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Siphon tube and mouth nasties

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mead_monkey

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 22, 2004
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Hi all,

So I got to thinking… I bleach the kitchen, sanitize my equipment, and dispatch ninjas to kill any germs or foreign yeast within a city block….. then I transfer with a siphon hose and stick the end of it in my mouth. :eek: This seems like it may defeat the frenzied cleaning, is there a better way?

just wondering
Digital Druid
 

Norskersword

NewBee
Registered Member
May 19, 2004
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Yes there is, sorry that you were misinformed.

First put your mead on a table or counter. Something high off the ground. Put your empty carboy on the ground.

Fill the cane and tube completely with water and plug the tube with your thumb so water doesn't leak out of the cane even if it is turned upside down. Kind of like you use to play with a fast food straw as a kid.

Stick the cane in your mead, and hang the other end over a bowl or something to catch the water (also on the ground next to your empty carboy). Release your thumb and let the water drain out. When mead starts to come out, plug it again with your thumb. Then stick the tube in your empty carboy, release your thumb, and let the gravity do the work.
 

masta

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 12, 2005
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there is a better way...Fermtech Auto Siphon

Sanitize it and one or two strokes and you are racking with no nonsense...try it and you will never turn back! Available in 3/8 and 1/2 inch.

http://www.fermtech.on.ca/
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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Here's a link to give you an idea of how inexpensive they are compared to a lost batch of mead due to oral infection.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/siphon.html

I've used these for all my racking needs and I'll never go back to a regular siphon, or a "thumb" operated tube.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 

Norskersword

NewBee
Registered Member
May 19, 2004
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Are these things pretty easy to clean? Do they have any inconveniences whatsoever?

I feel like I'm in the audience of an informercial...

"But it can't possibly do ALL that!" :eek:
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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Yup,

Easy to clean and easy to use. I hot water rinse it once I'm done, and then take it apart and run more hot water through it. Then I plunk it into the sanitizing bucket and start the siphon within the bucket and let it circulate for about two or three minutes and then hang it up to dry. I love the thing.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 

Pewter_of_Deodar

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 23, 2004
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Cedar Rapids, IA
Norsker,

Cleaning them is about the same as cleaning the siphon tube. I use my autosiphon to move the cleansing fluid (One Step) into and out of carboys I am cleaning and also use it to move scalding water into and out of the carboy for rinsing. I figure after all of that, it is clean. As long as you clean it and rinse it right after using it so nothing hardens, you shouldn't have trouble.

Pewter
 

Pewter_of_Deodar

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 23, 2004
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Cedar Rapids, IA
Hey all,

I have the problem that my auto-siphon that I got from Leeners does NOT fit down into my gallon jugs. I looked at their site. Anyone know whether it is the larger or smaller one someone mentioned?

Thanks,
Pewter
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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I don't have any problems with the one gallon jugs that I use, but they do have a wide mouth (#8 drilled rubber bung) If you can't get the siphon down into the jug, you can just pull the inner-tube out and use it as a manual style siphon and put a kurly-kate stainless steel pad around it to keep the chunkies from slipping into the secondary. I've done this just to see if I could still do it! LOL

cheers,

Oskaar
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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Manual priming and racking ain't so bad just takes a little practice and one or two glasses to catch the . . . . spillage (whether on purpose or not!)

Cheers,

Oskaar
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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OK, I have to confess that I've had "Spillage" parties. I'm not proud of it, but there it is.

Whenever I have a mult-carboy batch (45 gallons or more depending on how much I make at a time) when it's time to rack, I call my friends and they come over to help me "clean up the spillage."

A little music, a couple of racking canes and some cheese and it gets pretty fun. :D

Cheers,

Oskaar
 

Pewter_of_Deodar

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 23, 2004
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Cedar Rapids, IA
Oskaar,

No wonder you never manage to bottle much mead! ;D

Spillage parties.
Hey, that batch was good!
SPILL a little more in my mouth here and SPILL that mug full while you are at it.
All out?
I think there's more in that carboy that needs spilling.
Carboys out?
Why don't you spill a couple of those bottles over there...

You get the idea. Well maybe we can schedule more spills if I ever make it to California...
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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The door is always open to mazers, brewers, winemakers and petite redheaded nymphs :eek:
 

Dan McFeeley

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Oct 10, 2003
1,899
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Illinois
This is kind of a tangential issue, but I wanted to bring it up for any lurkers having this question.

There was a recomendation for folk who would use a simple siphon tube, giving a quick suck on the end to get it going and then inserting it into the carboy. Swish the mouth out with good vodka in order to give a quick sanitizer to mouth nasties.

This doesn't work, and I can testify to it with a batch or two of my one that got infected. Alcohol itself isn't a strong sanitizer, and the quick exposure of "swish and swallow/spit" isn't enough. Worse still, the salivary glands start pumping which puts out new bacteria into the mouth.
 

mead_monkey

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 22, 2004
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speaking of doesnt work... my mead is kinda infected :(

save yourselves! (and your mead) keep your mouth away from the tube!!!
 
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