Couple newbie questions about siphoning and moving beer from primary to secondary

Hello,

I have a couple of questions before I start brewing my first batch on wednesday.

What is the best way to move your beer from the primary to the secondary? I assume siphoning works, but I wonder... Since the beer will be running through a tube your mouth was on - is there a chance for contamination? I am extremely parnoid about sanitation (yeah I know... need to relax, but I don't have a homebrew yet! =)

Also, I have a question about water. I don't really trust the water that comes from my tap so should I boil the water before adding it to the wort in my primary? Should I go out and buy some water at the grocery-store?

Thanks... I'm sure I'll conjure up another couple questions before my first batch.

You can get an auto-siphon for about 12 bucks. Well worth the investment.

psymonkey said:

You can get an auto-siphon for about 12 bucks. Well worth the investment.

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I second that suggestion! Mine works great, and it is easy to use. Plus it keeps your mouth off of everything.

For water, boiling it will work, or you can use spring water from the store.

Many people suggest staying away from distilled water, as it is missing the trace elements and minerals that are needed. But for topping off wort in your primary, it wont hurt.

As for your tap water, get a breakdown from your municipal supply, or send it out for analysis. This way you will know whats in your water and be able to determine if you need bottled water, or simple treatment of your tap water.

What is the best way to move your beer from the primary to the secondary? I assume siphoning works, but I wonder... Since the beer will be running through a tube your mouth was on - is there a chance for contamination? I am extremely parnoid about sanitation (yeah I know... need to relax, but I don't have a homebrew yet! =)

Click to expand...

I fill my siphon tube with tap water then put a thumb over the end that is going into my secondary or botteling bucket. Then you put the end into the container you are siphoning from and put the end with your thumb on it into position over your recieving container. Take your thumb off and BAMMO instant siphon without sucking

Also, I have a question about water. I don't really trust the water that comes from my tap so should I boil the water before adding it to the wort in my primary? Should I go out and buy some water at the grocery-store?

Click to expand...

Does the water you have out of the tap taste bad or are you worried about "nasties"? You could buy a brita like water filter that attaches to your faucet to get teh chemicals out, (thats what I use). As for the nasties, and I am NOT trying to start a huge debate over this, but I wouldnt worry too much. It's not like you are taking it directly from the river or lake or some thrid world country. It's been processed and more then likely treated to kill off the nasties. Even if you are on well water thats not treated do you get sick when you drink it? I know there is always "the chance" but cripes if monks 1000 years ago could brew beer with the water they had I think we can brew beer with water that the federal government are pretty damn stirct about about. Hell I live in Milwaukee and I am sure you have heard about Cryptosporidium (sp?) and I aint worried :cross:

MrEcted1 said:

Hello,

I have a couple of questions before I start brewing my first batch on wednesday.

What is the best way to move your beer from the primary to the secondary? I assume siphoning works, but I wonder... Since the beer will be running through a tube your mouth was on - is there a chance for contamination? I am extremely parnoid about sanitation (yeah I know... need to relax, but I don't have a homebrew yet! =)

Click to expand...

I siphoned my first batch yesterday to my secondary carboy using this method... fill the tubing with water stick the racking cane into the fermenter but make sure it is higher than the secondary. take your thumb off of the end of the tube and watch the brew flow. Hope that helps. its quite simple and it works good, practice makes perfect so try it with a bucket of water first..

Damb i was to late, lol ill just keep my reply here anyways.... great forums by the way

MrEcted1 said:

What is the best way to move your beer from the primary to the secondary? I assume siphoning works, but I wonder... Since the beer will be running through a tube your mouth was on - is there a chance for contamination? I am extremely parnoid about sanitation (yeah I know... need to relax, but I don't have a homebrew yet! =)

Click to expand...

I second Pumbaa and Spencer. Never use your mouth. Ya never know where its been!

MrEcted1 said:

Also, I have a question about water. I don't really trust the water that comes from my tap so should I boil the water before adding it to the wort in my primary? Should I go out and buy some water at the grocery-store?

Click to expand...

If you've tested your water and its good except for a chlorine odor or flavor, try using a carbon filter. They will last quite a while if used just for brew water.

Wild

MrEcted1 said:

What is the best way to move your beer from the primary to the secondary?

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Just to throw another method out...and autosyphon is great, but a carboy cab with a racking cane is cheaper, a lot easier, and you don't have to worry about contamination. Search back in the equipment forum I think, and you'll find Walker's write-up on the method, with lots of pics.

MrEcted1 said:

Also, I have a question about water. I don't really trust the water that comes from my tap so should I boil the water before adding it to the wort in my primary? Should I go out and buy some water at the grocery-store?

Click to expand...

If you're concerned about your water, just go buy some gallons of spring water from Wally World...it's filtered, sterilized, cheap, and convenient.

I've been using water directly from the tap. Our city has a really great water supply, and I have not had any troubles. I work in the environmental industry and deal with water treatment as a consultant for the city and have great faith that the water is good.

As for the auto-shipon...Best thing ever!!

El Pistolero said:

a carboy cab with a racking cane is cheaper, a lot easier, and you don't have to worry about contamination. Search back in the equipment forum I think, and you'll find Walker's write-up on the method, with lots of pics.

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https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2910

-walker

Spring water is cheap and easy to get. The best rule of thumb is, if your tap water tastes OK to you straight up, then it should taste OK when made into beer. Try a small bottle of spring water side by side with the tap water and see if there is any difference.

And never use distilled water.

El Pistolero said:

If you're concerned about your water, just go buy some gallons of spring water from Wally World...it's filtered, sterilized, cheap, and convenient.

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yeah, i buy 6 gallons of spring water from Walmart at 64 cents a gallon. i'd say that's well worth it considering (hopefully) you get clean pure water, and an easy method of knowing exactly how much water you are adding. i've never tried having to fill up a bucket from the sink, but i would imagine the adapters and hosing would steer me away from it.

buying water in the long run i guess means less to sterilize, less equipment, and less worry about contamination. plus i can set the water outside to get really icy cold so that i can cool the wort even faster!

mmk, too many ideas in one post. just buy it.

SteveM said:

And never use distilled water.

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I just wanted to chime in here and say that I used distilled water for my extract+grain brewing for 3 or 4 years with absolutely no issues at all. The only reason I stopped using it is because I can buy bottled "drinking water" for less $ than bottled "distilled water".

-walker

Along the lines of the carboy cap vacuum method for siphoning. PURE GENIUS, I must say. You guys got me thinking (and that's hard to do sometimes ), that it would work with a keg, too. Sure enough, with a couple extra ball lock fittings I had laying around, I rigged up a setup that had Racking cane to vinyl tube to OUT valve, and on the IN valve I installed a ball lock fitting and simply sucked thru that. The water flowed down the dip tube with no splashing, and with CO2 in the keg that is the way I'm gonna rack tomorrow. THANKS GUYS!!