I’m talking about the plastic ones that you get for cheap at the LHBS. How many times do you use a racking cane before re-purposing, throwing away, etc?
I usually seem to get through 20 batches or so before they break on me. Got sick of them breaking (usually right in the middle of using it) and bought a stainless steel one last year. Should last a bit longer. ;D
All that plastic stuff goes yellow and cloudy on me after a few months. so I replace it cause it’s hard to see if it’s really clean.
Yeah, I ended up going with stainless after going through a few plastic canes. Been on the same metal cane for 8 years.
Stainless here too, after breaking 3 autosiphons and I’m not sure how many racking canes.
so do you start your syphon the old fashioned way? or is there such a thing as a stainless auto syphon?
I also use a stainless cane.
I use a carboy cap to start a siphon… easy and no need to sanitize another piece of equipment.
Can’t speak for Tom, but I run mine via CO2.
Carboy cap with a sterile air filter. But it on the carboy and blow, it starts the siphon easily. I might do CO2 if I ever get paranoid about oxidation, but for most of my beers I don’t worry.
I’ve had the same racking cane for 12 years and ~85 batches. It just cracked recently so it’s about time for a new one I guess, but it still works.
Yeah, I do CO2 not for oxidation prevention, but to make it so I don’t have to lift any carboys!
right I think we have had this conversation before
when siphoning from primary to keg i just use a 3/8 tube and suck on the end of it. i do have a fitting that i put to my mouth and when the beer starts flowing i pull it off the tube. i have a slightly used siphon for sale ;D
Have only ever used stainless here. I prime it with, you know me, my hydrometer sample 
I’ve been using stainless for the last couple years. Recently, I’ve lost a few siphons as I’m transferring from the kettle to the fermenter. Its been pretty frustrating. I think I had my tubing cut too short…but anyway I picked up an auto siphon today so we’ll see how that works this weekend. Seems cleaner. No need to prime.
I just broke another auto-siphon last week. It’s a nice gadget, but this is the third one I’ve broken in the last year and a half. Next time I hit the LHBS, I plan on picking up a stainless racking cane.
Man, this is informative. I’m using the plastic canes but usually they get kinda funky on my after about half a brewing season. I get paranoid and replace them, only costs me about 3.50 but it will add up eventually. Perhaps I should switch to SS. Thanks for the pointers.
Stainless…That way you cant see the stuff inside!! Just sayin…
I point the racking cane and hose ends up and hold in one hand and fill the hose/cane up with beer with a turkey baster. I put my thumb (AKA Tubercle Valve) over the hose then put the cane in the carboy or bucket and release the “valve” on the hose in the other container.
I used the same plastic racking cane for years until breaking it in half during a move. I wonder about the staining though, do you guys not clean your cane immediately after use? Mine remained clear until the end. Anyway, after breaking my cane I decided to try the autosiphon. And while I’m on my second autosiphon after breaking the first, I gotta say, I love it. It’s easily my favorite brewing tool. You can take my refractometer and thermopen (ok, I don’t have a thermopen), but don’t take my autosiphon.