# Auto-easy Syphon



## reviled (1/9/08)

Hey guys,

Im having major issues with my auto easy syphons crapping out on me, the little round bit which acts as a valve keeps popping out cos of the heat, and then I cant get it back in.. Ive been taking it back to the shop and getting it replaced but its just happened to me for the third time <_< And its seriously getting really annoying!!!

Im no chilling, I leave the wort about 30-45 mins after the boil before I start to syphon, but it keeps happening :angry: 

What are you guys using as a syphon? How long are you leaving the wort to cool for? Anyone else had this problem? Dont suppose anyone has a handy idea of clipping this thing back in?

Cheers


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## stowaway (1/9/08)

reviled said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> Im having major issues with my auto easy syphons crapping out on me, the little round bit which acts as a valve keeps popping out cos of the heat, and then I cant get it back in.. Ive been taking it back to the shop and getting it replaced but its just happened to me for the third time <_< And its seriously getting really annoying!!!
> 
> ...



I have just been putting a lid on my pot and "Sealing" it with glad wrap, leaving it 24 hours then using my easy siphon to put into the fermenter. add the yeast and away it goes.


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## reviled (1/9/08)

stowaway said:


> I have just been putting a lid on my pot and "Sealing" it with glad wrap, leaving it 24 hours then using my easy siphon to put into the fermenter. add the yeast and away it goes.



My pot lid isnt the best, as in its really not air tight, but I guess you could make up for it by using the gladwrap? If I no chilled in the pot I wouldnt even need a syphon.... Hmmm, could be an idea...

How long you been doing this for? Any bad effects from it?


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## stowaway (1/9/08)

reviled said:


> My pot lid isnt the best, as in its really not air tight, but I guess you could make up for it by using the gladwrap? If I no chilled in the pot I wouldnt even need a syphon.... Hmmm, could be an idea...
> 
> How long you been doing this for? Any bad effects from it?




Im only new to AG. ive doen it on 2 brews so far. but havent tasted the FINISHED result.. I have tasted some in the test tube and it tastes perfect so far.

Also I started doing it after people from this forum told me it would be okay. 

Ask me on sunday and ill be able to tell you how my first one with this method tastes


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## reviled (1/9/08)

So what does everyone else do with their syphons?


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## Adamt (1/9/08)

This is why most people have valves installed on their kettles.


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## reviled (1/9/08)

Adamt said:


> This is why most people have valves installed on their kettles.



Hmm, that seems like a really good idea, only problem is the only person I know who could do that for me lives an 8 hour drive away <_< 

What would you suggest as a valve? Type? Where to get etc?


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## Adamt (1/9/08)

First of all, how big is it? Stainless/Aluminium?

If Aluminium I'd bore a hole fit a brass-based ball valve in, if stainless I'd get it welded in. I'm a bit of a tool-tard; I get beerbelly to do all my work


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## reviled (1/9/08)

Adamt said:


> First of all, how big is it? Stainless/Aluminium?
> 
> If Aluminium I'd bore a hole fit a brass-based ball valve in, if stainless I'd get it welded in. I'm a bit of a tool-tard; I get beerbelly to do all my work



Its made of stainless, so where would I get a stainless tap from?

And yeah, im a tooltard as well, id have to find someone to do it for me... Hmmm :huh:


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## Adamt (1/9/08)

Ahhh you're in Nu Zullend. Good luck with that!


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## apd (1/9/08)

reviled said:


> So what does everyone else do with their syphons?



I use a racking cane and a 2m length of silicone hose. Bit fiddly to get the syphon started but I've got it down to a fine art now. Certainly no issues with heat for stainless steal and silicone.

Andrew


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## reviled (1/9/08)

apd said:


> I use a racking cane and a 2m length of silicone hose. Bit fiddly to get the syphon started but I've got it down to a fine art now. Certainly no issues with heat for stainless steal and silicone.
> 
> Andrew



But the syphons not made out of silicone, no issues with your racking cane? Or do you not submerge the racking cane in the wort?


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## reviled (1/9/08)

Adamt said:


> Ahhh you're in Nu Zullend. Good luck with that!




