in bad shape, help

I picked up new tubing and a cane yesterday as well as an auto-siphon. I can't for the life of me get the auto-siphon to work. I follow the directions and have been messing around with a starsan solution, trying to get it from the bucket to a carboy.
I can only get what I pump through then the thing stops siphoning.

So I took the cane I got and the hose and figured I'll do it the old fashion way. nope. The hose and cane have a horrilbe leak so I can't get the thing full of water. I even got my metal worm hose clamp and tightened it around the connection of the cane and tubing, but there was still a leak.

I go to fermtech.ca looking for more instruction on the auto-siphon and that was a waste of time to. I was hoping to brew today. Now I'll be lucky if I can even get my primary into the secondary.

I may get more tubing at the hardware store in hopes that it is a tighter fit on my cane.

Please help turn me from to or I may have to turn into .

Are you using gravity? Place the bucket on a chair and the carboy on the floor, then start the siphon and let it go.

yes I've got the star-san on the counter and the carboay on the floor.

am I missing something. here is my step by step procedure.

1) I take the tubing and connect to the AS.
2) Pull out the AS cane half way
3) Submerge AS about 6 inches in to solution
4) press down on cane
5) pull up and press down twice

It starts going but very slowly and then stops.

Are you supposed to fill an auto-siphon with water?

doubleb said:

yes I've got the star-san on the counter and the carboay on the floor.

am I missing something. here is my step by step procedure.

1) I take the tubing and connect to the AS.
2) Pull out the AS cane half way
3) Submerge AS about 6 inches in to solution
4) press down on cane
5) pull up and press down twice

It starts going but very slowly and then stops.

Are you supposed to fill an auto-siphon with water?

Click to expand...

Try leaving the cane at the bottom of the auto-siphon. Submerge the AS and pull the cane up about half way to suck the Star San into the tube. Then push the cane down into the tube quickly. That should get things started.

How much solution do you have in the bucket? Could it be too shallow?

Chad

Also, what size tubing do you have attached to the curved part of the auto siphon? I think that even though it is called a "3/8in" it needs 5/16x7/16 in tubing. It makes a difference with 3/8in tubing it will draw air and stop the siphon. You will have to heat the tubing in boiling water to soften it, I can't get mine off now.

+1. 3/8" OD autosiphon needs 5/16" ID tubing to not leak air.

off to HD for some tubing will pick up some 5/16 tubing. The solution just doesn't go up the cane fast enough to go down my tubing. I really think thats my problem is that I need the other tubing. When I bought this stuff yesterday I was at the LHBS and I guess I assumed the dude knew what size I needed when I asked for 8 feet of tubing.

Thanks for the replies.

Also, check the cane and make sure it's not cracked. Other than the tubing being loose, this is the only thing I can think of that might be killing your siphon.

I got the 5/16 X 7/16 hose and now have my IBA in the secondary. That smaller hose was a pain to get on the cane. Once they were connected it worked with no problem though.

Thanks

i use short quick strokes to get the AS going, sometimes it takes more then other times.