I just got an auto-siphon...

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Nice, huh?

(if you ever get an Allinonewinepump, your mind will be blown)

My kit came with the auto-sipohon, but after reading here. I bought the pump before I even got a chance to use the auto-siphon. That said, I've siphoned other things before which is why I took the AIO plunge so quickly.
 
Nice, huh?

(if you ever get an Allinonewinepump, your mind will be blown)

LOL, I'm not sure I can handle any more mind blowing products for a few weeks. The All in One Wine Pump kind of goes against my K.I.S.S. mentality with it comes to wine making, but it does seem to be a very popular and useful product. Maybe once my mind gets back to normal from being tickled (not quite blown) by the auto-siphon, I'll consider one.
 
Auto-Siphons suck!
smilie.gif
 
LOL, I'm not sure I can handle any more mind blowing products for a few weeks. The All in One Wine Pump kind of goes against my K.I.S.S. mentality with it comes to wine making, but it does seem to be a very popular and useful product. Maybe once my mind gets back to normal from being tickled (not quite blown) by the auto-siphon, I'll consider one.

Man, I know exactly where your head is at! It is in the wrong place...that AIO pump will fix your mind much faster than any shrink can! If you think the auto siphon is cool...well, remember Fred Flintstone's car? Fred's car vs a Cadillac...you're in the stone age!:h

I thought the same way, I really did. Some things are truly worth the money because they just work better. I bottled 15 gallons this week end...the pump and the big red floor corker...I still had time for 2 hour nap!
 
LOL, I'm not sure I can handle any more mind blowing products for a few weeks. The All in One Wine Pump kind of goes against my K.I.S.S. mentality with it comes to wine making, but it does seem to be a very popular and useful product. Maybe once my mind gets back to normal from being tickled (not quite blown) by the auto-siphon, I'll consider one.

Nothing makes winemaking much more K.I.S.S. than that pump. Seriously. But it is an investment and I get that. Absolutely, positively great ROI though.
 
If you bought the small one, it is great for transferring the juice from the bag to the primary. The small one fits through the hole. The large one is too big.
 
Pittsburgh, One of the advantages of a vacuum pump, quite apart from making degassing a simple task, is that it allows you to make your wine without the need to move and lift 50 lbs of glass carboys to enable gravity to transfer the wine from one carboy to the other when racking. So if the issue is KISS then a pump makes life far less complicated, prevents injuries to your back, and helps reduce the risk of broken glass and lost wine... Just sayin'...
 
Okay, okay! I got it. As soon as I come back from vacation, I'll order an all-in-one wine pump. Sheesh, yinz guys are brutal. LOL
 
I use this orange carboy cap. You can slide the racking can inside and blow gently into the secondary port starting the siphon easily.

orange-carboy-cap-2.jpg
 
Ok, I've spent several days now sitting on an isolated beach contemplating many of my life's most important decisions. One near the very top of the list is whether or not to purchase an All-In-One wine pump. By all accounts its a tremendous product that is a great work and time saver.

As the waves rolled in and out I thought what could be bad about that? I pondered if this were my business, I would have one, not a second thought. But its not my business, its my hobby.

Which, led me down the road of another question...why do I engage in hobbies? Easy, its something that I do to spend quality time with family, the whole endeavor is supposed to be enjoyed. The work, the time and the effort are all meant to provide pleasure and escape from the daily stress of life. The wine that happens to come out of it is strictly a bonus. Am I on the right track, here?

So, based on that line of thinking, I asked myself why would I want to buy something that would reduce the amount of time spent and effort involved in my hobby? These are the very things that I enjoy doing, why would I try to minimize them?

Now, if its something that can produce a better end result, I would definitely consider buying it. But I'm reluctant to buy anything that simply makes the process "easier". I suppose one could say the auto-siphon just makes things easier, and that's a good point. But, I do see how it can reduce the chances for contamination, thereby potentially producing better results. And, it was only ten bucks. LOL

So, after long and careful deliberation over many glasses of great wine produced through copious amounts of greatly enjoyed time and labor, I've come to the conclusion that I won't be purchasing an All-In-One wine pump. I feel it goes against my hobbyist philosophy.

Pretty deep, huh?
 
Which, led me down the road of another question...why do I engage in hobbies? Easy, its something that I do to spend quality time with family, the whole endeavor is supposed to be enjoyed. The work, the time and the effort are all meant to provide pleasure and escape from the daily stress of life. The wine that happens to come out of it is strictly a bonus. Am I on the right track, here?

So, based on that line of thinking, I asked myself why would I want to buy something that would reduce the amount of time spent and effort involved in my hobby? These are the very things that I enjoy doing, why would I try to minimize them?

Now, if its something that can produce a better end result, I would definitely consider buying it. But I'm reluctant to buy anything that simply makes the process "easier".

The AIO minimizes (a lot) how much contact the wine has to air when racking. Ditto on degassing. The AIO Headspace eliminator is another good widget you an use when you have an AIO. The bottling experience is also much improved over non-mechanized options.

Having the right tool for the job enhances the hobby experience. When gardening, you can do a lot with a hand shovel and bucket. Having a foot shovel, wheel barrow, watering cam, etc. makes the hobby a lot nicer. Work smart.

You will have a similar issue with corkers. A $10 corker you use with a hammer, or $100 for a floor corker. You can eventually accomplish the same thing. One will take a lot less effort.

Quality vs quantity. The time you do spend will be much more pleasant.
 
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While I disagree with your conclusion, it seems you've thought it through. ;)

Go with the auto siphon for a few batches. See what you like and don't like about it. You may be perfectly happy with it. I started with one and thought it was pretty good. During my first year of winemaking, I could get almost two high end kits for the cost of the pump, so I focused my resources there to get my inventory up. But the ease of transfers, not having to move a carboy to rack (to raise it up, and in turn stirring up sediment); and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to bottle while standing at a counter instead of kneeling/squatting, led me to buy the AI1. Oh, and there's also the degassing while racking benefit.

(Steve: do I get a commission for this sale? :) )
 
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Pittsburgh....Go for it, it is your hobby and your way will work.

NOW...after of months of clearing time, you rack your wine to be bottled. In the process, you stir up the sediment and suck some up into your bottling bucket, which of course finds it's way into your bottle....along with some CO2 gas that you "thought" was completely gone after months of sitting in a carboy. A week or so after bottling you notice a light dusting of crap at the bottom of your bottles and a slight CO2 bite in your new wine. I just want you to know, when that happens, I will not be the one that said I told you so.....not that I would not want too! But, I have been there and done that myself.

As a side note....a lot of stuff that makes perfect sense sitting on a sandy beach, just doesn't work back in the real world. ( just yanking your chain).
 

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