Stupid auto siphon, stupid keg, stupid hobby.....

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Ceedubya

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Brewed a honey ale tonight, all in all a great brew one of the best I've had to date.

From boil to yeast pitch took under 2 hours, so I was happy with that the immersian chiller definetely did its job.

But, while I was boiling I needed to rack a moose drool clone from primary into the keg (I needed the carboy for this beer).

I my autosiphon has developed a nasty air leak and is sucking oxygen into the hose. I tried to stove it up on the top with some foil whiched helped a little. Plus, it just would not keep the siphon, so I ended short, but I didn't want to keep pumping it and bringing in more O2.

Then I go to hook up the CO2 and find that the last keg I have in the kegeratore has a leak and I am out of CO2, so I can't even purge this keg. I did manage to get a little PSSST out of it, but that was it.

I am wondering if I should mix up a batch of priming sugar and try to naturally carb this one, mostly just to try it, or if I will be OK till tomorrow afternoon to get more CO2.
 
The act of racking it releases CO2, so you are OK. Especially since you plan to get more CO2 tomorrow.

Here is a good reason to have two auto-siphon racking canes. One for regular use the other for back-up. Same could be said for bottles of gas.

I only have one of each but keep telling myself to buy another. Will do shortly, its bound to happen to me. I'll blow into a carboy cap if I have too. (got two std racking canes) I forgot I have a paintball tank w/ regulator. Hmmm!

SWMBO finally has stopped arguing with me about needing spare LP Tanks. She found out that having just one is bad. She was cooking when it ran out, duh!!!!
 
+1 on extra tanks, both for Propane ("...and propane accessories") and for CO2. I was in the grocery store with my bride this afternoon when she said, "Hey, we don't need to buy anymore club soda, you have a CO2 tank!"

It brought a tear to my eye...
 
I just went out this afternoon to get my second LP tank topped off, just to be sure. I always keep two of these full.

I was keeping a spare CO2 tank as well, but haven't been keeping up on since I haven't been brewing much, and I just wasn't paying enough attention to it.

Now with two brews in as many weeks, I need to get back on the ball. I'll drop off my tank for refill tomorow and pick up another rental.

I will pick up a new autosiphon from the LHBS next trip through, maybe even two. The old one is trashed I think, it really made me mad tonight.
 
I was having a problem with my autosiphon and I found that it was the hose. I picked up some new hose and everything was fine.

Same here. Used a hose clamp. Smaller hose would work too. 5/16" OD. Dip the hose end in boiling water for a minute and it will press on with relative ease. 1/16th interference is damned good for no air leaks.
 
the hose does seem a bit loose, I just bought new hose too :mad:

Maybe I'll get a clamp, or some new hose and try that before I chuck this thing. I'm still gonna get a new one though.

Well, off to the welding supply store for some CO2.
 
the hose does seem a bit loose, I just bought new hose too :mad:

Maybe I'll get a clamp, or some new hose and try that before I chuck this thing. I'm still gonna get a new one though.

Well, off to the welding supply store for some CO2.

Its not a waste. Toss the hose or use it for recircing your mash. Put the clamp on the new one right away. I use the short pieces for racking off the primary buckets.

I have a 6-8" piece of hose attached to a long cane. I slip this on the drain valve and the cane goes into the carboy. No auto-siphon, just gravity. My primary drains are 3/4 - 1" off the bottom so I rarely get much yeast in the 2ndary.
 
+1. The hose I currently use is so tight it's a struggle to get on, but no more bubbles.

Boil one end and leave it on until you are ready to replace it. I have the same hose that I got two years ago.

I rack with carboy soaking-bleach-water, rinse with clean HOT water, sanitize it by recirculative racking in sanitizer. Rack beer, rinse by racking HOT water, then resanitize and hang dry.

Leave the auto-syphon unassembled to dry. Otherwise you risk fatiguing the wiper seal on the cane.

Its a lot frickin' racking, but I like to rack alot! :D
 
I too racked to keg yesterday to free up a carboy. and realized I was out of Co2 when I went to pull my Boil Beer (Beer to drink once boil starts). Luckily I had some bottles of store bought specialties. I'm just going to get it refilled today hopefully and blast it tonight.
 
CRAP CRAP CRAP! I wasn't able to get a bottle today, I have to wait until Wednesday afternoon to have CO2! :mad:

So, now what do I do? do I leave it in the keg and hit it with the CO2 on Wed, or do I add priming sugar and let it naturally carb in the keg? either way I can't purge the dang thing :(
 
CRAP CRAP CRAP! I wasn't able to get a bottle today, I have to wait until Wednesday afternoon to have CO2! :mad:

So, now what do I do? do I leave it in the keg and hit it with the CO2 on Wed, or do I add priming sugar and let it naturally carb in the keg? either way I can't purge the dang thing :(


NO Problem! Add your CO2 as soon as you can possibly do so. Treat this transfer like its going to a carboy. NO BIGGEE simmer the fark down! Go do shots of jack & coke if you have too!!!
 
NO Problem! Add your CO2 as soon as you can possibly do so. Treat this transfer like its going to a carboy. NO BIGGEE simmer the fark down! Go do shots of jack & coke if you have too!!!

Got no jack... got some beam though ;)

Ok, I'm chilled, left the keg in my brew closet at room temp and will hit it with CO2 as soon as I get in on Wednesday. My whole concern here was oxydization. the good news is, I don't plan on this beer lasting too long anyways so it shouldn't be a big issue.
 
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