Siphon Options

[moreb33rplz]

I've been using plastic auto siphons for 10+ years but I'm over them - I never trust them, they're impossible to clean and I've bought so many over the years. What is your preferred option? Currently I'm considering:

- BrewSSSiphon
- Ball and Keg dual purpose siphon
- making my own version of ball and keg dual purpose siphon (ala a homebrewtalk thread)
- SS racking cane + silicone tubing + another strip of tubing that I suck on and then remove after siphon starts
- keep buying a new auto siphon every 3-4 batches

I use a kettle w/o a valve so I siphon wort into my fermenter. Occasionally I bottle so would siphon from a carboy into a kettle/bottling bucket (i would probably use a carboy cap for that)

What do you do?

 

[IslandLizard]

I've been using a stainless racking cane, same one for 14 years.

I acquired a few plastic auto siphons with lot purchases, but never used them for beer, only tried them out with Starsan, and concluded: They do kinda suck, and not in the way they're intended to.
But you could work with them, especially when air/oxygen exposure is not detrimental, such as chilled wort. You'd be aerating or oxygenating the wort anyway when pitching yeast.

Important: The inner and outer tubes of auto siphons should be stored (and dried) separated, so the rubber plunger/seal doesn't develop a (pinched) shape, and leak upon next use. Before use, sanitize both parts, assemble wet, so they slide easily, then start your transfer.

You can easily prime a racking cane and the tubing:
Stick or suspend the cane into your beer. Fill the racking tubing (hose) by immersing in Starsan. Plug, clamp, or pinch one end, and connect the other end to your cane. Start the siphon by removing the plug on the bottom end, or release the clamp. Do this over a catching vessel, like a plastic container. The Starsan will rush out, followed by beer. When only beer comes out, clamp, pinch, or plug and move to your receiving vessel.

Try it a few times just using water or Starsan to get the hang of it. It becomes routine, or even 2nd nature, after that.

To fill kegs with beer, use a closed or semi-closed transfer into 100% liquid pre-purged kegs (or kegs pre-purged by fermentation CO2) to prevent your beer from oxygen contact, causing oxidation. I use the same racking setup, but with a (liquid) keg QD on the output of the racking hose. There's far less spilling that way, and no air contact.

I use vinyl lines for transfers, but silicone lines should work fine for the short time transfers take.

 

[lablover]

I've been using the Ballandkeg siphon for years now and really love it. Stainless cane with silicone tubing which makes it feel pretty high quality. The option to aerate your wort while you siphon is very nice. The only thing that I've ever had issues with is the check valve. If you accidentally suck wort up into it, you need to clean it out by soaking in hot water. If you don't it can stick and leak. They do send one extra which is nice and I'm sure I could buy a new one if I messed both up.