Starting siphon with racking cane

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by GardenWaters, Oct 16, 2013.

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  1. GardenWaters

    GardenWaters Initiate (0) Jan 8, 2012 Illinois

    I have a stainless steel racking cane fitted with a carboy hood. Normally, I attach a 0.023 micron sanitary air filter to the smaller outlet of the carboy hood and blow into it to start the siphon. I usually buy a new air filter each time I plan on siphoning my beer from one vessel to another, then toss it after each use. I'm tired of throwing money away every time I transfer my beer, so is there another easy way to start a siphon? Or would I just be better of buying an auto-siphon? On a certain home-brewing supply website, they show a video of a guy demonstrating how to siphon using a racking cane by blowing directly into the carboy hood without any air filter in place (not that I personally would try that). Any thoughts?
     
    #1 GardenWaters, Oct 16, 2013
  2. angrygrimace

    angrygrimace Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2011 California

    Take a swig of Everclear before you blow into it. :wink:

    No, really, do people not just start siphons the normal way anymore? It isn't hard at all, it just requires a very small amount of water and manual dexterity - just make a loop in the tubing, pour some water in and then point the hose into the new container. The water coming out out of the tubing will start the siphon. Ask any person who's been homebrewing for a decade or so - none of them even had other option to start a siphon. Well, other than sucking on it which I've had many older homebrewers tell me was their last ditch option with, you guessed it, a swig of Vodka.

    That said, if new equipment is your bag, an auto-siphon is much easier and more convenient - I use them for everything from siphoning straight from the boil kettle, to carboys to kegs.
     
    #2 angrygrimace, Oct 16, 2013
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  3. Paramecium

    Paramecium Initiate (0) Jun 23, 2010 California

    I do as angry said, fill the hose with sanitizer and start the siphon into a tupperware. Oncethe sanitizer is flushed out by beer I put the hose in the keg or secondary.
     
    #3 Paramecium, Oct 16, 2013
  4. jsullivan02130

    jsullivan02130 Devotee (341) Mar 28, 2007 Massachusetts

    Get an auto-siphon. You'll be glad you did.
     
    #4 jsullivan02130, Oct 16, 2013
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  5. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    #5 inchrisin, Oct 16, 2013
  6. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Hook your CO2 up to the carboy cap instead and just barely turn it on. Works great. If you don't have a CO2 tank yet, look on Craigslist and grab one. Works great for purging the bottling bucket, force racking beers sitting on the ground into a bucket (or keg) or secondary sitting on the ground right next to the carboy (no moving the beer to a higher location which rouses all that settled yeast back into suspension). You can also flush secondary for extended bulk aging big beers, lagers, sours, etc.
     
    #6 jbakajust1, Oct 16, 2013
    GardenWaters and bs870621345 like this.
  7. WeaponTheyFear

    WeaponTheyFear Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 Connecticut

    I'm not sure why you are throwing the air filter away after one use. I siphon the way you described all the time and have used the same air filter multiple times without ever getting an infection.
     
    #7 WeaponTheyFear, Oct 17, 2013
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