siphoning gear needed?

[hoppedup]

hola, ive never racked to a secondary before, and always just let it sit in the primary for an extra week or so. But since i just brewed a pumpkin ale thats gonna have a buttload of trub from the pumpkin, I got a 5gal carboy for the secondary, but Im not sure about the siphoning gear. My homebrew supplier sells "siphoning stems" and tubes, and something called an "auto siphon". Im wondering if its possible to just make something myself with the clear tubing from a hardware store or something? has anyone made their own siphoning gear or have some pics of their gear so i can get an idea of what the "standard" gear is for siphoning

thanks!

 

[Brewsmith]

Check out carboy caps. They're easy to use and cheap. All you need is one of them, a racking cane and tubing. No autosiphon necessary.

 

[Yooper]

Sure, you can make your own from food-grade plastic tubing sold at the hardware store. But, I highly recommend a "racking tube" and tubing from the LHBS. A racking tube has the correct angle for siphoning and a plastic cover on the bottom to help keep the trub from being sucked up. Also, a little plastic clip to hold it in place and a "clamp" to pinch off when you need to. It's definitely worth the cost. I did buy some of that hardware store tubing for my blow off tubes, and for my bottling.

I don't have an auto-siphon. I start the siphon by sanitizing the racking tube and cane, leaving sanitizer in it. Then, I put the end in the bucket 1/2 way down, keeping the clip closed. Then, I drain off the sanitizer into a bowl on the floor until the beer starts to flow and then pinch the tip again, then put it into the carboy and let it go. I do a "quiet" transfer, keeping it from splashing. I put alot of the tube under the surface of where I'm transferring so it doesn't splash. I don't have a picture of this, sorry. I will say that this is more difficult to master than you'd think- and you should practice alot with water (or use the sanitizer first to sanitize and then fill with water for the sipon) or you will end up with sanitizer in your beer. Either use this technique or the auto siphon. DO NOT suck on the end to start your siphon. It's easier, sure, but you will contaminate your beer. I think the people that have auto siphons use them and love them. I am way too cheap and don't have any trouble with the siphon this way.

Lorena

 

[Blender]

Purchase an auto siphon. You will not be sorry.

 

[Jaybird]

I second the auto siphon!!! Just be careful when starting it in your glass carboy
JJ

 

[Beer Snob]

I dont know about the auto siphon, there are better ways to spend $10..... whats the deal with siphoning anyways.... not like it's brain surgery you know.... and from a few posts here the auto siphoners look to crack easily. Racking tube and cheap tubbing is all you need. The racking tube will last forever and tubbing needs to be changed every so often.

 

[hoppedup]

thanks for the info! sounds like its not rocket science really. siphoning is siphoning i guess. anything wrong with just getting some food grade pvc tubing and siphoning the old fashion way? I know some homebrewers use a sanitized turkey baster to start the flow, by pulling the bulb off and sticking the small end into the siphon tube and starting the flow by mouth till the beer reaches the baster tube. clamp the end of the pvc tube, remove baster tube and go to town.

or is a racking cane really important for some reason?

 

[Beer Snob]

Now that is something you definatly do not want to do... sucking by mouth. It used to be done more as the norm though. All you do is fill the hose up with water, put one end in the carboy and point the other in a pitcher. Let her rip and when the beer starts flowing, put your sanitized thumb over the opening and move the hose end to wherever you are siphoning to. Once you do it once or twice your going to go.. ok... why is this such a big deal for people....?

 

[gruntingfrog]

Get a single carboy cap and follow these instructions. They only cost 3 or 4 bucks, and you will not regret it.

The second post in this thread has info on siphoning from a bucket.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2910

 

[the_bird]

I second the carboy cap; could not be any easier.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Cap or auto siphon. Either way Se of us with larger fermentors can't use that cap though. I build my own. Took a bung and drilled another whole in it. Stuck a piece of plastic tubing in it and sucked. (The racking cane going through the other hole of course).

The hole you drill with be very tight so a pice of hard plastic tubing like they sell at the hardware store works best. There. Less than a buck.

