Cleaning an auto siphon?

[Garyblueberry]

Hey everyone,



Does anyone have any techniques they can share as far as cleaning an auto-siphon? I've been through 2 of them in the last month for so because I clean them with pbw but because the water is so hot it cracks the plastic on the bigger tube. Then I used no pbw and just hand washed my new one (then star san'd it) and infected my beer. Any suggestions?

 

[microbusbrewery]

The cracking issues are kind of annoying. Here's what's worked for me. I pull the cane out of the outer tube and remove the little cap off the end of the tube then rinse everything well with the kitchen faucet. I do this immediately after use and each time I take it out to use it (before sanitizing). So it's essentially being stored clean and it gets a rinse before sanitizing. To sanitize, I use a little trough I made with vinyl rain gutter with a couple gutter end caps cemented on. A wallpaper tray works well too, but the rain gutter is heavier duty material so it will last longer. I fill it with sanitizer then soak the disassembled autosiphon in there before each use. I use both Starsan and Iodophor in my "brewery" and for the soak, it's usually Iodophor. The autosiphons will still crack after a while, but I think I've had my current one for about three years. I'm hoping these guys will release their stainless one soon, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1469711885/the-pro-brewers-siphon-a-home-brewing-essential-to

 

[MaltMaker]

1.) Take it apart and store it separately - this preserves the rubber seal on the end
2.) Use a long wallpaper tray to sanitize or soak it
3.) Only put it back together after soaking in sanitizer so the seal is lubed
4.) Pump some sanitizer through it once back together
5.) Use hot water to soak but not scalding hot

The auto-siphon should'nt be getting so dirty that you need to soak it in cleaner for very long if at all especially if you are taking it apart and cleaning/washing it by hand.

How do you know the infection originated with your auto-siphon? There's plenty of other sources for that.

 

[flars]

As @microbusbrewery Has said. Rinse immediately and use Star San to sanitize just before use.

The auto siphon doesn't need cleaning with PBW or other strong cleaners if it is rinsed before the beer and other particles picked up in siphoning dry. Never store the auto siphon assembled. This will deform the rubber seal. Never let the siphon soak in Star San. Star San will degrade the plastic and rubber.

My siphon is over 7 years old without a crack or any problems functioning.

 

[kiwipen]

How do you know it's the soap that's making it crack?

 

[microbusbrewery]

How do you know it's the soap that's making it crack?

PBW is kind of harsh. It might be partly related to that and could also be partly related to temps and/or something else. Bobby at Brew Hardware had a couple customers experience cracking issues with their sight glasses...not quite the same material as auto siphons, but similar crazing. But the majority of people had zero issues with the sight glasses. The last I heard, there was speculation that it could be related to certain water profiles. Regardless, as others have indicated, if you're maintaining your auto siphon properly, you shouldn't ever need to use PBW on it.

 

[Bobby_M]

PBW and Oxiclean is very alkaline and it chemically "steels" molecules out of acrylic and polycarbonate. I'm not a chemist so "steeling molecules" might be painfully bad terminology. In any case, there is no reason an autosiphon should be dirty enough to require pbw. Rinse with hot water.

 

[Maylar]

I pump warm water with dawn dish soap through the siphon and tubing after use and rinse. Star San before next use.

 

[Murphys_Law]

Disassemble after use and immediately rinse with hot water from my sink.

Been doing this for two years and haven't had a problem.

I rarely do anything other than a hot water rinse since I never let equipment sit around uncleaned (fermenter and kettle are the exceptions).

 

[rrumney]

Hey everyone,



Does anyone have any techniques they can share as far as cleaning an auto-siphon? I've been through 2 of them in the last month for so because I clean them with pbw but because the water is so hot it cracks the plastic on the bigger tube. Then I used no pbw and just hand washed my new one (then star san'd it) and infected my beer. Any suggestions?

The cracks don't affect the siphon at all. Mine works fine even with the outer tube full of cracks.

 

[microbusbrewery]

The cracks don't affect the siphon at all. Mine works fine even with the outer tube full of cracks.

Usually the concern is whether those cracks might be harboring flavor-spoiling bacteria.

 

[Morrey]

The key is possibly to rinse it with warm water as soon as possible following use so proteins (which could harbor bacteria) don't have a chance to dry on the siphon. I rise well then use the siphon to pump some starsan into a bucket that I am using for other reasons, then store taken apart.

**I soaked my first one in hot PBW and it cracked all over. I changed my cleaning methods and this one is fine, no cracks and no infections.

 

[Soulshine2]

I have a question about this...
My dads family used to own a tavern many many years ago right after the depression. I was told never use soap in anything beer will touch ,glass anyway,because its so hard to rinse out completely . Salt and water will clean anything just fine . If you were to warm salt water "wash" it and then star-san it , shouldn't this clean and sanitize it enough?

 

[berndawg84]

^^Yes, I would avoid dish soap if you can. Not sure why the siphon would be cracking like that? Seems like you may be using water that is too hot. Just try lukewarm water or even cool water. If I have gunk in my siphon, I'll first rinse it out with water, then take a TINY bit of OneStep (similar to PBW), sprinkle it in the siphon tube and then run water through that. It's not an exact measurement of course, but for cleaning smaller objects, it works. Then I will spray it down on the outside with a StarSan spray bottle before using it. Spray bottles filled with StarSan are your friend I see pro breweries have them lying around everywhere.

 

[Bauzer]

After brewing I wash everything with Oxiclean, I pump it through the siphon a few times to make sure it gets a good run. Then I will do the same in a bath of warm/hot water to get the oxiclean residue out. Then I will cycle it through star stan a few times, and let sit for a minute or two, before letting it empty out and dry.

I always begin a brew day with my wine bucket filled with 2.5-5gal of starstan mixture for sanitizing things. I usually will sanitize the auto-siphon before use in addition.


First 3 rules of brewing is sanitation, sanitation, sanitation... I think Yeast health should be second, considering how many people seem to stall or underpitch..

i have been using this method for about 2 years now. I'm only starting to consider replacing the auto-siphon just due to concerns with age and use. At least they are fairly cheap.