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.
This makes sense. But the bubbles that I see is primarily the ones dissolved in the beer in the fermenter. When the pressure gets released during the siphoning process, they start coming out of solution and clogs the line.
I fill the hose with star san.
Plug both ends with my hands.
Put one end in the beer, other end in a catch pan.
Let sanatizer run out When its beer, cover with thumb and put where you want it to go.
I just use a hose, no auto siphon
It all started when Iwas about 10years old needing gas for my motorcycle. I stole it out of my dads welder. Learned how to siphon at an early age due to nesassaty.
David
This will certainly work, but sounds like more work.
This introduces another variable in the form of water that can contribute to contamination.
If you upgrade to a 1/2" siphon it will go quite a bit faster. Almost twice as fast in my experience.
Perhaps that would be quick enough so that bubbles do not form (I personally have never had that issue though, with either the 3/8 or the 1/2, so I'm just speculating).
I understand. But I am trying to see if I can make my existing setup work, or move to fermenting in a bottling bucket.
The siphon is a good thing to have available in case you need it, but I rather quickly relegated mine to the storage bin. I set up my system so I can simply drain from one vessel to the other.
If your Ale Pails don't have spigots on them, you can drill a hole and install them. That will allow you to drain from one to the other without siphoning. All you'd need to do is position one vessel higher than the other, and use a piece of hose on the spigot of the higher vessel.
If you don't have the tools, skills, or inclination to install spigots you could buy a fermenter that comes equipped with a drain spigot. You mentioned Northern Brewer, they sell the Big Mouth Bubbler equipped with a spigot.
The same is true of your brew kettle, if you equip it with a drain spigot you can drain it directly into your fermenter. For that I'd recommend contacting BrewHardware.com. They make a great bulkhead that can be installed into your pot (after drilling a hole). They can give you advice on the other parts you'll need, such as a valve, diptube, and possibly a quick disconnect for your drain hose.
Leaning towards your solution, thank you! What is a good way to drill a smooth hole in a plastic bucket ? I am not moving away from buckets anytime soon as they can be stacked on top of one another when I am not brewing.
I can potentially brew in a bottling bucket that has a spigot, but I am not sure if the spigot is positioned way too low.
This is what i"m talking about.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/s...-65-gallon-carboy-smooth-necks.html?site_id=9
However I would consider doing what Littleriver does. That would work better than any siphon.
Considering that option, sounds like the best bet.
Use an auto siphon with no issues. I start the siphon and hold the cane tight against the inside edge of the bucket, lowering it slowly as the beer level goes down keeping the top edge of the black suction tip just under the surface. No bubbles. When I can see the bottom of the bucket, the sludge and the end of the cane, I carefully/slowly tilt the bucket towards me keeping an eye on the pending lava flow of sludge, being careful not to suck any up. I manage to get all but maybe a half cup of clear brew into the bottling bucket. Yeah, it takes a few minutes, but a it's a few minutes well-invested. For me, a 1/4" or 3/8" I.D. hose is enough; it creates a nice gentle swirl to mix the priming solution without making bubbles. If it siphoned any faster into the bottling bucket, I might be concerned about oxidation.
You have patience, it annoys me greatly.
Somehow I always end up disturbing the bottom sludge, my beers are generally dark, either that or I am damn careless.
I'm right there with you. But I don't mind the actual siphoning, it's the cleaning the autosiphon that I absolutely hate because it doesn't fit in my sink. So I ditched the siphon and went to fermenters with a spigot. SO much easier, I wouldn't consider ever not having them.
Yeah, another point against the autosiphon.
Do you mean you use a bottling bucket for fermenting ?
This is the method I use. I tried purchasing an autosiphon and had the same issue but went back to a manual racking cane and hose. I just fill the hose not the racking cane with sanitizer and use a hose clamp to hold the sanitizer in place. I use a racking cane clips to hold both the cane in the fermentor and the hose in the bottling bucket.
This is a manual racking cane:
https://www.williamsbrewing.com/24-38-PLASTIC-SIPHON-TUBE-P202.aspx
I am leaning towards the spigot option at this point but I see that this is a better option that the siphon.
I have to agree. I have been brewing for over 20 years. I went to SS conical fermenters a long time ago. I only siphon cider from a carboy, everything else is gravity.
One of the best things is I clean and sanitize my fementer then fill from the brew kettle while the wort is still way over 180*f. Now everything in the fermenter is sanitized. Guaranteed.
I lift my HLT with a winch and cable.
3 tier 1/2 barrel gravity all grain system.
David
Not an option, I am not moving away from cheapo Ale Pail buckets anytime soon.
Like a few others who have posted, I too have ditched the siphon. I was getting too much air from it. My fermenter now has a spigot that I connect a sanitized tube to and drain it directly into my keg.
Do you mean you use a bottling bucket for fermenting ? I wonder if the spigot is positioned way too low in bottling buckets.
Checked it out, thanks!
Fermenter to bottles via spigot, hose and bottling wand. Bottling day is a breeze for me.
The spigot is removed afterwards, cleaned, dried and stored off the fermenter.
What kind of fermenter ? A bottling bucket used as fermenter or a Big Mouth Bubbler type fermenter ?
Yes. Keep the spigot clean, and spray it with starsan before and after each use and it'll be fine.
I will do that when I instal my spigot. Thanks!
