My top little gadgets, and why

[Fore]

I do far too much thinking before I opt to buy. It pays off though, and of all the things I've bought for this hobby, the only things I no longer use, that which I consider a waste of money, are my glass thermometer and my standard hydrometer.

So here my top little gadgets, and why (in no particular order):

Auto-syphon: this is just really easy to use and racks very very fast. I used to spend ages waiting for beer to rack. Top tip... a few short quick pumps, not big long ones.

Refractometer: this just takes the faff out of determining SG. No wondering how to draw a large sample, no losing a large sample for that matter, no wondering if the bubbles are holding up the tube, no question over meniscus or temperature, no difficultly reading due to darkness or clarity. Just take a very small sample, three drops and hey presto. Mine has a fairly tight gravity range, it doesn't cover finishing gravity, so it's really easy to take the SG reading.

Finishing hydrometer: Most of the range of my original "standard" hydrometer was of no use to me at all; that large range just made obtaining the correct reading more difficult. So as soon as I had my refractometer, I got a finishing hydrometer, 1.000 to 1.015. No problems reading FG now.

Little Bottler: trying to bottle using a syphon is a nightmare. The Little Bottler is a tube you attach to the tap of your fermenter. It has a press valve which only releases the beer when you press it on the bottom of your bottle. So so much easier to fill bottles with this. I note you could even attach this to your auto-syphon if you didn't happen to have a tap on your fermenter. Top tip... to prevent a big bubble from being trapped, fill with cooled boiled water before attaching.

Thermapen: very accurate and very quick thermometer. Used for everything now... yeast starter, mash temp, pitching temp. I didn't even bother with a thermostat on my HLT as this is so quick to take a reading. The use of this great gadget spreads well beyond brewing, used for cooked meat, microwave rewarmed meals, even the wife uses it for baby bath water and baby milk/food temp check. Very well used!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Little Bottler: trying to bottle using a syphon is a nightmare. The Little Bottler is a tube you attach to the tap of your fermenter. It has a press valve which only releases the beer when you press it on the bottom of your bottle. So so much easier to fill bottles with this. I note you could even attach this to your auto-syphon if you didn't happen to have a tap on your fermenter. Top tip... to prevent a big bubble from being trapped, fill with cooled boiled water before attaching.

Having just bought one to fit my syphon tube (no tap on FV) i can honestly say i wont be going back to the old way even though it is a little slower.

 

[alarmsparks]

I don't fancy a tap on my fv so went for the little bottler on my siphon, I agree would not be without it now.

 

[clibit]

Great post Fore, cheers.

 

[wheazy_joe]

Like others I don't have a tap on my FV. I currently use a pretty basic syphon that requires sucking (not had any problems with it I must note). That said, seems like auto-syphon and little bottler are the way to go. Can anyone recommend good quality products that are compatible with each other?

 

[timcunnell]

Like others I don't have a tap on my FV. I currently use a pretty basic syphon that requires sucking (not had any problems with it I must note). That said, seems like auto-syphon and little bottler are the way to go. Can anyone recommend good quality products that are compatible with each other?

I also don't like the idea of a tap on my FV. But I went for another FV with tap and little bottler attachment - this is perfect for me. Only cost about �£16 from BrewUK for the FV complete with the tap and bottler.

I use an auto-siphon to transfer my fermented beer out of the primary FV, and obviously exclude the trub. Then I can either do a bit of secondary fermentation or even a cheeky cold crash (haven't tried yet but now I have my fridge setup I might give it a go). Usually though I just siphon the beer into the tapped FV with priming solution already in the bottom so it batch-primes easily. Then bottle away!

 

[timcunnell]

Finishing hydrometer: Most of the range of my original "standard" hydrometer was of no use to me at all; that large range just made obtaining the correct reading more difficult. So as soon as I had my refractometer, I got a finishing hydrometer, 1.000 to 1.015. No problems reading FG now.

I didn't know these existed! But after a quick bit of googling I've decided I need to add one to my kit list asap!

Thing is I've checked my usual websites and none seem to ell them. If someone could point me in the right direction I'd be really grateful!

 

[clibit]

Hopandgrape website has them I think.

 

[timcunnell]

Hopandgrape website has them I think.

Thanks Clibit! I've not heard of them before. Will check them out!

 

[timcunnell]

Got it! £8.95 - Bargain!

https://www.hopandgrape.co.uk/equipment/test-equipment/precision-finishing-glass-hydrometer.html

 

[GlentoranMark]

Why do you need a finishing hydrometer if you have a refractometer? Doesn't the refractometer do the same job?

Thanks for the list, I've added some to my wish list.

 

[YeastFace]

Thermapen is next in my list

 

[Fore]

Sounds like I'm helping stimulate the economy :smile:.

I also bought my finishing hydrometer from Hop & Grape. They must have changed their supplier as mine's a bit different from their photo, but it's essentially the same thing. Many moons ago I lived in Darlington for 5 years, and Hop & Grape were my "local" (pre-internet).

Why the reluctance to having a tap on a fermenter? Mine works fine, albeit to take only 8 bottles before the rest goes into secondary, and later a Cornie.

My refractometer has quite a tight range which doesn't cover finishing gravity (intentionally). That's why I needed the finishing hydrometer. I'm OK with sipping a sample of something that already contains alcohol; it doesn't seem like too much of a waste and is an early opportunity to taste test.

 

[ManseMasher]

I too have a tap on my fv, but I only use it to fill my trial jar. Every time I do, I make sure it gets a good dose of starsan spray after I've taken a sample.

 

[alarmsparks]

.

Why the reluctance to having a tap on a fermenter?.

You would not believe the trouble I would be in if there was a leak out of a FV. My mate had a leak on his tap, not good.

 

[Fore]

Ah OK. Never really worried about it. Had a small leak on the barrel of my first tap, so just bought another of higher quality. I also add a very small amount of Vaseline in the barrel, as it seems to help prevent drips.

I'm going to add another "gadget" to my original list. You can't really call it a gadget actually, and it's not particularly interesting, but its been super useful. And it is... a 2mm thick silicone sheet. :-?

I originally bought it to create a gasket for my mash tun tap. But you can always knock up any size washer you want. Since then I've used it to replace washers in 2 leaking sink down pipes. I also used it on my shower connection. Most recently, I had a leak in my HLT; the washer that came with my cheap Chinese element wasn't up to the job, so I made my own. I've been suffering problems with several of those cheap elements for months. First time I made my own washer, it just worked. Anyway, it's one of those things, when I now see washers in the DIY store I just wonder, who'd waste money on such things when you can make your own.