Does the bucket with the beer HAVE to be higher than the carboy I'm siphoning into? I have about 6gallons of beer in my glass carboy sitting on a floor. I'm afraid that if I lift it to bring it to an elevated position I'll activate the yeast and mix alot of the gunk that I'm trying to get rid of. Please help!
Stupid siphoning question
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stargate_to_Earth
Active Member
yes the only thing that drives flow in a siphon is the difference in heights of the top of the liquids I could get into the math if you want...
the best you could do is drain half of it theoretically
the best you could do is drain half of it theoretically
I got down to around 5 inches into the carboy and accidentaly took the siphon out of the beer side for a second. The siphon stopped, and I've tried 4 times now to get it working again but it doesn't seem like theres enough pressure and there's at least 4 inches left of good beer in the carboy any suggestions?!?
ChadChaney
Well-Known Member
Invest in an auto-siphon for next time, cheap and makes life so much easier!
I don't like the auto siphons.. I use the three piece with the T in it. Grab a couple of old milk crates and set your carboys down in. That gives you a couple of handles to use to lift em. If you are slow and careful when moving them, you will stir up virtually nothing. The worst thing I have done when moving em is to twist or "spin" the carboy. That seems to REALLY stir it up. Also remember that anything that has settled out, will drop back out very quickly. Just set it on a table or something 15-20 mins before you wanna siphon it and you should be fine.
thanks for the tip. I learned a lot today
In my limited exerience (4 batches)
1. The auto-siphon is a must. I tried to rack my batch the "old fashioned way" with a little whiskey in my mouth and lost my siphon every minute. It was miserable. I also gagged on the whiskey/beer once.
2. Height is your friend! I now use a 8 foot hose with the fermenter sitting on top of my brew pot, on top of my counter, and the bottling bucket on the floor. I stand on the kitchen chair. I have a tough time stopping the siphon (the yeast cake wants to go too) You can get this length of 3/8 inch tubing at Home depot for 4 dollars or so.
3. If you bottle, get a bottling bucket, and rig up the spring loaded bottle filler, with a 2-3 inch tubing connection between the filler and the spigot (I cut mine from my bottling hose length...it could spare a few inches). There are pictures on the forum about ways to do that.
4. Starsan is cheap and painless. Put down 10 dollars up front and your sanitizing needs are simplified by hours. My wife hates that I put up dishes with starsan still on them, and then i taste it to prove it is harmless.
5. Don't read these forums unless you have a specific question or you want to make yourself nervous that you are doing it ALL wrong. I'm cool with thinking I'm doing it wrong, so I read the forums.
1. The auto-siphon is a must. I tried to rack my batch the "old fashioned way" with a little whiskey in my mouth and lost my siphon every minute. It was miserable. I also gagged on the whiskey/beer once.
2. Height is your friend! I now use a 8 foot hose with the fermenter sitting on top of my brew pot, on top of my counter, and the bottling bucket on the floor. I stand on the kitchen chair. I have a tough time stopping the siphon (the yeast cake wants to go too) You can get this length of 3/8 inch tubing at Home depot for 4 dollars or so.
3. If you bottle, get a bottling bucket, and rig up the spring loaded bottle filler, with a 2-3 inch tubing connection between the filler and the spigot (I cut mine from my bottling hose length...it could spare a few inches). There are pictures on the forum about ways to do that.
4. Starsan is cheap and painless. Put down 10 dollars up front and your sanitizing needs are simplified by hours. My wife hates that I put up dishes with starsan still on them, and then i taste it to prove it is harmless.
5. Don't read these forums unless you have a specific question or you want to make yourself nervous that you are doing it ALL wrong. I'm cool with thinking I'm doing it wrong, so I read the forums.
Calichusetts
Well-Known Member
Also...if you are moving your primary/secondary somewhere before you siphon...move it AT LEAST the night before. I put mine on a crate the night before I bottle and cover it with a towel to keep out the light. Anything that might get stirred should do some resettling before you siphon.
And yes...the auto-siphon is a life-saver
And yes...the auto-siphon is a life-saver
WVRadar
Member
You mentioned that your fermenter was a glass carboy. Buy a carboy cap and racking cane, then when you need to siphon insert the cane in the large hole of the cap, put the other end in the container you're racking to, and blow through the small hole to start the siphon.
I've been doing it this way for years, and it works great.
I've been doing it this way for years, and it works great.
Pie_Man
Well-Known Member
I attach the siphon hose with sanitizer in the hose. I then drain the sanitizer into a glass which starts the siphoning. It usually works pretty well.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/flyguys-t-siphon-3-replacement-autosiphon-25774/
beats the auto siphon hands down IMO
beats the auto siphon hands down IMO
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
You do not need to use your mouth to start a siphon. Try this:
1. mix up a half bucket of starsan
2. drop the siphon tube in the starsan, sit to sanitize, then fill COMPLETELY with liquid
3. while under water, put your finger over one end, then carefully lift the tube out by picking up both ends.
