# Aussie Made Durable Hydrometers And Carboys



## Lokkness (16/3/12)

Hi all,

I've been watching in the shadows for a while now... so yes this is my first post... But been on the site for a while now...

Recently within my local brewing crowd, durable or plastic hydrometers and carboys have been a big topic..

Especially the hydrometers, which Coopers make, but are ONLY available for seperate purchase in the US... They do come in the starter kits from coopers, but are not available for purchase by themselves...

I recently emailed Coopers in Australia and the US, asking about purchasing the product and got these replies:

Hello Lokki,

Are you a U.S customer? If so, we do have those available on our site at Makebeer.net .

If you are an Australian customer please contact Coopers in Australia to find out how to source one.

*Cheers,*

*Barbara White*





Hello Lokki,

Theyre not sold separately at the moment, sorry mate. 

Cheers, Frank.




Frank Akers Customer Service and Tour Coordinator

 Coopers Brewery Ltd

PO Box 46

Regency Park 5942

Adelaide, SA

So i started making a few enquiries into the BetterBottle carboys also... CraftBrewer have em for $49... but they don't come with the bung/tap that is available, which i know won't matter to people.... The other problem with them, is they flex... that seems to be the biggest fault that people have with them... the guys that use glass carboys that I know, really use them because they are very particular about their process, and contamination matters, so they shy away from the BetterBottles....

So my question to the brewing community is, if a plastic/durable hydrometer and an even better BetterBottle that may even be cheaper was available, would people buy it?

I know some people in manufacturing and have looked into the possibility of making these.. it just depends if there is a market for em...

Any feedback would be great!

Happy brewing ^^
-Lokki


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## Dazza88 (16/3/12)

cheaper better better bottle yep. i would buy one.


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## Lokkness (16/3/12)

I forgot to ask, especially with the better bottle, what improvements would people make? other than a no flex & cheaper version... any other physical design changes etc, such as handles, removable top for cleaning etc...

Cheers ^^
-Lokki


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## jbowers (16/3/12)

Would like an affordable/easily cleanable tap system.


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## Lokkness (16/3/12)

jbowers said:


> Would like an affordable/easily cleanable tap system.



Have you heard of snap taps?? they are pretty cheap ($6) and easily cleaned... 

you can get em from grain and grape

http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/product_in...7922fdfbcbe4131


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## Lokkness (16/3/12)

after venting frustration to coopers about the US having the plastic hydrometers availabe and not us Aussies... I got this reply:

Sorry Lokki,



That was mistake on the part of the distributor in the US (or rather one of his employees). He has now taken them down off his website. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will be selling them at some stage in the future but I dont have timeline for you.



Cheers, Frank.





Frank Akers

Brewing Advisor

Coopers Brewery

Adelaide, SA



Seems there aren't ANY available anymore... lol


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## cdbrown (16/3/12)

That's the spirit - if we can't get it, nobody else should either!


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## Wolfy (16/3/12)

Break a hydrometers? ... buy a refractometer, simple. 

I also don't see the point in a plastic carboy type fermenting vessel, glass for sure, because it has many benefits due to it being glass. However I don't see why it matters what shape a plastic container is, and I doubt you'll be able to produce them cheaper than the more standard shaped plastic fermenting containers. I presume the Betterbottle type fermentor is 'big' in the USA, where they are more used to using glass containers that shape, where there is not really much like that in Australia. Carboy shaped containers are hard to move, use and clean, they are also hard to attach a tap to, so they are much less flexible than other more regular plastic fermenting containers. How would you attach the 'snap tap' linked above to a carboy, there is no thread on it, and the only inlet/outlet is the neck of the bottle?


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## manticle (16/3/12)

jbowers said:


> Would like an affordable/easily cleanable tap system.



Piece of 10mm dowel that fits inside, tap over it, thumb on the spout and grip the rest of the body with the turnsable component unrestricted. Sharp tap/bang on concrete, out comes tap. Takes 2 seconds.

