Racking 2 gal of strawberry,1 gal of apple, welch red with plum, cherry and blueberry wine yesterday , everything going ok all wines smell and taste good , strawberry is the last one and I have got to start checking that dang spigot I forget it all the time, almost 1/2 gal gone before I noticed it. Think I will start racking barefoot !!!!

YIPES! Sounds like something I could do. My wife keeps an eye on my wine racking so I don't screw up

LOL I asked my wife to help last month. After racking 2nd wine I looked down, on blackberry mind you, and said Oh by the way forgot to remind you that's what you are supposed to make sure I don't do. She to said couldn't I had picked any other wine to mess up on, no you have to mess up on blackberry.

i used to fight the spigot also, then i found a bottling wand that fits right on the spigot and shuts off by itself when the bottles are filled. now no more worries and no more mess, makes bottling day a breeze.
gary

I was just racking. I dont have enough carboys so I have to go to bucket add sulphite then clean carboy and rack back. I have a bottle wand but would like to see pic of what you are talking about and how pricey it is.

I think he was talking about the wand you normally use to fill beer bottles. Little larger and longer than a pencil and has a plunger in the bottom that opens when it touches the bottom of a beer bottle. Works with beer because beer foams if you were to fill them like wine bottles. I never used one until I started making beer.

Thats what I use for both, I have a 1/2 and 3/8, one for wine and one for beer. I dont get why the 3/8 stuff dosen't match up better like the 1/2 in does its getting to be a real pain. I started making beer got my secound one out its a week early but had to see where it was going with long weekend coming up. Poured into glass liked color, it was clear, need a little more carbonation, I was smelling it, tasting it, checking it out pretty good and BAM it hits me----I just drank half a beer before I relized it was warm and liked it. This will be pretty good I think this weekend coming up. Cant wait to taste it chilled down.

I kinda like my alcoholic beverages on the warm side. I find alot more flavors and smells come through that I don't notice with cold beverages.

I agree, If I think its pretty good now Id think others will think better of it after its chilled. Well see!!

bob, wyo wino was right, that is the one i use, i attach it to the spigot with a short piece of tubing, then i rack from my carboy into the bucket and fill the bottles. when i rack to a carboy i use an auto-syphon.
gary