How bad is sucking to start siphon?

I have to admit - I suck on the end of tyhe hose to start my siphons - how bad is this? So far I havent made nay bad beer am I bound too doing this? I was my mouth out first with antiseptic mouthwash if that helps any??

Also I used 1/2 cuppa corn sugaer to prime my stout will this still gimme a decent head?

grasshopper1917 said:

I have to admit - I suck on the end of tyhe hose to start my siphons - how bad is this? So far I havent made nay bad beer am I bound too doing this? I was my mouth out first with antiseptic mouthwash if that helps any??

Also I used 1/2 cuppa corn sugaer to prime my stout will this still gimme a decent head?

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Yeah, not the best of practices. See my signature for a $3 fix.

grasshopper1917 said:

I have to admit - I suck on the end of tyhe hose to start my siphons - how bad is this? So far I havent made nay bad beer am I bound too doing this? I was my mouth out first with antiseptic mouthwash if that helps any??

Also I used 1/2 cuppa corn sugaer to prime my stout will this still gimme a decent head?

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There's not a lot of trouble to just running water through your siphon hose...plugging one end with your finger and then dropping the racking cane into your wort. When the hose is filled, your siphon is basically started.

I use a short piece of hose loosely spliced onto the end of the main hose. I use my mouth on that short piece, and when I get flow coming, I pinch the main hose to seal the suction, and pull of the spliced piece. Works fine for wine anyway.

To Suck?

Or Not to Suck?

That is the question.

The answer is get an Auto Siphon or gargle with a fine single malt scotch first (be sure to swallow).

EdWort said:

To Suck?

Or Not to Suck?

That is the question.

The answer is get an Auto Siphon or gargle with a fine single malt scotch first (be sure to swallow).

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I use that solution for all my sanitizing!

If you suck, and haven't had a problem with sucking so much, then you should problably just admit that you suck; whatever the consequences (if you're happy). i, for one, have decided not to suck. i don't generally look down on those who suck, but have commited to not sucking. If you have decided on a course of continuing to suck all the time then please tell us all what it's like to suck so much.

Goooood Luck!

I suck and swallow. Sometimes more than others.

I just let the gf do it.

I can vouch for EdWort's method... I've been sterilizing myself with alcohol for the last twelve years...

snoochhandytardman said:

If you suck, and haven't had a problem with sucking so much, then you should problably just admit that you suck; whatever the consequences (if you're happy). i, for one, have decided not to suck. i don't generally look down on those who suck, but have commited to not sucking. If you have decided on a course of continuing to suck all the time then please tell us all what it's like to suck so much.

Goooood Luck!

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That is funny, but it might have been a little too subtle for this crowd. I would boil it down to this. "YOU SUCK" has never ever ever ever been a compliment. That says it all for me.

(I fill my hose with no rinse sanitizing solution, hold one end, stick the other end in the wort, start the flow into a bowl or trash can or whatever, and switch to your secondary when you see beer reach the end of the hose. It aint rocket surgery)

cheezydemon said:

. It aint rocket surgery)

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It's not brain science either

grasshopper1917 said:

Also I used 1/2 cuppa corn sugaer to prime my stout will this still gimme a decent head?

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since nobody addressed this....

are you aiming for a thick head like Guinness? cuz if so, nope...nothing short of CO2 + Nitrogen gas use can create the Guinness head. nitrogen acts differently when forced into beer, vs CO2, and that's how Guinness draft cans and bottles work.
in a good bar, Guinness is drawn from the keg with a CO2 + nitrogen mix.

its not to say you can't get a good head with bottle priming, but it'll be like any other homebrew head retention.

Guinness is kinda magical.

a half cup of corn sugar is going to make the beer not very carbonated, IIRC, you need 3/4 cup to carbonate 'normally'. half cup is going to be a little weak, but that might be to your taste.

Lots of other things can get you good head on beer. Cara-pils is good for that.

abracadabra said:

It's not brain science either

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That was a joke. You know... like "that train has sailed". Brain Science just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Oh yeah! And good luck getting some head kid.

snoochhandytardman said:

If you suck, and haven't had a problem with sucking so much, then you should problably just admit that you suck; whatever the consequences (if you're happy). i, for one, have decided not to suck. i don't generally look down on those who suck, but have commited to not sucking. If you have decided on a course of continuing to suck all the time then please tell us all what it's like to suck so much.

Goooood Luck!

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The definitive answer.

i've read that starting your sypon with your mouth is a bad way to go. you can contaminate your beer that way; or so i have read.

don't suck on your hose. it allows for possible contamination and if you don't do it and you beer goes bad, that's one more thing you can cross off the list of possibilities. get a siphon

can you do it and make a good batch of beer? yes. but you could also make a good batch of beer in your toilet...i just don't see why you would try to...

I got a Super Siphon at Hombrew Heaven and it works GREAT!!!!

No more sucking for me!!!!

If you use buckets, you can buy spigots with rubber washers,(I think some of the BetterBottles are ported for them). They have a valve on them so all you do is attach a hose on them and open the valve, no worries in siphoning at all

The 2-3" piece put against the main tubing is a good idea.
I've used it in combination with the scotch trick (love scotch)


............this sucks like nothing has ever sucked before. (Butthead)