Anti-Gravity Transfer Pump into Bottling Bucket - Aeration

I have one of Northern Brewer’s Anti-Gravity Transfer Pumps. I have used it to transfer from primary to secondary and also adapted it so I can pump ice water thru my cooling coils -works great for both. However when I used to to transfer from the secondary to the bottling bucket I was a bit concerned with the amount of aeration in induced in the bucket. I put a valve in the inlet side to slow the flow and that helped a bit, but still more aeration than I get with my siphon. I do use oxygen absorbing caps so will they be enough to take care of that? Thanks for any and all advice.

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Welcome! All things about brewing is what’s here!
From my point of view, AFTER fermentation is complete, keeping O2(oxygen) out of the finished product is of utmost importance. Hearing that your beer was aerated is of concern…
The only factor that may be different is bottling . Does it absorb O2? I have to think it does some…
Not much help as I keg, and only move finished beer with CO2…
Again… Welcome!
Sneezles61

I would try to throttle it back as much as possible leaving the hose down as low in your bottle bucket as you can to get it to siphon.

Valve should be on the output side as well.
Sneezles61

thanks - I have it weighted down so it is at the very bottom of the bottling bucket

I will try that again - I had it there first and seemed to be worse than using it on the input side.

Thanks again. I too have always tried to minimize O2 past the secondary stage. Probably as long as my old muscles can take it lifting carboys and buckets, I’ll probably go back to using my siphon. Us old guys need weight bearing exercise anyway! :grinning:

Try to keep it a 16 oz at a time…
Sneezles61

I think oxygen absorbing caps only work if you have been careful. Using gravity, spigots and no splashing is better than any siphon.

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I’ve used a Northern Brewer Auto Siphon - 1/2" Racking Cane for decades and never had any problems with O2.

I am going to try it as suggested with the valve on the output side again and see if I can get the flow down to a safe rate.

Allowing the impeller to be wet is best… not enuff water and it will ruin the impeller…
Sneezles61

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I had no problems with auto syphons either until I started making dry hopped hazy beers.

Same here. Made me completely change my approach. Even professional brewers struggle with oxidation in hazy IPA s.