Auto-siphon Maximum Temperature

[ballegre]

Sorry if this is already posted but I just can't find it. I'm cutting a few corners on my first AG batch so I didn't install a spigot in my keggle yet. I was planning on using a siphon until I bought the drill bit and got around to it.

For now my procedure is to use a large grain bag, like AG stove top, so I need to transfer the sparge run-off to boil kettle using an auto-siphon (can't dump it very easily or cleanly). I know it cannot handle boiling temperatures, but can siphon and tube handle +/- 160* F temperature? What is the maximum temp?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bokonon]

The hottest I've had mine in was about 140 and that was just hot water out of my hot water tank.

Before actually brewing like this you might want to run a test in some water of the same temp to make sure it will hold up

 

[scinerd3000]

they tend to crack very badly if you use them on anything too warm. I would wait and cool your wort down to almost pitch temperature and then syphon out of the keggle. Ive messed up 2 already doing it too warm.

 

[ballegre]

they tend to crack very badly if you use them on anything too warm. I would wait and cool your wort down to almost pitch temperature and then syphon out of the keggle. Ive messed up 2 already doing it too warm.

I suppose I could use the immersion chiller I just built for this purpose as well. I was wondering if I could avoid this because I'm just going to have to heat it up again to boil.

I should probably just go buy the step drill an install the bulkhead. This will delay my brew today but it seems worth it.

 

[bendavanza]

go for the ball valve you will be glad later. My autosiphon got brittle from heat, too.

 

[ballegre]

For those of you following along at home I ended up installing the bulkhead, ball valve that I bought from bargain fittings. I went to Lowes to buy the step drill bit and it was $45! I knew there is a Harbor Freight down the road, and though I don't like their tools, they had 2 piece step drill set for $12. The brand is called Drill Master and it's in a hideous cheap looking yellow and blue package. I asked the guy who worked there and he said it would do what I wanted. I have to say, he was right and it worked just fine. It's just cheapo titanium nitride cover bits but it worked perfectly. Curious to see if it will work a second time...

 

[mvdilts]

They should...I've drilled 2 or 3 holes with mine (el-cheapo Harbor Freight bits) so far and they're holding up.

 

[BargainFittings]

I've drilled several holes with the bigger of the two Harbor Freight step bits and it finally went dull. I touched it up with a grinder and drilled some more holes with it.

 

[txtaquito]

back to the original question - whats the max temp on this plastic auto siphon tube? Ive used a piece of one as a sight glass for my recirculation build on my cooler tun and thought it was a swell idea. Its a short piece so I didnt think it would cause any problems but yea thinking now, brewing on a cold day then hitting it with temps up to 170'F could cause it to shatter. I will likely change that to a piece of clear non-hi temp silicon tubing. Clamp it to the barbs at both ends. I wouldnt think a small piece of tubing - a few inches - would be any problem in that type of scenario....thoughts?

-Tex

 

[ayrlander]

back to the original question - whats the max temp on this plastic auto siphon tube?

I'm wondering about this myself, and came on this morning to search but found nothing. A boil kettle serves as my HLT, but it has no spigot and I don't want to spend the $45 to get a drill bit I'll use one time. So I was planning on using my auto-siphon to draw from the kettle back into the top of the mash tun for a sparge. I have high temp tubing, but I didn't want to melt or crack my auto-siphon by pumping 168F water through it.