How often do you look at your carboys?

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DirtyHaus

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I find myself "checking" my carboys probably 3-4 times a day. I like to look through the glass and see how active it is, sometimes I even talk to the carboy assuming that the yeast can hear me giving them a pep talk. "Come on guys, we're almost there! Just a few more gravity points and we're home free!!!"

Ok i'm kidding, I don't talk to my yeast but let's hear it.... how obsessed is everyone with looking at their carboys throughout fermentation?
 
I am opening it for FG checking, usually few days before bottling.
Dont risk infection unnecessarily..
 
Never since I don't use them anymore. I ferment in modified sanke kegs. Those I will check the temperature reading on (probe down a thermowell) but that is all. Once you get over the neurosis of needing to see the process you'll be much better off, IMO.
 
I look at it once a day just to see if it's clarifying and to make sure nothing funky is growing in there.
 
I check 12 hours after pitching to make sure the yeast took off and to make sure my temps are in check. Then I forget about them until I dry hop 7-10 days later.
 
Never since I don't use them anymore. I ferment in modified sanke kegs. Those I will check the temperature reading on (probe down a thermowell) but that is all. Once you get over the neurosis of needing to see the process you'll be much better off, IMO.

What neurosis?!? (My precious, my precious)...:D

I check twice a day during active fermentation, and then once a day until dry-hop/final gravity checks.
 
I've completely forgotten a few batches. I usually check the next day or so to see if fermentation has begun and then in a week or 2 or 3, depending to see how it looks. Just watch out for blow offs.
 
I check them in the morning before work, when I get home after work, just before bed, and then if I have to get up during the night I always peek on them.

I used to think it would be funny to talk to them, but now I wouldn't think that is odd at all. After all the yeast and any other organisms in there are alive as simple as they may be. Just because maybe we can't detect or sense any connection or influence on them doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's interesting reading books such as Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers which say traditionally people would sit near their open brewers inviting the yeasts to come see how sweet and tasty the wort it. Though maybe they just did that because they thought it was spirits actually coming into the wort to ferment it.
 
I check them fairly often, a few times a day, during active primary fermentation because I do temperature control using a fridge and a timer. Depending on the weather and the yeast activity, it can take some tweaking to keep temperatures where I want them. I also keep an eye on the blow-off tube during this time to avoid unpleasant surprises.
 
I check them fairly often, a few times a day, during active primary fermentation because I do temperature control using a fridge and a timer. Depending on the weather and the yeast activity, it can take some tweaking to keep temperatures where I want them. I also keep an eye on the blow-off tube during this time to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Same here, I have to tweak my temp controller during the first few days of fermentation.
 
I forgot I have an ipa that needs to be kegged, dry hopped it 2 weeks ago and haven't looked since. There is also a braggot in there too that I haven't messed with much. I ferment in a fridge in my detached shop so its out of my way
 
Before I broke my glass carboy I would watch the fermentation activity for 10 minute clips at a time. It's pretty awesome to watch the yeast churn the beer, and the co2 explosions that would happen in the trub and blow yeast/trub all the way up to the krausen.

After I broke my glass Carboy I decided buckets were easier to clean and cheaper so I can't see inside anymore :(. I don't take the lids off unless I want to take a gravity reading, which I don't really do until I keg/bottle. I am thinking about buying a better bottle so I can see the activity again, but don't want to deal with cleaning it.
 
Before I broke my glass carboy I would watch the fermentation activity for 10 minute clips at a time. It's pretty awesome to watch the yeast churn the beer, and the co2 explosions that would happen in the trub and blow yeast/trub all the way up to the krausen.

After I broke my glass Carboy I decided buckets were easier to clean and cheaper so I can't see inside anymore :(. I don't take the lids off unless I want to take a gravity reading, which I don't really do until I keg/bottle. I am thinking about buying a better bottle so I can see the activity again, but don't want to deal with cleaning it.

i use a 6 gallon better bottle, they are easy to clean just soak in pbw over night. i have never had a problem
 
i got a pretty big kitchen.. and as a single male i can do w/e the f* i want.. so they stay in the kitchen with me.. so i check em all day basically!!!
 
