Racking into primary fermenter

Just a suggestion, but dry-hop in primary and skip the secondary.

I only secondary in the event I'm bulk aging on something (i.e. wood, fruit, spices, etc..)

 

Yes, this works just fine. I prefer to do this then put my mouth on it because its more sanitary. The only tough part is once the beer starts flowing, you have to move the hose to your bucket or wherever you are transferring to. Some spilling may occur. Its not perfect, but it works in a pinch if your auto siphon breaks.

 

If you install a ball-valve, spring for a 3-piece.

 

You use a ball-valve on a kettle, spigot on buckets/carboys.

http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=128

 

I agree. A standard type of spigot has too many nooks and crannies for 'bugs' to hide. Ease of sanitation is something that you need to consider with every aspect of your equipment..

 

Or you could just dump it in as multiple people have suggested, to no ill effect

 

This is what i do: Whirlpool. Then I have a 2 liter pitcher with a lid. I sanitize it and the lid, and scoop out of the kettle, put the lid on shake the shit out of it, then pour it thru a steel kitchen strainer with nylon mesh/cheesecloth/paint strainer bag material-whatever I have on had, sanitized of course, it fits nicely over the strainer, and I tie it to the bucket. Then I just pour each pitcher full thru that. If you put a bunch of pieces of that over the strainer, when one gets clogged or has enuff crap on it, just lift it off and dump it, replace it or not if you have enuff other pieces on there. Aerating the wort in small doses like that is way easier than trying to shake the whole bucket or adding special pieces to a drill to stir it or using an oxygen pump. -IMO anyway. Once I started doing it like this I found that I got better fermentation from really getting a ton of oxygen in the wort. Youll find your own way, different people do different things, youll eventually find the method you like and works best for you.
Cheers!