I don't see a major advantage behind the better bottle for my brewing. I age some beers in glass and ferment most straight in my no chill cube.

Durable hydrometer, if it remains accurate - yes.


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## Pennywise (16/3/12)

We need (IMO) a hydrometer with etchings of the SG scale on one side & Plato on the other. Why they use paper with a poofteenth of glue to stick it on the inside is beyond me.


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## Nick JD (16/3/12)

Why can't someone make an aluminium hydrometer?


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## MastersBrewery (16/3/12)

Nick JD said:


> Why can't someone make an aluminium hydrometer?



I would ask why not SS


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## felten (16/3/12)

Wolfy said:


> Break a hydrometers? ... buy a refractometer, simple.
> 
> I also don't see the point in a plastic carboy type fermenting vessel, glass for sure, because it has many benefits due to it being glass. However I don't see why it matters what shape a plastic container is, and I doubt you'll be able to produce them cheaper than the more standard shaped plastic fermenting containers. I presume the Betterbottle type fermentor is 'big' in the USA, where they are more used to using glass containers that shape, where there is not really much like that in Australia. Carboy shaped containers are hard to move, use and clean, they are also hard to attach a tap to, so they are much less flexible than other more regular plastic fermenting containers. How would you attach the 'snap tap' linked above to a carboy, there is no thread on it, and the only inlet/outlet is the neck of the bottle?



They're made from PET not HDPE, so they're supposed to give you the benefits of a glass carboy without the potential danger of using a massive piece of glass. You can also purchase them with a predilled hole for a tap. Unfortunately the tap setup and the other accessories are extremely expensive.

Their PET is supposed to have negligible oxygen permeability and not as easy to scratch, not as good as glass but better than HDPE.

</end sales brochure>


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## Online Brewing Supplies (16/3/12)

Nick JD said:


> Why can't someone make an aluminium hydrometer?


The originals were made of copper or brass, not sure, but you slid weights on the shaft till you got a balanced reading, Near on unbreakable, now we have cheap breakable throw away shit.
I haven't found a refractometer I would trust yet.
Nev


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## Online Brewing Supplies (16/3/12)

felten said:


> They're made from PET not HDPE, so they're supposed to give you the benefits of a glass carboy without the potential danger of using a massive piece of glass. You can also purchase them with a predilled hole for a tap. Unfortunately the tap setup and the other accessories are extremely expensive.
> 
> Their PET is supposed to have negligible oxygen permeability and not as easy to scratch, not as good as glass but better than HDPE.
> 
> </end sales brochure>


You talking Better Bottle ?
Nev


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## Wolfy (16/3/12)

felten said:


> Their PET is supposed to have negligible oxygen permeability and not as easy to scratch, not as good as glass but better than HDPE.


... it just cant manage hot water or some chemical cleaners.

But fair point on the PET stuff, but it's still not a big enough selling point to change my mind about what I said.


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## Nick JD (16/3/12)

MastersBrewery said:


> I would ask why not SS



Well, yes, why not?


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## MastersBrewery (16/3/12)

Actually Nick I know why, so does the missus in the past few years I think I've been through like $100 worth of hydrometers, usually when cleaning up they've been bumped or dropped. If I had an ss one I wouldnt have had to buy another and another, having said that I'm sure alot of brewers would be prepared to pay good money for the right product to make these measurements acurately without the fragility of glass. Maybe something for one of our site sonsors to look into.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (16/3/12)

MastersBrewery said:


> Actually Nick I know why, so does the missus in the past few years I think I've been through like $100 worth of hydrometers, usually when cleaning up they've been bumped or dropped. If I had an ss one I wouldnt have had to buy another and another, having said that I'm sure alot of brewers would be prepared to pay good money for the right product to make these measurements acurately without the fragility of glass. Maybe something for one of our site sonsors to look into.


