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coldrice

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I don't think there is any way to ask this without sounding stupid, so here goes: I have the racking cane and 5 feet of plastic tubing...now how do i use it? Does one suck on it to get a flow going...and if so, doesn't your saliva contaminate the brew? I know its a lame question, but thanks for your help...additionally, does anyone have experience brewing cider with sweet mead yeast?
 
I felt too dumb to ask and ended up breaking 2 canes before I figured it out..so here's what I've learned.

1. The tub goes onto the cane at the short end by the curve
2. Stick the long end of the cane into the barrel/carboy/etc
3. Suck on the tub end until the liquid is an inch from your mouth
4. Tip the tub down into the bucket/carboy/etc
5. It will flow
5b. If it stop flowing, start at step #3 and repeat

Yes..it will contaminate, but what else you going to do? :) Unless you spend $10 and get an autosiphon.

Oh...the tub may never come off the cane without breaking the cane or cutting the tub. I've just resigned myself to cleaning the entire unit as a single piece. (note two broken cans above)
 
Maybe look into an autosiphon, no contamination and easy to use. :D Any LHBS or online supplier will have them. No worries about the question, we've all been there, some are still there, that's why we're all here.
 
I don't think there is any way to ask this without sounding stupid, so here goes: I have the racking cane and 5 feet of plastic tubing...now how do i use it? Does one suck on it to get a flow going...and if so, doesn't your saliva contaminate the brew? I know its a lame question, but thanks for your help...additionally, does anyone have experience brewing cider with sweet mead yeast?


The basic idea of a siphon is that once you get a flow going, you use gravity to your benefit to keep it going. Lets say you plan on transferring your cider to a bottling bucket. The theory is pretty simple, you put your carboy/bucket/jug full of cider up higher then your bottling bucket, you start the flow (theres a few ways to do this), and put the plastic tube into the bottling bucket, making sure that the tip of the tube is lower than the bottom of the raking cane.

Still with me?

A few ways to start a flow: You can suck on the end, but as you said you risk contamination. In an emergency, some people have swished some vodka, or other strong alcohol in their mouth and then sucked the end of the tube.

If you have a carboy, some brewers put on a "carboy cap", which basically allows you to blow into the carboy to create pressure inside the carboy which starts flow.

Now, if you have a spare $12.99 I (as well as many others I'm sure) will recommend you get an auto siphon. It starts flow with a single "stroke" of the siphon. Very easy, very effective.

Hopefully I helped instead of confused you more. This was some long post about siphoning. :mug:
 
+Eleventy bijillon on the auto siphon.

Once you get one you will never use a racking cane again.

Now the only downside to auto siphons is the fact that you can't use hot liquid. Including hot water to clean. Stick with warm water for clean up.
 
Fill the cane and tubing with water from the sink. Place your sanitized thumb over the tubing end. Move it from the sink and stick the cane into the bucket. With your tubing and thumb lower than the level of beer in the bucket release your thumb over a catch basin (or into the sink). When the colored beer hits the end of the tubing put your thumb back on the tubing and move it to your container of choice(below the level of you beer fermenter). Release your thumb and the flow will begin. Lower the tubing to the bottom of the bottling bucket or keg to prevent aeration. Congrats, you have now transfered your beer.
 
Wow, freakin' awesome video...I recommend everyone watches that. Thanks everyone for your input, I appreciate it! :mug:
 
Wow, freakin' awesome video...I recommend everyone watches that. Thanks everyone for your input, I appreciate it! :mug:

If you scroll around on that site, they have a whole video series starting with equipment all the way to bottling which is pretty good, and covers about every question that a beginning brewer has ever asked. I prob watched each of those a few times.

Hope the link helps

KB
 
A few ways to start a flow: You can suck on the end, but as you said you risk contamination. In an emergency, some people have swished some vodka, or other strong alcohol in their mouth and then sucked the end of the tube.


I use a sanitized barb fitting to get it started. Just barely press into the end of the tubing. Or a short piece of tubing barely over the end of the bottling wand.
Your mouth only touches this piece and you pull it away before any beer flows through it. :mug:
 
+10 on the Autosiphon. It makes siphoning too easy.

However if you have to use a traditional siphon the best way is to fill it with water before placing the cane in the elevated primary. Lower the end of the tube below the primary and open the tube allowing the water to drain into some container. Once you start getting cider/beer/wine/mead in the tubing then move the end into your receiving container. Fairly easy and sanitary.

However an Autosiphon really is much easier. Place Autosiphon in liquid you wish to transfer. Place end of tubing in a lower vessel to receive the liquid. Pump the autosiphon once to start the flow. Watch it go.

Craig
 
I always start by filling the system with water like shown above. But I have had issues a few times getting it going an instead of filling it with water again and dripping all over the kitchen floor I just use my mouth. I have never had a contamination problem by doing this.
 
I use a 20cc syringe, it fits perfectly into the end of the tubing. I'm in medicine, so I guess I have easier access to large syringes.
Perhaps one of those turkey syringes might work, you know, the ones you can inject butter/garlic into meat.
 
Also, I found the autosiphon won't fit into 1 gal jugs.

So if you're doing some experimenting you'll need to do it without the autosiphon.
 
After breaking my autosiphon I decided to spend a whopping $3 on the standard racking cane. IT'S EASY! Fill tube with water, attach one end to the cane so it's snug, pinching the other end. Let the 'loose' end run off into a nearbye bucket or bottle (or my sump pump) and then move over to vessel-to-be-filled.

And a standard cane has a lot less parts to hide contamination too.
 
I vote for the racking cane also. It is the cheapest and easist way to go and simple to clean/sanitize. I have to admit I am intrigued with the idea of the turkey syringe.
 
I'll be honest, i use a racking cane and siphon via the mouth. I get the flow going and then crimp the tube to stop the flow. I then dip the end of the tube into sanitizing solution i have available anyway and then place it into the carboy. No problems so far.
 
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