28 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

..Ken, I wouldn't say appalled. I'm just surprised that it works for so many people. I've been using an auto siphon but lately I switched to a racking cane and tubing. I'll normally use iodine to start the siphon.

JayB: I agree with you about being surprised it works for people. When you think about it, it really IS appalling that anyone would do this and get away with it. But there must be something about the Lake Michigan water that allows it. I do know some people who brew with well water and would never consider this. I may try another autosiphon, but until I see a reason to switch I'll probably stick with it.

[gnef]

I had an autosiphon till I broke it. I then used plastic racking canes I had until I went with a stainless racking cane. I use a turkey baster with the bulb taken off, and I just inhale to initiate the siphon, pinch the tube, remove the turkey baster, and put into the keg.I try using CO2 for a while, but didn't get good seals on my buckets, so I felt like I was wasting a lot of CO2, and just went back to regular racking. If I upgrade to conicals or something that can seal better for me, I may give CO2 racking a chance again.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I have tried this method in the past and I never get it to work. I feel dumb! Tried from a carboy a few times and last time was from a 7g barrel. It would get close to the top and just fall back. Damn, my turkey baster does not have enough suck!

ahhh - that's why I take the bulb off and use my lungs to produce the sucking power.

[MakeMeHoppy]

Autosiphon for all transfers. I also use the autosiphon to take gravity samples before hooking up the tubing by just doing a couple pumps to fill my hydrometer test vile.

[Stout_fan]

Maybe I'm dense here, but how do you break an autosiphon?Smash the hell out of it off center when you are at the start of a stroke?I store the two parts disassembled. That way the seal doesn't conform to the cylinder and lose prime.I also soak both sections in a 5 gal bucket of StarSan. That makes it slippery.And if I'm off center, take the time to align the halves.But for my 95% of brewing it is pumped from the BK through the CFWC down 35' of tubing to the ferminator in my wine cellar.From there, it's the racking port into kegs.Personally, I love my autosiphon. Although it is a bit short on those 17 gal demijohns I use for wine.

[ScottS]

Maybe I'm dense here, but how do you break an autosiphon?I store the two parts disassembled. That way the seal doesn't conform to the cylinder and lose prime.

I stored mine disassembled too, and it still lost it's seal within a couple months.

[Big Nake]

Maybe I'm dense here, but how do you break an autosiphon?Smash the hell out of it off center when you are at the start of a stroke?I store the two parts disassembled. That way the seal doesn't conform to the cylinder and lose prime.I also soak both sections in a 5 gal bucket of StarSan. That makes it slippery.And if I'm off center, take the time to align the halves.But for my 95% of brewing it is pumped from the BK through the CFWC down 35' of tubing to the ferminator in my wine cellar.From there, it's the racking port into kegs.Personally, I love my autosiphon. Although it is a bit short on those 17 gal demijohns I use for wine.

When I'm done brewing, I put all of my equipment into my MT (a cylindrical cooler) and all of my equipment is fine in there except the overly fragile autosiphon. I noticed that the plastic on my autosiphon had a thousand little hairline cracks in it as if it was getting brittle or something. It was in the MT and probably made contact with an O2 cylinder or a bottle of Starsan (something heavy) and it cracked. The other one rolled off the island in my kitchen and cracked once it hit the floor. Clearly, this is my fault... I'm not suggesting otherwise. But I still have the original hydrometer that I got with my beginner's kit in 1999. I also have a 10-year old glass starter flask so I am a relatively careful person. These things just don't seem to be made very well. Again, I like the operation of it and I've always gotten it to work well... until they broke.

[Jimmy James]

Ken, I found a nice upgrade to be the B3 stainless racking cane and sterile siphon starter setup - I used to do same as you and fill the tube/cane with tap water but the fifteen bucks I spent on the B3 setup was about the best small purchase I've made in my brewery. I reviewed it here: https://www.brews-br...tarter-from-b3/

[jammer]

Just the opposite from some of you guys. I broke 2 cheap racking canes then bought an autosiphon and never looked back.