Yep if you can find one I am sure there is a market, more suited to upmarket brewers with heaps of dollars. Let me know if you do .
Nev


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## Lokkness (16/3/12)

the vessel I would be looking at would want to incorporate all the advantages in different fermenting vessels... a carboy seems the most popular amongst brewers but it still has it's drawbacks... I would like to design a durable and safe container, that was an ideal shape both for storage, transport and safety, while keeping all the wanted brewer specs such as being clear to observe fermentation, easy to clean, easy to access etc etc... 

BetterBottle carboys seem to have a more major drawback in the transport and cleaning side, where they are harder to get into as normal carboys, but can scratch with abrasives, and flex when you pick up a full one which can draw in contaminants... so really trying to give us brewers somethign where we can have our cake and eat it!!

The SS hydrometer sounds great, but may be on the pricey side... a plastic one may be cheap, durable and easily manufactured... it depends on how much people would be willing to pay i suppose... love the etched scale instead of a painted one... seems like that is something to definitely look into alone...


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## Lokkness (16/3/12)

Wolfy said:


> How would you attach the 'snap tap' linked above to a carboy, there is no thread on it, and the only inlet/outlet is the neck of the bottle?



You can attach an inner nut and washer that can be tightened to seal... and then it simply unscrews.. doesn't need a thread on the bottle


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## blotto (17/3/12)

I like my better bottle because there is less to sanatize but find that the "big" 23L one to small as I get heaps of yeast in my blow off bottle. If I used an air lock it would be gumed up every time. So now I use it for secondary. 
I would consider buying a 30L carboy but the neck on them would make them very tall so I don't think they'd be all that practical, I'll just stick to the "coopers" style fermenter for primary if bunnings would sell 30L ones that would be great.


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## Cortez The Killer (17/3/12)

I've looked into better bottles with respect to ageing lambics. 

Not having to deal with glass is good as is the reduced oxygen penetrability 

The bottle itself is comparable to glass in price bit the associated fittings are verging on ridiculous

Cheers


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## Jazzafish (17/3/12)

Tell you what,

If you make a copy of the better bottle with an increased volume and height, you may do well. The biggest issues I hear people have with these fermenters is volume and flexibility.

That said, I'd be interested if you make some affordable see through PET conical fermenters... like these HDPE versions available in the USA


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## Uzetaab (17/3/12)

actually, it occurs to me that it would be fairly easy to diy a hydro, the only worry would be accuracy. I think though that the next time I break a glass one I'll be keeping the paper scale out of it to mess around with. Just need some sort of plastic tube with a weight in the bottom.

As for a better fermentor, I'd love to see a square one that is stackable with air locks, and a large opening. I hate not being able to see in my fermentor, but I don't like the shape of carboys and gladwrap always seemed too fragile for me to trust. Drop something on there and I've contaminated my batch.


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## 1974Alby (17/3/12)

I have a coopers plastic hydrometer and while its robust (dropped it dozens of times and treat it rough) I question its accuracy. it reads 0.997 in tap water @20C...so I just add .003 on to all my readings, but Im far from convinced that this is good enough...so it has actually made me become even more lazy in my practices and I rarely bother recording OG and FG any more...whats the point if you cant trust the measurements? Now I just make beer...ferment for min 10 days and its all good. Occasionally I start thinking about getting a bit more technical and working out my efficiencey etc, but the lack of confidence in my measurements persuades me that I cant really be bothered!


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## bum (17/3/12)

You could buy a new one... :unsure:


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## Lokkness (19/3/12)

so just floating an idea... what about a more of a rounded square fermenter, with a stackable lid, say the airlock came around the side so another fermenter sould be "stacked" on top... still easy to clean... clear PET, like a BetterBottle... but more of a "coopers" style fermenter in design... so a screw off lid... thoughts?

If a VERY accurate plastic hydrometer was available, or even a Stainless Steel one, etched in readings so they don't come off with age...


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## MastersBrewery (19/3/12)

Lokkness said:


> If a VERY accurate plastic hydrometer was available, or even a Stainless Steel one, etched in readings so they don't come off with age...




I supose most here would be interested, it would come down to price point and I think most of us here know some thing like that in SS would cost, to make the sale units would have be consistently accurate.
just my 2c


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## bignath (19/3/12)

MastersBrewery said:


> I supose most here would be interested...



