Alternative to Siphoning (I hate it.. Help!)

[Rhaop]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/11/12/infected-batch-forensics/

That has some great photos of what happens if you don’t pop those spigots apart

 

[IslandLizard]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/11/12/infected-batch-forensics/

That has some great photos of what happens if you don’t pop those spigots apart

That write-up doesn't go into how to separate the spigot, he just throws it away. Those two 1" white plastic barrels that rotate into one another DO come apart. Soak for 30-60 seconds in near boiling water, so they get a bit soft, then you can pop them apart and clean. Starsan and reassemble wet before use.

To the OP:
For almost 10 years I've been using a (Stainless) racking cane with a plastic diverter tip, like this one, on the bottom to prevent sucking up trub. I also got a (red) "racking cane bucket clamp/clip" that keeps the racking cane nicely clipped along the inside of the bucket. There's enough friction to keep the cane at any height, so you won't need to hold it once it's clamped.

As someone mentioned, fill your 3/8" racking hose with water or Starsan, keep both ends plugged and slip one end of the hose over the racking cane's top end. Start the siphon by letting the water (Starsan) run into a (small) bucket or container until beer comes out. Plug again and divert it to your receiving vessel. You could get fancy with a little faucet (e.g. John Guest push-fit) on the bottom end...

 

[allanmorgan]

Do you mean you use a bottling bucket for fermenting ? I wonder if the spigot is positioned way too low in bottling buckets.

No, I don't use a bottling bucket. Although I would suspect that would work as well. I use a big mouth bubbler as my fermenter and it has a spigot. I simply ferment in there and then transfer to my keg using a tube. No siphon needed.

 

[h22lude]

A SS Brewtech Brew Bucket will solve everything. No siphon and can do closed system transfers with CO2. Obviously more expensive than other options but IMO it is the best option.

 

[r4dyce]

For those who are concerned about fermenting in a vessel with a spigot and getting trub through it when racking to a bottling vessel, here's what you can do: immediately after pitching yeast and with the fermenter level, stick a narrow shim like a paint stick (or 2) under the bottom of the fermenter on the spigot side. Don't move it during fermentation and in a couple of weeks all the trub will have ended up in the lower 'corner' opposite the spigot. When it comes time to transfer to bottling vessel, leave shim(s) in place and simply open spigot; unless the trub has miraculously learned to crawl uphill, you will have a totally clear-beer experience. Toward the end of racking, very carefully remove the shim(s) and very slowly tilt it toward the spigot keeping an eye on the trub. Most of the clear beer will exit the spigot faster than the trub will be able to crawl towards it.

Huh... this is an extremely smart simple tip. Your essentially making a low tech conical. Nice.

 

[Minky]

I started brewing back in the late 70's (yes, I'm old) when there was no such thing as an auto-siphon. I've been siphoning the same way since way back then with a racking cane and tubing, but I use a turkey baster without the rubber bulb as a mouthpiece to get the siphon started.

I use about 6 feet of tubing and leave enough slack that the tubing runs from the racking cane down toward the floor and back up to my mouth. One small suck on the baster tube brings the beer up and down into the low point in the tubing. Remove the baster mouthpiece and place the end of the tube into your receiving vessel and you're done.

 

[madscientist451]

There have been a few post lately about using sugar cubes when bottling beer. I don't bottle anymore, but if I was going to, I'd try the sugar cube trick and use a fermenter with a spigot and just bottle directly from primary. Less stuff to clean, less oxidation, I think its worth trying.

 

[r4dyce]

There have been a few post lately about using sugar cubes when bottling beer. I don't bottle anymore, but if I was going to, I'd try the sugar cube trick and use a fermenter with a spigot and just bottle directly from primary. Less stuff to clean, less oxidation, I think its worth trying.

I'll second the sugar cubes. I still bottle a lot, and it's awesome having the ease and most importantly the consistency of carbonation.

 

[balrog]

Grease the rubber seal on the autosiphon and all hose connections with keg lube. That usually keeps air from leaking. Also, don't store the siphon with the tube inside it and the seal won't take a set.

+1 on the storage-separately-tip. 3 years here, no issues, same autosiphon. Also those bubbles at the top bend *might* not be 100% siphon leakage. You will get some CO2 from solution. Racking in a slightly warmer place than where it's been fermenting will release CO2 from solution, as will change in pressure, like sucking on the liquid as a siphon does.

Yes. Keep the spigot clean, and spray it with starsan before and after each use and it'll be fine.

TAKE THE SPIGOT ALL THE WAY APART. Definitely. To a molecular level if you can. (Try not to disassemble to the subatomic particle level, those things are bastages to try and keep from rolling off the counter). Many much spooge-age will grow and hide in there.

 

[mr_stout]

Siphoning sucks. This is what you do. Ferment in you bottling bucket and when you are done just attach a hose to the drainage valve and drain straight into the bottles. How about that?

I hate bottling days, primarily because of the pain that comes with siphoning the beer from the primary to the bottling bucket. I am sure I am not alone in this aspect. I am brewing in 6.5 gallon Ale Pail plastic buckets. So far I have used the autosiphon assembly that came with my Northern Brewer kit.

Here is the real issue. Once I start siphoning, after a while the bubbles accumulate at the bends at the top and completely block the flow to the secondary. I have found it quite painful to restart the siphoning, especially when the beer level is low in the primary, without disturbing the sludge at the bottom. Plus it takes forever. Kegging is not an option as I don't have the money & space for it. Help me out here please. Thank you in advance!

