i was looking at your bucket pick-up tube rig just some questions, is the cane touching the bottom of bucket? if so doesn't it suck up quite a bit of yeast? and or get plugged with trub? i do like the idea and am leaning toward doing that

Casey, yes sort of. I use the orange/black tip of the racking cane to prevent too much yeast from being sucked up. Nothing more than as if you were using a racking cane to get you beer out of the bucket. If you secondary in them, you would not pick up yeast probably at all.

Just to be clear here is a link to a picture of the cane tip I'm referring too:

http://morebeer.com/images/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=/product_images/morebeer.com/1/3932.jpg&w=250&h=250

i may be confused are you supposed to use those caps when siphoning in general, cuz i never have, i thought they just a cover used to store them so stuff didn't get in there\:. so its off the bottom by the thickness of the cap?

Yes....

The caps are on them to keep down the sediment....

well i guess ya learn something new every day. kinda feel like a dumba$$, even more than normal

Like pooper said, yes. They lift the siphon tube off the bottom of the cane and in theory it allows beer to flow over the edge and in thus preventing the yeast from being sucked up.

There are internal groves in the cap which prevent it from sealing around the tube. This lets wort flow in, down and up into the tube.

so without ever testing it, converted a couple buckets to this design and I F-ING LOVE IT! and at most its a $6 upgrade to simplify either bottling or kegging. awesome plan J

It is called a crows foot. they are used in a lot of different applications where you don't want to siphon/pump from the bottom of a vessel.

Crows foot, Crows nest whatever you call it, I F-ING love it too....

Glad it worked or ya.... Such a simple setup...

that rig sounds interesting

Think I could get a link?

http://ipb.trainerfamily.net/pagesmith/4
pretty sure this is it J can correct if needed. it leaves the cake almost totally undisturbed

Yup, the cake is pretty much un-disturbed.

The main warnings I want to stress are:
A) Clean the valve really well. Some break it down after each ferment. I've only taken mine apart once and found no crap in it.
B) Be very careful when transporting a bucket with a valve installed. If bumped they can become dislodged and you;ll lose your beer/wine/sCider.

I've gotten to the point that I don't bother testing for leaks after reassembly of the system. Perhaps this casual attitude will bite me someday... knock on wood...