Maybe. 

Im not trying to piss on anyones parade, and i know this will open a can of worms but with all of the charts available for refractometers all over the web, i really dont understand why everyone is hell bent on using a hydro.

I switched to a refractometer for ALL READINGS years ago and havent looked back. One of the best investments ive ever made to my brewery. 

I know ill get flamed for this but i dont really care. Refractometers, once youre used to conversion charts greatly outweigh hydros in useability (in my opinion), that i dont see the point of using a hydro at all. 

And, as a result, i no longer own one.


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## Nick JD (19/3/12)

Big Nath said:


> Maybe.
> 
> Im not trying to piss on anyones parade, and i know this will open a can of worms but with all of the charts available for refractometers all over the web, i really dont understand why everyone is hell bent on using a hydro.
> 
> ...



Good point.


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## Wimmig (19/3/12)

I use a betterbottle (non ported) and love it. I've seen the ported ones, but have no interest in them. One of the likes from this system i have is racking off with a SS cane. The original fermentation vessle has no parts, and is very easy to clean and manage. Then again, so is just about any other ferment unit. As per the flexing, i don't understand the issues. I move mine around in a milkcrate (which it fits perfectly) and don't find the existing "flex" to be an issue i'd concern myself with. If it was, i'd get a carboy strap system for lifting. In terms of cost, i only find them expensive in Australia. Better bottle parts are cheap in the states. Then again, we're on the other side of the world so what have you. Though the 6 gallon one can be had for $57.54AUD (by my math) delivered from the states. I'd be hard pressed to get one delivered locally for that, though a friend in the states paid $19.99 for his 6gal one the other day 

The only thing i'd move to would be a glass carboy. Though, i've got a sharp eye on the conicals with temp control too. 

I don't think there is much ground to be made here....a locally made conical with temp control for a grand would be good


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## Online Brewing Supplies (19/3/12)

Big Nath said:


> Maybe.
> 
> Im not trying to piss on anyones parade, and i know this will open a can of worms but with all of the charts available for refractometers all over the web, i really dont understand why everyone is hell bent on using a hydro.
> 
> ...


So thats why the tax department want you to use calibrated hydrometers and not flukey refractometers ?
Useability maybe better, accuracy not.
Nev


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## bignath (19/3/12)

Gryphon Brewing said:


> So thats why the tax department want you to use calibrated hydrometers and not flukey refractometers ?
> Useability maybe better, accuracy not.
> Nev



Nev, with all due respect, i read a lot of your postings, and because of these, i KNOW you are a vastly more experienced brewer than me, and i will gladly admit it, but my accuracy has changed for the better since using my refractometer. 

And i dont lose unnecessary volume each time i take a reading. 

Each and to their own, but i honestly wont ever use a hydro again. Refractometers are so simple, very accurate, and i dont understand why some brewers get so confused about their usage. 

You are a much more experienced, and no doubt a better brewer than me, but these are my findings.

I can replicate each batch of beer i brew time and time again, within 100ml or so of end product at the same gravity. Close enough for me.

EDIT: whats the tax dept. got to do with anything?


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## ashley_leask (19/3/12)

Big Nath said:


> EDIT: whats the tax dept. got to do with anything?



Excise for commercial brewing I'm guessing.


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## sama (19/3/12)

Is be more interested in a basic stainless fermentor of 25litres.like a bunnings fermentor only stainless.it woldnt need to be thick walled and to heavy-duty I'd imagine.


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## bignath (19/3/12)

Still dont get it....

I have had a few ales tonight, but whats the difference between head brewer at (insert generic brewery name here) using whatever piece of measuring equipment he or she is most comfortable using when it comes to tax excise? 

Repeatable results to keep the bean counters happy regardless? Exactly. Who gives a shit. 

On the home brewer level, if you can avoid having to take superfluous quantities out of your single keg batch of your greatest beer ever, yet retain the same (or an increased) level of accuracy, by taking a small enough sample to yeild three drops worth of wort, why wouldnt you?

