My tips on racking with Auto-Siphon

[masta]

I know many folks have issues with racking and I can tell you it takes time and experience to get good at it. While racking three batches this morning before bottling I grabbed the camera so I could share my technique and maybe it will help someone else.


These three batches I racked have been sitting for about 8-10 weeks (one with extra oak cubes) since the last racking and don't have an abundance of lees at the bottom. When you have more than a 3/8 of an inch of lees you must take extra caution when getting near the bottom.


I always use my auto-siphon when racking and the beauty of this tool is you can start a siphon with a few quick strokes and it comes in different sizes and all include a sediment tip. Trust me....this one piece of equipment is worth every cent you pay for it!


You can find all the auto-siphons here: http://www.finevinewines.com/Home-Wine-Making-Equipment-Siphons-Tubing.asp


After you start the siphon and the volume starts to drop I slowly drop the auto-siphon into the carboy and stop when it is roughly 3/4 of the way to the bottom. At this point I attach my spring clamp to the body of the auto siphon to hold it in place so I can do other things like check the forum on my laptop.

I am using my 3/8 inch auto-siphon since I broke the 1/2 inch one.

The spring loaded clamp can be found at most hardware stores.

The reason i don't put it all the way to the bottom in the beginning is thatit is tough to keep it still with a full carboy and learned this after disturbing a few batches when getting ready to rack and bottle.

When the volume drops close the tip of the auto-siphon (masta get off the forum and pay attention!)

it is time to very slowly guide it to the bottom and off to the side closest to you.Now that the volume is lower it usually stays put by itself.


The clamp also doubles as a carboy wedge to help get all the liquid.

With the carboy tipped just let the siphon complete by itself and you get most of the liquid and leave the lees behind where it belongs.

Now we are done and you have a carboy almost full of perfectly clear wine and enough to fill 30+ bottles.

Edited by: masta

 

[jsmahoney]

Thanks masta, it always helps to see the way its done with pictures! Great job!

 

[Wade E]

Okay I dont have one. Who likes them and who doesnt?

 

[ScubaDon]

Thanks,
I am racking again tonight. This is a big help. I don't have a spring loaded clip but i have a large potatoe chip bag clip and I am going to try it.
Don

 

[Waldo]

I'm with Masta..I believe the auto siphon is a "gotta have". I love the idea with the clamp masta. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[smurfe]

I love it to. I really don't have many probs if there is little sediment. It is the racking when there is a lot of sediment. So then you inadvertently suck up sediment so after it sits again, you still have a layer of sediment. I have the sediment tip on both of mine. The last 2 batches I racked have a layer of sediment in them that looks like I have never racked it and I left a ton of sediment behind during the last racking. I just stink at it. I do like the clamp though. Gonna pick one of those up!


Smurfe

 

[Steve]

I have one and it works great. I really don't use it that much, due to my limited space I don't feel that I can properly sanitize it. I like to dip all my stuff in sanitizer and I have no where to do that. Any suggestions? How does everyone else sanitize theirs? It works great and I would love to start using it again.


When I first got it I made the rookie mistake of sticking it into an almost full carboy andmade a huge mess as the wine spilled out of the neck...oops I then realized I needed to pull out the plunger as I pushed it in.


I would also recommend getting a longer hose.Edited by: Steve

 

[PolishWineP]

Love the auto siphon! And I love the clamp idea!

Sanitizing is rather awkward, but it's not that bad. There are several options.
1. Spray it down with sanitizer from a spray bottle.
2. Put it together, including the hose, andpump sanitizer through it, with the discharge end of the hose going back into the same container from which you are drawing your solution.
3. Spray what you can and then use a designated wine only turkey baster to run it through the hose and insides of the tubes.

 

[masta]

Oh I have never shoved the siphon into a full carboy and flowed it over the top....only bout a dozen times!

To sanitize I siphon a least a 1/2 gal of solution fromone carboy to another or directly from my gallon jug to a carboy.Then I just rinse the outside including the hose with a small amount of solution over the sink.

 

[sangwitch]

I didn't know there was any other way besides the auto-siphon!

 

[NorthernWinos]

We haven't had much luck using the Auto-Siphon, but am willing to try it again...real soon.

