Would this work?

[KLITE]

Imagine putting a long silicone tube in yout sparge water pot and when it is time to sparge suck water (or use a vacuum cleaner to avoi possible scalding) to create inertia and sparge slow without having an expensive pot with a hose connection?
I dont think my plasic syphon can be used at high temperatures otherwise id try with it.
Bad idea?

 

[IslandLizard]

How big are those batches? What is your sparging method, batch, fly?

I'd be very cautious sucking on a hose to start siphoning hot water. 170°F will create nasty burns.
If you don't have a valved pot, just ladle the sparge water out of your kettle with a long handle pot or saucepan. Once the volume has reduced, you can pick it up and dump the rest in. Easy peasy.

 

[cjbalough]

Or - just batch sparge.

 

[Redlantern]

A bulkhead fitting can be had for $20.00

Otherwise, lower the hose into the sparge water until all but an inch is in the water. Put a binder clip in the end. The hose should be full of water save for that last little bit. Now put the clipped end of the hose in the mash tun and release the clip. The siphon will start by itself.

 

[Homercidal]

Frankly, I've never fly sparged and I never plan to (Ok, maybe when my eHERMS system is built I'll switch over). If you aren't really set up for it, why the desire to do it? Just batch sparge.

 

[charliehorse]

Will it work? sure. Is it safe? probably not. Just order a weldless bulkhead and valve, get a step bit from Harbor Freight and do it the safe way.

 

[KLITE]

Thanks for all the inputs!

I had no idea what a weldless bulkhead was lol. Would it work on any type of pot that is the material its made from? I.e my pot is not stainless steel. I think its iron covered with enamel, its v v old.

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks for all the inputs!

I had no idea what a weldless bulkhead was lol. Would it work on any type of pot that is the material its made from? I.e my pot is not stainless steel. I think its iron covered with enamel, its v v old.

Enameled pots cannot be drilled. The protective enamel will chip, exposing bare steel, which will rust.

 

[Homercidal]

Find an aluminum or Stainless kettle. Seriously. It will make your life so much easier!

Enameled is fine if it's not chipped, but you can't drill it (successfully).

A siphon is fine if you are careful and figure out how to do it without burning yourself. Maybe try the binder clip idea and have a few clips to secure the hose and wear protective clothing...

 

[BadWolfBrewing]

If you aren't going to get a new pot, the binder clip idea seems solid.

New pot is a good idea though. I look at these things like this: I'm probably going to upgrade eventually, so why not just buy it now. That way I get to enjoy it for a longer period of time.

 

[charliehorse]

On one of the other forums (not brewing related), they say, "buy once, cry once". If you're looking for a bargain brew pot, I would save up and go with one of these:
http://www.bayouclassicdepot.com/collections/bayou-classic-brew-pots