For brewers seeking precise quality control during fermentation, the pigtail coil (also known as a sampling coil) is an invaluable tool that revolutionizes the way you collect beer samples during fermentation.
The basic design consists of a coiled stainless-steel tube that connects to your fermenter's sampling valve. Its distinctive spiral design serves multiple crucial functions in the sampling process:
Pressure Management - a pigtail coil helps to safely manage the release of pressure when drawing samples from tanks pressurized up to 15 PSI. The helical path creates controlled resistance and each coil turn reduces pressure incrementally, which prevents sudden pressure drops that cause foaming and oxidation.
Temperature Control - the greater surface area and extended pathway of the coiled design allows the beer sample to gradually warm to ambient room temperature while exiting the fermenter, which prevents thermal shock and ensures more accurate specific gravity readings.
Sample Quality – retrieving samples at the right temperature free of foam and oxidation means a cleaner, more representative sample of the beer being fermented, which means no guessing about flavor, aroma, or mouthfeel.
When used with a jacketed unitank like the JF8 series, a pigtail coil becomes an essential part of your quality control process. By managing pressure, controlling temperature, and providing cleaner samples, this simple tool helps you make better decisions and ultimately better beer.
Pro Tip: always sanitize the coil before and after use and consider keeping the coil in sanitizer solution between samples.