Trying carboy cap siphon to keg

nostalgia · 08-15-2008, 01:40 AM

I decided I'd give this a go tonight. My Oktoberfest has another couple of weeks to lager, but there was a ton of sediment on the bottom so I wanted to rack it into the keg early and stick the keg back in the fridge.

I did a test with Star-San. The racking cane hose goes to the 'Out' valve on the keg. The other hose goes to the barb on my regulator.

Just a tiny amount of CO2 pressure was plenty to get the siphon started. Now that I had sanitized my lines I went for the real thing.

Dumped the Star-San back in my bucket. Purged the keg with CO2, then put the carboy cap on the carboy with beer in it. Sanitized the keg post, popped on the quick-connect and applied CO2 to the carboy cap.

The siphon got started, and I applied CO2 for a few more seconds just to get a good blanket on top of the beer. I disconnected the gas hose at that point.

So I like the method, but siphoning through the dip tube is very slow. I may use a long hose to the bottom of the keg instead.

-Joe

**BigKahuna** · 08-15-2008, 02:15 AM

Very Cool.
I would use the long hose to the bottom...just for time concerns.

ChrisKennedy · 08-15-2008, 02:17 AM

Time concerns are nothing to me when I consider the advantage of a closed system transfer. It doesn't take that much longer.

nostalgia · 08-15-2008, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisKennedy

Time concerns are nothing to me when I consider the advantage of a closed system transfer.

If the hose is at the bottom of the keg, how is it different from using the dip tube?

-Joe

**Brew-boy** · 08-15-2008, 03:20 AM

Why are you doing this with the lid open??????????? I do the same thing but lid closed and use a hepa filter.

nostalgia · 08-15-2008, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brew-boy

Why are you doing this with the lid open??????????? I do the same thing but lid closed and use a hepa filter.

...a HEPA filter?

Really? Where?

Do you do a regular siphon or do you keep pressure on the carboy? I figured I'd need to leave the lid open so backpressure didn't build up and stop the siphon.

-Joe

ChrisKennedy · 08-15-2008, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nostalgia

If the hose is at the bottom of the keg, how is it different from using the dip tube?

-Joe

Because using the dip tube allows you to have the lid closed, maintaining a closed transfer.

nostalgia · 08-15-2008, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisKennedy

Because using the dip tube allows you to have the lid closed, maintaining a closed transfer.

Fair enough. I have the same question as above, though. Won't it create a backpressure in the keg and stop the flow of beer?

-Joe

Bokonon · 08-15-2008, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nostalgia

Fair enough. I have the same question as above, though. Won't it create a backpressure in the keg and stop the flow of beer?

-Joe

You need to either open the pressure relief or assuming you dont have one that can be opened, hook up a gas disconnect to the in side to let the pressure vent

**Bobby_M** · 08-15-2008, 04:40 PM

Well, EXTRA points for running a hose from the gas in disconnect up to the small port on the carboy cap (after you get the siphon started off course).

This is a completely closed transfer and if you purge the keg with a blanket of CO2, the beer never sees air. As the beer flows into the keg, it pushes the CO2 back into the carboy on top of the beer.

I actually scored a Beer disconnect that has a 3/8" barb on it for this very purpose. The beer flows pretty fast.