Racking equipment question

[Andy_Burbank]

I'm preparing to sanitize and rack from my fermenter to my bottling bucket, but was wondering what the left piece of equipment is used for in the picture. My racking cane and siphon are together in the auto-siphon and I have tubing. I tried looking up some videos but can't see exactly what I should be using this left piece for- stirring in the sugar while racking?

Also - can I use my siphon after racking for the bottling without more than just a rinse with water?

 

[pfgonzo]

That's a bottle filler. Attach some hose to the spigot of your bottling bucket and place that rod on the other end. Open the valve and watch liquid fill the line, but not come out of the end of the tube!

There's a little spring valve in the tip of your bottle filler. You press it into a bottle, pushing down on the spring, and liquid flows into the bottle. Lift up and the liquid stops! Magic!

 

[jvp1]

Not sure what the left thing is, but you want to use Starsan or whatever sanitizer you have before bottling.

 

[Calder]

It is a bottle filler. It does not have a spring in it (some do, but that one doesn't). The weight of liquid in the tube keeps the valve closed until you push it against the bottom of a bottle. When you lift it up, the valve closes and you move on to another bottle. You need to attach some tubing and either attach it to a siphon cane, or a tap on your bucket. I have mine on the end of a racking cane.

After a while, it will not seat properly, and you will lose some beer while bottling. When that happens, I have found that CLR will clean it up. Rinse after soaking in CLR before using.