Siphoning hose

[whitewaterqb]

i know the only plastic we agree is safe is HDPE fermenting buckets. what do you guys use to siphon wash to still?

[Drunk-N-Smurf]

I use a chunk of soft copper tubing, 1/2"od long enough to put a small hook in the end (I set it down to the bottom of my fermenter, and the hook is just enough to be above any solids at the bottom.) then I have it come to the top of my fermenter, and bend it back down to wherever I'm siphoning to. In total it's probably 8 -10 or so feet long.

[ga flatwoods]

Suffice it to say that some things can be taken to the extreme.

We generally don't tell newbies but we older guys have a buyers club and we all use hard plumbing and March steelhead pumps for all fluids movements in our operations. We too old to be humping five gallon buckets and moving/ lifting carboys full of mash.

[dstaines]

I use my plastic auto siphon and food-grade vinyl hoses for moving washes, but only when they're cold (room temp or below). Same unit I use for racking wine and homebrew. My whiskey washes are frequently lower ABV than the beers I make, and definitely lower than the wine (12-14%). If that's a problem, I don't see how.

[Drunk-N-Smurf]

Suffice it to say that some things can be taken to the extreme.

We generally don't tell newbies but we older guys have a buyers club and we all use hard plumbing and March steelhead pumps for all fluids movements in our operations. We too old to be humping five gallon buckets and moving/ lifting carboys full of mash.

You don't have to be old. Now that my gear is in a permanent spot, I will (albeit slowly) be setting up everything to be super simple, (for me anyway) pumps, pipes, switches......better still, you know, all the bells a still rom should have.

[dstaines]

Ahh, to have a still room with hard piping. That will likely always be a pipe dream for me.

My rig and all accessories pack completely up into to 80L plastic tote that I use for my recirc water reservoir, and hide in the closet until I need to run it. No hard piping...

[Drunk-N-Smurf]

I'm fortunate enough to have a wonderful woman who not only tolerates my hobby, but encourages it. We just moved out of an apartment into a big place with a partially finished basement, otherwise known as MY SPACE lol

One room down there is my music room, the other is my still room. It's so great

[firewater69]

We have a spare bedroom that I use for fermenting and marketing in cold weather, the SOH calls it the cornroom. It's good to have. An understanding woman.

[snooka]

Yea, my wife has not said anything about the bucket in the dinning room! she calls it my illegal shenanigans!

[chris_zx2]

I'm fortunate enough to have a wonderful woman who not only tolerates my hobby, but encourages it. We just moved out of an apartment into a big place with a partially finished basement, otherwise known as MY SPACE lol

One room down there is my music room, the other is my still room. It's so great

Would love to see pics of these rooms. Especially the hard plumbed ones. I'm in the process of setting mine up but organizational ideas are always great!

[bellybuster]

just to answer the question, food grade hoses meant for syphoning are just fine for moving wash

[Ferment_It]

How about moving low wines from corny kegs to an unmolested sanke keg?

[bellybuster]

How about moving low wines from corny kegs to an unmolested sanke keg?

haha, you sneaky bastard... slipping that in there on purpose. Don't say you didn't.


I have no acceptable answer

[Ferment_It]

Guess I mind as well slip it in now...
finding that 2" hole is hard some times. You guys have to lube em up first?

[bellybuster]

haha, made me laugh, thanks


seeing as we're going there.

first. The policies of this site in regards to synthetics take precedence over my beliefs and practices.

personally, I'm not too worried about short contact pre-distill. I admittedly use silicon hose for that. I do however believe fully that the crap nylon stuff is exactly that.... crap. Do not use it.

That being said, that is me, this is about you. Do the research you need to in order to make an informed and wise decision on the materials you use...... wholly crap, that was really mature.

[rad14701]

i know the only plastic we agree is safe is HDPE fermenting buckets. what do you guys use to siphon wash to still?

You don't need to worry about siphoning line for low %ABV wash... For wash you can use any hose you would use to siphon water... What you do need to worry about is the transfer of distilled spirits... I pour low wines and high proof spirits so siphoning is not an issue...

[bellybuster]

oops sorry... missed that, I too pour my low wines, no syphoning needed

[whitewaterqb]

hoe do you keep the grain out of your boiler if you pour? cheesecloth?

[bellybuster]

Shouldn't be grain in low wines, wash is syphoned

[Hound Dog]

I rack from my fermenter into buckets using a regular racking cane used for brewing. I use a EZ Strainer ( http://www.dudadiesel.com/choose_item.php?id=fs5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow ) for my bucket to catch anything that siphons over. Then let it clear and use the racking cane to get it over to the boiler. As for low wines, they are just collected in gallon and half gallon jugs so I can just dump them.

[W Pappy]

I use a racking cane thru ss mesh let settle for a day if all looks good I use a old 5 gal plastic carboy cut in half for my funnel.

[ga flatwoods]

I use an old fuel line from off my Evinrude that was turning loose on the inside and stopping up my carburated engine. Just cut the connector ends off, flush with some water from the gsrden hose and dry with compress air and you golden. Use the bubble in the line to start the gravity flow. It is the cats ass!
Ga Flatwoods

[ranger_ric]

Hey Flatwoods, Only hose like that I can find is off of an old 5HP Johnson. Reckon it'll work or does it HAVE to be Evinrude? The bulbs a little old but I think a little duct tape will hold it together.

[ga flatwoods]

Johnson= Evinrude dont know if duct tape will keep the bulb from sucking air and losing siphon. Either replace the bulb of use the old "suck on my hose" method after cutting the bulb out of the line entirely.

[W Pappy]

Johnson= Evinrude dont know if duct tape will keep the bulb from sucking air and losing siphon. Either replace the bulb of use the old "suck on my hose" method after cutting the bulb out of the line entirely.

Hellfire boys sometimes ya get me a little worried.

[stilldistillin]

i just use pvc for washes... 3/4 pvc the wash goes so fast

[bobnr32]

Is it advisable not to use plastic funnels for spirits? The contact time is very small.

[nerdybrewer]

PDFE funnels and hoses are available.
Food grade vinyl for wash, PDFE for anything higher ABV.
Copper or stainless for anything that's hot.
PDFE gaskets on the still.

[bearriver]

I use platinum cured silicone tubing for most of my liquid transfers, such as racking to the boiler. It is a common material among home brewers according to the interwebs.

[aircarbonarc]

I use this food grade beverage hose for racking and siphoning wash (works on my keg fridge and cleans up nice), I have a hooked copper half inch tube attached to it (love this site and the sharing of innovative technology). I use a pump to transfer mash to my still also, food grade beverage hose also and stainless fittings. For liquor, well the best is all natural pouring it into glass containers. Also for lubricant on my pump I use a drop of veggie oil.