Equipment I'm using

[ssiem37]

Hey everyone. I've brewed three times and all three have turned out, but I'm thinking I may not have used the equipment to it's fullest potential. I'm trying to figure out what all of it is for and in some cases how to use it.

1. I haven't done secondary fermentation yet. I do my fermentation in the glass carboy. So, I guess for secondary, I would just move it to the bucket with no hole drilled? Do I use the airlock or just seal it with the lid?

2. I have been using the siphon from the bucket with no hole to bottle. Should I be using the bucket with the hole and the spicket?

3. How do I use "The Thief"? I can not for the life of me figure it out.

4. I have been using the siphon to put beer in the hydrometer tube to take a reading. Is that correct?

TIA for any insight. I guess it doesn't make much difference since I have been successful but just want to make it as efficient as possible.

 

[ISLAGI]

1. I haven't done secondary fermentation yet. I do my fermentation in the glass carboy. So, I guess for secondary, I would just move it to the bucket with no hole drilled? Do I use the airlock or just seal it with the lid?

Unless you are dry hopping, or using other additives (fruit, oak chips, etc...), most people around here just use a primary for 3-4 weeks.

2. I have been using the siphon from the bucket with no hole to bottle. Should I be using the bucket with the hole and the spicket?

Yes

3. How do I use "The Thief"? I can not for the life of me figure it out.

4. I have been using the siphon to put beer in the hydrometer tube to take a reading. Is that correct?

Sanitize the wine thief and dip it in you bucket to collect the sample for testing. Then either transfer the sample to the tube, or just drop the hydrometer in the thief to check the reading. Valve at the bottom of the thief opens in liquid or if the valve is pressed against something.

Enjoy!

 

[Dogphish]

1. many people use a 7.5 gallon bucket for primary fermentation. the lid has a small hole that fits a fermentation lock or a blow off tube. the bucket is useful for primary fermentation because you can brew 5.5 or 6 gallon batches, ensuring you get a full 5 gallons into the secondary fermenter after beer is lost in the yeast cake. the bucket also makes it easy to harvest the yeast to save for later, and there is room in the bucket to reuse the yeast cake a few times if you want to make the same beer a few months in a row. the bucket is also better for the primary because all the carbon dioxide being pushed out will ensure that oxygen doesn't enter any leaks in the bucket an make the beer stale.

2. the bucket with the spigot is the "bottling bucket". you need to get a bottling cane. look it up and learn how to use it. it makes life easy.

4. never add the sample back to the batch of beer. you can put it in a clean bottle and keep it next to the main batch with a piece of aluminum foil wrapped over the opening. the "satellite" sample will ferment at the same rate as the main batch. you can keep testing it over time.

 

[bovineblitz]

1 - primary alone is fine

2 - that is your bottling bucket, most people bottle using one. personally i dont use one, i rack to an empty carboy and attach a bottling wand (a must have item) to my autosiphon and bottle with that.

3 - my thief is very simple... sanitize, dip into beer, put finger over hole on top (like a straw), transfer beer to hydrometer, take reading

4 - generally you should use the thief. a siphon is fine but it's easier and quicker to sanitize the thief.

 

[ssiem37]

Thanks for the responses.