How do you guys clean your uto siphon? I have been looking for a rubbermaid container 24"x16"x3" deep with a lid for storage and cleaning and i have found one but im not willing to pay 50 bucks for the set. Any input as to what you guys are doing for cleaning and storage woulf be appreciated.
Thanks,
When I clean out my carboy with PBW & hot water I usually just soak the auto siphon inside the carboy and for an hour that it takes and to clean and I just give it a good rinse and sanitize before I use it
A long wallpaper tray is what I used when I was using an auto-siphon. They are cheap, but they don’t have a lid. I suggest that you don’t need to store in sanitizer. Just clean the siphon prior to storing and then use the tray for holding your sanitizing solution.
PS: Iodophor is more effective against a wider range of spoiling organisms than Starsan. But I still like to use Starsan on occasion.
I just rinse my racking gear with hot water. I’ll soak from time to time, but not often.
Interesting about iodophor, that’s the first I’ve heard that
I rinse well after use then hit it with starsan.
Then, rinse again and starsan before use.
The wallpaper tray works great when I have them. If not. I always use a bucket of sanitizer and will ensure the whole thing gets soaked one end at a time and of course, running the sanitizer through it.
Separate the pieces and rinse them all (thoroughly, i.e. for a minute or two) under hot tap water. Then give the tube parts several vigorous shakes, like you’re cracking a whip. Store upright (I put mine in a bucket) in a warm area to allow the water droplets to evaporate out of the tubes. In a day, they should be mostly or all the way dry. Shake them out a couple times during the drying process, to thin out the water droplets, it will speed the drying. The idea is simply to dry them quickly before you put them away for storage. I’ve been using the same siphon tube, and even transfer tubing, for about 7 years now, no problems.
I just rinse with hot water immediately after use, if it has anything stuck on it, I’ll use my brush that I clean my tubing with and brush it off. I store it in my bottling bucket, and when I go to use it I rinse it off, then hit it with sanitizer before use. Never had any issues
Step 1: Take autosiphon
Step 2: Attempt to clean and sanitize autosiphon
Step 3: Realize that in doing so, you caused it to crack due to exposure of temperatures outsides of it’s intended materials.
Step 4: Throw away autosiphon.
Step 5: Buy new autosiphon.
Repeat steps 1-5 at least 3 times, then buy a more durable alternative.
I would REALLY like if they would improve their design and use a more duable plastic material that can actually be cleaned and sanitized with anything above room temperature without cracking and spider webbing.
Check northern brewer. They made a “better” version.
Max temp 140F. Sounds like it’s more of a copy cat then any real improvement.
Why do you need higher than 140°? That’s way too hot for any plastic products or your hands.
Currently I have a small concrete mix bucket for sanitizer. HomeDepot has them. It’s also a nice storage tub for gear when it’s not in use.
I also use a hot PBW or Oxiclean cleaner and hot water rinse at the end of all my brew sessions. Siphon, pump, valves, hoses, kettles and mash tun all get a soaking then rinse. Yes the siphon is spidered. Oh well. At one time there was a Kickstarter for a Stainless Steel siphon. Anyone know it’s status?
Cleaning- wipe outside parts with washcloth and spray inside and out with hose. When I soak with cleanser, I use a pot and flip it over and soak the other end. Same with sanitizing.
Storage- I found a Sterilite storage tote 24x15x6 at Target for under $10.
After each use, I usually clean the outside with soap and water. Then I take a pint glass with warm soapy water and pump from top to bottom circulating the soapy water back into the pint glass. I empty the soapy water in pint glass and run clean water into glass while pumping auto siphon into sink drain to rinse. Take it apart and rinse some more. Then hang to dry and sanitize with Iodophor or starsan on the next brew day. I store it in the original bag in a sterilite bin with my other equipment mostly to keep it from getting scratched.
the stainless steel one on kickstarter is just about to go into final production looks like needed a few more tweaks looks like can still preorder on indiegogo
I backed it, but have been using a sterilizable silicone tubing with a stainless Tee + a stainless piece of tubing (stainless bottling wand) and a check valve. It’s a diy version of https://ballandkeg.com/dual-purpose-siphon-overview essentially. Works well, smooth transfer, no aeration unless I want it to. Depending on how I like the probrewers siphon (the kickstarter one), when it finally shows up, I may sell one of them.
I like that I can take it apart, and put all of the pieces in my pressure cooker for sterilization.
I use a 60gal cooler with a drain for sanitizing tubes and canes etc. I also find it keeps my beer and food cold on camping and picnics.
I guess I’m a bit more low-tech than most of you guys. I pump sanitizer through mine, making sure to pull out the interior piece to its max extension to fill the whole chamber with fluid. Then I spray the outside with Star-San. After use, I pump about a quart of cold water through it, followed by another flush with sanitizer. No problems ever. I hang it to dry with the hose at full extension so all the drips can drop out.
I’m kind of like you. If I’m racking my two buckets of fermented beer to kegs I’ll have another bucket half full of fresh star san I work from to give a final sanitize to the receiving kegs, keg lids and auto siphon prior to using them. After racking I’ll first spray out the top of the auto siphon, and pump warm water through it same time as washing buckets at the sink, and finish by circulating star san through the auto siphon via the bucket and pour more into the top and the sides with a measuring cup. I’m already busy at the sink washing yeast down the sink and washing, or at minimum well rinsing out my fermenter buckets. Then I hang it to drip dry. Never had a problem.