Anby

 

[ncbrewer]

I siphoned with just a racking cane and tube for a long time and never really had issues. But it always bothered me that I had to hold my thumb over the end of the tube while lowering it into the bottling bucket. It seemed like my arm touched the inside walls of the bucket or the tubing sometimes. So I started using the auto siphon, and it feels more sanitary to me. I may be solving a non-existent problem, but I feel better about it.

 

[byronyasgur]

I haven't read the thread and all this has probably been touched on but just in case:

Here is the real issue. Once I start syphoning, after a while the bubbles accumulate at the bends at the top and completely block the flow to the secondary.

not 100% sure what the problem is here tbh but I know I had some issues with my syphon when I got it and what I did was spent 30 minutes practising with it with 2 buckets of water - worked great - I had about 5 or 6 issues with it ( not your one ) but I figured most of them out

I am brewing in 6.5 gallon Ale Pail plastic buckets.

You'll need a 1/2" I'd say for that - not sure what you have - there might be larger ??

Plus it takes forever.

2 ( and AFAIK only 2 ) ways to speed up the syphon ( unless you've got blockages or something

1. Greater Height Difference between the two vessels
2. Larger diameter syphon

Kegging is not an option as I don't have the money & space for it.

Same here - but I'm thinking of getting the tap a draft system or something like that and maybe a second hand fridge - should be able to get full system for about 150 - or just put in the regular fridge either one at a time https://www.homebrewwest.ie/ibrew-tap-a-draft-4-by-10-pint-minikeg-system-40-pints-1446-p.asp

 

[Rhaop]

my link didn’t cover about taking the spigot apart but that’s what i was trying to get across so thanks Island Lizard


Okay for the guys fermenting with bottling spigots on are you using a pre drilled bucket or did you add the hole? I have some undrilled buckets that i am I interested in trying this out, just trying to determine the height I should stick to i guess an 1” or so from the bottom should still be above most of the trub

 

[allanmorgan]

Okay for the guys fermenting with bottling spigots on are you using a pre drilled bucket or did you add the hole? I have some undrilled buckets that i am I interested in trying this out, just trying to determine the height I should stick to i guess an 1” or so from the bottom should still be above most of the trub

I added the hole for the spigot. Big Mouth Bubbler. I put it about a 1/2 inch below the 1 gallon level. I tilt it to get the low level beer, minus trub and hop debris. So far, no issues.

Edit for typo
Edit 2: This also allows me a super simple way to recover yeast for future beers.

 

[AkTom]

https://www.allinonewinepump.com/ A little pricey compared to a siphon hose... I love it. I built a sliding shelf for my fermentation chamber. No more lifting carboys for me. I also use it to bottle.

 

[triethylborane]

There have been a few post lately about using sugar cubes when bottling beer. I don't bottle anymore, but if I was going to, I'd try the sugar cube trick and use a fermenter with a spigot and just bottle directly from primary. Less stuff to clean, less oxidation, I think its worth trying.

Aware me on the sugar cube trick my dude

1 sugar cube per 12 oz? Or?

 

[Rhaop]

Aware me on the sugar cube trick my dude



1 sugar cube per 12 oz? Or?

I recently recapped some porters i bottled and under primed by a long shot, dropped 1 cube per 12oz waited 3 weeks and had decently carbed beer, great for bottling parts of a batch when you want to age the rest as well

 

[triethylborane]

I recently recapped some porters i bottled and under primed by a long shot, dropped 1 cube per 12oz waited 3 weeks and had decently carbed beer, great for bottling parts of a batch when you want to age the rest as well

Huh, easy enough. Ive never had an issue with priming sugar and disproportionate carbonation, but I suppose if something goes awry that could be useful.

 

[Rhaop]

I literally had 2 batches out of dozens not bottle condition correctly both were a fault of my own, i was trying to carb on the lighter end for a stout and porter and ended up with too little volumes of co2

 

[Murphys_Law]

Sorry to thread jack...

Re sugar cubes, I seem to recall you use one Domino Dot per bottle - does this seem correct?

Do you just put the cube in the bottle and rack on top and cap?

 

[McKnuckle]

Yes, one Dot per 12 oz bottle. You can rack on top of the Dots, but that might be awkward with a bottle filler valve trying to find a solid surface. I prefer to fill all the bottles, placing caps on top loosely as I go, then at the end I drop a Dot into each bottle and secure the cap.

 

[beerkench]

I use a Speidel fermenter with a tap. Not siphoned since years.

 

[Zimm9]

Same here - but I'm thinking of getting the tap a draft system or something like that and maybe a second hand fridge - should be able to get full system for about 150 - or just put in the regular fridge either one at a time https://www.homebrewwest.ie/ibrew-tap-a-draft-4-by-10-pint-minikeg-system-40-pints-1446-p.asp

If you find a Tap-A-Draft please let me know. I've found them listed here and there but, like the link you provided, they're out of stock. They stopped making them several years ago.

I'd love to talk alternative options. Maybe in another thread?

 

[byronyasgur]

If you find a Tap-A-Draft please let me know. I've found them listed here and there but, like the link you provided, they're out of stock. They stopped making them several years ago.

I'd love to talk alternative options. Maybe in another thread?

yea funny I actually just discovered that the other day after posting - but in my search I did find this in case it's of any use to you but I'm not sure it's working properly
http://www.homebrewing.com/equipment/MB_tapadraft-homebrew-setup-KEG920/

 

[Zimm9]

Unfortunately not, but thanks. It looks like MoreBeer owns that domain now and clicking "buy" redirects you to a page not found.