Sucks aye <_< :angry:


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## sinkas (1/9/08)

If you have a shop that sells a auto siphon,.surely they sell a tap conversion?
If not buy one from one of the site sponsors,

ALternatively just let the wort cool down


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## reviled (1/9/08)

sinkas said:


> If you have a shop that sells a auto siphon,.surely they sell a tap conversion?
> If not buy one from one of the site sponsors,
> 
> ALternatively just let the wort cool down



Mate, our country is crap in regards to home brew stuff aye, like, hardly anything is available over here <_< 

I just rung up the lhbs and got an earfull about "use your wort chiller, dont no chill youre asking for problems etc etc"

Shit, some people just dont accept new practices aye, or even listen to reason


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## sinkas (1/9/08)

As suggested, just gladwrap it, with chilly kiwi wind it should be cool enough too rack in a few hours. I leave mine overnight, and all is good


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## reviled (1/9/08)

sinkas said:


> As suggested, just gladwrap it, with chilly kiwi wind it should be cool enough too rack in a few hours. I leave mine overnight, and all is good



How long have you been doing that for? Any problems/infection so far?

Man, the lhbs pretty much TOLD me that if I no-chill, I WILL have an infection and I WILL need to throw out all my gear :huh: She got me a bit scared to be honest, but obviously doesnt accept new practices...


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## stowaway (1/9/08)

reviled said:


> How long have you been doing that for? Any problems/infection so far?
> 
> Man, the lhbs pretty much TOLD me that if I no-chill, I WILL have an infection and I WILL need to throw out all my gear :huh: She got me a bit scared to be honest, but obviously doesnt accept new practices...



the last 10 mins of the boil i will put my lid on the kettle. This sterilizes everything in the kettle and then i turn off the flame. let it cool down for 10mins and "seal" with glade wrap.
However i dont beleive i am getting a 100% proper seal, but i do think it is probably good enough to stop bateria getting in...

I have tasted 2 of my brews by taking the gravity and i taste no off tastes.. 

as far as throwing your equiptment away if you do get a infection. im not so sure about this either. the kettle should be reasonably easy to clean. And my friend kept getting infections in his fermenter 2 or 3 times in a row, and the LHBS man told him to throw his fermenter away. He just put pink stain in it and left it for 2 days and then used again. Everything is fine 12months later.


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## apd (1/9/08)

reviled said:


> But the syphons not made out of silicone, no issues with your racking cane? Or do you not submerge the racking cane in the wort?



The racking cane is stainless steel, see here: racking cane.

I've taken the plastic knob off the end. I jam steel wool over the end to act as a filter.


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## reviled (1/9/08)

apd said:


> The racking cane is stainless steel, see here: racking cane.
> 
> I've taken the plastic knob off the end. I jam steel wool over the end to act as a filter.




That looks interesting, how do you use that?


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## jaytee (1/9/08)

reviled said:


> Mate, our country is crap in regards to home brew stuff aye, like, hardly anything is available over here <_<



Oooo I'm not so sure about that - we certainly seem to be tops for hops B) 

Most things you need are out there - it's just a case of finding them - or improvising, like anywhere else

cheers, jaytee


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## apd (1/9/08)

reviled said:


> That looks interesting, how do you use that?



Join the the silicone hose onto the cane with a hose clamp. Put the cane into the wort (15 minutes before end of boil). Like I said, I also jam steel wool onto the bottom end of the cane as a filter. It would probably be better to filter at the other end so the syphon isn't so hard to start - maybe stretching a sanitised piece of mesh of some sort over your fermenter.

When I'm ready to syphon, I get some sanitising solution (I use iodophor) or boiled water in a small jug, a separate jug/bucket and the fermenter all under the kettle.

Holding the end of the silicone hose at about the same height as the lip of the kettle, I fill the hose with sanitiser - don't fill it so much that it flows back into your wort (although if you're using boiled water this wouldn't be a problem).

In one quick movement, drop the end of the hose down into the other jug/bucket and with the some luck, the sanitiser will suck the wort into the racking can and out through the hose - syphon started! Let it run a second or two to rinse the sanitiser. Pinch the end of the hose to stop the flow while you transfer the end of the hose to your fermenter.

Sometimes, the steel wool gets blocked with debris so I have to refill the hose to start the syphon again. Also, I have a 2m length of hose which can be a bit awkward. Maybe 1m or 1.5m would be better.

