Auto siphon

So I Paid 17 bucks for an auto siphon today never used one before came home to rack into secondary for dry hopping and I could not get the thing to work at all during procedure with beer so I ditched it and just sucked on tube until beer started to flow. Later I wanted to practice with water so i could get it to work next time and I am pretty sure the thing was doomed out of the bag because there is a small black pice that comes out if you remove the inner tube from the outer tube and it would not siphon any water at all! Also why I was trying to use it for the beer it would release large air bubbles into it which was the scary thing that made me stop. I know I can't keep sticking my mouth on the end of the tubing and sucking to start a siphon and expect my beer to stay sanitary and I think I am pissed off enough at this auto siphon not to purchase another one for those of you who don't use auto siphon how do you get it started?

Brand of auto siphon Fermtech Ltd.
Picture of pice that comes out when inner tube is removed and outer tube is turned up side down

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I'd send it back...mine worked perfectly right out of the bag.

I have read alot of posts about the auto siphon blues. I'll stick to my regular old manual siphon

Clann said:

I'll stick to my regular old manual siphon

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Could you elaborate, are you talking about having sanitizer in your tubing and letting it drain out then the beer will follow because I tried this several times and could not get this to work so I resorted to sucking.

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I remember buying an autosiphon and not using it for months because it looked like too much trouble.

I would never

ever

ever

be without one again.

I just use the plastic tops with the tubes... soooo much easier then either siphon

Jtd6628 said:

Could you elaborate, are you talking about having sanitizer in your tubing and letting it drain out then the beer will follow because I tried this several times and could not get this to work so I resorted to sucking.

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Just suck. No mouthwash or gargling with sanatizer. Take a drink of beer then suck beer thru a giant flexible straw:cross:

osagedr said:

I remember buying an autosiphon and not using it for months because it looked like too much trouble.

I would never

ever

ever

be without one again.

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+1 and amen....

Thats what my GF suggested "use scope next time"

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my auto at the big one. for what i paid for it i am in no hurry to replace it. i will be going the manual straw route from now on...still pisses me off that the auto died though, i did like it....

HoosierDaddyBrew said:

I'd send it back...mine worked perfectly right out of the bag.

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+1

osagedr said:

I remember buying an autosiphon and not using it for months because it looked like too much trouble.

I would never

ever

ever

be without one again.

Click to expand...

+5000

My autosiphon is hands down one of my most "how did I ever brew without this" pieces of equipment. And I have that exact brand. I'd send it back for a replacement, and don't give up on it.

Clann said:

Just suck. No mouthwash or gargling with sanatizer. Take a drink of beer then suck beer thru a giant flexible straw:cross:

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lmao! and if it tastes good just keep drinking til its all gone

Those things are foolproof. It must be broken. Get a refund/replacement.

Qhrumphf said:

My autosiphon is hands down one of my most "how did I ever brew without this" pieces of equipment. And I have that exact brand. I'd send it back for a replacement, and don't give up on it.

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Totally agree - Every time I use it I wonder why I didn't purchase on from the start.

GreenDragon said:

I just use the plastic tops with the tubes... soooo much easier then either siphon

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Bingo. The carboy cap setup. Best thing I ever tried. Works in reverse, too. (Blow into the end to shove the beer out.) I only do that when moving to the bottling bucket, though.

Send it back. the little plastic piece you found is a little flap that acts as a one way valve. The way it is supposed to work is that when you pull up the flap opens and you suck fluid up. When you plunge down the flap closes and the fluid is forced up and out the top pulling more fluid as it goes causing a siphon. Without the flap you are probably pulling fluid up, but pushing it right back out the bottom. I did about seven batches old school before getting an auto siphon... I'll never turn back.

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Also why I was trying to use it for the beer it would release large air bubbles into it which was the scary thing that made me stop.

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If you are connecting flexible tubing to the top of the bent cane that comes out of the autosiphon, you'll need to add a hose clamp there. The flow of beer past that junction will entrain air and cause a lot of bubbles in your bottling bucket.

