Recent content by sparegeek

When I got my freezer I called up the parts center and ordered 2 replacement hinges for it. I gave them my credit card to pay for them but a got a message a few days later stating that the Freezer was under warranty and they never charged me for the hinges. I'm using the hinges to attach the...

I just bought the black kenmore 8.8 today after measuring it with keg cut outs I traced from my ball lock cornies. You can fit 4 on the floor and 1 on the hub. I'll be picking it up next week (they only had the floor model left so i ordered online with store pick up) and will measure it out and...

Hey Paranoid, I'm just starting to put together the parts for my build too and I Just bought a 8.8 Kenmore today for the system. I've been looking at a lot of these threads and most of the builders are just creating a frame around the freezer. They don't secure the wood directly to the freezer...

Yeah I did notice that but I'd be okay taking it apart to clean and sanitize in between batches. Although after reading more I'm thinking I was opening it to much anyway. I waited a week after pitching and opened it to take a reading and then opened it again two days later to take another...

Thanks for this tip, it does help make it easier. I've been considering getting one of those bucket openers but my main goal is to just not slosh the beer while trying to get the top off so I don't stir up a lot of junk. The "peel" process does help a lot with that. Just got my first batch into...

Yep, those are the same lids. I think I'm going to give it a try. I'm looking to put together another primary fermenter and if it works as well as I think it will I may put one on the primary I have now!

@jonmohno Yes they do, they're designed to be air tight. They used a lot by survivalist that store food in buckets a lot. They are and water tight. @DeRim I've never seen those I'll have to take a look at them. The other bucket just look so easy to open. My grip is probably not the strongest...

The fermenting bucket that I got with my kit has a snap on plastic lid with a seal in the lid. Every time I try to take off the lid to take a hydrometer reading I find my self struggling to get the dumb thing off! Has anyone ever tried using a gamma lid and drilling a hole for the grommet and...

Well Holy Smokes...... So I took all the advice I got here and just let it sit longer. I finally took another hydrometer reading today and saw that further fermenting had taken place. The beer has lightened in color and that weird medicine taste has mellowed to almost nothing. It's almost...

It seems like timing and my over eagerness to try it might be the culprit here. I'm going to give another few days and then I'll take another hydrometer reading and see where it is at that point. I don't think it's my water or the sanitizer, I used bottled distilled water for everything even...

Thanks all, very good points about it not being done. Now I know better. The one book I read said not to put back what you take out for an hydrometer reading and to either throw it out or drink it. I went the drink it route. Now I know not to do that any more. Just makes one worry. Thanks again!

Okay, thanks. That's what I was hoping. How long between readings should I wait? Should I do them every day or wait in between?

Okay so i'm working on my very first brew and I just tasted the fermented beer after taking a Hydrometer reading and it had a off after taste. Too me it seems a bit "medicinal" my wife couldn't describe it and just made a face! :-) I took the reading because I haven't seen any airlock...