Newbie Equipment Question

Hello, I've been lurking within the group for awhile, and have learned a lot. I'm ready to start making some gallon jugs of wine, not because I think I can make great tasting vino, but because it sounds like a fun hobby, and I want to experiment a little. I do have a question about equipment though, specifically the racking equipment. For just one gallon batches, should I use the 5/16" siphon and tubing, or should I get the 3/8", or 7/16" heavy duty version? I'm looking at the Fermtech auto siphon and associated length of tubing. And, what about a racking cane? Do I get the same size cane as the autosiphon, or do I skip the cane if I'm using an autosiphon? I've read a couple of intro books, but none of them really get into the details of how all of this siphoning/racking equipment all fit together. Regards, Van (remove the _nospam if replying via email)

Whatever fits on a small racking cane is fine.

Skip the autosiphon and just use a racking cane. If you're doing only one gallon batches, you might want to shorten the cane. Pull off the gizmo on the end of the cane, cut the length down to ~ 12 inches and put the gizmo back on the freshly cut end. BTW, I'd recommend drilling through the gizmo and the cane and wiring them together with stainless steel wire so they don't get separated so easily.

I'd also recommend that you buy one of those plastic racking tube holders. They fit snugly into the neck of various size bottles and really help hold the cane in place so you avoid kicking up the lees while you're racking.

Tom S