 

[kornkob]

The autosiphon also has the advantage of being able to be used as a wine thief, if you're inclined to use a hydrometer.

I've got the carboy caps and that works reasonably well but the autosiphon was well worth the $10.

 

[Jester4176]

I've got the carboy caps and that works reasonably well but the autosiphon was well worth the $10.

+1. I used to fill the racking tubing with water, then start the racking process, and quickly move the tubing to the fermenter after the flow started, but the auto-siphon cannot be any easier. Simply insert the tubes into each fermenter, and give one good pump and you're done. By far the best use of $10 in brewing equipment for me.

 

[Trodd]

Auto siphon is the way to go. I got one in my home brew kit, and it has a tip on the end so that it doesnt suck up alot of the trub. Worth the money!!!

 

[Grimsawyer]

...starting the flow by mouth.....
or is a racking cane really important for some reason?

Remember, keeping everything sanitary should be one's primary concern. Using the mouth to start a siphon is kinda voodoo.... What is $10 more anyway? I know it's nothing in the scheme of things. My 2 6.5 gal carboys, racking tube, turkey baster, bottle brush, carboy brush, "THE BIBLE", air locks, bungs, blow-off tubes, aquarium pump, airator stone(ss .2 micron) and filter, hydrometer, hydrometer tube, brew kettle, sanitizer, thermometer and a bunch of annoying words from SWMBO AND whatever else I happened to miss, what is ten dollars more? You pull up, you push down and you have a fully loaded line of beer/wort. No screwing with a bowl on the floor, no wasting the sweet ambrosia wondering if the sanitizer solution is all out and replaced with beer. Just pull up, just push down. Creating a siphon is easy without, but if there is one piece of equipment to suggest to anyone brewing it is the autosiphon! THEY FLAT OUT ROCK!!!!!:rockin: Just my 2cp.

 

[mysterio]

I just use a piece of plastic tubing and a thin plastic tube. I create a seal with my hand and suck on the tube without my mouth touching it. I've used my mouth loads of times and not an infected batch yet. I'm not saying this is good practice but theres no need to spend much on this side of things.

 

[Grimsawyer]

I just use a piece of plastic tubing and a thin plastic tube. I create a seal with my hand and suck on the tube without my mouth touching it. I've used my mouth loads of times and not an infected batch yet. I'm not saying this is good practice but theres no need to spend much on this side of things.

This is true. No need at all. Auto-Siphons ROCK THOUGH!!!! :rockin: You should blow $10 on one, seriously. The inventor of this item (wish they were related, lol) should be rich off of this invention! Thought about blowing some money on a hydrometer thief, diddn't seem like a good investment to me. Just use a turkey baster to pull the liquid up, then deposit it into the hydrometer tube. I'm sure someone with the same feelings I have about my auto-siphon with their hydrometer thief will say I'm crazy for not getting one. I don't have problems getting samples. I, however, get annoyed with creating siphons... Time consuming, problematic, annoying. Pull up, push down... oh, so wonderful the invention of the auto-siphon!

 

[kornkob]

If you have an autosiphon, you can use that in place of the turkey baster to snag a sample.

Another thing an autosiphon does better: if you make a mistake and manage to stop the siphon, restarting the siphon is as simple as it gets. Just pull the plunger again and you're off.

 

[cweston]

Count me in the "$10 incredibly well spent" camp on the auto siphon.

Sure, you can do without it, but it's a tremendously convenient gadget for not very much money. No-brainer, IMHO.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I used a siphon for my first batch and started it with a sanitized turkey baster (3/8" hose fit perfectly on the end). Then I found these plastic carboys for sale at Williams Brewing. They're made to protect against the "plastic" taste that standard water cooler jugs can impart, and they come with a spigot! No more siphoning.

You can buy them online here. No, I don't work for the company...I just really liked these carboys.

 

[EdWort]

The PET Better Bottles ROCK! I sold all my glass carboys and switched over. They are easy to clean & sanitize. I use a solid #10 stopper and shake it all around to rinse.

It makes a difference when hefting a 6 gallon full of cider.