Easier way to transfer?

So I'm coming up on transfer day, coming from the secondary (carboy) to primary (plastic fermentor w/ spigot) to settle. In the last 4 batches I've done, I've been using the Auto-Siphon, and every time it's been a major PITA to transfer, even with extension hose attached. I find it near impossible to keep pumping on the siphon, prevent it from sucking up sediment, and keep the extension hose from flopping out of the primary and creating a mahoosive mess.

Surely (Shirley?) there must be something better to transfer with?

The auto siphon is great. It just needs to be used right. Plenty of hose and the right size hose will do it. If your hose is too big and doesn't fit very tightly on the racking cane, you'll lose your siphon.

+1 on the above post, also, make sure your source is higher than it's destination. Ideally you should only have to pump once or twice, then the siphon will take care of the rest.

From all the methods I've heard, I think an auto siphon is actually the easiest, not to mention the most sanitary.

The autosiphon has been a lifesaver for me. You definately won't need to keep pumping. Once you get the liquid over the top and going down through the tubing, you can stop. The siphon has started and will continue until you kill the siphon by bringing it out of the batch.

I have found the auto siphon to work great. the only thing I have going is most of my recent beers have not been light enough in color to see where the bottom of the tube is at so I just guess at about half way down to make sure I don't get sediment and listen carefully when the liquid gets to that level and then slowly inch it down with the liquid level until I get to the bottom where I can see everything.

Use a jumbo binder clip to hold the siphon above your sediment. And as others have said, you should only need 1 or 2 good pumps to get that thing flowing.

I use my plastic killians tasting glass.It keeps it about 3 inches from the bottom,and wont disturb the sediment.When it gets close enough so I can see it I siphon up the rest.Also you might want to try using your bucket for primary and carboy for secondary.You cant see the fermentation but cleaning will be waaayyy easier.

Ditto for the autosiphon. I felt the same way you did the first time I used it. I had to keep pumping, couldnt keep a siphon going. I put a bucket below my sink and a big bowl of water in the sink and practiced until i was sure i had it. the biggest key for me is making sure destination is lower than where you are coming from. also, i use a 3/8" ID tubing and it fits perfectly on the cane thats inside the siphon. i use a hose clamp that you tighten with a screwdriver. it doesnt move or come off at all. I have about 5 feet or so of hose that goes all the way to the bottom of my carboy to minimize splashing. give it a chance...it really does work!

May I ask why you're transferring from your secondary back to your primary again? You should be ready to bottle after secondary.

+whatever on the autosiphon. I have enough hose on my autosiphon so it reaches to the bottom of the vessel on the floor when I'm racking out of a vessel up on a waist-high counter. One pump and it drains the whole thing dry.

another +1 for the autosiphon. I set my bucket on the counter top and siphon it to my bottling bucket or 2ndary that is sitting on the floor. 1 or 2 good pumps and you are on your way. Make sure your hose goes to the bottom of whatever you are siphoning into as-well.

Remember just cause it is an autosiphon does not mean it defies gravity

and I believe you are transferring into your bottling bucket??

The Auto siphon is the best way to transfer. Until you get into pumps
and even then you have to be careful on how you use it.

To answer all, it looks like I've just been using the damn thing wrong by having both containers at the same level (I'm an EMT, not an engineer...). I transfer back to the primary to get a cleaner beer. The tubing I have fits the siphon like a glove but it's just too short to reach the floor. Off to the homebrew store again...

Here is the easiest way

scrambledegg81 said:

To answer all, it looks like I've just been using the damn thing wrong by having both containers at the same level (I'm an EMT, not an engineer...). I transfer back to the primary to get a cleaner beer. The tubing I have fits the siphon like a glove but it's just too short to reach the floor. Off to the homebrew store again...

Click to expand...

it happens I was a little bummed to realize i didnt know how a siphon worked when i started using it.. lol.

another tip from another noob. don't get your tubing from your LHBS, go to your big box hardware store..here it's lowes. I havent been to home depot but I am sure they have it as well. as well as the hose clamps, its all in the same section. you can buy 20ft rolls of 3/8" ID for $5 here.

hayabusa said:

Here is the easiest way

Click to expand...

are you using CO2 to push that? I want to start doing that! I need another tank..moving my pouring tank is a real PIA.

rhltechie said:

are you using CO2 to push that? I want to start doing that! I need another tank..moving my pouring tank is a real PIA.

