Vacuum racking

Talking to one of my brew buddies last night about my vacuum-assisted racking device, I realized I should post this up for others to check out. I made it b/c my back can no longer handle lifting fermentors up onto the counter for gravity siphoning. I think it’s a good solution for closed-system transfers if you don’t have CO2. Assuming the diagram uploads correctly, you should be able to see how it works. The bottling bucket, or carboy, or whatever you’re racking to needs to have a good seal to maintain enough suction for the transfer. I use the suction end of an air mattress pump, but you could just as easily use a shop vac. In theory, the CO2 blanket is undisturbed over the wort in primary, so aeration should be minimal. Just make sure to switch off the vacuum before the bucket gets too full so you don’t get wort in your pump…

edit: sorry, image was HUGE!

Just a note…I’d be careful how much vacuum you put on a carboy. It likely wouldn’t be enough to make it fail, but still.

Yep. That’s why I’m using a air mattress pump, it’s just barely strong enough for the transfer. :cheers: