Category Archives: Reviews & Top Posts

Hands on Review: Tubby “The Lifetime Glassware” Ultimate Beer Pint

Updated: 4/23/2024

It’s not often that I add to my collection of beer glasses. I’ve been a homebrewer and craft beer lover for a good number of years now and have many opportunities to pick up beer glassware. When I ran across these they looked cool and sported some unique features so I wanted to give them a try.

Hands on Review Tubby The Lifetime Glassware – The Ultimate Beer Pint Glass

Front of the box. It reads… Tubby Two hand-blow 16oz glasses

Back of the box. It reads… While on the journey to find the perfect beer glass, our eureka moment hit us – wider and shorter is better for beer. With a Tubby you can smell your beer like you’re standing next to an ocean of craft brew. You can confidently put down your beer wherever you want since it won’t tip over like those silly tall & skinny pint glasses. Our personal favorite part? The rolled rim for ultra-comfy drinking. We hope the Tubby becomes your favorite glass for every beverage. Let us know what you’re drinking @whatsinyourtubby. Cheers, Same and Craig Founders of Tubby

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These are affiliate links. Note that multiple variations of these products may be available, as such a different version may appear at these links.

The Tubby -...image
The Tubby - The Ultimate Beer Flight Glass 6oz (Set of Four)
Tubby The Lifetime...image
Tubby The Lifetime Glassware - The Ultimate Beer Pint Glass 16 Ounce (Set of Two)
Tubby The The...image
Tubby The The Ultimate Cocktail Glass 11oz (Set of Four)

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Hands on Review: Third Party Dolly for Brewzilla 65L

Thanks to HBF Reader Kevin for this write up!  Let’s be friends!  8 Ways to Connect with HBF

Hands on Review Netfish Trash Can Dolly

In the last year I was gifted the ability to upgrade to Brewzilla 65L 220v brewing system and I was excited to shift to a simpler brewing system. When I built out a corner of the basement for my brewery I installed a hood to vent moisture out. Recognizing the weight of the malt pipe if I brew a 10 gallon batch I installed a Unistrut with a pulley on a rail dolly to raise up the pipe/grains and move them over the sink so I can dump them after the last few drips fall in the sink.

With this plan I then needed to move the Brewzilla from under the hood to out under the Unistrut/pulley. Kegland dealers have a specific dolly for the Brewzilla but they are either $79.99 or $99.99 so I began searching for an alternative. (William’s Brewing | MoreBeer)

When I found the Netfish Dolly I decided I would order it and see if it would work. I was pleasantly surprised to find how well built it is and how easily I can move the Brewzilla even up over mats I have on the floor. The dolly is adjustable and the feet for the Brewzilla are inside a lip that makes sure the Brewzilla doesn’t fall off.

From HBF: Using caution when moving kettles especially when full. We do not recommend moving hot liquid or equipment.

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Nefish Trash Can Dolly Wheels, 15-19 Inch Adjustable Round Furniture Dolly with 4 Wheels, Heavy Duty Drum Dollies 440lbs Tire Dolly, Multi Functional Rolling Dolly Cart – affiliate link, note that multiple variations of this product may be available, as such a different version may appear at this link

Nefish Trash Can...image
Nefish Trash Can Dolly Wheels, 15-19 Inch Adjustable Round Furniture Dolly with 4 Wheels, Heavy Duty Drum Dollies 440lbs Tire Dolly, Multi Functional Rolling Dolly Cart
$28.98

Official Kegland Dolly

Related: Hands on Review BrewZilla Gen 4!

Thanks to HBF Reader Kevin for this write up!  Let’s be friends!  8 Ways to Connect with HBF

More potential brewing applications: Use to assist with moving compatible carboys, kegs and other heavier items around on brew day and beyond.

Important Notes: I don’t recommend moving hot equipment or hot liquid. This is Kevin’s experience. This dolly isn’t specifically made for BrewZilla. Make sure the components you use are compatible and rated for your intended application.  Contact manufacturer with questions about suitability or a specific application.  Always read and follow manufacturer directions.