As mentioned that piece is meant to be in there. Both the large and the small I have work great. I wouldn't want to be without them.

When using, start with the inner tube all the way in. Insert into beer/wort and then raise and lower inner tube. This will start the suction without introducing O2. I have a feeling you blew bubbles into yours because that plastic valve was not in properly and allowed air to go past it and created bubbles. FYI that piece is kind of a PITA to get back in right. Mine popped out and it took a little bit to get it back in right.

auto-siphons are irreplaceable. can't do without mine

Hello

Mine broke the same way and the thing i used to fix it was a small marbale.
I sanitized it and put it into the autosiphon and pumped and when the beer starts to flow just leave the siphon/pump part up about an inch from the marbale to get a nice flow.

passedpawn said:

If you are connecting flexible tubing to the top of the bent cane that comes out of the autosiphon, you'll need to add a hose clamp there. The flow of beer past that junction will entrain air and cause a lot of bubbles in your bottling bucket.

Click to expand...

Also, Pinching this section momentarily with your fingers will force all air bubbles out and then beer flows freely, unoxygenated.

I never use my auto siphon. It draws air into the fluid stream from the rubber seal at the end of the smaller tube (racking cane). This is evidenced by filling the larger tube with a small amount of liquid and starting the siphon. If the liquid level drops, it leaks. It did it right out of the box (bag) and there are no obvious signs of damage to the racking cane seal.
Too big of a risk for me

Reidman said:

Also, Pinching this section momentarily with your fingers will force all air bubbles out and then beer flows freely, unoxygenated.

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i had this same problem the first time i used mine. i looked it up on here and found that i needed smaller hose. haven't had a problem since

Mrtickel said:

Hello

Mine broke the same way and the thing i used to fix it was a small marbale.
I sanitized it and put it into the autosiphon and pumped and when the beer starts to flow just leave the siphon/pump part up about an inch from the marbale to get a nice flow.

Click to expand...

Sweet can't wit to get a marble form the store tomorrow and try this it makes sense it would work as long as the marble is not to big and heavy!

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I actually had the exact same problem today. Your autosiphon isn't broken, you just have to get that little black piece to snap back into place. It can be really difficult. I used a piece of tubing with tape on it, stuck the black piece on and snaked it back into place. As someone else said, the problem is that without the black piece blocking the flow you are just pushing the water back out rather than creating a siphon.

Other possible solutions are to use a dime or a marble in place of that black piece.

Autosiphon user! never going back to other methods! don't bottle much since going to keg but still fill a few when volumes hit a bit high. other than that makes transfer into keg a breeze~

+1 for auto-siphon. I dont know how I ever brewed without one. Racking canes suck.

Your autosiphon must be defective. I'm still using the Fermtech autosiphon that came with my starter kit 4 years ago; works fine. I wouldn't be without it. If anything happened to it, I'd buy a new one tomorrow.

Sounds like you just got the odd one; mine worked fine & still does, been using it for a few years now. Regards, GF.

Brewskii said:

I never use my auto siphon. It draws air into the fluid stream from the rubber seal at the end of the smaller tube (racking cane). This is evidenced by filling the larger tube with a small amount of liquid and starting the siphon. If the liquid level drops, it leaks. It did it right out of the box (bag) and there are no obvious signs of damage to the racking cane seal.
Too big of a risk for me

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Mine just started doing this too. I tried to PBW it to make sure it's really clean, lubed it, still sucks air. One thing I heard was to not store it assembled as it compresses the plunger. Any other thoughts/fixes?

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My check valve came out of my autosiphon much like the OP described. I fixed it by tying two pieces of thread to the arms of the valve and carefully pulling the valve through the larger opening until it sat flush with the base. I then broke off a piece of bamboo to press it into place. Worked like a charm but it was a PITA. You dont have to use bamboo, it was long, skinny and sturdy (input phallus-related comment here) but a wooden dowel will work too.

But i like the marble idea too