Andrew


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## ausdb (1/9/08)

The best solution is to dump the auto syphon as they are not made for syphoning boiling or near boiling liquids.

Cheap solution is to get some 3/8" or 1/2" copper tube and make yourself a racking cane. The Fancy solution is to buy a stainless racking cane and then do some googling on how to start a syphon. There is 1001 or different sites with info on how to start a syphon without sucking on the end of the tube and filling it with your mouth nasties as our american friends love syphoning from their glass carboys. Whilst silicone tubing is nice plain, beverage tubing works well enough for hot wort transfers as well.


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## reviled (3/9/08)

apd said:


> Join the the silicone hose onto the cane with a hose clamp. Put the cane into the wort (15 minutes before end of boil). Like I said, I also jam steel wool onto the bottom end of the cane as a filter. It would probably be better to filter at the other end so the syphon isn't so hard to start - maybe stretching a sanitised piece of mesh of some sort over your fermenter.
> 
> When I'm ready to syphon, I get some sanitising solution (I use iodophor) or boiled water in a small jug, a separate jug/bucket and the fermenter all under the kettle.
> 
> ...



The racking cane looks exactly like the centre piece of the auto syphon, just that the auto syphon one is plastic, but a good plastic, not one that melts easily... Maybe I should try and use that as a racking cane...

I did a brew yesterday and just ended up gladwrapping the lid, so ill see how that goes also, gonna pitch the yeast when I get home from work...


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## Pumpy (3/9/08)

reviled said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> Im having major issues with my auto easy syphons crapping out on me, the little round bit which acts as a valve keeps popping out cos of the heat, and then I cant get it back in.. Ive been taking it back to the shop and getting it replaced but its just happened to me for the third time <_< And its seriously getting really annoying!!!
> 
> ...



Reviled ,

I never had much luck with an autosyphon I think hey are a poor gimmick IMO , I mainly used for transferring from secondary fermentation into the kegs which I dont have to do now, I filter my beer into the kegs directly from the fermenter ,saves double handling etc.

However if you have to use a syphon from your kettle use a 'Jiggler syphon 'you can get them with a 'brass tip' from 'AutOne' shops .

The ball valve is far more effective than the bicycle pump type piston in the Auto syphon .

I dont know if you may require to replace the 'PVC' with the 'silicone hose' due to the high temperature you are syphoning at .


Pumpy


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## reviled (3/9/08)

Pumpy said:


> Reviled ,
> 
> I never had much luck with an autosyphon I think hey are a poor gimmick IMO , I mainly used for transferring from secondary fermentation into the kegs which I dont have to do now, I filter my beer into the kegs directly from the fermenter ,saves double handling etc.
> 
> ...



Cheers for that mate, ill look into it.. Hopefully either repco or super shit have one...


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## newguy (3/9/08)

Here are some pictures of the tap on my kettle. It's an aluminum kettle with a SS tap. I found the tap in the plumbing aisle of a home improvement store. It is threaded and screws into the thick piece welded onto the kettle.

Outside, tap open:



Outside, tap closed:



Inside:



An old neighbour of mine took care of the mounting for me. His brother in law is a machinist. It cost me one beer to get this done.  He had to weld a thick piece of aluminum to the pot because the pot itself was way too thin to simply drill a hole and screw in the tap. My advice would be to find a suitable tap, print the pictures, and take the works to a welder. Any welder can easily do something similar, probably for very little $. Notice that I had to shorten the handle on the tap in order to get it to open properly without hitting the kettle.


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## stowaway (3/9/08)

newguy said:


> Here are some pictures of the tap on my kettle. It's an aluminum kettle with a SS tap. I found the tap in the plumbing aisle of a home improvement store. It is threaded and screws into the thick piece welded onto the kettle.
> 
> Outside, tap open:
> View attachment 20971
> ...



Ive had the exact same thing done to mine.
Except i put 2 threads on it. 1 for the the tap (i just bought a tap from a plumbing shop) And 1 for my Thermometer


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## reviled (3/9/08)

Thats awesome!!! Thats so what I need... Im going shopping on fathers day  hahaha

Cheers guys


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## reviled (3/9/08)

Thats awesome!!! Thats so what I need... Im going shopping on fathers day  hahaha

Cheers guys


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