Walker - I tried your siphon via carboy cap and racking cane a couple weeks ago trying to get it into the keg. Don't know why it didn't work but I had the cap/cane on the seconday; blow into the smaller section of the cap; wort would start flowing towards/down the hose; I start turning blue and a bit dizzy; release orifice from cap; air blasts back in my face and nothings flowing. Basically goes back to equilibrium and notta. Besides being a moron apparently, wtf am I doing wrong? I reverted back to the auto-siphon to get the job done.
Siphoning with the Carboy Cap
- Thread starter Walker
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OP
OP
The flow from this method (for me) is rarely full-steam-ahead at the start. I generally get a small trickling flow in the hose. To correct it, I just pinch-n-release the hose a few times near the point that it connects to the racking cane until the flow picks up and gets going more solidly. A few pinches and it's going like a champ.
One time I was having a b1tch of a time getting my siphon going. I would get the slow trickle like I normally get, but (like in your case) when I removed my mouth, the rtickle would stop and any beer in the line would fall back into the carboy. I found out that I was getting a terrible seal between my hose and my racking cane. Air was getting in a destroying my siphon.
These days, I put small hose clamps on the connection points and I've never had that problem since.
I'd really like to take some video of me doing this so I can show how to turn the trickle into a solid flow. Maybe I'll see if I can do that next weekend when I bottle my ESB.
-walker
One time I was having a b1tch of a time getting my siphon going. I would get the slow trickle like I normally get, but (like in your case) when I removed my mouth, the rtickle would stop and any beer in the line would fall back into the carboy. I found out that I was getting a terrible seal between my hose and my racking cane. Air was getting in a destroying my siphon.
These days, I put small hose clamps on the connection points and I've never had that problem since.
I'd really like to take some video of me doing this so I can show how to turn the trickle into a solid flow. Maybe I'll see if I can do that next weekend when I bottle my ESB.
-walker
OP
OP
one last thing...
if you are kegging, why not try what some of the other guys do and use a blast of CO2 to get the thing rolling instead of your lungs?
-walker
if you are kegging, why not try what some of the other guys do and use a blast of CO2 to get the thing rolling instead of your lungs?
-walker
Walker-san said:
Could do that but then I'd be disconnecting it from the fridge on the back porch, lugging it into the kitchen where i typically rack etc...
The pinch thing makes sense, I'd get about 1-2" down the hose/cane area and run out of lung power. Will try that tonight as I bottle bucket my wheat.
Walker-san said:
A quick question - what do you recomend a 5 gallon carboy cap and a 6.5 gallon carboy cap. I assume this is because you have two different sized carboys? I am new to brewing, but my guess is the smaller carboy is your secondary? I have two carboys that I believe are 6.5 gallon, so in this case I assume I would get two of the 6.5 gallon versions?
Cheers,
Rob
Baron von BeeGee
Beer Bully
The cap sizes for 6.5 and 5g carboys are different (oddly enough, the 6.5 is smaller). Most people use the 6.5g for primary fermentation (need the headspace) and the 5g for secondary.rjm said:
OP
OP
rjm said:
Correct, rjm. I have 6.5 gallon carboys for primary and 5 gallon carboys for secondary.
If you have only 6.5 gallon carboys, you really only need ONE carboy cap as a minimal set-up. You can put it on the source fermenter to hold the cane and blow into it to start siphons, or you can put it on the target fermenter and suck to start the siphon.
If you do the latter, you'll need something to hang onto the cane in the source so that it doesn't dip into the trub at the bottom of the fermenter.
Of course, two caps (both for 6.5 gallon carboys) will work, too.
-walker
Baron von BeeGee
Beer Bully
I have a 5g Mexican (I love her). And a 5g Mexican carboy that takes the regular 5g carboy cap, but it's the only one I've bought. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some variation down south.brewhead said:
OP
OP
All of my carboys (5g, 6g, 6.5g) are "Hecho En Mexico". The 5 and 6 take the larger cap, the 6.5 takes the smaller cap.
I've used this method to great success. I recently added a second secondary reg to my system so that I can use CO2 to push start the siphon. It only takes a negligable amount of pressure (under 1lb). I use the hose for my Blichmann Beer gun.
