Aussie Made Durable Hydrometers And Carboys

[stux]

+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)

 

[Uzetaab]

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.

 

[Wolfy]

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.

 

[Deebo]

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)

 

[JaseH]

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.

 

[ekul]

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.

 

[Uzetaab]

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.

 

[pcmfisher]

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





Looking at Zeal website they make metal hydrometers

 

[Yob]

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

 

[The Scientist]

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 ****.

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.

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

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

 

[The Scientist]

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

 

[Wolfy]

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).

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.

 

[Lokkness]

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

View attachment 53214

View attachment 53215

Looking at Zeal website they make metal hydrometers

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 ^^

 

[angus_grant]

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...

 

[stux]

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 ^^

/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

 

[Florian]

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...

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.

 

[Dazza88]

people in plastic ~ sounds like a bulk buy



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

 

[angus_grant]

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...

 

[machalel]

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

 

[Lokkness]

/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?