Nefish Trash Can Dolly Wheels, 15-19 Inch Adjustable Round Furniture Dolly with 4 Wheels, Heavy Duty Drum Dollies 440lbs Tire Dolly, Multi Functional Rolling Dolly Cart – affiliate link, note that multiple variations of this product may be available, as such a different version may appear at this link

Nefish Trash Can...image
Nefish Trash Can Dolly Wheels, 15-19 Inch Adjustable Round Furniture Dolly with 4 Wheels, Heavy Duty Drum Dollies 440lbs Tire Dolly, Multi Functional Rolling Dolly Cart
$28.98

Related: Kegland BrewZilla Heavy Duty Dolly

65 & 100 Liter Brewzilla Heavy Duty Dolly

BrewZilla Review!

Hands on Review: BrewZilla Gen 4 All Grain Brewing System

Tip: Plant Caddies For Moving Kegs & Carboys – give your back a break

Kegland Gear Reviews!

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Make sure the components you use are compatible and rated for your intended application.  Contact manufacturer with questions about suitability or a specific application.  Always read and follow manufacturer directions. tag:lnksfxd review:brewzillacaddy tag:tpr

Check Your CO2 Regulator for Leaks!

We get a lot of people contacting us when trying to track down a C02 gas leak in their draft systems, and wondering how to test their regulator to make sure it is not leaking C02. This little knurled shut off cap is the answer. This 1/4″ female flare shut off cap features a sealing O ring, and knurling so you can tighten it without tools. Great for shutting off an unwanted 1/4″ male flare gas line.

Also is a good tool to use if you suspect your regulator is leaking gas. See the above picture for details on how to do this.

1/4″ Flare Shut Off Cap – Regulator Leak Tester

Also: Kegerator Tips & Gear | Keg Repair Part #s | Recent Keg Finds

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Hands on Review: VineCo Winemaking Equipment Kit from MoreBeer!

Thank you to HBF Contributor Aaron Nord for this hands on review!  Aaron is an advanced award winning brewer, a long time reader and a serial tipster!

Winemaking Equipment Starter Kit Review

There are many ways for someone to enter a hobby like beer and winemaking. One of the more common avenues is by way of an equipment starter kit. This is how I made my foray into the world of homebrewing in 2009 and in retrospect I am glad for the experience. Buying an off the shelf kit that had nearly everything I needed was a great place to start since I really didn’t know what I was getting into. It helped me avoid the analysis paralysis that would likely have ensued in trying to figure out what I needed, in what quantity, size or quality all on my own. Thankfully, there were experienced minds who put thought and effort into packaging a collection of gear for the nascent homebrewer to be able to focus on the task of making beer. Let the analysis paralysis come later when the brewer decides to advance in the hobby.

An opportunity arose recently for me to start down a new path with winemaking by way of Winemaking Equipment Starter Kit. Since I had fond memories of a similar kit helping me get started in a hobby that became a passion (and near obsession at times), I was excited for the chance.

This review will cover the contents of the Winemaking Equipment Kit for VineCo Concentrate Kits from MoreBeer which consists of the following items:

  • 7.9 gallon food grade bucket and lid with airlock hole
  • 6 gallon plastic carboy for aging
  • Airlock and stopper
  • 7/16″ Siphon assembly
  • Bottle brush
  • Sample taker/thief
  • Triple scale hydrometer
  • Bottle filler with removable spring
  • Bottle corker
  • 100 Corks – 1 3/4 in.
  • One Step Cleanser

Make Your Own Wine!

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Top 10 Reasons to Homebrew – According to ChatGPT

What is ChapGPT?  ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI, based on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) architecture. It’s designed to understand and generate human-like text based on the input it receives. ChatGPT is trained on diverse internet text and can perform various language-related tasks, such as answering questions, engaging in conversations, writing creative content, and more. It’s a part of the GPT-3.5 series, and its capabilities include natural language understanding and generation, making it versatile for a wide range of applications. – ChatGPT’s explanation of itself

I asked ChapGPT to tell my why someone should homebrew.  Here’s what it said along with some of my commentary.

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Using Temperature Activated Stickers to See Keg Levels

Thanks to u/CivilDistribution576 on r/homebrewing for this tip and picture

u/CivilDistribution576  Says…

They sell these sheets that are like 1 square foot vinyl stickers that change color at 59°F. I cut a strip out of one and placed it from top to bottom of the keg. Throw it in the kegerator and the sticker is a bold color (<59°F), take it out, and rub it to generate heat until the color turns white. Give it a couple seconds, and the color will be restored up to the level of the beer and make a clear indication of the fullness of the keg.

