This week’s tools of the trade: the auto-siphon.

Your kit includes five feet of tubing to siphon and bottle with. If you graduate to five-gallon batches, consider the auto siphon.

The auto siphon basically starts your flow of liquid for you with a couple of quick pumps of the inner racking cane. Auto siphons are designed to draw in the liquid above your lees. This lets you draw off your new mead without too much sediment in it.

We file this under “handy, but not necessary”. You can use plain tubing for years (we did) to siphon and bottle. They run around $9, and the standard size (designed for 5 gallon carboys) are probably available in any local home brew store. you might need to shop harder, or online, for a mini-siphon to use in the gallon carboys.