fermenter (as have many other people). This tends to dump the contents of the fermenter. It turns out Fastferment has the fix but isn't advertising this or offering the piece separately that solves the problem. The mason jar adapter for the larger fermenters comes with a botting fitting that replaces the mason jar. This same bottling fitting fits a 3 gallon fermenter. You don't have to remove the mason jar adapter, which causes the valve disassembly, to bottle or keg. However you have to buy the full mason jar kit for the larger fermenter to get the bottling adapter. They don't sell the bottling adapter separately.

The two pieces on the left make up the mason jar adapter for the larger fermenters. The piece on the right is the mason jar adapter for the 3 gallon fermenter. The piece on the far left is the bottling adapter that comes with the larger fermenter kit. This piece fits the mason jar adapter for the 3 gallon but you cannot buy it separately. I don't know how may threads that I've read that complain about the valve coming apart and this solves the problem... AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGG

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Sounds very frustrating especially if your loosing precious beer on the floor due to these attachments comming apart on you.

Sounds like a major flaw in this fermenter product.

If this kept happening to me I'd ditch this and grab a different fermenter if your not having any luck.

One that's not marketed to make you spend more money on something that the fermenter should come standard with.

Check out the "Allrounder " it's a little beauty

 

[Walken100]

Sounds very frustrating especially if your loosing precious beer on the floor due to these attachments comming apart on you.

Sounds like a major flaw in this fermenter product.

If this kept happening to me I'd ditch this and grab a different fermenter if your not having any luck.

One that's not marketed to make you spend more money on something that the fermenter should come standard with.

Check out the "Allrounder " it's a little beauty

I like the fermenters, especially for the price. I think they just missed the opportunity when they developed the mason jar kit for the larger fermenters.

 

[Minbari]

Honestly never understood bottling from the bottom anyway. Doesn't that just put all the trub into the bottles?

That is a poor design though. Looks as though the support for ball had to be removed to change the adapters. Not sure why they couldn't just have a barb that is threaded for the mason jar threads. Unscrew the jar, screw on the barb

 

[Walken100]

Honestly never understood bottling from the bottom anyway. Doesn't that just put all the trub into the bottles?

That is a poor design though. Looks as though the support for ball had to be removed to change the adapters. Not sure why they couldn't just have a barb that is threaded for the mason jar threads. Unscrew the jar, screw on the barb

That is exactly what they have. They aren't talking about which is why the rant!

 

[Donoroto]

Yeah, that makes Fastferment one of those companies I'll never buy from. Ah, well.

 

[Walken100]

Honestly never understood bottling from the bottom anyway. Doesn't that just put all the trub into the bottles?

That is a poor design though. Looks as though the support for ball had to be removed to change the adapters. Not sure why they couldn't just have a barb that is threaded for the mason jar threads. Unscrew the jar, screw on the barb

I should have also pointed out the we have no issues with trub when packaging from the bottom. It's super easy.

 

[Minbari]

I should have also pointed out the we have no issues with trub when packaging from the bottom. It's super easy.

Ok. I tried it once with ss brewtech cronical. Even after purging the goo, which wasted 1/2 gallon of beer, all the bottles had floaties. Never did it again. The mid valve with racking attachment wasted less and beer was clear

 

[Walken100]

Ok. I tried it once with ss brewtech cronical. Even after purging the goo, which wasted 1/2 gallon of beer, all the bottles had floaties. Never did it again. The mid valve with racking attachment wasted less and beer was clear

I do "thump" the side of my fermenters every day or so. I also switched to kegging do I wouldn't notice debris. But I used to bottle without issues.