Siphoning Question

[NSwiner]

i have to go with wade here. i think the minijet is overpriced for what it is.
an oilless continuous duty vacuum pump off ebay is going to be way more versatile for 1/2-1/4 the cost.
you can rack with it with minimal O2 exposure.
you can vacuum bottle with it
you can filter with it.
you can degas with it.

mine was $50 + shipping on ebay. gomco model 3001. quiet, compact, portable, with vacuum gauge, regulator, overflow canister with tubing, filter and auto-shutoff overflow valve.

What kind of filters do you use in these ? Are they easy to get .

 

[NSwiner]

Auto siphon is very nice but the electric vacuum pump is even better!

Im curious what you have written on the tags hanging off your carboys ?

 

[Wade E]

You can get the filter setup at any home improvement store like home depot and use any filter except a carbon filter as that will strip all flavor from your wine or almost all. Its a whole house filter. you can even get them at Walmart. To bottle you just need the Boun Vino auto filler which is $32.

 

[Wade E]

Those tags are everything except the recipe as thats in my computer and on a backup disc. Those tags state my starting sg, what type it is, date racked, and everything that has been added to it.

 

[NSwiner]

Thanks the tags looked like something I might want to use if i get all my carboys going .Sorry another question ,do you write it down in a book also ?

 

[Wade E]

Staples has them and they are cheap with strings on them and fit a carboy neck nice.

 

[rocket man]

Auto siphon is very nice but the electric vacuum pump is even better!

I see you have a brew belt around one of your carboys. I was thinking of doing that but I read that you weren't supposed to. I think because there was a chance that the glass could break. How long have you been doing it?

 

[Green Mountains]

I'd been using them on my carboys until just recently when I read the same thing. OK, I still used it but set the carboy in side a primary bucket in case it popped.

Is this carboy/heat belt thing a myth or true concern? Doesn't seem the heat belt gets THAT hot.

 

[Hillbilly Bill]

an oilless continuous duty vacuum pump off ebay is going to be way more versatile for 1/2-1/4 the cost.
you can degas with it.

Rawlus... when you degas using the vacuum pump, do you need to shake the carboy?

 

[rawlus]

physical manipulation of the carboy is not necessary when vacuum degasing. stirring is not required either. the vacuum basically sucks the CO2 out of the wine before your eyes. there are some startling videos of this in action on youtube if you do a search on "vacuum degassing"
here's one
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyF7febQiGk"]here's another[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEVsZmRh4os"]and another[/ame]

the video quality on [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJZhnlEwREg"]this one[/ame] is very good, you can clearly see the CO2 coming out of suspension as a result of the vacuum.

 

[BobF]

Do most of you just start the siphon with your mouth? It seems like it would ruin all the work I put in to sterilizing the equipment...

I use the mini autosyphon ...

CJJ Berry says using anything other than your mouth causes you to miss out on a tasting you wouldn't otherwise get

 

[Hillbilly Bill]

Thanks Rawlus... I've got to get me a vacuum pump.
HB

 

[Winot]

Wade,

What are those orange caps that you use to seal the receiving container in order to establish a good vacuum ? Also what is the model of the vac-pump and how is it rated in terms of vacuum strength ? Thanks

 

[rawlus]

the orange caps are carboy caps, available just about any winemaking/brewing retail source.
the vacuum pumps vary depending on model and type. some are oilless, some require oil. some are limited duty (can only be run for short lengths of time between cooling off periods) and some are continuous duty.
generally speaking, any pumps that will reliably pull 20in/Hg should be suitable for multiple winemaking tasks.
it is nice to have a regulator and gauge, either as part of the pump or bought separately.
places like northern tool and valley vintner sell several models of vacuum pump.
the route i took was to look for a commercial quality medical/dental aspirator on ebay as used medical equipment - these pumps are built for heavy use, quality constructed, most are oilless and they often come as a complete portable setup with a base that also holds the overflow/collection container (which you will need to makein some way if you get a pump without - this is precautionary as you will quickly destroy the pump if you accidentally suck water into the pump) - i also went the medical equipment route because of parts availability - virtually every part is available in the event of repair or general maintenance.
the medical aspirators are extremely costly brand new - $800+, but on the used market you can usually luck out and get one for under $100. i paid $50 for mine.

on ebay, good medical pumps to look for are from Gomco and Schuco. Look for oilless and portable as keywords. look for pumps that either come with the glass collection container or you can get a plastic one from an online source for short money.

the model i have is the Gomco 3001

 

[NSwiner]

physical manipulation of the carboy is not necessary when vacuum degasing. stirring is not required either. the vacuum basically sucks the CO2 out of the wine before your eyes. there are some startling videos of this in action on youtube if you do a search on "vacuum degassing"
here's one
here's another
and another

the video quality on this one is very good, you can clearly see the CO2 coming out of suspension as a result of the vacuum.

Here's another that is really good for us beginners to watch [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z1FMHrX0Bo[/ame] .He has a whole series but I didn't watch them all but maybe later . he explains why not to use a too powerful pump.

 

[Green Mountains]

rawlus,

Thanks for your post. I'd been researching Gomco and Shuco for the past couple of weeks. I ended up going with a MityVac last earlier this week but not sure it's as easy easy as I thought it'd be.

SOOOOO.....I just snagged this off of EBAY for $50. Only bidder, the seller appears reputable....let's hope.

 

[Mike]

I just stumbled upon this thread and I didn't anything written about aother siphoning option. I use an auto-siphon exclusively now, but previously I used a racking cane with a carboy hood and sanitary filter.

 

[rawlus]

rawlus,

Thanks for your post. I'd been researching Gomco and Shuco for the past couple of weeks. I ended up going with a MityVac last earlier this week but not sure it's as easy easy as I thought it'd be.

SOOOOO.....I just snagged this off of EBAY for $50. Only bidder, the seller appears reputable....let's hope.

GM - that's a great deal, with the glass collection bottle too!
when you get it, i would suggest taking the top plate off and inspecting the insides with attention to the two valves (intake and outflow) - they are little spring valves, one will be visible on top underneath the top plate, the other will be on the underside, you will have to life the body to see. if they are corroded or worn they may need replacement - in regular hospital use these valves are replaced annually long with the foam filters and the head gasket.

here is one site that sells almost all the possible repair parts for gomco pumps, the diaphragm parts kit for the model 300/3001 is GO-01-90-2295
the diaphragm itself, if torn or worn, is GO-01-90-2525.

the valves on mine are a bit worn and so it's only pulling about 16in/Hg instead of the regular 22in/Hg so i plan to replace the valves and gasket with the 2295 kit.

as i posted earlier in the thread, the user manual/repair manual/parts list/troubleshooting manual for the 300/3001 is here

 

[Korzy]

I use a reverse setup that Wade uses. Instead of the vacuum pump, I use a pump used to air orate fish tanks. Costs about $15 at wal-mart and it'll push the wine from one carboy to another with no trouble. Won't help a bit for degassing but it’s a cheap and efficient way to siphon.

 

[Green Mountains]

Rawlus,

Thank you for the tip. I'm not the most mechanical.....you might be hearing from me after the UPS guy shows up in the next week or two.