Confused.....

I stand by my comments regarding the accuracy of MY brewing, and the functionality, of using a refractometer vs hydrometer.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (19/3/12)

Big Nath said:


> Still dont get it....
> 
> I have had a few ales tonight, but whats the difference between head brewer at (insert generic brewery name here) using whatever piece of measuring equipment he or she is most comfortable using when it comes to tax excise?
> 
> ...


Your refacto is good at a home brew level and its quick to indicate a gravity.
Second point is the tax dept (excise) will not give you a license to sell alcohol until they approve your method of measuring starting and final gravity and supplying a valid formula to calculate the alcohol content.
They are very anal, and I havent seen a situation where they have allowed a refactometer to be used as it cant be calibrated.
The hydros pro use must be calibrated not off the shelf HB stuff.
Your points are valid I just wanted to expand on the topic.
Nev


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## bignath (19/3/12)

Gryphon Brewing said:


> Second point is the tax dept (excise) will not give you a license to sell alcohol until they approve your method of measuring starting and final gravity and supplying a valid formula to calculate the alcohol content.
> They are very anal, and I havent seen a situation where they have allowed a refactometer to be used as it cant be calibrated.
> The hydros pro use must be calibrated not off the shelf HB stuff.



point taken, but not sure why this point has come up as i dont know who is trying to go commercial? 

I am sure that THE HYDRO used in commercial applications differs in accuracy / tolerances to the ones offered by Dr. Tim and family..or god forbid, Mr. Brigalow...


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## Parks (19/3/12)

Big Nath said:


> Still dont get it....
> 
> I have had a few ales tonight, but whats the difference between head brewer at (insert generic brewery name here) using whatever piece of measuring equipment he or she is most comfortable using when it comes to tax excise?
> 
> ...


+1 I love my refractometer. I can see most readings to within .1 of a brix which is less than 1 point SG.

No big sample, no temp correction necessary (1 drop instantly becomes the temp of the refrac glass), sexy display inc the colour blue


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## stux (20/3/12)

Parks said:


> +1 I love my refractometer. I can see most readings to within .1 of a brix which is less than 1 point SG.
> 
> No big sample, no temp correction necessary (1 drop instantly becomes the temp of the refrac glass), sexy display inc the colour blue



Mine has a sexy white led backlight too 

Recently broke my hydro again, thinking of not replacing it

(actually it just stopped working right, not sure what's wrong with it, assume a micro crack)


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## Uzetaab (21/3/12)

Lokkness said:


> so just floating an idea... what about a more of a rounded square fermenter, with a stackable lid, say the airlock came around the side so another fermenter sould be "stacked" on top... still easy to clean... clear PET, like a BetterBottle... but more of a "coopers" style fermenter in design... so a screw off lid... thoughts?
> 
> If a VERY accurate plastic hydrometer was available, or even a Stainless Steel one, etched in readings so they don't come off with age...



Wish I could draw, but yeah, that's about the gist of what I had in mind. Square rather than round because most people put them in a fermenting fridge (at least the people who are likely to want a more fancy fermentor), so a square shape could more efficiently fill available space. Stackable because fridges tend to be tall, the top half of my fridge is wasted space because I don't trust the shelves to be able to hold the weight. I can't stack the fermentor I've got because the air lock is too tall, even though I have the more compact senior type. If there was a recess to put the airlock in, or the fermentor had built in supports to have one on top, then I would be very happy. And of course, don't forget a tap.

Come to think of it, I don't see why fermentors can't have a built in airlock.


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## Wolfy (21/3/12)

Uzetaab said:


> Wish I could draw, but yeah, that's about the gist of what I had in mind. Square rather than round because most people put them in a fermenting fridge (at least the people who are likely to want a more fancy fermentor), so a square shape could more efficiently fill available space. Stackable because fridges tend to be tall, the top half of my fridge is wasted space because I don't trust the shelves to be able to hold the weight.
> ...
> Come to think of it, I don't see why fermentors can't have a built in airlock.


