Anyone else prefer to see into the primary?

[Eckythump]

Since I'm such a micro-manager, I check on all my brews at least twice a day (morning and night), and sometimes just stand there watching the airlock or some whirling fermentation.

With a bucket, I need to open up the lid to see inside, which shakes up the liquid a bit and exposes it to the air. With a glass carboy (or at least a transparent carboy), I can watch my beer fizzle away without touching it. It helps me stay patient and I've found it keeps me from messing with it (look, no touch!).

 

[edroberts]

*Raises hand* I am also somewhat anal watching my fermentation. As I have a couple of 5 gallon carboys and a 6 gallon bucket, most of my primary work is done in the bucket. My primary bucket was busy a couple weeks ago, so I ran a 4-gallon batch and racked into one of the carboys. I LOVED being able to evaluate the activity of the fermentation... so much so, I'm tempted to make more 4-gallon batches. I could grab a 6-gallon carboy, but part of me would rather spend that money on brewing another batch.

 

[skullface1818]

people think I'm crazy becomes I sometimes just plop down in front of my carboy and just watch it for a few minutes each day.

glad to know I'm not alone. I still say its a good idea to keep a close watch on it, you don't want to see it go bad

 

[amandabab]

seeing is nice.
carboys have so many other advantages for long storing, easy sealing, easy cleaning, that the see trough factor is gravy.

I LOVED being able to evaluate the activity of the fermentation... so much so, I'm tempted to make more 4-gallon batches. I could grab a 6-gallon carboy, but part of me would rather spend that money on brewing another batch.

I consider 1 6-gallon and 2 5-gallon to be the bare minimum for a starting pipeline.
you'll always buy ingredients, you buy the carboy once.

 

[verbhertz]

I liked watching my first few batches but now I throw a few shirts over the better bottles to keep out light and leave them alone. It's not like I can stop an infection if it's already happened.

 

[verbhertz]

Double post

 

[day_trippr]

I'm fascinated by fermentation, perhaps overly so I'd be disappointed to not be able to sneak a peek at the yeasty beasties doing their orgy thing, so all five of my fermenters are 6.5g glass carboys. I have a bunch of videos I've taken over the years, mostly to show my sons what was up in the brewery. This one was a favorite 'cuz it's pretty boisterous...

[ame]http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRCN9xxXUeQ[/ame]

Cheers!

 

[tuskenraider]

I throw it in a bucket and see it when it's done........much easier to handle the beer in a bucket and easier to clean, dry hop, etc. with the wide opening.

 

[BetterSense]

I don't watch my beer; it's a waste of time and probably bad luck. And I would never take the lid off a bucket just to look at the beer.

But I like using my carboy for primary, because when I check it after a week or two, it's easy to see when fermentation is done. Once the beer is still and looks clear, it's time to bottle. It doesn't make much difference since I let it sit at least 2-3 weeks anyway, but it's kind of nice to know. As soon as it gets that "done" look to it, I stop worrying about fermentation temp control and just let the temps rise to room temp (sometimes near 80F). So being able to see through the fermenter helps me me lazy.

 

[chumpsteak]

How do you know when it's done fermenting if it's in a bucket? I like to know when the yeast drop so I know how much longer I have to wait to move to the next step....dry hop, cold crash, packaging etc. I'm not patient enough to just wait 3 or 4 weeks.

 

[dragonbreath11]

[ame="http://youtu.be/Z_RUkmlykGk"]http://youtu.be/Z_RUkmlykGk[/ame]

Here's my Saison fermenting away in the dungeon.

 

[dragonbreath11]

How do you know when it's done fermenting if it's in a bucket? I like to know when the yeast drop so I know how much longer I have to wait to move to the next step....dry hop, cold crash, packaging etc. I'm not patient enough to just wait 3 or 4 weeks.

You take a hydrometer reading. If you have a tight seal on your bucket and you use a airlock, you can tell by the reduction of bubbles. I recently fermented in my stainless steel pot and everyday I checked the krausen. On day 5 when the krausen fell, I knew it was done. I think after awhile you get sort of a sixth sense. After that I wait a couple of more days and either condition longer or keg and drink.

 

[Clann]

I used to want to know but I DO know now so I don't worry about it. The need to piddle with your beer should go away with time. The only reason my buckets get opened is dryhopping and bottling.

 

[Grantman1]

I love watching primary. And it's not because I'm worried about what's going on in there, it's because seeing that magic happening makes me pretty damn happy. When in the height of primary ferm, I'll stop to check it out several times a day. No shame in that!

 

[Bob]

You don't need to see in the fermenter. Some folks, including me, like to see.

How do you know when it's done fermenting if it's in a bucket? I like to know when the yeast drop so I know how much longer I have to wait to move to the next step....dry hop, cold crash, packaging etc. I'm not patient enough to just wait 3 or 4 weeks.

Make a lid from some clear 1/8 or 1/4" Lexan or something. That's what I did. People often freak out because I just place a square of Lexan over the mouth of the carboy. "It doesn't seal!" they shout. "Doom! Horror! Zombie Apocalypse! OMGWTFBBQ!!!!1!!1!!"

Whatevs.

Traditional open fermentation, which I have now practiced for the better part of two decades professionally and on a hobby basis, means you can and will produce excellent beer without dealing with those goddam bucket lids.

Bucket lids suck. First, they never seal reliably; second, they're a complete PITA to remove. That means A., the sanitation argument is invalid, and B., when you try to open the thing to take gravity readings or whatever, you stir up all the gunge which just took a week to flock out.

The ferment will devolve enough CO2 to completely flush the fermenter's headspace with carbon dioxide. The skin of krauesen thrown up will further protect the beer from contamination. So there's no reason to worry about it.

How do you know it's done? You take consecutive hydrometer readings over the period of 2-3 days.

If you have a tight seal on your bucket and you use a airlock, you can tell by the reduction of bubbles.

GACK! No, no, a thousand times NO! This misinformation needs to be taken out into the street and shot. Say it with me: "Bubbles in the airlock mean NOTHING. The only measure of fermentation is taken with a hydrometer." Now repeat until you drive that bubble crap completely out of your conscious and subconscious.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[DryHoppinMad]

I could never go back to the old white bucket. I too like to stop, watch the storm, level of kreusen, the clumping/flocculation, etc. White buckets are like having to stay in the waiting room while your child is in another room getting vaccination shots.

 

[david00001]

Ha! Well said! I do like the better-bottles though after knowing a friend that had a glass accident.

 

[duboman]

Since I am confident with my processes I like the buckets, it's the whole set and forget mentality. Since I leave everything in my primary for at least 3 weeks I just put a note on the calendar when it's time to visit my beer and go from there. If I'm using a swamp cooler I check the temps and rotate frozen bottles as necessary and that's about it. I can usually tell what's going on just by the smell of the brew room when I enter, love that smell!

 

[Grippe]

While I still have the thrill of watching a primary 'boil' away furiously, I have greater piece of mind knowing the opaque plastic material is shading my little b(y)easties and I don't worry about carboy accidents.

I still use the carboys, but only when my two 7.5 gallon buckets aren't available (I use a 13 gallon plastic container for lagers).

 

[adixon3]

you know when it's done by checking your gravity, if it's the same for three days your fermentation is done. That's how you know. :rockin:

 

[Nierika]

Lately I've been splitting my 10 gallon batches between a bucket and a carboy. That lets me watch one batch and have an idea of what is happening with the other.

 

[AngerManagement]

I switched from buckets to carboys. I too love watching the fermentation develop and go through its stages. Carboys are a little bit old skool and just my thing. YMMV