Yes, siphoning literally sucks

[Nodak_Brewer]

Today I changed everything. My autosiphons are put away for good. My "T" siphon is ornery and banished. The "fill hose with water" approach dilutes my 1 gal batches too much, so it's also out. What's left? Well, I took a nice swig of Svedka and decided to do an old fashioned.

In all seriousness, I have found that simply siphoning with the mouth is risky, as the outside of the hose is definitely contaminated. However, I find that it's very easy to ensure sanitation, even using the mouth. Just suck liquid into the hose while standing with its end above the liquid level and racking cane submerged, then quickly cover the end with your thumb once plenty of liquid is in the hose. Then place the end of the hose into a bowl of StarSan (above the liquid being racked level), thumb still covering the end, then remove your thumb once it's totally submerged. The vacuum will draw some sanitizer into the end as well as sanitize the area where your mouth was, pretty much eliminating the possibility of mouth contamination (hopefully). You can then lower the hose into the liquid's destination, free of worry or a care in the world.

I know there is an abundance of threads about siphoning on here, but I just wanted to post my experience. And after practicing with water (but real vodka) for an hour, it's a piece of cake.

 

[BargainFittings]

Good post.

I've used all the techniques including the one you just described. They all suck.

Starting a siphon by pulling a vacuum with a shop vac or using c02 to push liquids usually wins with me nowdays.

 

[jwelch1103]

+1 to using low pressure CO2 to start the transfer when using carboys, etc.

 

[kh54s10]

My autosiphons are indispensable in my equipment inventory. They are so super easy to use I don't know why people resort to sucking on a tube then attempting to sanitize it.

 

[bbohanon]

I wont lie..I think autosiphons are a godsend to homebrewers..with that said, I also have a love/hate relationship w/them as I have had my fair share of beer going everywhere post x-fer.

I am fixing to move to a 15.5 Sanke fermenter with Bobbys Sanke rig for my 10 gallon batches so I dont have to siphon ever again (plus it exposes the beer to much less oxygen during xfer)..Its all going to get moved via CO2 from fermenter to keg from here on out.

 

[Kent88]

When I started brewing my brother-in-law told me about a time that he tried starting the siphon by mouth and ended up with gysers when he started opening the bottles. Contaminated. I'll never try that unless I'm stranded on an island and a few extract kits with all the kettles, fermenters, sanitizers, and utensils (minus siphons) manage to make it on there with me. Then I'll be asking myself "how did I get in this situation?"

 

[jleiii]

I wont lie..I think autosiphons are a godsend to homebrewers..with that said, I also have a love/hate relationship w/them as I have had my fair share of beer going everywhere post x-fer.

I'm of the same opinion here. I rarely have an issue with transferring but always seem to make a mess post x-fer. The best solution I've found is to leave it in the <insert your vessel here> and take it to the sink where the inevitable spill/splash/drops can be contained. For me the vessel has always been a carboy, but a 5 gal barrel transfer is pending.
I already made a mess with the autosiphon and with the barrel getting a large sample to carbonate and taste test. It's not convenient to carry it to the sink....

 

[bjhbrew]

Lately I've just been taking the casing of a ballpoint pen with the insides removed, sticking the tapered end into my racking hose and sucking on the pen to start the siphon and then pulling the pen away. Does this seem like a sanitary practice? No issues yet it seems.

 

[kh54s10]

Lately I've just been taking the casing of a ballpoint pen with the insides removed, sticking the tapered end into my racking hose and sucking on the pen to start the siphon and then pulling the pen away. Does this seem like a sanitary practice? No issues yet it seems.

If you are sanitizing the pen casing. Do not handle the tubing when inserting and removing the casing.... Maybe it is sanitary.

Seems like a lot of trouble to me.

 

[schatzke]

I love my autosiphon. It has racked over 200 gal of beer so far and I don't know what I would do without it.

 

[AkTom]

Well... actually... not to be a tool... and that's just for starters... ;-) you all are going to get tired of me telling you about my All in One vacuum pump No more siphoning ( which never bothered me ). Way more importantly is no more lifting. You could say I don't suck anymore.
Cheers

 

[kh54s10]

I love my autosiphon. It has racked over 200 gal of beer so far and I don't know what I would do without it.

Over 450 gallons of beer and another 100? of wine. The first one developed hairline cracks at the bend of the cane. I am on my second.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

I think I've bought 4 of these now. I'm done with them. Never again.

Silicone tubing + stainless barbed T+Hose clamp. All sterilizable. I did back the "pro brewers siphon" if it ever decides to finish production.

 

[Sadu]

I use something similar to the ballpoint pen method. I have a plastic tube which fits over the end of the hose. This gets sanitised, I suck through the fitting then hold it in my teeth and remove it from the tube. Pinch the tube to pause the flow, then place into the vessel. Works a treat, no sanitation concerns.

 

[chudsonvt]

I use the "fill hose with water" method except with one step cleaner/sanitizer (a star san solution or other no rinse would work too). But I don't let it go into the target vessel. I keep a pint glass or ball jar next to the target vessel, let that drain out of the hose and then plug with my thumb as soon as I get the smallest amount of beer out. Then I move to the target vessel. I also make sure that my hands have a "healthy" amount of time exposed to the sanitizer as to avoid contamination. Works great for me.