Racking canes...

[Fermentanator]

Just wondering what sort of racking cane you blokes use? I'm thinking of just getting some copper tubing and bending to required shape. Or is there a flexible tubing that won't leave a taste? Pff, home brew shop told me to "just tip it into another container slowly".

Some bloke told me just to use PVC!?? He carbon filters though. I wont be using it.

[olddog]

Heres mine, it filters the solids out of the wash.

[Fermentanator]

Nice old dog. Is that tubing just from the hardware store? Any taste issues?

Love the recycled showerhead

[olddog]

Your only racking low alcohol wash, the plastics rule does not apply.

[HookLine]

My racking cane. Seems to work okay.

Only use this when I run ferments in a keg. My main fermenter is a plastic HDPE barrel with a drain tap on the side, near the bottom.

If I was doing it again I would do the intake port differently. Extend it 50-60 mm and seal the end. Then drill a bunch of large holes in the top side of it.

Racking Cane - detail.jpg (5.24 KiB) Viewed 2326 times

[heynonny]

I did this:

Completed, thus:

S_0rack.jpg (9.3 KiB) Viewed 2305 times

I used 1/2" SS tubing that was discarded from a job I worked on. (a gas fired power plant, the tubing was for the plants 'smog device', using ammonia gas. the caps came off the end fittings, and because NO contamination was allowed, the tubing was tossed. I got about 30 ft of it.) I welded the 'cane with tig amd have a frame that supports it over the fermenter. It works fine, -hey-

[myerfire]

My racking cane is from my brewing equipment and it is self priming. No sucking needed.
myerfire

[ChillinDistilln]

The standard racking cane that comes with a brewing kit is fine.

I do not understand these "big footprint" shower heads and butter bottle cane ends. All that seems good for is stirring up the trub at the bottom of the fermenter.

[Fermentanator]

Awesome, thanks guys. I have plently of ideas now. Didnt even think of the fact that the wash is low alcohol, so plastic tubing is ok.

Chillin Distillin, my "kit" dosent have one, and I wouldn't want to buy one anyhow, after learning how dishonest the home brew guys can be, with all their BS like, "Oh, you have to use this and that because this still is different" LOL!

I'm sure they are ok, but yeah, like to do it myself Copper is a plus too.

[LWTCS]

Ease the cane down. Let it rest for a bit.

No problem if your not in a rush .

Get a couple of fermenters going, a couple of washes clearing, a couple of liters ready for stilling.

Get your out fit cycling and you'll never be worried about the extra 2 hours in takes to let a bit of trub settle. Siphon off during a run.

[Fermentanator]

Thanks for the tips mate.

After racking, do you guys stand, and rack again? Just looking at ways to clear without using costly and foul tasting chemicals. I want to optimise my process to get the best out of my still, nice clean wash, no costly clearing chemicals, double distilling if I have to, to avoid buying carbon, loving this!

I cant beleive people using clearing agents just to save a few hours! Here I was thinking you had no choice!

[Dnderhead]

if its cold, just set it out, it will settle quicker, if you want something to clear with use, gelatin, or egg white. much cheaper than brew shops.
egg shells are also supposed to work but haven't tryed them.

[Fermentanator]

Cheers mate, how much gelatin for a 25L batch?

[Nightforce]

I use Sparkloid fining agent. I bought it in bulk, IIRC $10 for a pound bag, and at 3 tablespoons per 6 gallon wash for clearing sugar washes it's going to last a loooong time. Had it for wine making and it works great for distilling.

All of the carboys I use (better bottles) have spigots attached, so I just rack off using that, seems to work exceptionally well.

[Dnderhead]

""""Gelatin must be dissolved in water before being added to wine. Gelatin solutions can be prepared by using 1 or 2 grams of gelatin powder for 100 milliliters of warm water. The gelatin powder should be added to the warm water slowly, and much stirring is needed. The mixture should stand for a few minutes, and then the solution should be stirred again until all of the lumps are dissolved. Gelatin solutions should not be boiled because the heat will denature the protein and render the gelatin less effective.

The gelatin solution should be used while it is warm because it will solidify when cold. Add the warm gelatin solution to the wine very slowly, and stir the wine continuously to assure good mixing.

From 1/4 to 2 grams of a dry gelatin per gallon
what I have comes in 7 gram packs,, "knox plain gelatin" so one is plenty if yours is the same,,,, Iv used a lot less for clearing stubborn wine and it worked.

[Fermentanator]

OK cheers for that fellas. Might try both actually.

[Dnderhead]

Also degassing will speed up clearing and should be done if you add anything or not.

[Fermentanator]

Cheers, whats degassing?

[Dnderhead]

stirring /shaking etc to remove co2 ,,as yeast ,trub can attach to the bubbles and then not fall to the bottom .
wine guys use a" whip".wand whatever you want to call it, works good if your fermenter is to hard to handle.
also good for stirring, easy to make if you want. its like a paint stirrer but long enough to reach into your fermenter.
I built one out of a driveway marker, drilled a hole threw it and used a "line"marker bent in a z fashion so it will stay in.
it folds to reach into a carboy.if I want.

[Samohon]

Thanks Guy's. Is the Gelatin the same chemical used in jello? Could'nt find it on the parent site...?

[Samohon]

Sorry guy's just found it...

Heres the link:

http://homedistiller.org/ferment.htm#settle

Thanks again. S