4. place the "non fingered" end in the fermenter, be sure it is held just above the trub. Use a non pinch clamp to hold it in place
5. put the "fingered" end in the bucket. Once the end of the tube is in place, release. The starsan will start the siphon.
This is what i did until I got my autosiphon, As a bonus,the auto siphon includes a non pinch clamp and a standoff. There is usually a quarter inch or so that cannot be racked out of the fermenter.
1. mix up a half bucket of starsan
2. drop the siphon tube in the starsan, sit to sanitize, then fill COMPLETELY with liquid
3. while under water, put your finger over one end, then carefully lift the tube out by picking up both ends.
4. place the "non fingered" end in the fermenter, be sure it is held just above the trub. Use a non pinch clamp to hold it in place
5. put the "fingered" end in the bucket. Once the end of the tube is in place, release. The starsan will start the siphon.
This is what i did until I got my autosiphon, As a bonus,the auto siphon includes a non pinch clamp and a standoff. There is usually a quarter inch or so that cannot be racked out of the fermenter.
Seven
Well-Known Member
I'd suggest practicing siphoning with water until you're good at it. Then once you graduate from Siphon University you can siphon precious beer without any worries.
I like to siphon using only a length of vinyl hose. I think the auto-siphons are unnecessary and only add more complexity to the process.
I like to siphon using only a length of vinyl hose. I think the auto-siphons are unnecessary and only add more complexity to the process.
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I've had a carboy cap installed on my racking cane "since forever" and I haven't had to "suck-start" a siphon in forever. That's my preferred method.
In general (this is not 100% accurate but for simplicity, we'll say it is), liquids like to equalize when a siphon is created. Given a working siphon with two vessels at the same level (on the same surface), the liquids will come to rest at very close to the same level in each container.
When you transfer from an elevation (say from the counter-top to a floor level vessel), the downwards column of the liquid is what creates a pull on the upper vessel (once the siphon is started). If (heaven forbid) your transfer hose is not long enough to reach the bottom of the receiving vessel, the maximum pull will be dictated by the length of the transfer hose. (We'll ignore friction in this case).
Starting a siphon from the same plan (say a counter-top) is quite difficult, because once the flow is started, it has to be stopped, sealed, and the end of the hose put into the receiving vessel. When you raise that hose to the top of the receiving vessel, if air is present in the line, there's a very high likeliness that it will release the column of liquid and that it will flow back into the originating vessel.
[Ok that's more than I ever wanted to write about siphoning. Ever.]
Bottom line: Use an auto-siphon, or use a carboy cap, and make sure that the TOP of the receiving vessel is lower than the BOTTOM of the originating vessel, and for good measure, make it 2 feet lower (or more).
M_C
In general (this is not 100% accurate but for simplicity, we'll say it is), liquids like to equalize when a siphon is created. Given a working siphon with two vessels at the same level (on the same surface), the liquids will come to rest at very close to the same level in each container.
When you transfer from an elevation (say from the counter-top to a floor level vessel), the downwards column of the liquid is what creates a pull on the upper vessel (once the siphon is started). If (heaven forbid) your transfer hose is not long enough to reach the bottom of the receiving vessel, the maximum pull will be dictated by the length of the transfer hose. (We'll ignore friction in this case).
Starting a siphon from the same plan (say a counter-top) is quite difficult, because once the flow is started, it has to be stopped, sealed, and the end of the hose put into the receiving vessel. When you raise that hose to the top of the receiving vessel, if air is present in the line, there's a very high likeliness that it will release the column of liquid and that it will flow back into the originating vessel.
[Ok that's more than I ever wanted to write about siphoning. Ever.]
Bottom line: Use an auto-siphon, or use a carboy cap, and make sure that the TOP of the receiving vessel is lower than the BOTTOM of the originating vessel, and for good measure, make it 2 feet lower (or more).
M_C
stargate_to_Earth
Active Member
that is true but it's the difference in the TOP of the liquid in each container that matters (which changes over time) thats what it (you can think of it at gravity) cares about.
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If you re-read my last statement: "make sure that the TOP of the receiving vessel is lower than the BOTTOM of the originating vessel, and for good measure, make it 2 feet lower (or more).", that's exactly what I infer.
Nearing the end of the transfer, the top of the liquid (which is very near the bottom of the vessel) from the outgoing vessel needs to remain above the top of the receiving vessel. I prefer to keep at least 2 feet extra.
M_C
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