Click to expand...

Yes, the clear line is to my CO2 tank; that is the sanke fitting from St. Pats and when Derrin has the time he is going to send one to me to do a side-by-side with (personally this w/ the thermowell is an advantage.... a thermowell would make this good tool, great and that's what Derrin has as one of the differences)


closeup...

scrambledegg81 said:

To answer all, it looks like I've just been using the damn thing wrong by having both containers at the same level (I'm an EMT, not an engineer...). I transfer back to the primary to get a cleaner beer. The tubing I have fits the siphon like a glove but it's just too short to reach the floor. Off to the homebrew store again...

Click to expand...

I've found that a smaller diameter hose works best for me, it takes a bit longer but I get less sediment that way. I don't know the exact size I use but it fits perfectly INSIDE the end of the autosiphon so its also very easy to remove for cleaning.

Jumping back to the Auto-Siphon (not to kill the CO2 transfer system discussion-that thing is bitchin...), what's your thoughts on using a filter at the end of the transfer tube? I know you aren't supposed to aerate the fermented goods, but this is my first IPA and there's a TON of trub & hop residue that I don't want in my suds.

scrambledegg81 said:

Jumping back to the Auto-Siphon (not to kill the CO2 transfer system discussion-that thing is bitchin...), what's your thoughts on using a filter at the end of the transfer tube? I know you aren't supposed to aerate the fermented goods, but this is my first IPA and there's a TON of trub & hop residue that I don't want in my suds.

Click to expand...

Usually, the stuff settles to the bottom. I don't transfer until the beer is clear.

Once the beer is clear, you simply hold the autosiphon in the beer about 1/2 down- way up from the bottom. Give it a pump and start siphoning from the middle. As the level lowers, you keep the end under the surface of the beer but off of the bottom. Eventually, you'll have most of the beer. Lift the siphon before you start sucking up trub. If you really, really want to, you can use a sanitized hops bag or paint strainer on that end of the siphon. It's more of a pain than it's worth to me, though. If you wait until the proper time to transfer, and siphon carefully, you won't need to strain.

When you go into the botting bucket, the easiest way to prime is also simple. You dissolve the priming sugar in two cups of boiling water and boil that for a couple of minutes. Pour that into the sanitized bottling bucket, and then siphon the beer into it. You "curve" the tubing around the bottom, so that when the beer enters the new vessel, it swirls and fills from the bottom, which mixes up the priming sugar for you as well. So, don't rack to the bottling bucket until you're ready to bottle!

scrambledegg81 said:

Jumping back to the Auto-Siphon (not to kill the CO2 transfer system discussion-that thing is bitchin...), what's your thoughts on using a filter at the end of the transfer tube? I know you aren't supposed to aerate the fermented goods, but this is my first IPA and there's a TON of trub & hop residue that I don't want in my suds.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't suggest using a filter. It's a PITA. I did a bourbon coffee porter not too long ago that had crushed coffee beans in it. I didn't want to suck up any of those coffee beans, so I used a coffee filter over the end of my auto siphon. When it wasn't stopping the flow of my beer, it was putting TONS of air into the beer.

If you're really concerned about the trub, just stick the fermenter in the fridge for a day. At that point, the trub will pretty much stick to the bottom.

I like my carboy cap. It holds the racking cane at the desired height. A LITTLE CO2 pressure or air pressure, or even a good round of blowing into the other nozzle gets the flow going. Don't use too much positive pressure with a carboy, as they are not pressure vessels. Works for me.

rhltechie said:

it happens I was a little bummed to realize i didnt know how a siphon worked when i started using it.. lol.

another tip from another noob. don't get your tubing from your LHBS, go to your big box hardware store..here it's lowes. I havent been to home depot but I am sure they have it as well. as well as the hose clamps, its all in the same section. you can buy 20ft rolls of 3/8" ID for $5 here.

Click to expand...

You know, I was goingto post saying I'd be careful about getting tubing from hardware stores. but I just changed my mind. Just be careful which tubing you get. They must sell "food grade" tubing for use with refrigerator ice makers and water systems. Jsut make sure you get the right stuff......