Jason Wagner
Homebrewing enthusiasts often encounter the challenge of transferring beer without siphoning the yeast cake. To address this, they employ various techniques. One method involves moving the primary to the siphoning location and allowing the yeast to resettle, which helps disturb the yeast less. Another technique is to use a secondary fermentor to move the beer off the yeast. Additionally, placing the bottom end of the siphon in a hop bag or using a racking cane with a gizmo that slides over the end can also help prevent sediment from entering the bottling bucket.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Siphoning techniques | Move the primary to where you will siphon and let the yeast resettle. Move it the night before if possible. Use a racking cane with a plastic nipple or a fine mesh sleeve over the end. Start siphoning from about 1/4 down and manually keep the end of the cane just below the surface. Slowly carefully siphon from the corner as close as possible to the cake without disturbing it. Use a secondary to move the beer off the yeast. Use a hop bag when racking to the bottling bucket. Use a poor man's siphon from a bucket with just a section of tubing. Carefully push the tubing into the beer so that the entire tube fills up (try not to leave any bubbles). Pinch off the end of the tube that you're still holding and pull the now full tube out of the beer and into your keg. Make sure that the end of the tube is out of the yeast cake. |
| Tips | Tip your primary carefully and slide a hockey puck (or bung, or anything about that high) under the front of your primary. Leave a few quarts behind rather than get sediment into your keg or bottles. Accept that you're not going to get every drop. Leave a pint or less in the pail for the sake of quality. Transfer to a secondary/bottling fermentor for a day prior to kegging or bottling. Use finings/gelatin to carbonate. Use a strainer. |
What You'll Learn
Use a secondary to move beer off yeast
When you are transferring beer from the primary to the secondary, you can use a secondary to move beer off the yeast. This is not popular with some but it moves the beer off the yeast.
You can also transfer the beer by pouring instead of siphoning. This is a poor man's siphon from a bucket with just a section of tubing. Carefully push the tubing into the beer so that the entire tube fills up (try not to leave any bubbles). Pinch off the end of the tube that you're still holding and pull the now full tube out of the beer and into your keg. That will start a siphon if the keg is lower than your bucket. From there just make sure that the end of the tube is out of the yeast cake.
You can also use a racking cane with some sort of gizmo that slides over the end you put into the beer. When I had a plastic racking cane I used a plastic nipple over the end. Now I have a stainless cane and use a fine mesh sleeve over the end.
You can also move your primary to where you will siphon and give the yeast some time to resettle. Moving it typically disturbs the yeast. Consider moving it the night before.
You can also put the bottom end of your siphon in a hop bag when you rack to the bottling bucket.
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Move primary to siphon and wait for yeast to resettle
If you want to move your primary to where you will siphon and give the yeast some time to resettle, moving it typically disturbs the yeast. Consider moving it the night before. Use a racking cane with some sort of gizmo that slides over the end you put into the beer. When I had a plastic racking cane, I used a plastic nipple over the end. Now I have a stainless cane and use a fine mesh sleeve over the end.
Another trick is to put the bottom end of your siphon in a hop bag when you rack to the bottling bucket. Use a secondary. I know it's not popular with some, but it moves the beer off the yeast.
You can do a poor man's siphon from a bucket with just a section of tubing too. Carefully push the tubing into the beer so that the entire tube fills up (try not to leave any bubbles). Pinch off the end of the tube that you're still holding and pull the now full tube out of the beer and into your keg. That will start a siphon if the keg is lower than your bucket. From there just make sure that the end of the tube is out of the yeast cake.
Before you do anything, a day or so before you plan on siphoning, tip your primary carefully and slide a hockey puck (or bung, or anything about that high) under the front of your primary.
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Start siphoning from 1/4 down
When you start siphoning from 1/4 down, you should manually keep the end of the cane just below the surface. When 8/10 of the beer is out, you should slowly and carefully siphon from the corner as close as you can get to the cake without disturbing it. You should accept that you're not going to get it all. When you first started, you wanted every drop. Now, leaving a pint or less in the pail for the sake of quality, is an acceptable trade-off. You can do a poor man's siphon from a bucket with just a section of tubing too. Carefully push the tubing into the beer so that the entire tube fills up (try not to leave any bubbles). Pinch off the end of the tube that you're still holding and pull the now full tube out of the beer and into your keg. That will start a siphon if the keg is lower than your bucket. From there just make sure that the end of the tube is out of the yeast cake.