Color Changing Vinyl...image
Color Changing Vinyl 6 Sheets Pack 12"x12" 6 Differend Color Cold Change Adhesive Vinyl Bundle for Stickers Decals Cups Water Bottles

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Making Wine as a Homebrewer!

Thank you to HBF Contributor Aaron Nord for this hands on review!  Aaron is an advanced award winning brewer, a long time reader and a serial tipster!

Making Wine as a Homebrewer

Background

I can remember when I first considered delving into brewing all grain beer. After gaining experience from doing boxed recipe kits, to then slightly modifying a boxed kit or two followed soon by making my own recipes with partial mash batches, I figured it was time to step up to all grain. The amount of time and research I poured into the endeavor before pulling the trigger was considerable. I was concerned that I would miss a step or need to make a brew-time adjustment without being prepared and be left with gallons of potentially ruined wort. It all ended up working out. Sure, there were some missteps along the way and the inevitable audibles during brew day, but each time I was rewarded with a drinkable beverage that trended upward in the flavor and quality departments with each experience.

When I considered throwing my hat in the ring for making wine, I had the same feelings I had when I made the move to all grain brewing from kits and partial mashes. I was apprehensive. What if I forget something in the process? What if I don’t have the requisite knowledge to be able to make prime time adjustments? What if the wine just doesn’t turn out? While I was overthinking the endeavor, I had another thought that brought be back into reality.

As a kid I remember getting the occasional taste of an adult beverage when we would visit my great grandma at her farmhouse in rural southern Iowa. She was a crafty and capable maker of all the things one needs on a farm and even some that might not be considered a necessity, like wine.

Make Your Own Wine!

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Hands on Review: Blichmann Engineering BrewEasy Compact

This review is by Homebrew Finds Contributor Brad Probert.  Brad is an engineer, expert homebrewer and experienced reviewer.  Grab a link to Brad’s website at the end of this review.

Blichmann Engineering BrewEasy Compact

Blichmann came out with the BrewEasy in 2014. It was when all-in-one units were starting to pop up in the market everywhere. Blichmann went in a different direction, by building on the strength of their existing kettles, and finding an innovative way to connect them together. They came out with a revised model in 2021 that they call the BrewEasy Compact, but they still offer the original configuration and call it the BrewEasy Classic. This review will focus on the BrewEasy Compact.

Bottom of Mash Basket

The BrewEasy Compact is a similar layout to other all-in-one brewing units in the market. There’s a kettle with malt basket that sits inside. When mashing, the grain sits in the basket, and a pump is used to continually recirculate wort through the grain. When mashing is finished, you lift the basket of wet grains out, drain them, and then the kettle changes focus to boiling the wort that is left. The Compact comes in both gas and electric power (120V or 240V). The electric version can come with either the Boil Coil heating element inside the kettle, or Blichmann’s new BoilerMaker Surface with the heating element bonded to the underside of the kettle. The Boilermaker Surface has the same kettle up top, but the heating elements are sealed away in their own space, like a basement apartment. This makes the kettle’s overall height about 6” taller (10-gallon Surface is 22” tall, and standard G2 kettle is 16.4”), but makes the kettle interior very uncluttered for ease of cleaning.

Looking for a Review of the BrewEasy Classic?

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Hands On Review: TRINITY EcoStorage NSF Stainless Steel Table

review TRINITY EcoStorage NSF Stainless Steel Tabl

I picked up Trinity’s EcoStorage Stainless Table toward the end of 2014.  I wanted a sturdy, easy to clean table for around the brewery tasks and storage.  This table is all stainless construction, NSF certified, has 150 lb capacity per shelf, features adjustable feet levelers and the shelf is fully adjustable.  48″ wide, 35.5″ tall, 24″.

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Hands on Review: Blichmann Engineering BrewEasy Classic

This review is by Homebrew Finds Contributor Brad Probert.  Brad is an engineer, expert homebrewer and experienced reviewer.  Grab a link to Brad’s website at the end of this review.

