There are several methods of getting the sweet extract or hopped wort from one place to another. Gravity or electric pumps can serve as the power. Hoses, coils, valves and spigots can serve as conveyance. Whatever the methods, there are two very important considerations to always keep in mind. Minimize aeration of hot extract or hot wort. Sanitation of all equipment that comes into contact with cooled wort is of sacred importance.
The natural and preferred way to move any liquid in the beermaking process is with gravity. It’s cheap and quite dependable. It should be used whenever possible. However, with some brewing systems an electric pump is a preferred alternative for moving liquid from one place to another. The prime considerations for using small pumps in a homebrewing system are that the pump is heat-resistant, that it does not infuse any air or oils into the flow and that its internal components are made of food-grade materials.
After hassling with lively and misbehaving siphon hoses, one may be inclined to thoughtfully eye a container, homebrew in hand, and imagine, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just cut a hole in the side and attach a spigot?” Well, yes, this can work rather nicely, but one must take into consideration a few things.
A spigot does not eliminate the need for hoses. Remember, you must avoid aeration of the hot wort. Once the hot extract or wort exits the spigot, it needs to be guided to the bottom of whatever container it’s headed for with a length of hose. The hose’s inside diameter should not be so large that it creates bubbles in the flow. As the liquid flows through the tube, it should fill the tube.
Spigots, their accompanying valves and attached hoses are dandy for directing mash runoffs. The flow can be regulated, and concern for sanitation is minimal at this point since the extract has not yet been boiled. If a spigot and valve are to be used to help transfer cooled wort or hot wort on its way to be chilled, herein lies a problem. Extreme care must be taken to sanitize the spigot and valve. Passing sanitizer and hot boiling water through them can greatly reduce the risk of contamination, but to minimize the risk even more, the valve and spigot should be disassembled and sanitized thoroughly. Sugars and bacteria from the last time you used the system are enjoying their dormancy in the crevices and interfaces within the valve. Plastic valves offer more of a challenge in that they are prone to scratching and scuffing. Don’t underestimate the tenacity of beer-spoiling microorganisms. They want to get at your beer every bit as much as you do. You can relate to that, can’t you?
Priming a siphon? Not exactly what I had in mind, but it is effective in getting one thing done.
Hoses used as siphons equipped with external hose clamps are inexpensive and, with practice (more practice = more homebrew; oh, the price of getting it right), easy to use.
Siphoning cooled liquid offers few problems. Siphoning hot liquid requires some creativity as the hose will lose its rigidity, buckle, and pinch the flow of liquid. When siphoning hot liquid or using a thin-walled hose it’s necessary to use a heat-resistant racking or siphoning tube. This is usually a 2½- to 3-foot (0.75- to 1-m.) length of copper or stainless tubing bent to resemble a cane. The hose is attached (a clamp may be necessary for a watertight fit) and you are on your way.
How to start a siphon? Cheese and crackers, there must be a million ways. Here’s one simple way. Wash your hands. Sanitize both the outer and inner surfaces of the hose. Coil the hose so that you can hold and control it all with one hand (your left one if you are right-handed). Rinse off the outside of the hose with warm tap water. Fill the hose completely with warm tap water and hold your thumbs on each end. Move away from the sink and uncoil the hose by untwisting it while keeping your thumbs on the ends. Empty about 12 inches (30 cm.) of liquid from one end of the hose. Insert that end into the wort or beer and start the siphon by directing water into a bucket. When beer starts flowing, temporarily stop flow and direct it to the secondary vessel. This all takes about 37 seconds and eliminates the need for gargling with vodka and sucking on the hose.
There’s a little trick for starting a siphon with a hose and cane. Attach the hose to the cane. Coil the hose. Point the tube straight up and then begin to fill the hose and cane with water. With careful guidance, the water will flow upwards into the cane, overflow and rinse the sanitizer off the outer surface of the cane and hose below. With your thumb on the end of the hose, keep the filled cane pointed upward and, when ready, quickly tip (don’t get obsessive about the quickness; relax) and insert it into the hot wort (or beer if you’re using a racking cane) and start the flow. If you don’t hold the cane upward while filling with water, you will have air bubbles residing in the tube and hose.