Surprisingly enough we have things called 'cubes' that are square and are surprisingly stack-able and useful for fermenting in - just look at all the no-chill threads around here. However 'jerry cans' which are rectangular shaped fit in a rectangular fridge even better than square-cubes do. At $5 or $10 each, they are essentially disposable bits of kit, while anything specially designed for the purpose would be significantly more expensive and would need to offer benefits that the existing and very cheap products don't ... which I can't imagine happening.
As for airlocks - save kitten cruelty - neither need an airlock, nor does your regular fermentor for that matter.


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## Deebo (21/3/12)

I have an idea.. screw on fitting that screws onto the top of a cube that allows enough headspace (maybe 5L) for krausen and has a big opening for easy cleaning... (no chillers krausen collar a la the coopers kits)


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## JaseH (22/3/12)

Uzetaab said:


> Stackable because fridges tend to be tall, the top half of my fridge is wasted space because I don't trust the shelves to be able to hold the weight. I can't stack the fermentor I've got because the air lock is too tall, even though I have the more compact senior type. If there was a recess to put the airlock in, or the fermentor had built in supports to have one on top, then I would be very happy. And of course, don't forget a tap.



A length of aluminum angle under the shelves to provide extra support, and glad wrap over the openings of the square 30L BMW vessels works well for me to nicely fit 2 x 30L fermenters into my fridge. Simple, cheap and no stacking so I can remove either one without disturbing the other.


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## ekul (22/3/12)

A stainless hydrometer wouldn't be that hard to make. A bit of stainless sealed at one end weighted with some ball bearings and then sealed at the top. Calibrate it against a glass one that you trust and you'd have a hydrometer that would never break. Calibrating would take a while though. 

I almost never use a hydrometer so i wouldn't bother. Refrac for me. Since going ag my beers always attenuate so i don't check fgs anymore.


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## Uzetaab (22/3/12)

Wolfy said:


> Surprisingly enough we have things called 'cubes' that are square and are surprisingly stack-able and useful for fermenting in - just look at all the no-chill threads around here. However 'jerry cans' which are rectangular shaped fit in a rectangular fridge even better than square-cubes do. At $5 or $10 each, they are essentially disposable bits of kit, while anything specially designed for the purpose would be significantly more expensive and would need to offer benefits that the existing and very cheap products don't ... which I can't imagine happening.
> As for airlocks - save kitten cruelty - neither need an airlock, nor does your regular fermentor for that matter.



Surprisingly there is no need to be rude about it. You have your opinion and I have mine.

1 I don't like the idea of glad wrap air locks which I have mentioned previously in this thread

2 where are you buying jerry cans for $5-10? I can't find them cheaper than $25 which puts them much closer to the price of a proper fermentor. Which means to me that I may as well spend the extra few dollars and get something with a big opening for cleaning.

3 And the benefit would be that they are much more transparent.


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## pcmfisher (22/3/12)

I've got a plastic hydrometer. Definitely not new.
Maybe older than me.








Looking at Zeal website they make metal hydrometers


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## Yob (22/3/12)

Fridge 1




Fridge 2




Shape is perfect, fridges and fermenters  Stackable and removable

ed: Id probably be into a bouncy/accurate Hydrometer if they were available

Yob


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## The Scientist (22/3/12)

Big Nath said:


> Still dont get it....
> 
> I have had a few ales tonight, but whats the difference between head brewer at (insert generic brewery name here) using whatever piece of measuring equipment he or she is most comfortable using when it comes to tax excise?
> 
> ...






Gryphon Brewing said:


> Your refacto is good at a home brew level and its quick to indicate a gravity.
> Second point is the tax dept (excise) will not give you a license to sell alcohol until they approve your method of measuring starting and final gravity and supplying a valid formula to calculate the alcohol content.
> They are very anal, and I havent seen a situation where they have allowed a refactometer to be used as it cant be calibrated.
> The hydros pro use must be calibrated not off the shelf HB stuff.
> ...