I've noticed that B3 now has carboy caps packaged with raking cane, hose and an inline filter for ~$14.
http://morebeer.com/browse.html?category_id=100038&keyword=&x=1&y=1
I've noticed that B3 now has carboy caps packaged with raking cane, hose and an inline filter for ~$14.
http://morebeer.com/browse.html?category_id=100038&keyword=&x=1&y=1
Just a note about starting the siphon with the suction (vacuum) method with Better Bottles. You can't.
The 6 gallon better bottles are rated for 15PSI of pressure but almost no vacuum. I've tried starting a siphon from an open bucket primary fermentor using vacuum in BB and it will will nearly collapse the Better Bottle carboys ! So that is not really feasible.
This is the only downside to Better Bottle carboys that I have found.
I regularly start siphons by pressurizing them. It works very well.
Something that nobody is discussing here is purging a carboy of air by using a carboy cap to capture the CO2 from a fermenting carboy and routing it to the 2nd carboy. I did that with one of my recent rackings. It seems to work well.
One can also use the CO2 from a BB carboy to pressure a second vessel (to say 15PSI) and use that to push the beer to the next carboy or through the filter.
I like the air compressor and hygienic filter idea, but I wonder if that would oxidize the beer ? Putting air under pressure over the beer will dissolve some air into the beer, just like CO2 dissolves into beer, won't it ?
The 6 gallon better bottles are rated for 15PSI of pressure but almost no vacuum. I've tried starting a siphon from an open bucket primary fermentor using vacuum in BB and it will will nearly collapse the Better Bottle carboys ! So that is not really feasible.
This is the only downside to Better Bottle carboys that I have found.
I regularly start siphons by pressurizing them. It works very well.
Something that nobody is discussing here is purging a carboy of air by using a carboy cap to capture the CO2 from a fermenting carboy and routing it to the 2nd carboy. I did that with one of my recent rackings. It seems to work well.
One can also use the CO2 from a BB carboy to pressure a second vessel (to say 15PSI) and use that to push the beer to the next carboy or through the filter.
I like the air compressor and hygienic filter idea, but I wonder if that would oxidize the beer ? Putting air under pressure over the beer will dissolve some air into the beer, just like CO2 dissolves into beer, won't it ?
I've often thought about saving the co2 produced to purge but to tell you the truth it only takes a split second discharge from the bottle to do it so I don't realy think it's worth the time or effort.
Torchiest
Well-Known Member
Cool thread. I didn't really understand what those carboy caps were used for until I read through that awesome description by Walker-san. I might have to try that one of these rackings.
Speranza
Well-Known Member
Dear OP,
Thats so mind boggling simple why isn't it standard practice!?!
Thanks for the info!
Thats so mind boggling simple why isn't it standard practice!?!
Thanks for the info!
brewt00l
Well-Known Member
Speranza said:
I didn't realize it wasn't already. When I made the switch to carboys, I picked carboy caps up at the same time and have been doing this ever since via human powered pressure.
denimglen
Well-Known Member
Sorry to bring this back up but what OD is the racking cane you're using, my holes in my caps seem a little small maybe I just need to force it in? I don't actually own a racking cane yet so I haven't tried....
brewt00l
Well-Known Member
denimglen said:
I just leave my cane wet with onestep and the liquid allows it to fit through with a lil bit of force applied.
blefferd
Well-Known Member
i tried this once, i couldnt get my auto syphon to work so i took it outside and smashed it all over the sidewalk and was like **** now how am i going to get beer from my carboy to the keg!!! LOL well i didnt smash it completly i still had the cane from the middle of the auto syphon(i figured i might need it lol), so i stuffed the carboy cap on it, took 1/4 beverarge line, (what i use for my kegs) i had to shave down the carboy cap with a razor to get it to fit over the second fitting well after about 20 mins of fiddling around with it i finally got the co2 line hooked up, opened the tank, put about 2-3 psi on the carboy and BANG!~!!!! the carboy exploded!!! j.k the beer flowed women of capastrono right to the keg!
i must say i have a HORRIBLE time with syphons/auto syphons either A they get clogged up, or B they get clogged up, or C the rubber hose gets a little loose and wont hold a suction. this method works tried and true, i never thought of "blowing air" into the carboy seems far fetched to me but i guess you only need 2-3 psi to get it going. the only bad thing is it seems like a huge waste of C02 to me if you are using gas.
i must say i have a HORRIBLE time with syphons/auto syphons either A they get clogged up, or B they get clogged up, or C the rubber hose gets a little loose and wont hold a suction. this method works tried and true, i never thought of "blowing air" into the carboy seems far fetched to me but i guess you only need 2-3 psi to get it going. the only bad thing is it seems like a huge waste of C02 to me if you are using gas.
