Fermenter "Sight glass"

I am not the most technical person so I come to you for help. Would it be possible to mount a sight glass like tube onto a fermenter? I was thinking about how cool this would be to have a Hydrometer in there and be constantly able to monitor fermentation. Obviously to keep light out it would need to be covered, but what do you think the feasability of this is? Most people seem to use buckerts for primary, I was thinking of trying to modify a pre-drilled bottling bucket to attach some sort of clear hard tubing on. I think if the opening was about an inch big yeast eating would properly mix the beer and the gravity readings would be accurate. Wouldn't this save beer AND allow us to monitor every little step of fermentation. Thoughts?

Fermenters get coated with krausen. Krausen is sticky. The sample in the sight glass would most likely have a kruasen layer on it to. Hydrometers in Fermenters just aren't practical.

Some people use clear tops like a sheet of acrylic for their fermenters so they can monitor it visually. Also, there is a relatively new product that consists of 4 balls with different corresponding specific gravities. The balls float until the wort reaches a gravity reading where they will sink. The color of the ball tells you what approximate gravity the beer is at. I forget the name of it but I know someone around here will remember. Whoops check that..... I found it.
http://www.brewballstore.com/

Those brew balls are brilliant engineering. I love it. I won't buy them because I tend to leave beer in the fermenter long enough that there's no need to worry about the gravity but still-- I appreciate simple, elegant engineering solutions.

IrregularPulse said:

Fermenters get coated with krausen. Krausen is sticky. The sample in the sight glass would most likely have a kruasen layer on it to. Hydrometers in Fermenters just aren't practical.

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I do love those brew balls. In my idea I was wondering if (and try and visualize this all) you have the bucket with a hole, a clear vertical tube that is a good size for the hydro, then had that contain the blowoff tube from there. My thinking was then you could quick disconnect the blowoff for a second, sanitize the eff out of the hydro, and drop it in for a quick gravity reading and then retrieve it. I have read not to stick hydros directly in your fermenter, but if its sanitized well and in a spot where it is easy to retrieve I dont really see where the problem would be. As far as Krausen, I would hope that the sight tube would remain fairly clear with the help of the previously mentioned blowoff. Maybe its just all a terrible idea?

I know what to ask for in my stocking this year... SWMBO is going to flip out!

FreakinA said:

I do love those brew balls. In my idea I was wondering if (and try and visualize this all) you have the bucket with a hole, a clear vertical tube that is a good size for the hydro, then had that contain the blowoff tube from there. My thinking was then you could quick disconnect the blowoff for a second, sanitize the eff out of the hydro, and drop it in for a quick gravity reading and then retrieve it. I have read not to stick hydros directly in your fermenter, but if its sanitized well and in a spot where it is easy to retrieve I dont really see where the problem would be. As far as Krausen, I would hope that the sight tube would remain fairly clear with the help of the previously mentioned blowoff. Maybe its just all a terrible idea?

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I'm visualizing this as an elbow coming out of the bottom of the bucket then going into a clear tube that runs vertically and has a connection to another tube near the top of the bucket that runs into your blow off bucket.

I don't think its impossible but what I visualize sounds like a lot of extra equipment that will need sanitized to solve a solution that really is not a big deal. I think if you really want to visualize the fermentation you would be best to use either a carboy or a clear top to a bucket. If you want quick hydrometer readings with low contamination concern than a racking arm or valve installed in the bucket would work. A refractometer would also work.

Perhaps I'm visualizing it wrong. If you think it will work try it out what's the worse that could happen. You could always try sketching it up on google to help clarify your design.

Scut_Monkey said:

I'm visualizing this as an elbow coming out of the bottom of the bucket then going into a clear tube that runs vertically and has a connection to another tube near the top of the bucket that runs into your blow off bucket.

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I would think the gas buildup in the main bucket would blow a good portion of beer out of this tube since the liquid would be plugging it and the force behind it...

It is very likely that the fermentation in the site glass will be distinct from the fermentation in the main vessel rendering the hydrometer reading spurious.

I am waiting for a SG gadget like we use in saltwater fish tanks. They are completely submerged. Don't have to worry about a meniscus.

Thats pretty.

remilard said:

It is very likely that the fermentation in the site glass will be distinct from the fermentation in the main vessel rendering the hydrometer reading spurious.

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That, I think, is the biggest problem.