First one in a keg

[stanley1271]

So I finally have my 5# CO2 bottle filled and I got my bucket that is holding my Pale Ale and put it on my freezer to get some height. I placed the keg on the ground and put the racking cane that came with my kit into the bucket and the hose end into the keg. So it turns out that my racking cane really sucks and I do not mean that in a good way. In theory I should have been able to pump it a few times to get the beer moving and just monitor the canes depth in the bucket right? Well this racking cane would flow for about 2 seconds and then stop.

So first off I know it got oxygen during the transfer and second I know I ended up with lots of crap in the keg due to my lack of coordination in getting the damn racking cane to keep going.

So I decided to RDWHAHB only to find out I was out. Guess it's gonna be a dry night.

Adding to my shopping list:
- New Racking Cane
- More beer for taste testing/training (well thats what I call it when around SWMBO)

 

[Mayday99]

was it an auto siphon or a regular racking cane?

I have the bigger auto siphon and I need to be careful the hose doesn't kink sometimes.

My first kegging experience was a bit of a trial as well, it gets much, much easier.

 

[stanley1271]

Racking cane...everything I was reading basically says that having the one container higher than the other will allow for the suction to continue.

 

[ksbrain]

Once you get the siphon started, it will keep going as long as the top of the liquid inside the keg is lower than the top of the liquid in the fermenter.

I highly recommend an autosiphon. I've never done it any other way and I've never had any problem using it.

You should maybe do some testing with water to get a feel for how to use the racking cane?