What does every one use for racking?

sam · Post by **sam** » Friday Jan 19, 2007 7:12 pm

JUst about to rack my beer, and got me thinking, what does everyone use for thie process, i just have a piece of tubing and suck the end, i know its unsanitary but no problems as of it..Any better suggestions as well?

lethaldog · Post by **lethaldog** » Friday Jan 19, 2007 7:14 pm

Get a peice of tube that fits in your fermenter tap and attach a hose long enough to reach the bottom of your secondary, turn the tap on and the rest is history

sam · Post by **sam** » Friday Jan 19, 2007 7:16 pm

so simple yet so genoius, why didn't i think of that..

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Friday Jan 19, 2007 11:08 pm

Don't suck the end! Infection for sure. The human mouth has a veritable menagerie of beasties living in it that will kill any brew. If you really want to syphon, submerge the tube, stick you thumb over the end then draw it out below the level of the bottom of the vessel.

Or yes, get some food grade PVC tube from your HBS. Get the one that fits inside the tap, not outside.

blandy · Post by **blandy** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 7:31 am

I use a racking cane and hose I got from Grain and Grape. The cane has a special nozzle on the end so that it suck only the beer and not the sediment.

As for siphoning, I gargle some listerine befor I get it going. Someone at the Brewcraft shop reccommended it. Since the stuff is alcoholic by this stage, the listerine should be enough to minimise the risk of infection (in my oppinion anyway). I've done this for 8 batches and have not had a problem with any of them.

SpillsMostOfIt · Post by **SpillsMostOfIt** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 7:34 am

Dexion. In a pinch, Brownbuilt.

Sorry.

geoffclifton · Post by **geoffclifton** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 9:13 am

With a tap on primary and secondry, P higher up than S, put the hose on P tap with the end held high and lower to fill. Put hose on S tap. Lean S forward and open tap, wait untill tap hole is well covered before placing level.

That's decanting tap to tap with no risk of bubbles and a good bulk prime mix.

Cheers, Geoff.

chris. · Post by **chris.** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 9:23 am

SpillsMostOfIt wrote:Dexion. In a pinch, Brownbuilt.

Sorry.

Both are cheap inferior options

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 10:02 am

I sit primary on cupboard secondary on floor, use hose to reach bottom, just turn on and leave, gravity takes care of the rest.

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 11:06 am

I sit primary on cupboard secondary on floor, use hose to reach bottom, just turn on and leave, gravity takes care of the rest.

I go one step further - Leave secondary tap open so beer empties onto floor. Saves time when it comes to bottling/drinking.

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 11:08 am

Haha....yep, done that!

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 1:13 pm

Any of you guys who have a keg ever blown the secondary fermenter out with CO2 first?

Schooner · Post by **Schooner** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 9:50 pm

Ash wrote:Any of you guys who have a keg ever blown the secondary fermenter out with CO2 first?

Have never found the need for doing this as CO2 is heavier than air and will follow your brew down as the fermenter empties, to blow some CO2 in the keg before you fill it might make a difference but I have never bothered with this and have never had a problem.

About sucking on a tube for siphoning I have done this many times without any problems, hey we are not having sex with the tube - just sucking on it.
And if you are really worried about it then just get a short piece that fits over your primary racking tube - say a couple centimeters so you can start the siphon and pull it off to drop it into the keg/connecting to the little bottler.

OldBugman · Post by **OldBugman** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 10:11 pm

i picked up an auto spyhon from the brew show today for $14

worked a treat for getting my wort out of my brew pot.

Cortez The Killer · Monday Jan 22, 2007 9:11 am

I've got pics here of the racking process

http://hyperfox.info/webalbum01/index.html

Cheers

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Monday Jan 22, 2007 10:31 am

rwh - i love seeing the words veritable and menagerie used and in the same sentence - all class!

Cortez's pics show the same method i use - gravity is your friend!

I bulk prime so rack to a second vessel using that method. Couldnt be simpler! Why would you suck the tube?

Cheers
DrSmurto

Schooner · Post by **Schooner** » Monday Jan 22, 2007 4:25 pm

drsmurto wrote:Why would you suck the tube?

for fermenting containers without a tap that have a stainless steel tube mounted to the proper depth for a clean siphon- that are connected to a plastic tube.

buscador · Post by **buscador** » Monday Jan 22, 2007 4:33 pm

or for fermenters w/ a tap
looks to me that gravity does the best job, no?
b

Schooner · Post by **Schooner** » Monday Jan 22, 2007 8:11 pm

buscador wrote:or for fermenters w/ a tap
looks to me that gravity does the best job, no?
b

without a doubt

Swifty · Post by **Swifty** » Monday Jan 22, 2007 9:57 pm

chris. wrote:
SpillsMostOfIt wrote:Dexion. In a pinch, Brownbuilt.

Sorry.
Both are cheap inferior options

Colby is the only way to go

I always get about 15L flow really easy when racking with tube using gravity and then have trouble with the last 8L or so. It's really slow and takes age's, is this common or am I doing something wrong??