I'm 2 for 2!!

I brewed my first batch a week and a half ago and broke a hydrometer. Tonight I brewed my 2nd batch and broke another hydrometer. This time before I was able to take an OG reading. Grrr! Tonight I brewed Midwest's Autumn Amber Ale. I don't have a wort chiller and it took around 40 minutes to cool it down in an ice bath. I would get a wort chiller but my kitchen faucet doesn't have any threads.

Also, I bought a strainer that you put on the bucket fermenter when you pour the wort in. It works fine for the first couple of gallons. Then it gets clogged up and doesn't let much liquid pass. I'm about ready to throw it away.

Cheers!

I secondary, so i never strain my wort.

How did you break 2 hydrometers in a row?

For what it is worth I use a sanitized spoon to move the hops material out of the way so that the wort can drain through.

time for a refractometer
http://www.brewhardware.com/refractometer
(ive never used one ) just sayin

Both times it fell out of the container tube thing that it goes in as I was taking it out. I'm a klutz when it comes to hydrometers. When I get my next one I'm going to wear it on a chain around my neck. Well probably not, I would probably break it and it would slit my throat!

EDIT: Actually, I broke the first one when I was putting it back in the tube.

By the way I have fumbled a couple of hydrometers on the kitchen tile. I feel your pain.

davis119 said:

time for a refractometer
http://www.brewhardware.com/refractometer
(ive never used one ) just sayin

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Very interesting. I'll have to look into that.

+1 on spooning the hops around in the strainer. It works for me.

I don't strain out anything, I just dump the wort into the fermenter bucket, cold break, hops, the neighbor's cat, anything that was in the boil kettle. I don't secondary either. By the time the ferment is over and the yeast have had a chance to clean up all the trub is in a neat layer and I siphon just above that when I want to bottle.

RM-MN said:

the neighbor's cat,

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Hmmmm, sticky angry cat, an aeration method I haven't tried

Rexorotten said:

Both times it fell out of the container tube thing that it goes in as I was taking it out. I'm a klutz when it comes to hydrometers. When I get my next one I'm going to wear it on a chain around my neck. Well probably not, I would probably break it and it would slit my throat!

EDIT: Actually, I broke the first one when I was putting it back in the tube.

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That happenned to me once. It hit the vinyl floor in the kitchen but didn't break for some reason. Right after that I put a piece of tape across one end of the tube so it can't come out.

I broke my first one on my first batch too. Luckily, I had a spare. I completed batch 2 Saturday night and am going with the primary only method this time.


Oh yeah, I bought a 50' immersion chiller from grape, grain and bean. My kitchen sink didn't work either so I used the bathroom sink around the corner. The tubing was long enough to leave the kettle in the hallway. It works really good...got 5 gallons to 80 in about 15 minutes.

Rexorotten said:

...I would get a wort chiller but my kitchen faucet doesn't have any threads.
....

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Is it a regular one with an aerator? If so, if you take that off you can get an adaptor from home depot or lowes that lets you use the chiller with your kitchen sink. It is a kitchen sink to garden hose adaptor type. I think for portable dishwashers.

I think the only kind that won't work with a chiller is if your sink only has a spray handle and no true faucet.

Rexorotten said:

Very interesting. I'll have to look into that.

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don't expect a refractometer to replace a hydrometer. a refractometer measures the wort before fermentation. a hydrometer can do that and measure it after fermentation. a refrac is useless after fermentation happens

Jdm5209 said:

Is it a regular one with an aerator? If so, if you take that off you can get an adaptor from home depot or lowes that lets you use the chiller with your kitchen sink. It is a kitchen sink to garden hose adaptor type. I think for portable dishwashers.

I think the only kind that won't work with a chiller is if your sink only has a spray handle and no true faucet.

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It has an aerator, and I probably won't be able to explain this well but: basically the faucet has a small cylinder shaped spout where the water comes out. I assume that the actual faucet has threads on the inside of it where this cylinder screws into so you can't see the threads.