Greenbasterd said:
i got a pretty big kitchen.. and as a single male i can do w/e the f* i want.. so they stay in the kitchen with me.. so i check em all day basically!!!

I'm in the same boat :tank:

Except my apartment is whack, so there's this closet in the kitchen where I put my carboy. It'll have to come out of the closet before I can bottle, so I guess I'll have openly gay beer?
 
I look at it less now that I have a fermentation chamber, but I still check every couple of days... Just like seeing whats going on.
 
When I get a fridge for fermenting it'll be after 5 weeks ,but for now
I change frozen water bottles in a bucket 3 times a day for the first
two weeks, then lett'er slide at room temp for the last three. :mug:
 
Twice a day. Once in the morning while drinking my morning coffee, then again in the evening while drinking my after work beer.
 
I check it either 2 weeks in or 3 weeks just to take a fg to see if I have to bottle. Only batch I checked on was first batch, but i did not open it. Watched the airlock pop. Doing batch 8 today.
 
About 420 times a day. Lava-lamps have nothing on the entertainment factor of fermenting beer. I'm a baker and watching beer ferment is way better than wathcing dough ferment!
 
About 420 times a day. Lava-lamps have nothing on the entertainment factor of fermenting beer. I'm a baker and watching beer ferment is way better than wathcing dough ferment!

If looking 420 times a day i don't think it's dough your baking. This is coming from a fellow "baker" so i think i know what your talking about.
 
RmikeVT said:
Before I broke my glass carboy I would watch the fermentation activity for 10 minute clips at a time. It's pretty awesome to watch the yeast churn the beer, and the co2 explosions that would happen in the trub and blow yeast/trub all the way up to the krausen.

After I broke my glass Carboy I decided buckets were easier to clean and cheaper so I can't see inside anymore :(. I don't take the lids off unless I want to take a gravity reading, which I don't really do until I keg/bottle. I am thinking about buying a better bottle so I can see the activity again, but don't want to deal with cleaning it.

Oxyclean and water in your Better Bottle and an overnight soak - clean as a whistle.
 
First thing I do in the morning before work is boil up some coffee light up a smoke and stare at my carboy till its time to sh!@, shower, and shave.
I even count the seconds between each bubble of the airlock.
When I get home from werk, I light up a fag, pop a homebrew and watch the air molecules float by as I'm nessled next to my carboy awaiting bottling day as an expecting father awaits his newborn.
 
I check them regularly throughout active fermentation.

1. Because I still think it is really cool.
2. Because I am looking for any hint of krausen in the airlock (I use ale pales). Last time I did not check and my Belgian Dubble blew it's top all over my fermentation chamber.
 
I generally do not check on them at all. Let them be until finished. Lenght of that depends on style, wheat beers 2 weeks, most others 3-4 weeks. I have my process down well enough that I do not bother with unrequired gravity readings. Just do one at the end when I bottle/keg. Honestly that's not really required at all either. Once you have been brewing a while, you realize that the yeast know that to do without much help from you. They are also very good at what they do.

beerloaf
 
I wish I could check mine. It's just going into active fermentation, so I had to guess how to set the fridge timer to keep it under control. Fortunately it was cold enough last night that I just left the fridge open and it stayed just right... we'll see. It's an ale yeast and I'm aiming for 60°F, so it'll be ok if it gets a little warmer than that.

But I really want to hop in the car and drive home to check!
 
twice a day, mostly to check temperatures and switch out ice packs in the brew cooler
 
I've noticed my cat checks my carboy way more than I do. I have this otherwise-useless closet in my kitchen that I just use as a fermentation room. It doesn't stay closed and my cat seems to always want in that closet. I'm not sure if she just hates closed doors and can pull this one open, or if she notices the bubbles and investigates.
 
Once a day during initial fermentation. After that I open the ferm chamber for a peek about every three days to make sure there are no evil gremlins running amok!
 
I may have a little song for my yeastie beasties to get their spirits up. It may go to the tune of the wheels on the bus. This is all hearsay mind you.
 
I can catch a glance of mine as often as I want with little effort. The fermenter stand is to the right of the comp hutch & I'm retired.:ban: How many of you are airlock sniffers as well?
 
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