gone to the dark side. cling film for lid.

[Yob]

So your wort leaks out?

Not if you mount it correctly.. Why would it leak?

 

[Spiesy]

Not if you mount it correctly.. Why would it leak?

A thermowell and grommet in the middle of a fermenter won't leak at all for you?

There's no way I'd be drilling a hole in the side of a fermenter and leaving that to chance, mate.

 

[Crusty]

Made my second irish red this week. Forgot to clean a lid and thought about time I tried out the cling film method. Just so happens that I had a bag of huge elastic bands so I used one of those.

The barrel on the left is a Brown ale. The other two are the irish reds. I miss the sound of the airlock already but I can see that the yeast had started to do its job. Jury is out.

Fight it son, fight it!
Move on up to the senior class.

 

[mkj]

Not if you mount it correctly.. Why would it leak?

I guess a no-weld connector would work? Though probably more of a sanitation risk than the lid anyway.

 

[Cube]

Fruit flies are huge in comparison to vinegar flies. Fruit flies you can clearly see stripes on their abdomen.

Vinegar flies are small critters that I doubt you can even see their abdomen without magnification of some sort or pinning it still.

http://www.easypestsupplies.com.au/vinegar-flies.html

 

[bcp]

How do you suspend a wort thermowell for temp control using cling film? Genuinely looking for ideas.

Just guessing - but why not get some heavy duty tape and make a criss cross with it on the cling wrap. Two layers of cling wrap for strength or run the tape to the sides. Then stick a hole through.

 

[Josh SA]

After my first cling wrap brew, i never went back. love being able to see inside & the bulging cling wrap lets you know co2 is being produced.

Have been thinking of getting a thermowell in the future. using a wetsuit type insulation brew belt from digital homebrew at the mo.

Thought i would just place a grommet in a hole on the neck of the fv just down from the lid threads. would be on a slight angle which would make adjustment of the well/probe in the wort easy. Could be positioned close to the edge or in the centre of the fv just by sliding in or out. be good to see the temp difference the position makes if any.

 

[Truman42]

A thermowell and grommet in the middle of a fermenter won't leak at all for you?

There's no way I'd be drilling a hole in the side of a fermenter and leaving that to chance, mate.

This would work well. No different to the hole in the bottom of the fermenter where the tap or bung goes I guess.

 

[Spiesy]

This would work well. No different to the hole in the bottom of the fermenter where the tap or bung goes I guess.

probe.PNG

Maybe I'm missing something here… but aren't you relying on the integrity of the gap between the probe and the "hole" it lives in?

Not so with a tap or bung, they are a solid seal.

 

[Yob]

My element, Ball valve and many other bits and bobs have weldless seals and none leak,

Sure, if you did mount one on the FV it's another thing to pull apart and clean and Im not suggesting that I'd personally do it, but I dont see that any weldless thermowell setup would leak any more in an FV than it does on a Esky MT for example.

Im quite happy jamming my probe against the side of the fridge and the VF, works well with no extra cleaning or risk

 

[Spiesy]

My weld less 3-piece ball valve is fine, too - but it's fixed. Doesn't this thermowell bulkhead allow the thermowell to be placed in and removed? I.e. it's secured by a grommet? I've not seen one, I don't know.

If so, I wouldn't trust 20-odd litres of beer nectar to a grommet.

 

[Ross]

Spiesy is spot on the money - Thermowell through the lid airlock hole made from a secondhand keg diptube. I remover the big rubber O'ring from the lid as well, which allows an easy path for the CO2 to escape while still keeping out the flies & bugs. Perfect, accurate control, with no leak or infection risks & the lid has a very convenient handle for lifting up the fermenter. If you want to use glad wrap go ahead, but it makes little sense to me (sorry you glady lovers ).


Cheers Ross

 

[seamad]

If using a stc1000 ( as I do ) just put the wire probe into the wort, bend @ the top of fermenter and put glad wrap/rubber band over it. Have done this for years with no probs. Also get the vinegar flies at home to, but none into a brew yet ( lost a couple of starters though ).
I think Ross told me about some apple cider vinegar with some dish detergent in it in a glass, catches heaps of em.

 

[Bribie G]

The little boogers are also known in the USA and elsewhere as "drain gnats" and I'd bet they are breeding in the laundry, shower or even the dishwasher outlet. If you have those little drainage pits with the slotted metal cover in the floor of bathrooms or laundry that's their favourite spot. Just fill everything with cheap no frills bleach overnight and it should sort them. Also similar treatment to any drainage grates outside the house if you have them.

For temp control I just attach probe to side of FV, not into the wort, can't see it would make a lot of difference. I understand that Bacchus uses "ambient" as their temperature control ? Produces some perfectly fine drops.

Late edit: of course I meant in their temperature controlled fermentation cold room, not ambient in the shed

 

[Aydos]

Ross how do you seal up the end of the diptube so that it doesn't allow the wort into the tube? Do you just solder it closed after crimping it or do you have a better way?

 

[Scooby Tha Newbie]

Glad rap is the balls. Silicone a old stubble holder on for insulation with a large straw in the middle. Bobs ya uncle.

Good thing is once it gets a bit raty 5-6 brews you just peal it off throw the silicone away and reglue.

 

[Dan Pratt]

+ 1 for glad wrap, it works for me.

I have considered the temp using a thermowell but have found this gets me a temp reading which id imagine is within 1 degree of the reading. I start at 17c so if that actually more than 1 degree out say + 2c, then 19c its still a great temp for my beers to ferment at, right?

Just using a ockey strap and a peice of stubbie holder to hold the probe to the side of the FV.




p.s sorry about the grainy photo it was zoomed in from the original...and yes its a glass display fridge.