Here is a style of faucet like mine.

That faucet has threads. They are on the inside. Just start twisting the part at the very end of the faucet..

lumpher said:

don't expect a refractometer to replace a hydrometer. a refractometer measures the wort before fermentation. a hydrometer can do that and measure it after fermentation. a refrac is useless after fermentation happens

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BS BS BS there are formulas to make the conversion after fermentation

pinback said:

That faucet has threads. They are on the inside. Just start twisting the part at the very end of the faucet..

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Okay, that's what I wanted to hear. Someone earlier was talking about an adapter, is there an adapter for this faucet to make a wort chiller work?

Rexorotten said:

I don't have a wort chiller and it took around 40 minutes to cool it down in an ice bath. I would get a wort chiller but my kitchen faucet doesn't have any threads.!

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You can also use the cold water supply to a washing machine if you have one.

Stauffbier said:

You can also use the cold water supply to a washing machine if you have one.

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Yup. Or if you brew in the kitchen, do what I did and install a T ( http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...053&langId=-1&keyword=Water+tee&storeId=10051 ) at the cold water supply hookup under the sink. Add 6ish feet of hose to the additional outlet, capped with a valve you can attach proper threads to ( http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...53&langId=-1&keyword=Ball+valve&storeId=10051 ). You'll have to get a 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch coupler too, or whatever your chiller hookup is, but it's intuitive. DO NOT FORGET TEFLON TAPE OR IT WILL LEAK.

I have a Delta pull out faucet with no threads and had to do this to connect my immersion chiller. I leave it under the sink until brew day, and don't have to mess with my faucet. Works great.

Rexorotten said:

Okay, that's what I wanted to hear. Someone earlier was talking about an adapter, is there an adapter for this faucet to make a wort chiller work?

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Yes. The lowes in my town didn't have it though. The online brew stores carry it.

Something like
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002FYIVBO/ref=redir_mdp_mobile


You'll prolly wanna verify the threads

As Ive been a plumber for 16 years now, I will tell you that yes im sure you can get it threaded to whatever you need. Price Pfister is actually Delta if it helps you to know and yes that faucet aerator is a male thread into the female of the faucet. Should be able to get that to any thread size needed at most local plumbing supply houses or hardware stores.

There is a thread around here with a link to a plastic hydrometer

Here it is
http://www.makebeer.net/item.asp?idProduct=64&idCategory=111&idSubCategory

Every hardware store will have adapters needed to use a wort chiller inside. I just pull my hose around to my backdoor and set my wort by the door and let the water drain back into my yard when chilling.

Also, I havent broke any hydrometers but I have managed to ruin 2 tubes that they have come in, the first I put into the dish washer to clean if after I used it...mistake it came out warped, the second I put 180 degree wort in thinking I could measure that before cooling...melted right through lol.

Oh and I do strain my wort when putting into primary, when it starts to "clog" I just swirl it around a bit and the hops and other gunk turns into a ball which I dump into the sink before putting more worth through it, works just fine.

OP: You forgot to begin your post with "Today" and end it with "FML".

geez.

Thanks everyone, lots of good info!

I think it's safe to say that everyone who brews has broken a hydrometer. I broke the top end of mine as I was spinning it (saw it on Homebrewer TV). I always try to have two on hand incase it happens again, might even order a plastic one.

A Wort Chiller is a needed accessory in my opinion. You can easily build a hose connection under your sink. I thought about installing a pot filler above my stove which would have a hose attachment to attach a Wort Chiller as well.

I used a funnel with a filter and had the same issue, I used my brew spoon to clear it, but it was a slow process, though I did like the way this method aerated the Wort. I now use a Hop Bag and don't have that trouble. Also saw this on Homebrewer TV.

As you are brewing Extract kits, I would Boil a few gallons a couple days in advance and cool it over night then cool it in my fridge to under 40°. Use this for the addition (You need to have boiled water anyway to add, might as well have it chilled to speed the cooling.