We use the orange cap, put the racking cane through the middle hole/tube, and blow in the tube to the side....Oh...of course we sanitize our breath with a 'like kind wine'...

It works every time....our racking cane has a black tip on the bottom that keeps it above most sediment...

 

[ScubaDon]

Just finished racking my wine and putting the finishing touches to it. Should be ready to bottle in 7to 10 days. Thanks for all the great help.


P.S. the potatoe chip clip worked perfect to hole the cane. I didn't get a drop of lees in the move. I did place the lees in a jug with a ballon on it (didn't have an airlock). We will see if I get a little more wine from them.

 

[jobe05]

I have a love -hate relationship with my auto siphon. I love the idea that I don't have to try the old fashion method of siphoning, over and over again. I hate the idea I never get any more wine by sucking on the hose to hard. I hate the idea I can't put it in the carboy without it over flowing, and I hate the idea that the moment I need to raise the racking cane to plung it down to start the siphon, that the upward motion has just pulled the hose out of the receiving carboy, and the first half bottle or so end up on the floor. Other than that, it looks impressive just hanging there waiting to be used.

 

[jsmahoney]

I'm with Jobe05, it gets very disgusting with the overflow and when the hose comes out of the receiving carboy.
As far as sanitizing, I siphon the sanitizer through the tube, and i have a large long Tupperware that I put sanitizer in that I can lay all my equipment in and let soak.

 

[Wade E]

This thing is not making my list so far.

 

[smurfe]

I sanitize mine by taking it apart and sticking it in a bucket of sanitizer. I let it soak and then I turn the pieces over. I then spray it down with a spray bottle of sanitizer. I then reassemble and siphon sanitizer through it and the hose back into the bucket.


In regards to the wine spilling when sticking the siphon in the carboy, I place the tip just into the wine and draw the siphon up. As I draw it, it sucks up some wine while lowering the level in the carboy. After a couple strokes of the siphon I can drop it in further. I rarely spill anymore. I do agree with the statement about a longer hose. I use 6 ft of hose now and don't have my hose flying out of the bottling bucket anymore. Thats where my messes always came from.


Smurfe

 

[geocorn]

Thanks for the pictures. You did a great job, as usual. Shows why I keep him around.

 

[Coaster]

I too went with a longer hose, think I am up to 7 feet now. Kinda a pain to pull out and clean but a whole lot less of a pain than explaining to my wife that the wine stains on the carpet of our bedroom add "character".


I had a really hard time using this at first because I didn't get a good seal between the hose and the siphon. First I used some ribbon to tie it off but thought I might crack the cane, next (from a suggestion off this board) I used a bread tie. That worked much better as I could tighten it down but it was too small. I then moved to some thin coated wire I had in the garage. My brother uses a size smaller hose and managed to stretch the end of it so his is a tight fit and works like a charm (except for the occasional overflow we all experience).


I am pretty careful these days (well, compared to when I first tried this) but I go ahead and get some lees if I am racking for the first time. I know I will be racking at least once more and with the anti-sediment tip I can't get every drop. So, during first racking (with a bunch of gross lees) I rack from the 3/4 position and when it gets down to the bottom, I slide down just below the surface until I hit bottom. I do take a few lees but am not aggressive about stirring them up. The next time I rack, I also start at the 3/4 position and slide down until I hit bottom but usually at this pointthe lees are below where the tip will stop the siphon. I hope that makes sense.


I try to minimize the lees I rack each time but not to the extent I forgo some wine as long as I know I am going to rack again. I do this to minimize the topping up that I have to do after every racking (since the auto siphon always leaves some wine behind). I also know that I will always rack one more time until I rack into the primary for bottling. When I rack just before bottling I stop above the lees (if any) and then bottle that separately for "muddy bottom" bottles.Edited by: Coaster

 

[Fly boy]

I use the auto siphon and put the other end of the hose on the big end of the orange multi cap. It is the perfect size and no more losing the hose out of the carboy when siphoning. Works really good!

 

[grapeman]

Good tip Fly boy. Wade, the auto siphon is worth the cost. Once you get a couple simple procedures down, it's a piece of cake and saves a lot of hastle getting the siphon started.