NEED HELP DESPERATELY! Racking cane...

[ArizonaGoalie]

I had my first real infected beer after four years of brewing. The only things it possibly pointed to was my bottling bucket, spigot, hoses, racking cane, or bottling wand.

SO....I bought NEW everything - bucket, spigot, wand, cane, hoses....

Go to rack my beer into the bottling bucket and it will NOT siphon using the good 'ol hose filled with sanitizer - racking cane gravity method. I try it 20 times, nothing. Snap the racking cane in frustration.

Ordered an autoshiphon. SAME PROBLEM! Will not siphon. I have to keep pumping to get any beer going and it introduces a ton of air.

HELP!!! What am I doing wrong? I've bottled at least 100 batches of beer. I'm going crazy....

 

[bigdaddybrew]

I am assuming you have the fermenter higher than the bottling bucket. You must be sucking air somewhere probably at the connection between the hose and the racking cane. I use a hose clamp to prevent air leaks and oxidation.

 

[day_trippr]

The "hose filled with sanitzer" thing is for a simple racking cane, not an autosiphon, which is supposed to start a siphon all by itsownself and without a lot of drama.

If you're seeing air bubbles at the output of the autosiphon (and not just dissolved CO2 breaking out of solution - remember, most ales end up with around .5 to .8 volumes of CO2 at the end of fermentation so there's plenty of CO2 available) it is sucking air around the plunger. If you can manage to draw off a measuring cup of beer, pour it in the barrel of the autosiphon, on top of the plunger gasket. Should keep air from being sucked in...

Cheers!

 

[hezagenius]

When I've had that issue, it's because the hose attached to the auto siphon cane was not getting a good seal. Try clamping it tighter to see if that fixes the problem.

 

[ChelisHubby]

While clamping the hose to the cane does work, You might just use keg lube which is vaseline where you join it together. It will not damage the hose, has very little flavor and will help provide the temporary seal that you need.

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

VERDICT: it was the hose. I tried vaseline, a clamp, and a zip tie. Nothing worked.

Another new hose - perfecto!

Thanks for all your help. Sanity has returned. Well, sort of.