Thanks. Wasn't 100% sure on putting the hydrometer in the bucket or using a tube for it. Seems I see it done both ways in the books I've been reading. I tend to err on the side of caution, so I will use a tube for it instead. Between the cold I had and a few pesky gnats buzzing around the kitchen, I was hesitant to open the pale this past weekend. A cold snap has pretty well taken care of the gnats and my cold is going away, so this weekend looks like a pretty sure bet for the job at hand. Hadn't really thought about aiming for a flavor on the dunkel yet. My memory of drinking beer in Germany is more around how much I enjoyed it than around remembering how it really tasted. I'll have to tinker a bit and see. I enjoyed the local Cluss as well as the Stuttgart and Hofbrau beers served in Heilbronn. Big difference from the Schmitts that was the mainstay around Fort Monmouth, NJ the last few years before I retired in '95. I think my goal is to get the tastes I remembered enjoying in Germany. One thing I have been doing since I started home brewing is bying the seasonal sample cases of different craft beers available at the local air base Class VI store. That has helped me sort out flavors I enjoy, but to be honest, I dont think I have found one yet that I didn't like.