The refractometer you use is designed to measure sugars in water and is fairly accurate at doing this. As soon as you introduce grain husk particles, hop resins / matter and what ever other things you may add to your brew this accuracy is corrupted. Then once fermentation occurs you are also adding alcohol to this mix, which greatly corrupts the reading.

Also refractometers are not accurate at varying temps and how do you control this? The boiling wort sample will have a different reading depending how long you let the sample cool. This is another area for inconsistency to come in to your brewing practises.

You may feel that this is OK for you're brewing and that's fine but I have done a side by side test and was shocked by my findings. Little to say if you want accuracy and the ability to re-produce consistent brewing a hydrometer and a thermometer is your best bet. 

I use a refract at home to measure wort and a hydro to read fermentation. With my refract reading I take a sample of wort in a small glass and wait for the trub to settle before taking a reading. I don't take this reading as accuate but as said above it is quicker and easier, also you can return your sample to the boil and reduce any waste. With the hydro there is no waste cuz I usually drink that  

Cheers,

Liam


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## The Scientist (22/3/12)

As for a new plastic fermenter design. I'd love to see a cheap plastic conical come on to the market


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## Wolfy (22/3/12)

Uzetaab said:


> 1 I don't like the idea of glad wrap air locks which I have mentioned previously in this thread
> 
> 2 where are you buying jerry cans for $5-10? I can't find them cheaper than $25 which puts them much closer to the price of a proper fermentor. Which means to me that I may as well spend the extra few dollars and get something with a big opening for cleaning.
> 
> 3 And the benefit would be that they are much more transparent.


I was suggesting that cubes are ~$5 and the jerrry's ~$10, I buy them from a local shop, here, but I think these guys are in QLD.
By using cling-wrap you can see inside very easily (so fermentor transparency is not an issue) and they stack more easily (as per *iamozziyob*'s pictures).


The Scientist said:


> As for a new plastic fermenter design. I'd love to see a cheap plastic conical come on to the market


Feedback from others who have purchased and used cheap plastic conical (some are available from Ebay, others overseas) is that while the plastic conicals might be 'cheap' relative to stainless, by the time they are setup, and include all the fittings etc, the price is not that much less than a 'quality' stainless job. However, like all plastic fermentors the plastic conicals are still prone to scratches and other degradation but the price means you can't cheaply replace them like you can with 'normal' fermentors. In addition they often found that 'cheap' and 'plastic' meant that the finish was not that good, meaning they were much harder to clean and sanitize.


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## Lokkness (23/3/12)

pcmfisher said:


> I've got a plastic hydrometer. Definitely not new.
> Maybe older than me.
> 
> View attachment 53214
> ...



Thanks for that, I'll enquire to see what costs these may be... Thanks for all the feed back within the thread ^^.. while it seems some people have their ways and may not seem interested in a new Aussie made fermenter or hydrometer, a lot of great feedback was reieved also... putting together a survey to see where abouts most people in the home brewing community lay (kit extracts/beginner/coopers style fermenters - AG/Advanced/custom style fermenters) While the scale is definetely going to be all over the place.. I would be interested to see where the biggest group of home brewers lay in regards to a market..... It's great hearing good feedback here, but if people that use custom set-ups and have advanced methods account for <1% of the home brewing market, it's probably best to factor that in....

may talk to AHB about maybe setting up a survey/comp with some prizes for participants... although that also may yeild an untrue figure... I would say a LOT of homebrewers are not on the forums.. lol...

