Ale Pail Sux! (half-buzzed rant inside)

Ok, maybe sux is a harsh term, but I've been enjoying watching my batch of Apfelwein going along so nicely in my carboy, and now that I have my first actual beer going in primary I can't see a friggin' thing, aside from the airlock!

Would it really break the bank for a company to make a transparent bucket lid ?

I mean come on, it's not like it's really going to be in contact with the wort, so it doesn't have to be Better Bottle™ PET-priced.

How about a decent USB brew-cam? Just add a Krausen sensor and it'd be a hit. Imagine being able to watch your latest wort, and being able to get a warning if you need to rig a blowoff tube on that batch, by email or IM even!


There, that feels better.

I guess I just don't get the watch the fermentation thing. I've seen videos of it on youtube and I just don't understand the need to watch it. Why don't you just use a better bottle or carboy for your primary if you want to see so badly?

bradsul said:

I guess I just don't get the watch the fermentation thing. I've seen videos of it on youtube and I just don't understand the need to watch it. Why don't you just use a better bottle or carboy for your primary if you want to see so badly?

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+1. I don't get what's so special about watching clumps of yeast rise and fall.

bradsul said:

I guess I just don't get the watch the fermentation thing. I've seen videos of it on youtube and I just don't understand the need to watch it. Why don't you just use a better bottle or carboy for your primary if you want to see so badly?

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First off, Brad, thank you so much for all your answers in my other thread. It was great to get answers so quickly, particularly right as I was doing my first batch. You rock, sir.

Now, back to my rant. I know all you veterans trust what's going on inside that bucket, but dammit, that's my first beer! I wanna see the dang thing!

You have to admit a transparent lid with a $10 premium over the plain white one would be a money maker!?

OK it makes sense now, I missed that it was your first beer. Been a long day of steelheading and I've had quite a few post-fishing beers now.

I'm sure there are lots of people that would buy the clear lid, in fact I have no doubt about it. And you're welcome!

For $23 or so...get yourself a 6.5 gallon glass carboy.

A lot of people like to watch the "tornado" during fermentation. I did...but that was like 30+ batches ago. Now I just lid the bucket and walk away.

Even if you had a clear lid...the krausen would block your view of the "real show" going on.

"Why don't you just use a better bottle or carboy for your primary if you want to see so badly?"
"For $23 or so...get yourself a 6.5 gallon glass carboy."


That's probably part of the problem. I bought my carboy (glass) before I bought the rest of the kit. I read EdWort's Apfelwein thread and thought,"Gee, I have everything I need to make that!" So now I have Apfelwein in the carboy. I should get the Apfelwein bottled up about the time I plan on racking the Scotch Ale to secondary, in the carboy, but the suspense is killing me right now...

ma2brew said:

...So now I have Apfelwein in the carboy...

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Hah, hah...

Welcome to the hobby. Ain't never enough buckets, carboys or corney kegs lying around.

Sounds like you got the bug...

Better stock up on a few more pieces of equipment.

BierMuncher said:

A lot of people like to watch the "tornado" during fermentation. I did...but that was like 30+ batches ago. Now I just lid the bucket and walk away.

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Once you reach a certain point in your brewing career, the novelty of watching fermentation disappears. I also use buckets for the most part. If I have a lot of batches going to use carboys when all of my buckets are full.

Part of the process that tells me the beer is being made is the yeast movement.
Then I watch it drop. (I may or may not move it at that point)
Then I watch it clear.
Then I check with the hydrometer.
I couldn't do that in a pail.

Beer !Voyeurism

BierMuncher said:

For $23 or so...get yourself a 6.5 gallon glass carboy.

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ugh...I'd have to pay $35 for a 6.5gal glass carboy where i live.

OK, I bought another carboy today. Glass, 5 gal., $14.99.
Now I got a home for my Scotch Ale to got for secondary if my Apfelwein isn't done "doin' its thang".

I alread have a pair of carboy caps on the way from AHBS, along with a winethief, inline sanitary filter and a couple feet of hose.

Things are looking up.

The exciting part of this fermentation was over by Sunday evening. Airlock action is down to less than a bubble a minute now, but it was going great from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. I'm doing my best to be patient and not even peek until a week's gone by .

I'm about at 50 batches, and I still smile when I see the "storm".

ma2brew said:

OK, I bought another carboy today. Glass, 5 gal., $14.99.
Now I got a home for my Scotch Ale to got for secondary if my Apfelwein isn't done "doin' its thang".

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One word of caution. A 5-gallon carboy doesn’t allow room for a heavy krausen (foaming) during the primary fermentation.

You’ll need to hook up a blow off tube. You can get ¾” OD vinyl tubing from Lowe’s that fits snug inside the neck of the carboy.

This is a 6.5 gallon carboy and I still had need of a blow off tube:

BierMuncher said:

One word of caution. A 5-gallon carboy doesn’t allow room for a heavy krausen (foaming) during the primary fermentation.
...
View attachment 3236

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That's where I'm hoping some enterprising young manufacturer, perhaps the keg pasties guy, will come along and market a transparent Ale Pail lid for my primary!

I've never seen "The Yeast Storm" personally as I use bucket fermenters. Sounds cool though. Then again, my fermenters are in a chest freezer in the garage, so I don't get to see much anyway.