I started using this method also and I like to use my aquarium pump.
Here's how I do it to a keg.
I purge the keg with CO2, fit an open CO2 connector in the CO2 post so it can vent.
I syphon in to the beer out to avoid splashing.
I use a small paintball bottle of CO2 for convenience.
I purge the keg with CO2, fit an open CO2 connector in the CO2 post so it can vent.
I syphon in to the beer out to avoid splashing.
I use a small paintball bottle of CO2 for convenience.
rohanski
Well-Known Member
I bought one of these but my SS racking cane is a couple of inches from the bottom. I can't waste that much beer.
hellbender
Well-Known Member
Boston said:
Do you have a source for the "Phil's Psyphon Starter"?
Thanks.
hellbender
Well-Known Member
hellbender said:
Nevermind. I found several sources, but it appears that this particular device is no longer being manufactured.
How much of a problem is it to siphon with your mouth?? I'm getting the impression that it can ruin your batch, is that the case (because of bacteria or exposure to air) ? Or is all this attention to detail in the interest of perfection and really just neurotic / OCD behaviour 
?
?
Siphoning with your mouth is a big risk of exposing your beer to some of the numerous bacteria that reside in your mouth. You might get by with it ok, but there are much safer ways to start a siphon to avoid this possible contamination problem.
Desert Monkey
Well-Known Member
Just wanted to post a big "thanks!" to Walker-san for the pics and the instructions - I had a horrible time before trying this process - and it's worked well for me so far!
How much of a problem is it to siphon with your mouth?? I'm getting the impression that it can ruin your batch, is that the case (because of bacteria or exposure to air) ? Or is all this attention to detail in the interest of perfection and really just neurotic / OCD behaviour
When I ordered my starter kit from morebeer.com they included a sanitary filter that you can blow into (or suck on) to start the syphon with a carboy cap and racking cane.
https://morebeer.com/view_product/16797/
Sorry to revive an ancient thread but I wanted to add this since I didn't see it mentioned any where:
Use a vacuum. A regular household vacuum. You don't need a mityvac. Just place the wand loosely over the extra nipple on the receiving cap and it'll generate more than enough suction to start the siphon. You can even pump the beer this way if there isn't a height differential between the containers. If you keg then you can use C02 to generate pressure but, because I am cheap, I rigged the air line side to the vac and then use the beer line side with the dip tube as the in-line.
Use a vacuum. A regular household vacuum. You don't need a mityvac. Just place the wand loosely over the extra nipple on the receiving cap and it'll generate more than enough suction to start the siphon. You can even pump the beer this way if there isn't a height differential between the containers. If you keg then you can use C02 to generate pressure but, because I am cheap, I rigged the air line side to the vac and then use the beer line side with the dip tube as the in-line.
aeonderdonk
Well-Known Member
I was just wondering what the other tube was for this morning. Awesome! Now I can quit worrying about filling a tube with water to get a syphon going.
mmm. This may get rid of the need for a height differential....
What diameter cane fits the carboy caps?
I've been using the CO2 pressure method for a while. What I did was add a splitter to my keg fridge CO2 line and put a compressed air quick connect female fitting on the end of this line (ten feet long). I put male fitting on a compressed air gun, and use that to give the carboy cap a quick snort of CO2. Works great. Other fittings are gas in and liquid out cornie connectors so I can carb a keg, or purge a keg.
Latest set up with full size CO2
d510addict
Well-Known Member
Why not use one of those large medicine syringes attached to the blow tube? easy as hell to clean and sanitary.
OP
OP
1,000,000 ways to skin a cat. Big syrings should work fine. If you look at the early posts, Boston used a turkey baster. I've got an old nubulizer pump from when my daughter was little that I use now. I hook the tube up and flip the switch on for about 3 seconds and it starts to flow.
I got a carboy cap, racking cane and a sanitary filter to blow or suck thru.
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