Blichmann BrewEasy Classic

Blichmann came out with the BrewEasy in 2014. It was when all-in-one units were starting to pop up in the market everywhere. Blichmann went in a different direction, by building on the strength of their existing kettles, and finding an innovative way to connect them together. They came out with a revised model in 2021 that they call the BrewEasy Compact, but they still offer the original configuration and call it the BrewEasy Classic. This review will focus on the BrewEasy Classic.

Compare Models, Prices and Availability, More Photos Below:

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Hands On Review: ThermoWorks ChefAlarm Thermometer and Timer

thermoworks chefalarm review

The ChefAlarm Thermometer and Timer Combo from ThermoWorks has some unique features, including the ability to set both high and low temperature alarms.  Other features include: Constant Minimum and Maximum Temperature Displays, User Calibration, Adjustable Alarm Volume, Backlighting and the unit is Splash Proof.  All of this lends itself to making this thermometer and timer combination an amazing tool for homebrewers.

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Hands on Review ChefAlarm + Pro-Series Temperature Probe

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Hands on Review: Delta Brewing Systems Fermtank TC

This review is by Homebrew Finds Contributor Brad Probert.  Brad is an engineer, expert homebrewer and experienced reviewer.  Grab a link to Brad’s website at the end of this review.

Delta Brewing Fermtank TC

Stainless steel is the material of choice for brewing equipment in general. For fermentors, that is especially the case. It is an ideal material for a fermentor because of its cleanability. Stainless is resistant to staining, is durable for scrubbing, and compatible with different cleaners. In contrast to plastic HDPE buckets, stainless can keep oxygen out of your fermenting wort.

Delta Brewing Systems offers a handful of homebrewing products, selling them since 2019. They sell two versions of their Fermtank stainless fermentor. The two have a lot of the same core features, but the recently released Fermtank with Tri-Clamps ups the game in a lot of key areas. The most obvious difference to other fermentors is the 8-gallon size. That size is designed to allow extra volume into the fermentor for those batches where you have a lot of dry hop debris left over (and thus you leave more liquid behind than you normally would). On paper, an 8-gallon fermentor sounds like overkill for a 5-gallon batch, but it’s designed to support all kinds of variations to get you 5 gallons into your serving keg. There are volume markings etched inside, starting at 3 gallons. The optional chilling coil extends down to the 3-gallon level (meaning if you want to chill your wort, you need more than 3 gallons). The thermowell sits at 3.75 gallons.

Main Fermentor Body

TC Clamps, Thermowell, Blanking Plate

Digital Temperature Probe

Etched Volume Markings

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Related: Hands on Review: Delta Brewing Systems Fermtank

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Homebrew Keg Post Types and Sizes

homebrew keg post types and sizes

Before you purchase any replacement posts for your keg, you’ll need to determine the brand/maker of that keg. You can figure this out by finding the stamp or markings on the side of the keg.

  • Cornelius, Ball Lock (all types) GAS 19/32″ – 18 LIQUID 19/32″ – 18 – View +
  • Cornelius, Pin Lock (all types) GAS 19/32″ – 18 (2 Pin) LIQUID 19/32″ – 18 (3 Pin) – View +
  • Cornelius Spartan 19/32″ – 18 19/32″ – 18 – Shop ++
  • Cornelius R (Pin Lock) 19/32″ – 18 (2 Pin) 19/32″ – 18 (3 Pin) – Shop ++
  • Firestone V, VI & Super Challanger, Ball Lock* GAS 9/16″ – 18 LIQUID 9/16″ – 18 – View +
  • Firestone Challenger, ball lock (racetrack) GAS 11/16″-18 LIQUID 3/4″-18 – +
  • Firestone, Pin Lock (all types) GAS 9/16″-18 (2 Pin) LIQUID 9/16″-18 (3 Pin) – View +
  • Firestone A (Pin Lock) 9/16″ – 18 (2 Pin) 9/16″ – 18 (3 Pin) – Shop ++
  • Firestone R (Pin Lock) 9/16″ – 18 (2 Pin) 9/16″ – 18 (3 Pin) – Shop ++
  • Firestone Challenger 11/16″ – 18 3/4″ – 18 – Shop ++
  • Firestone Super Challenger 9/16″ – 18 5/8″ – 18 – Shop ++
  • Firestone V Challenger 9/16″ – 18 5/8″ – 18 – Shop ++
  • Firestone VI Challenger 9/16″ – 18 5/8″ – 18 – Shop ++
  • John Wood 85, Ball Lock (racetrack)* GAS 11/16″-18 LIQUID 3/4″-18 +
  • John Wood RA or RC, Pin Lock GAS 19/16″-18 (2 Pin) LIQUID19/16″-18 (3 Pin) – +
  • John Wood 85 11/16″ – 18 3/4″ – 18 – Shop ++
  • John Wood RA (Pin Lock) 9/16″ – 18 (2 Pin) 9/16″ – 18 (3 Pin) – Shop ++
  • John Wood RC (Pin Lock) 9/16″ – 18 (2 Pin) 9/16″ – 18 (3 Pin) – Shop ++
  • AEB, Ball Lock GAS 19/32″-18 LIQUID 19/32″-18 – View +
  • AEB Kegs 19/32″ – 18 19/32″ – 18 – Shop ++
  • Super Champion 19/32″ – 18 19/32″ – 18 – Shop ++

