auto siphon seals

[allentwnguy]

Has anyone found replacement seals for the Easy Siphon? I was surprised to find that replacements weren't available. Working with hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders for years I know that seals are the one thing that will go bad. Shocked to find (and be told) that you have to buy a new Easy Siphon, that replacements weren't sold. Yeah after 25 batches I'm going to buy another one! Nope. So I was wondering if anyone chased down a place to buy seals. I threw away packaging or I would call the manufacturer. Anyone?

The seal went bad in the middle of kegging my Xmas Xtra Russian Imperial... It started making this sound like the tip was out of the beer I pushed it down and still has the noise. Hundreds of tiny air bubbles were visible in the cane. The harder the lift of beer the more bubbles until 4 gallons in (5 gal batch) it stopped. I couldn't get a siphon started with a regular cane or anything else. I poured and strained (cherry bits, cacao nibs and vanilla bean bits) the last bit into the keg thinking... "this one is really blown!" Who knows but I was so pissed. Now looking for a new method to transfer!

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I feel your pain. I use an autosiphon as well, and am disappointed (but not surprised) that they don't sell the seal - the Achilles' heal of the device. I store my autosiphon separated so the seal is only compressed when in use, hoping it will prolong the life of the seal. I also make sure the parts are rinsed in StarSan before I put them together so there is less friction.

Anyway, on to your question. I haven't seen the seal, but you can get the racking cane with the seal on the bottom for 6 bucks. http://www.homebrewing.org/Spare-38-Center-Tube-w-34-Seal-for-Auto-Siphon_p_2190.html

What I do now, though, is use a regular racking cane, and a carboy cap, and with the cane inserted through the center hole of the cap but not into the beer, I push CO2 into the second hole to flush oxygen out of the cane, tubing and bottling bucket. Then I push the cane into the beer, and apply gentle pressure (gentle because the carboys are glass and not made to take pressure) until a siphon starts. I do this mainly to limit oxygen exposure to my beer during packaging.

 

[allentwnguy]

Thanks for the info BIB. That's probably the direction I'm going to head, the CO2 push. I naively bought the Easy-siphon not knowing its failure rate. And the cause of the failure is an easily replaceable inexpensive seal that they don't sell.

I also store the two "tubes" disassembled but found that the seal has a difficult time getting past the edge where the black neck and the clear tube are glued together. I have even tried a little cip on the seal. Anyway it is time to find another transfer method.

I did read an article on the positive pressure/carboy cap/racking cane method. I bought the filter (another useless purchase) to blow into to start it but never followed through. Now I have a 20 lb CO2 "working" cylinder that I use for forced carbing, purging etc. With a little thinking (pipe fitter by trade) I can come up with something and the 20 pounder will get another task to do! I'm not about to spend $5.99 plus shipping on a replacement center tube to have it also fail in 20 or less transfers.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Now looking for a new method to transfer!

Way back when before the auto siphon and the easy siphon, all we had was plain old racking canes and tubing. All you need to do is fill the cane and tubing with sanitizer (some use a turkey baster for this step), cover the end of the tubing with your sanitized thumb and stick the cane in the wort or beer, let the sanitizer run off into a separate container and your in business...no moving parts.

With a little practice it is foolproof and reliable, no moving parts!

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Do ya' have a set of calipers, that you could measure the O D and I D of the lip seals, and the O D of what they fit on, and the I D of what they fit in?

You could prolly' find some replacements here:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#lip-seals/=uun40b

 

[Cioffi]

I feel your pain. I use an autosiphon as well, and am disappointed (but not surprised) that they don't sell the seal - the Achilles' heal of the device. I store my autosiphon separated so the seal is only compressed when in use, hoping it will prolong the life of the seal. I also make sure the parts are rinsed in StarSan before I put them together so there is less friction.

Anyway, on to your question. I haven't seen the seal, but you can get the racking cane with the seal on the bottom for 6 bucks. http://www.homebrewing.org/Spare-38-Center-Tube-w-34-Seal-for-Auto-Siphon_p_2190.html

What I do now, though, is use a regular racking cane, and a carboy cap, and with the cane inserted through the center hole of the cap but not into the beer, I push CO2 into the second hole to flush oxygen out of the cane, tubing and bottling bucket. Then I push the cane into the beer, and apply gentle pressure (gentle because the carboys are glass and not made to take pressure) until a siphon starts. I do this mainly to limit oxygen exposure to my beer during packaging.

