How does one Siphon?

[MadChemist]

Sorry with the ridiculously basic question. I did read the FAQ and it demonstrated how to siphon with a Carboy cap. All I have for siphoning is a racking cane and a length of hose. What is the technique for getting it started? I wouldn't want to suck on the end as that seems terribly unhygienic after all the sanitizing I've been doing

 

[Fish-man]

Sorry with the ridiculously basic question. I did read the FAQ and it demonstrated how to siphon with a Carboy cap. All I have for siphoning is a racking cane and a length of hose. What is the technique for getting it started? I wouldn't want to suck on the end as that seems terribly unhygienic after all the sanitizing I've been doing

fill it up with water block the end over with a finger and when you remove your finger away it goes.

Or get a pump or auto siphon of some kind.

 

[Revvy]

Honestly, save yourself the headache and hassle and get yourself an autosiphon...

A couple pumps gets the fluid flowing...

Best 10 bucks you will ever spend...

 

[SRTBREW]

Honestly, save yourself the headache and hassle and get yourself an autosiphon...

A couple pumps gets the fluid flowing...

Best 10 bucks you will ever spend...

+10000000!!!!!!!!1!11!!!!!

 

[GroovePuppy]

+1 Yah, tried without one for batch#1 and bought one the following trip to the LHBS.

 

[ifishsum]

I usually have a bucket of sanitized water handy while messing with my beer. I submerge the tubing in the bucket to fill it, then cover the end with my thumb (it's sanitized too) and put the cane in the bucket. Then I let the sanitized water run out of the tubing into a bowl, it will start pulling the beer out behind it. Once I have a stream of beer, I cover the end again and then put it into the vessel I'm racking into. You want to make sure the end of your tubing is at the bottom so it gets covered up quickly by the siphoning liquid to avoid splashing and oxidation.

I did buy an Autosiphon recently for $10 or so and it does make things much quicker and easier.