* The vast majority (99%) of Firestone Ball Lock Kegs on the market use the same post except for the original Challenger, which had “racetrack” style lids. Racetrack style lids had straight sides like a race track and are rare. All other kegs had standard rounded sides.

+Thank you to Keg Connection for this information – Complete Lineup of Posts and Poppets at Keg Connection

++Thank you to Keg Outlet for this information – Complete Lineup of Posts and Poppets at Keg Connection

Related: What’s the Difference Between Pin Lock and Ball Lock Kegs?

What about Wrench Sizes?  Find Compatible Tools

ball lock post sizes

+ Keg Connection Says… ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Reviews Are In – BEST KEGS EVER

18+ Liter Ball Lock Keg | Fully Remanufactured (AEB/SAFER/Cornelius) | SEE DESCRIPTION

18+ Liter Ball Lock Keg | Fully Remanufactured (AEB/SAFER/Cornelius) | SEE DESCRIPTION

More Info

From the product description, check product page for current description, price and availability:

18+ Liter Ball Lock Keg | Fully Remanufactured (AEB/SAFER/Cornelius)
These are top-tier, refurbished Corny kegs made of stainless steel. With stainless steel costs climbing and high-quality used kegs becoming increasingly scarce, this is an offer you won’t want to overlook.

Every keg in our collection undergoes a comprehensive refurbishment process. This includes deep cleaning, machine polishing, and the replacement of o-rings on the lid, PRV, as well as liquid and gas dip tubes, in addition to two o-rings on each post. These kegs are all sourced from elite brands, including AEB, SAFER, and CORNELIUS.

Additional Information on Our Refurbished Kegs:
Though these kegs are pre-owned, they may exhibit minor cosmetic imperfections such as small dings and scratches that couldn’t be completely polished away. None of these issues impact their functionality.

After the cleaning and polishing operations, some residue might be present on either the keg’s exterior or its rubber components. While it may transfer onto your hands, this is merely a reminder that all kegs—whether new or used—need to be meticulously cleaned before usage. Proper sanitization is also crucial before filling them with any beverage.

A subset of these kegs has experienced sun damage to the rubber areas, affecting the seal. This could lead to the formation of black marks, particularly when the rubber is wet, although this is less likely when it’s dry.

Lastly, you might find some kegs with double o-rings on their posts. While this may appear out of the ordinary, rest assured they function as effectively as those with single o-rings.

Diameter: 8-7/8″ (225mm)
Height: 22-1/4″ (565mm)
Weight: 9 lbs 9oz (4.34kg)
Volume: 4.75 gallons (18 liters) but some are also slightly more in full volume
Post Thread Size: 9/16-18 UNF Thread on both the IN and Out.

 

The fact is… the era of cheap and readily available used homebrew kegs is… done. I could give you a bunch of reasoning behind that opinion including one of the best sources for used kegs… de-listing used kegs, but I’ve got a regularly updated article on the topic you can check out.

