Copper racking cane?

I am not a big fan of plastic racking canes, for various reasons. I would love to buy a stainless steel racking cane instead, but can't find one locally. I can get them mail order, but after shipping and additional charges, it would cost me over $40.

What about using copper tubing to make a copper cane? Wouldn't it still be better than plastic? Has anyone done this? It would be cheap and dead easy to make.

I sell 30" SS 3/8" racking canes for $10.00 plus shipping....I sent you a PM

Got your PM about the shipping. Just what I feared -- shipping to Canada will cost more than a cane.

I can mail order one from Canada, too, but it will cost $30 after shipping, so that is no better than buying from you. I'll still look locally, just in case.

So nobody has used copper tubing for a racking cane? I see the biggest downside being that copper tubing won't be very durable. Any opinions?

You should be all right as long as you keep it clean, like anything else.

Run some hot white vinigar thru it before using it the first time, and every now and then. Veritgris (the green build up) it toxic.

I've used copper as a chiller to dispense a keg. Others have claimed to be doing this for over 10 years. I don't know them personally, so I can't confirm this.



Just keep it clean and soak it periodically and you should be fine.

It's just a rigid plastic tube that goes down in the carboy and you connect vinyl tubing to it. You still need to create a siphon.

beer4breakfast said:

How, exactly, does one use a racking cane? I've only ever used an autosiphon.

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The smaller part of your autosiphon, that the beer flows up through with the bend in it is the same as a racking cane. it is a siphon without the auto.

Cheers

I don't see any reason why you couldn't use copper as a racking cane. What about getting one of those kits they use to hook up a water line to a refrigerator? That's something like 15' of 1/4" tubing for $20 (or about $264 Canadian). Straighten out about 3' and maybe curve it up a little so it doesn't touch straight down on the bottom, then again at the top.

If you keg here is a quick and painless syphon for those that want it and You can be virtually trub free!



Drop your racking cane down the big tube down to desired depth and use the small tube as blow off. (careful not to get too drunk brewng and reverse that! but that is another story)

When ferment is over connect tubing to racking cane, take co2 set up put barbed hose connecter into small tube and pump 8-10# into carboy and beer comes out other end. no muss no fuss :rockin:


John