AutoSiphon Sucking Air

My AutoSiphon sucks air at the seal. What to do? I guess I could use keg lube on the gasket. Or, maybe, I can pour a few ounces of the siphoned beer back down th outer tube on top of the gasket. Any ideas (while still using this tool) ? Thanks... ...Mike

Buy a new inner tube. Mine was doing the same thing. I've learned you shouldn't put it together dry.

Are you storing your autosiphon with the cane in it? I used to do that and on occasion it can distort the shape of the seal so that it sucks air.

Mine was doing the same thing. I could never transfer all of the beer. I got so frustrated with it and I stopped using it.

I just add a few ounces of boiled, but cool water to the top of it. I'm sure you could easily get away with bottled water....

Cool wort or beer to the top would work fine too. Store it in two parts to help prevent this.

I think I'm going to a) pour some liquid on top of it AND b) take it apart for storage

Thanks all...

...Mike

Get smaller diameter tubing or use some kind of clamp.

I bought a 1/2" AutoSiphon that would suck air and wouldn't siphon. With 1/2" ID tubing, I needed a hose clamp to create a seal. Later, I ended up getting 7/16" tubing that doesn't need a clamp.

Do you push the inner tube all the way down?
If theres a leak it will usually get some beer in between the tubes before the inner one gets above the beer level

Spray some starsan down it. I got tired of auto siphons and just use a cane now.

BrewThruYou said:

Get smaller diameter tubing or use some kind of clamp.

I bought a 1/2" AutoSiphon that would suck air and wouldn't siphon. With 1/2" ID tubing, I needed a hose clamp to create a seal. Later, I ended up getting 7/16" tubing that doesn't need a clamp.

Click to expand...

Yeah, 7/16" ID tubing is recommended for the 1/2" AutoSiphon, although that isn't always explained clearly by the LHBS or online retailers. Matching the OD of the cane to the ID of the tube (in other words, using 1/2" ID tubing) never seals right, and using a clamp on that brittle plastic to try to make it work is asking for trouble. Besides, the 1/2" ID tubing is only going to flow as much as the ~7/16" ID cane will allow anyway.

I stick with the 7/16" ID tubing, and make sure to remove the tubing shortly after use, so it doesn't get "welded" on (BTDT!) and remove the racking cane from the outer tube for storage. I also wet everything out with sanitizer before re-assembling.

Adjust the autosiphon seal. Usually when starsanning it, I'll, on occasion, have to run my finger around the flap to make it push out a bit more. Then it's good for one or two uses before the weight of the siphon cane distorts the shape and creates air leaks.

(Then perhaps a bit of first beer in the top of the autosiphon, just in case it starts drawing from the area)

I pull enough for two hydrometer samples out of the carboy before racking to the keg, and then I just pour some of the beer into the top of the autosiphon and it ends up pulling that into the leaky spot. Repeat this as necessary. If there's any left over after racking (read: there always is!) I just add that to the hydrometer testing portion and have a bigger sample for "scientific oral evaluation" (i.e. tasting!). It's a win-win! No air, no excess water, and no star san necessary to introduce into the beer, AND you get to taste more of it!

F@*& Autosiphons.

Had the same Problem, went back to blowing into my orange carboy cap to get the beer out.