From kettle to bucket, bucket to carboy, carboy to bucket

For the following three tasks:

1) After boil, going from kettle to bucket
2) After 1st fermentation from bucket to carboy
3) After that, from carboy to bottling bucket

What would say is easiest, least messy way to transfer between them? Would you recommend a funnel or a siphon or different one's for different steps.

Kettle to bucket just dump it in. From bucket to carboy and carboy to bottling bucket siphon.

newbrewguy11 said:

What would say is easiest, least messy way to transfer between them? Would you recommend a funnel or a siphon or different one's for different steps.

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Since you want to have NO splashing or risk of oxidation in the last two, you must siphon "quietly" to the next vessel. It doesn't matter for the first transfer, when you want oxygen in the wort. You can pour/strain/siphon/whatever the first time.

I rarely siphon to the carboy anymore (to avoid risks of oxidation) and usually leave most beers in the originial vessel until I package them.

You don't want to oxidize your beer after fermentation so that's why the siphon. Also so you can leave all the trub / yeast behind while siphoning carefully.

newbrewguy11 said:

For the following three tasks:

1) After boil, going from kettle to bucket
2) After 1st fermentation from bucket to carboy
3) After that, from carboy to bottling bucket

What would say is easiest, least messy way to transfer between them? Would you recommend a funnel or a siphon or different one's for different steps.

Click to expand...

#1 just dump it in.. Splash it around to aerate wort.

#2 (not really necessary, but that's not what you asked) my bucket fermenter has a spigot (I can use it as a bottling bucket also) so I just hook my siphon hose up to the spigot and run it into my Carboy (No Splashing at this point)

#3 Siphon from Carboy to bottling bucket. (again no slashing)

Hope that helps.

Cranny

As always, super helpful.

I had been reading some previous threads and people were recommending a funnel, it seemed messy but I wanted to check. Anyone out there advocate for a funnel?

Do these auto siphons last for a long time or do they break frequently?

newbrewguy11 said:

As always, super helpful.

I had been reading some previous threads and people were recommending a funnel, it seemed messy but I wanted to check. Anyone out there advocate for a funnel?

Do these auto siphons last for a long time or do they break frequently?

Click to expand...

What would you use the funnel for? I have a good-sized one and never use it. I think the only time I used it was for apfelwein when I needed to dump apple juice and dextrose into the thin neck of a carboy. When using an autosiphon, the end of the tubing should be all the way at the bottom of the receiving vessel (be it carboy or bottling bucket).

They shouldn't break frequently if you take care of it. The biggest point of failure is probably the curve at the top of cane. I think people have had theirs crack. Just like people break hydrometers all the time, it's about care.

I've only been brewing for a little over a year, but I've done tons of racks (I've had maybe 50 brews). Auto-siphon still going strong...although I've replaced the tubing twice because I'm paranoid.

newbrewguy11 said:

As always, super helpful.

I had been reading some previous threads and people were recommending a funnel, it seemed messy but I wanted to check. Anyone out there advocate for a funnel?

Do these auto siphons last for a long time or do they break frequently?

Click to expand...

I have used a funnel w/ filter when dumping from kettle to primary to filter out all of the hop sludge. Now I just whirlpool and siphon. I also use a funnel when I pitch starter into a carboy.

my autosiphon has been working fine over the last year and a half. I just replaced all of my plastics though (tubing, racking canes, autosiphon) because I am paranoid like BrewThruYou.

BrewThruYou said:

I think the only time I used it was for apfelwein when I needed to dump apple juice and dextrose into the thin neck of a carboy.

Click to expand...

this is the only time i use mine as well.. before i got all of my all grain supplies i bought everything i "thought" i would need being an inexperienced brewer and a big-ass funnel seemed like a great idea.. good to use for apfelwein, but really nothing else..

i've never broken an auto siphon, and i would recommend the larger diameter one between the 2.. made my transfers much quicker thus i figured, at least less of a chance for exposure

Sounds good, I'll stick with the siphon to start. I wasn't sure on when or whether a funnel would be useful but sounds like the siphon makes the most sense.

Thanks!