I sanitize a plastic turkey baster. Then I stick the small tip of the turkey baster inside the sanitized siphon hose and suck on the other end. Once enough liquid has filled the siphon hose, I remove the turkey baster and proceed to rack.
Cheap, easy, and no contamination risk (unless you drool when sucking).
I used my auto siphon last night. Had no problem starting it but when I got to the last 25% it stopped working. I tried to start it again but it put bubbles(o2)in the bottling bucket, so I stopped. Not sure what the problem was? I ended leaving about 3-4 inches of beer in the primary, is this normal?
I think next time I will try putting the bottling bucket much lower than the carboy that I am siphoning from. This time it was only about a foot lower. Any suggestions would be great!
I usually put my fermenter on the table, and bottling bucket on the floor when I siphon.
However, recently I have been doing some small (1 gallon) batches, and bottling those by racking from fermenter to a pitcher, then from pitcher to bottles. For those, I have been putting the fermenter next to the kitchen sink, and the pitcher down in the sink, maybe a foot or so lower; just enough so that the bottom of the fermenter is over the top of where the liquid will fill to on the pitcher. I haven't noticed any appreciable difference in the process, except that it has been easier for me to fill up the siphon with sanitized water, put the racking cane into the fermenter, and then just let the the water in the siphon drain off into the sink and fill up with beer before I put it in the pitcher.
Like prij, I always suck on the siphon hose to start it. I've brewed close to 150 batches of beer and none have gone funky after siphoning. ( I have had 2 that went funky, but both times it happened in primary, before any siphoning occurred, on home cultured yeast I tried to extend too many generations -- lesson learned).
As EdWord & others said, gargle with the spirit of choice. I use the cheapa$$ vodka that I put in my airlock and that my father-in-law likes to drink. (Of course, I spit it out.)
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Currently On Draft: Bamberger Rauch Dunkel, Belgian Blond, Pilsener Urquell clone, Smoked Porter
Bottled: Concord Pyment, Mi'Apa Sparkling Mead, Chimay Blue, Old Simcoe American Barleywine, Old Cantankerous
Fermenting and Conditioning: Pseudo-Decoction Munich Dunkel, Left Hook Bitter
Recently Kicked Kegs: Fresh Hop Pale Ale, Citra Rye IPA
On Deck: Old Rasputin, Northstar IPA, Ur-bock Dunkel
I've suck-started many siphons in my time. A bit of broken racking cane and a short length of tubing make a nice mouthpiece that can be used to suck-start a siphon, then removed prior to the beer getting to the end of the tubing.
Anymore, I use carboy caps, which make starting a siphon MUCH easier. Highly recommended.
Step 1: Dip your hands in Starsan
Step 2: Make a loose fist around your hose, with the end of the hose at about your second finger inside your fist.
Step 3: Suck your fist hole
Step 4: Stick hose in target vessel before beer gets to the end.
No equipment required. No mouth on hose action.
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auto siphon is 12.95 at lhbs. i would not brew without it.
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Primary- stout
Lagering-
Primary-OKTOBERFEST
secondary-
secondary-
on tap-
on tap-
on tap-
bottle-sweet mead
bottle-bleuberry mead
sometimes breakage happens. broke end of an old racking cane through the side carboy cap and blow. very little chance of anything going bad since your not drooling into the carboy.
before that i would take starsan fill the tube and racking cane and then use the tubing clamps to clamp the tube side. hold the cane upwards and then tilt into the bucket or carboy. release the clamp and let er flow into a waste pan. when beer is flowing clamp and move to keg or bucket and watch er run. tilting the carboy or bucket at a 30 or 45* also helps get the last drop out. just make sure you do it gently and that you have it secured so it will not fall
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