Syphoning Pains

[Angelina]

So I racked my Moscato wine kit about a hour ago, first time racker here lol and it was a battle!!! I currently have the racking can, some tubes and some things I don't even know what to call them and I am sure the look on my face was priceless!!! All I could think was I remember my dad once syphoned gas from the car to a container via sucking on the hose so he could mow the lawn and I was not about to contaminate my wine using this method. Long story short I got frustrated and splash racked my wine into my carboy with a funnel. How much damage did I do by not racking properly? The instruction said the splash a little to degass. :/ Ps I have a pump on the way and I hope I adapt to this better!
Also I saved the sediment in the bottom of my fermenter bucket and put it in the fridge, would this make a good tasting Skeeter Pee or should I wait and make skeeter pee with a more fruitier wine, or both? Could I add a Welch's 100% concentrate to the skeeter pee to get more fruity pee?

 

[cpfan]

So I racked my Moscato wine kit about a hour ago, first time racker here lol and it was a battle!!! I currently have the racking can, some tubes and some things I don't even know what to call them and I am sure the look on my face was priceless!!!

Angelina...

IMHO, the easiest (only) way to rack is with an Auto-Siphon and the correct size tubing. Personally I use two different sizes of A-S. The large is faster for racking, and the regular one is better for bottling.

They are sold at any good LHBS.

http://www.fermtech.ca/siphon starter/siphon.html

Steve

 

[Wade E]

If that wine has just inished fermenting it was loaded with C02 so damage is most likley noit problem. Once that pump comes in you wont have this problem ever again, just turn he pump on and watch it flow from vessel to vessel! The moscato will work just fine. RobLoyd on here use some Chiati to do just this which didnt sound good to me but he gave me a bottle and it to was delish!

 

[GerardVineyard]

Starting a syphon with your mouth shouldn't be a problem. Just swish a little vodka in your mouth first. Now if you are starting a lot of syphons like this, you might be a little tipsy by the time you get to the last carboy ....

 

[jet]

Auto siphons are the way to go.

 

[Angelina]

Thank you everyone for your help and information! Yeah those siphoning tubes were tough I tried shoving them into my auto siphon and they did not want to go! I didn't feel like the sharpest tool in the butcher block at that moment.

Glad to know I didn't ruin a good wine. Sheww!!!

Now about that skeeter pee? I don't want to waste good sugar, additives and lemon juice. I am really wanting a summer lemony/fruity refreshing skeeter pee.

 

[Angelina]

LOL and the point is......
Really tough thanks for the tip, good one

Starting a syphon with your mouth shouldn't be a problem. Just swish a little vodka in your mouth first. Now if you are starting a lot of syphons like this, you might be a little tipsy by the time you get to the last carboy ....

 

[Runningwolf]

Ditto on the Auto Siphons. I own all three sizes and the only one that seldom is used it the one for gallon jugs.

I think you'll be fine using those remnants for for skeeter pee. With them lemon and all they will over power what you currently have.

 

[Arne]

Easy way to start a siphon is with one of the big orange carboy caps. They have 2 openings on them. Put the racking cane in one, snap the cap on the carboy. Attach your hose to the racking cane. Have the donar carboy higher than the receiving carboy. Blow into the 2nd hole, has a extension on the cap to blow into. Watch the wine go thru your tubing, when it is flowing into the receiving carboy, let it run. Lots easier to do than it is to tell how to do it. Arne.

 

[cpfan]

Thank you everyone for your help and information! Yeah those siphoning tubes were tough I tried shoving them into my auto siphon and they did not want to go!

A tight fit is a good thing. Some folks heat up the end of the hose in hot water before putting it on the end of the auto-siphon. (I haven't had to do that.) Make sure that you have 5/16" inside diameter hose (assuming that you have the regular a-s).

Steve

 

[FTC Wines]

A vacuum pump is the only way to go! However I do MISS sucking on those tubes connected to my carboys! Roy

 

[Flem]

No need to suck with the Auto-siphon. Just a few pumps.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

You don't need to worry about contaminating your wine with pathogens, the alcohol will kill them assuming that your wine is 9 or more percent. I teach wine making classes and SO MANY people struggle with starting a siphon the old fashioned way. It really isn't hard if you follow a few simple principles. Maybe I'll do a youtube video one of these days showing the easy way to get it started.

I must say that I like Arne's idea, so simple it's almost cheating.

 

[Arne]

Only thing wrong with it Lon is you have to catch a little in a glass to get a taste. You don't get that first blast out of a siphon tube. lol, Arne.