I, too, have been having problems with my autosiphon and the seal. So, I'm curious as to using C02 to push the beer through the racking cane. How do you connect the C02 source to the "second hole" of the carboy cap? I like this idea, but was wondering how to get a good fit with a C02 line to the "second hole" of the carboy cap.

TC

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I, too, have been having problems with my autosiphon and the seal. So, I'm curious as to using C02 to push the beer through the racking cane. How do you connect the C02 source to the "second hole" of the carboy cap? I like this idea, but was wondering how to get a good fit with a C02 line to the "second hole" of the carboy cap.

TC

I use a short piece of tubing - I think it's 1/2 inch ID, but might be 3/8. Fits snug enough over the cap tube and snugly around the gas line.

 

[Cioffi]

Thanks! I'm going to give this a try.

 

[Homercidal]

I've always stored the racking cane inside the autosiphon. I spray a bit of sanitizer down in there when I want to use it so the racking cane pulls up and down easily. I haven't had a seal go bad yet, other than the one time I used my autosiphon to move some hot wort. Bad idea.

Another trick I've used in the past is to build a siphon hose with a "T" at the far end. I would start the siphon by using my mouth on the T and when it got started I'd pinch off the T hose with a plastic clamp. Sanitary and easy and no need to fill the hose with water or sanitizer. The wort never comes in contact with the part that touches your mouth.

IIRC there is a company that makes a Stainless autosiphon. I do not know if they are still in business, but if so they might be worth looking into. I am betting they would have seals for sale or would be easier to replace a seal on those units.

 

[BobBailey]

Never heard of replacement seals, but I do have a good use for it after the seals go. I use mi leaky one to transfer wert from the BK to fermenter. It does a great job of aerating.

 

[Homercidal]

Here is the thread that referenced the "T" device I've used many times to start a siphon in my boil kettle before I got a pump. Works great on cold beer as well.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/flyguys-t-siphon-3-replacement-autosiphon-25774/

My only complaint was using the plastic pinch clamp to shut off the T. I think a valve or some other clamp would have worked easier.

 

[mcartt11]

Anyway, on to your question. I haven't seen the seal, but you can get the racking cane with the seal on the bottom for 6 bucks. http://www.homebrewing.org/Spare-38-Center-Tube-w-34-Seal-for-Auto-Siphon_p_2190.html

My experience with the replacement center cane and seal wasn't good when I recently needed to replace mine. My auto siphon was 10 years old) and the seal was fine but the cane broke at the bend and it was not possible to just stick the tubing onto the broken portion and get it working.So, I bought a new center cane. The new cane didn't make a good seal like the original and I sucked up about as much air as I did beer. I ended up just tossing out the whole auto siphon and getting a new one. I figure 10 years worth of use for just $15 is a good deal and will never again waste the time and money with trying to replace the center cane and seal.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

IIRC there is a company that makes a Stainless autosiphon. I do not know if they are still in business, but if so they might be worth looking into. I am betting they would have seals for sale or would be easier to replace a seal on those units.

Has it come to ya' yet, who this company might be?............

 

[allentwnguy]

Thanks for all the ideas. I've changed seals on all kinds of Parker cylinders over the years working as a pipe fitter for Ford Motor. The seal isn't made out of the best material not even close It's a very brittle kind of plastic. Anyway what I did was cut the seal off, actually the last inch of the center tube. I had an old carboy cap that was too large (orange one) to work on any of my carboys. My stainless 1/2 racking cane I had cut the curve off so I could use it in the corny to stop splashing.

So I cut the larger center nipple off the carboy cap, almost flush. I shoved the center tube through it and put a racking end cap on it. that went into the carboy with a hose to the straight 1/2 inch stainless tube in the corny. Using my 20lb CO2 work tank I put enough pressure on the small long nipple on the carboy cap and put pressure on the cap by hand to seal it and almost instant siphon. It worked like a charm. Now I will design something a little more refined to do the job rather than the Jerry-rigged set up I threw together.

Again thanks

 

[Homercidal]

Has it come to ya' yet, who this company might be?............

I couldn't find anything. I think it was just a homebrewer who was trying to make one himself.

 

[allentwnguy]

Second transfer with the make shift set up confirmed it is the way to go. With my working CO2 tank set on 30 psi (only to get the initial push, do not pressurize the carboy!!!!) the siphon started quick. With the over sized, orange, carboy cap there is no chance to accidentally pressurize the carboy, you have to press down to seal it. The beer transfer was much easier than the old auto siphon. Who knows I may just stay with this set up, refine it a little, as it works so well. There isn't a difficult clean up and I don't have to spend more money.