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Use a hop bag for siphoning
When you rack to the bottling bucket, use a hop bag to keep the beer clear and not suck up the yeast cake at the bottom.
To do this, put the bottom end of your siphon in a hop bag.
You can also move your primary to where you will siphon and give the yeast some time to resettle. Moving it typically disturbs the yeast.
Another trick is to start siphoning from about 1/4 down, and manually keep the end of the cane just below the surface, when 8/10 of the beer is out, slowly carefully siphon from the corner as close as you can get to the cake, without disturbing the cake.
You can also do a poor man's siphon from a bucket with just a section of tubing. Carefully push the tubing into the beer so that the entire tube fills up (try not to leave any bubbles). Pinch off the end of the tube that you're still holding and pull the now full tube out of the beer and into your keg. That will start a siphon if the keg is lower than your bucket. From there, just make sure that the end of the tube is out of the yeast cake.
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Use a poor man's siphon with tubing
You can do a poor man's siphon from a bucket with just a section of tubing too. Carefully push the tubing into the beer so that the entire tube fills up (try not to leave any bubbles). Pinch off the end of the tube that you're still holding and pull the now full tube out of the beer and into your keg. That will start a siphon if the keg is lower than your bucket. From there just make sure that the end of the tube is out of the yeast cake.
Before you do anything, a day or so before you plan on siphoning, tip your primary carefully and slide a hockey puck (or bung, or anything about that high) under the front of your primary. This leaves behind most of the yeast cake. And, I stopped trying to get every drop. I'd rather leave a few quarts behind than get sediment into my keg or bottles.
Another trick is to put the bottom end of your siphon in a hop bag when you rack to the bottling bucket. You can also use a secondary. I know it's not popular with some, but it moves the beer off the yeast.
You can also move your primary to where you will siphon and give the yeast some time to resettle. Moving it typically disturbs the yeast. Consider moving it the night before. Use a racking cane with some sort of gizmo that slides over the end you put into the beer. When I had a plastic racking cane I used a plastic nipple over the end. Now I have a stainless cane and use a fine mesh sleeve over the end.
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Frequently asked questions
Move your primary to where you will siphon and give the yeast some time to resettle. Moving it typically disturbs the yeast. Consider moving it the night before. Use a racking cane with some sort of gizmo that slides over the end you put into the beer. When I had a plastic racking cane I used a plastic nipple over the end. Now I have a stainless cane and use a fine mesh sleeve over the end. Another trick is to put the bottom end of your siphon in a hop bag when you rack to the bottling bucket. Use a secondary. I know it's not popular with some, but it moves the beer off the yeast. You can do a poor man's siphon from a bucket with just a section of tubing too. Carefully push the tubing into the beer so that the entire tube fills up (try not to leave any bubbles). Pinch off the end of the tube that you're still holding and pull the now full tube out of the beer and into your keg. That will start a siphon if the keg is lower than your bucket. From there just make sure that the end of the tube is out of the yeast cake.
I've managed to hone my method so I start siphoning from about 1/4 down, and I manually keep the end of the cane just below the surface, when 8/10 of the beer is out, I slowly carefully siphon from the corner as close as I can get to the cake, without disturbing the cake. I have also learned to accept that I'm going to not get it all. When I first started I wanted every drop. Now, leaving a pint or less in the pail for the sake of quality, is an acceptable trade off.
Before you do anything, a day or so before you plan on siphoning, tip your primary carefully and slide a hockey puck (or bung, or anything about that high) under the front of your primary.
Another trick is to put the bottom end of your siphon in a hop bag when you rack to the bottling bucket.
You can do a poor man's siphon from a bucket with just a section of tubing too. Carefully push the tubing into the beer so that the entire tube fills up (try not to leave any bubbles). Pinch off the end of the tube that you're still holding and pull the now full tube out of the beer and into your keg. That will start a siphon if the keg is lower than your bucket. From there just make sure that the end of the tube is out of the yeast cake.
