Recent content by RobbyBeers

+1

Damn, whole lotta wife talk on here. Is the road to homebrew littered with broken male spirits? The fact is, I already have an outdoor setup. I just enjoy having the option to do small batches indoors. I'll look into the equipment suggestions. I do plan to upgrade my basement utility sink, but...

I'm in the middle of a kitchen renovation, and I'm trying to keep my brewing needs in mind. One thing I'd really like to incorporate is a good kitchen sink faucet. I'd like one that will provide a good spray for brew day cleaning; it would be a bonus if it could also take a standard faucet...

RE: the OT question CO2 is heavier than air, so it doesn't all rush out when you pop the top on your fermenter. It's likely that there is less of a CO2 cushion by the time you go to the bottling bucket---some people spray their buckets with CO2 before filling (using CO2 from a kegging setup, or...

Thanks for all the input. I'm sure that different people expend different amounts of energy fussing over their fermenting beer. I tend to be on the low-fuss end myself, but I'm making an effort to sample just a bit more to address a specific issue (tracking attenuation). Sooo...the "don't...

Thanks for the input. I know some people keep their thief aside in a wallpaper tray full of starsan. Maybe I could try that. This gives me some ideas. If I'm using buckets primarily, I could probably just put a cup or a ladle down in there to sample. I generally follow the "don't dick...

Who out there has a really good process for sampling? ...because I sure don't. I've tried a lot of the sampling tools out there, but they always seem a bit too fussy and too plasticky. I've also tried using a sampling spigot on my (bucket) fermenter, but I always had leaks. I often find...

Sounds like you're thinking in the direction of an unheated third vessel. I use a 10-gallon cooler as my third vessel. I run the mash off into the cooler and set it aside (keeps the temp nicely); I run the sparge off into the kettle, then add the mash runnings to the kettle and start the...

Thanks for the feedback. I've tried a few different gaskets. Most often I'm using the black gaskets that are typically sold to fit the plastic spigots. I'm kind of leaning in the same direction as you...may be better off just to refrain from putting holes in perfectly good buckets. I...

Thanks for coming on to discuss, Mark. I looked at the DIY options, but I decided to save some effort and buy your product. It's worked really well for me so far. That being said, I'm keeping a cautious eye on those snap tabs. They may be more sturdy than they look, but the whole thing is kinda...

I get good use out of this: Homebrew Finds: Infrared Thermometer - $14.43! Also, most any homebrew or kitchen shop will sell some kind of (cheap) spring-dial thermometer that you can hang off the side of your pot.

Hi all, I've been using spigots on my primary buckets for a while now. I put these together myself, but the set up looks a lot like the "siphonless fermenter" sold by Williams Brewing. This set up "works," in that it makes sampling and siphoning a lot easier, and it's never caused an...

Thanks for the heads-up. So what are they going for these days? I've never actually seen the pricing, because they're always out of stock on the site.

Really? I just got a Mark 2, and I'm digging it so far. What's happening with yours? Is it the white snap-on collar that's falling off?

Something like this? I put this together from stainless cake rings and stainless worm clamps (have to be careful to get "all" stainless--the cheaper clamps have zinc screws). I hang it off the side of my kettle, and it keeps its shape pretty well. Clamping the ring at the bottom seems to keep...