# Transferring beer from fermenter to Keg



## patty (28/9/13)

g'day Brewers

I am interested to know what most of you use to transfer fermented beer to kegs, lately I've been using a jiggle syphon (bought it super cheap auto) and it seems to work well, basically all it is is a 1 inch tube with a pressed copper collar on one end that "houses a marble and spring ,but I've noticed the spring is starting to rust and obviously I don't want any of those nasties getting into my brew.

What do you guys use as I have tried another type of syphon before but the pump canister split, maybe an inline pump would be good?

Any ideas?


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## barls (28/9/13)

i use a plastic hose attached to the tap or a racking cane with hose on it on those that dont have taps.


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## manticle (28/9/13)

Cube tap - silicon hose - keg.


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## QldKev (28/9/13)

fermenter tap, Silicone hose, irrigation filter, keg


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## Black n Tan (28/9/13)

QldKev said:


> fermenter tap, Silicone hose, irrigation filter, keg


what is an irrigation filter and what does it do for you?


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## QldKev (28/9/13)

Black n Tan said:


> what is an irrigation filter and what does it do for you?


One of these, it stops any hop debris getting through into the keg clogging the posts/tap.


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## woodwormm (28/9/13)

Used my little brown pump for the first time to transfer this week....hand injury means Icant lift 50 l for a while... was so easy but not sure if I oxidated my beer too much yet


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## gordo_t (28/9/13)

yep, just silcone hose on the end of the tap, straight into keg.


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## PeteQ (28/9/13)

Auto siphon to keg

This works with my 'VB can' fermenting fridge as I can't fit a tap on my bunnings fermenter


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## thedragon (28/9/13)

Fermenter tap, silicone hose and gravity. 

I just turn on the tap and wait. 

In the past I used a 1 micron filter, however I haven't bothered for the past few months.


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## CONNOR BREWARE (28/9/13)

Fermenter tap, silicone tube to Keg.

Keg gets filled with CO2 and burped, then lid off and the silicone tube dropped to the bottom. My theory is the heavy CO2 caps the beer protecting it from oxygen in the air. Overkill? Maybe...


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## The Village Idiot (28/9/13)

QldKev said:


> One of these, it stops any hop debris getting through into the keg clogging the posts/tap.


Is that re-usable filter??? Mesh inside??


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## TidalPete (28/9/13)

The Village Idiot said:


> Is that re-usable filter??? Mesh inside??


Why would you bother using one of those filters (sorry Kev) when all you need to do before draining to keg is to ditch the first few 100 ml to get rid of the gunk around the outlet after cold crashing (recommended  )?
FWIW I've used plain (sanitised) nylon tubing from the local hardware shop when draining to fermenter ever since starting home brewing in the '90's with no noticeable adverse results. Overkill can be a contagious disease I reckon.


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## nathan_madness (28/9/13)

Silicon hose, suck to start siphon and then rinse the end in sanitiser then drop it in the keg being purged with co2.

I use glass demijons as my secondary so not too many tap options.


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## TidalPete (29/9/13)

Glass demijohns are really a topic for another thread although I'm reliably informed that they DO make a noticeable difference post fermentation as no O2 is slowly forced into the wort as per the inclation of any food-grade plastic fermenter. 
If you've got the $$$'s to spare then perhaps a ss fermenter will resolve your plastic fermenter hassles once & for all. No affiliation with The Bay whatsoever. 

OP --- Am responding to your post as best I can & say to you that overkill is a waste of time & money as per my Post 13.
There seem to be lots of overkill threads on this forum that give you good advice on how to waste your dollars but good luck to them & each to his own. :icon_cheers:
I transfer my fermented wort via gravity into a cleaned, empty & sanitised keg, taking care not to oxidise the fermented beer when transferring to keg via the nylon tubing.
I then seal the (filled) keg, purge with CO2 & Bob's your uncle. 
Too Easy!


