Using an Auto Siphon as a Wine Thief

[KendallAdkins]

I know this has been talked about on here, but no one (from what i can find) has said how you do this without starting a siphon and making a mess.

So, how do I use the auto siphon without actually starting a flow. I have a 3 gallon batch in a 5 gallon carboy. I'm going to move to a 3 gallon for further conditioning whenever fermentation is over so I can reduce the headspace. But I can't use a turkey baster for now because the beer is too far down.

Tips?

 

[Cbaddad]

Take the siphoning tube out of the auto-siphon and just use the outside tube. Push it up and down in the wort to collect sample. The only trouble is you have to pour it very quickly out the top because there is no release on the bottom like the wine thief if you are collecting the sample. You have to pour quickly because the little flap holding the liquid in at the bottom will tilt and you turn it horizontally to pour it out. The result will be it coming out both ends if you don't pour fast. Try in a bucket of water first. Lastly, get a true wine thief. It is such a great product and isn't that much. Hope that helps.