If anyone knows anything about where the majority of brewers lay in regards to methods, experience etc.. would be very interested to chat regarding..

thanks ^^


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## angus_grant (23/3/12)

Wolfy said:


> I was suggesting that cubes are ~$5 and the jerrry's ~$10, I buy them from a local shop, here, but I think these guys are in QLD.
> By using cling-wrap you can see inside very easily (so fermentor transparency is not an issue) and they stack more easily (as per *iamozziyob*'s pictures).
> 
> Feedback from others who have purchased and used cheap plastic conical (some are available from Ebay, others overseas) is that while the plastic conicals might be 'cheap' relative to stainless, by the time they are setup, and include all the fittings etc, the price is not that much less than a 'quality' stainless job. However, like all plastic fermentors the plastic conicals are still prone to scratches and other degradation but the price means you can't cheaply replace them like you can with 'normal' fermentors. In addition they often found that 'cheap' and 'plastic' meant that the finish was not that good, meaning they were much harder to clean and sanitize.



People in Plastics have some cool stuff.

How about this for stackable fermentors: 25L cube + Vented lid

And for some thread I read somewhere they sell spare normal caps.

And they have drums for grain, square and round containers and jars for hops, etc, etc.

Think I have found a place to drop some money.... 

I wonder if anyone sells cubes with the cap on the side. That way you could lie them down and possibly fit two of them into a bar fridge. I would have to measure my fermenting fridge at home, but reckon I would have to remove the freezer component to fit things in...


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## stux (23/3/12)

Lokkness said:


> Thanks for that, I'll enquire to see what costs these may be... Thanks for all the feed back within the thread ^^.. while it seems some people have their ways and may not seem interested in a new Aussie made fermenter or hydrometer, a lot of great feedback was reieved also... putting together a survey to see where abouts most people in the home brewing community lay (kit extracts/beginner/coopers style fermenters - AG/Advanced/custom style fermenters) While the scale is definetely going to be all over the place.. I would be interested to see where the biggest group of home brewers lay in regards to a market..... It's great hearing good feedback here, but if people that use custom set-ups and have advanced methods account for <1% of the home brewing market, it's probably best to factor that in....
> 
> may talk to AHB about maybe setting up a survey/comp with some prizes for participants... although that also may yeild an untrue figure... I would say a LOT of homebrewers are not on the forums.. lol...
> 
> ...



/me sticks thumb in air...

Ahem.

The majority of home brewers brew kit+kilo to 23L batches in plastic barrel style fermenters. with no temperature control. and we're not going to change that any time soon


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## Florian (23/3/12)

angus_grant said:


> People in Plastics have some cool stuff.
> 
> How about this for stackable fermentors: 25L cube + Vented lid
> 
> ...



Are they any different to the ones you get from craftbrewer, ebay etc? They look pretty much the same to me, apart from being 25L obviously. 

The lid just looks like a normal lid to me, the white thing in the middle is a normal bung which you can store in any lid when you have a tap attached instead.


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## Dazza88 (23/3/12)

people in plastic ~ sounds like a bulk buy



i think they might be quite cheap, according to wolfys post.


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## angus_grant (23/3/12)

Well just got off the phone with them.

The caps are designed for transporting and storing chlorine. The bung you see is actually the venting chamber. The venting happens permanently so if you lay the cube on its side, expect it to leak.

They are designed to be splash proof (ie liquids should find it hard but not impossible to get into the cube)

Sounds like a good design to me. Have two as fermentors, stack them on top of each other, and they vent as per normal air-lock. I guess you don't get the reassuring bloop-bloop though...


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## machalel (25/3/12)

Durable hydrometer? Hell yes! I'm on my 3rd in 3 months


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## Lokkness (25/3/12)

Stux said:


> /me sticks thumb in air...
> 
> Ahem.
> 
> The majority of home brewers brew kit+kilo to 23L batches in plastic barrel style fermenters. with no temperature control. and we're not going to change that any time soon



Thanks for the insight... how do you know that to be the case?


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## pyrosx (25/3/12)

angus_grant said:


> They are designed to be splash proof (ie liquids should find it hard but not impossible to get into the cube)
> 
> Sounds like a good design to me. Have two as fermentors, stack them on top of each other, and they vent as per normal air-lock. I guess you don't get the reassuring bloop-bloop though...



To me, those sound like a poor, and more expensive, substitute for a piece of glad wrap and an elastic band.

To the person that mentioned having "issues" with said method: you're doing it wrong.


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