Racking Cane?

[John Sand]

I bottle prime from a single stage fermenter. I use a racking cane and bottling wand to bottle.I have a couple of questions. Generally in books it says to fill these with starsan to start the siphon. How do you do this? I don't have a bucket big enough to submerge them. I use a small funnel, but it want three hands and is imperfect. I sometimes end up with bubbles in the line, which remain and presumably oxygenate my beer. Any advice, links to pictures, or helpful hints.
No, I am not switching to kegging.

[jivex5k]

Hey John,
I do the same thing, but I have a 6.5 gallon bottling bucket that I fill with starsan first. I'd really recommend getting one, they are cheap (like 20 bucks) and save you a lot of time since you can batch prime with them.

But, to help your current situation, using a spray bottle filled with star san will do the trick. Also, you want to run the star san through the actual siphon and not just the outside, maybe use a drinking glass filled with it?
Should be deep enough to at least run the sanitizer through the tubing.

[Gymrat]

I always use my auto siphon to siphon One Step from one bucket to another before using it on my beer. I have never primed it with sanitizer though.

[John Sand]

Thanks guys. I do use an auto-siphon from kettle to fermenter. And I run starsan through first. Now I'm trying to use a racking cane connected to the bottling wand with tube. I guess most of the trouble has been trying to siphon out of an LBK when I was doubtful of the spigot. We'll see how it goes from my steel pot fermenters. Or I may switch back to auto-siphon and bottle wand.

[jivex5k]

Also about the bubbles, usually if you get a smaller ID on the tube you can heat it up and stretch it over the cane.
IIRC I have a 3/16 hose over a 1/4 racking cane.

[John Sand]

Thanks. I don't think it leaks, I just end up getting some air at the top bend that stays and slowly injects bubbles into the flow.

[FrozenInTime]

I had that same problem, I picked up a clamp and put it on tight. No more bubbles from the cane/hose connection.