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## nosco (27/6/17)

To revive an old thread. Ive always used vinyl hose to transfer beer but Ive had a few, but not all, bad batches lately. So in an effort to pin point the cause Ive order some silicone hose. So instead of having to use new vinyl hose alot (which I should have done more often) Im thinking I can use silicone and boil it before use. Anyone else use silicone hose for transfer to keg?


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## mtb (27/6/17)

Yep silicone is all I use for hosing. I have a KegKing MKII Pump which I use to recirculate wort close to flameout to sanitise, and during the whirlpool for chill effectiveness (using that and the immersion chiller knocks my chill-to-pitch time down to 20min). This also sanitises the hose at the same time; when I want to transfer to the fermenter, I just move the hose into it and run the pump again.


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## QldKev (28/6/17)

nosco said:


> To revive an old thread. Ive always used vinyl hose to transfer beer but Ive had a few, but not all, bad batches lately. So in an effort to pin point the cause Ive order some silicone hose. So instead of having to use new vinyl hose alot (which I should have done more often) Im thinking I can use silicone and boil it before use. Anyone else use silicone hose for transfer to keg?



I've used the same piece of silicone hose for kegging since about 2009. I don't boil it, I just rinse with fresh water and then spray it with starsan inside and out.


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## RdeVjun (28/6/17)

Same as QldKev, silicone tubing. Reserve a length just for this purpose and it should serve for years.


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## Bribie G (28/6/17)

Moi aussi.

I'm going to experiment with a low oxygen method with my latest lager. Fill keg with CO2 by expelling a keg of water, then quickly remove the lid and clingwrap it. Poke hose through clingwrap.

The following lager will be fermented in a cornie with spunding valve so I'll do the full Nazi transfer method under pressure, but interesting in seeing what happens with the poke procedure.


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## Grott (28/6/17)

Silicon hose is the go, I push water through it from the tap as soon as I've finished the transfer so the beer doesn't dry in it. Starsan before next use.


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## fletcher (28/6/17)

same as rdevjun and kev. cut a piece of silicon hose purely for this purpose. I've been using the same one for 2 years. a rinse, a spray with starsan and it's great.


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## S.E (28/6/17)

Bribie G said:


> Moi aussi.
> 
> I'm going to experiment with a low oxygen method with my latest lager. Fill keg with CO2 by expelling a keg of water, then quickly remove the lid and clingwrap it. Poke hose through clingwrap.
> 
> The following lager will be fermented in a cornie with spunding valve so I'll do the full Nazi transfer method under pressure, but interesting in seeing what happens with the poke procedure.



Instead of the poke procedure wouldn’t you be better off connecting between the liquid posts and transferring through the dip tubes with a blow off attached to the gas post on the keg you are filling?

That way no need to open the keg and let any 02 in.

Edit: Not C02 in C02 out or air in.


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## Benn (28/6/17)

I've been fermenting in glass carboys lately.
Grain & grape sold me this: http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/products/category/search/7CARBOY HOOD--better-bottle-carboy-hood plus a polycarbonate racking cane and a couple of small miscellaneous bits & pieces that go together so that I use a Co2 cylinder/regulator to apply light pressure to the the Carboy which pushes the beer out of via the racking cane. The keg, transfer lines etc. all get purged with Co2 prior to transfer.
Works pretty well so far.


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## Bribie G (28/6/17)

S.E said:


> Instead of the poke procedure wouldn’t you be better off connecting between the liquid posts and transferring through the dip tubes with a blow off attached to the gas post on the keg you are filling?
> 
> That way no need to open the keg and let any 02 in.
> 
> Edit: Not C02 in C02 out or air in.


That's what I'll be doing with my next brew. Current brew is in a brew bucket.


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## S.E (28/6/17)

Bribie G said:


> That's what I'll be doing with my next brew. Current brew is in a brew bucket.



Ah ok, just re read your post. You can still fill the keg through the dip this time, just gravity instead of pressure.


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