Keg Connection Says…

“People have been receiving these new PREMIUM REMANUFACTURED KEGS and already love them! That’s because there hasn’t been a used keg on the market in this good of condition, EVER. They’re ‘used’ in a literal sense but each of these kegs has undergone an extensive refurbishing process. They have been meticulously cleaned, machine-polished, and fitted with new o-rings including the lid, pressure relief valve, and both liquid and gas dip tubes. Plus, we’ve added two new o-rings on each post.”

Ball Lock Vs Pin Lock Kegs!


pin lock keg orings

Rebuild Your Kegs

Some everyday great deals and unique items at Keg Connection…

Parts and Diagrams:

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Price, promotions and availability can change quickly. Check the product page for current price, description and availability. tag:lnksfxd tag:postsizes tag:tpr 

Hands on Review: Brewers Hardware The Dry Hopper!

This review is by Homebrew Finds Contributor Brad Probert.  Brad is an engineer, expert homebrewer and experienced reviewer.  Grab a link to Brad’s website at the end of this review.

Brewers Hardware Dry Hopper

Dry hops. Homebrewers debate their favorite dry hop, how to calculate their IBU contribution, and when is the best time to add dry hops. While many love them, the technical challenge of adding them “right” is a hefty one. Whether you’ve heard of hop creep, or tasted an oxidized IPA, you are interested in minimizing the introduction of oxygen to your beer when you add dry hops.

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Make Your Own Hop Water!

Making Hop Water at Home!

By Vito Delucchi

Are you looking for a hoppy non alcoholic beverage to have on tap? Hop Water is the perfect drink to hold down a tap handle and give you an N/A alternative to beer. In the past, I’ve always enjoyed having some “carbonated water” to fill this void. But after trying Hoppy Refresher from Lagunitas Brewing, I was hooked and wanted to make one myself. Luckily I live close to the brewery and actually knew someone there. After a few text messages back and forth I was armed with everything I needed to brew my own hoppy refresher hop water at home! But being the awesome peeps they are, we took it a step further and they invited me to their innovation lab to brew our own experimental batch of hop water and sat down with me to answer any questions. Check out that full video below and keep reading for a summary of everything I learned, including a step-by-step hop water recipe

The Secret To Making Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher

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How Often Should I Clean My Kegerator Beer Lines?

Clean kegerator lines are a key part of serving delicious beer. Bacteria and mineral build in lines can cause off flavors, quick loss of head, under-carbonated beer due to rapid co2 loss and lack of legs forming on the inside of your beer glass.

How Often Should I Clean My Beer Lines?

The Draught Quality Beer Manual says… every two weeks.

That recommendation is for a commercial operation.  What about homebrewers?  We serve far fewer beer on our kegerators, but on the other hand, we can have been on tap and in lines 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  Considering all of this, my recommendation is to clean home kegerator beer lines every 1 to 2 months.

Line Cleaning Options

Our Line Cleaning Builds:

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Using a CO2 Detector in Your Kegerator

INKBIRD WiFi Indoor Air Quality Monitor, CO2 Detector, Accurate NDIR Sensor, Temperature and Relative Humidity, Indoor CO2 Meter with Data Logger, for Cars, Wine Cellars, Grow Tents, Homes (INK-CO2W).Pictured: INKBIRD WiFi Indoor Air Quality Monitor, CO2 Detecto

Losing a tank of CO2 because of leak is frustrating. It’s a waste of time and money. Adding a CO2 monitor can help warn you of leaks minimizing loss, wasted money, wasted time and frustration.

A CO2 Monitor Alarm in Your Kegerator

Placing a CO2 Monitor with alarm inside of your kegerator can serve as another line of defense to protect against co2 leaks and loss. CO2 should not be building up in your kegerator. A CO2 monitor with alarm can alert you of this condition.

Options with WiFi and a companion app are nice because you can get notifications on your compatible phone.

These are affiliate links. Note that multiple variations of these products may be available, as such a different version may appear at these links

Beyond CO2 Levels…

Some models display additional information that can be helpful information about your kegerator. These vary model to model and can sometime include temperature and humidity.

  • Temperature – monitor your kegerator temperature
  • Humidity – Help judge whether your Eva Dry (or similar) needs recharged for the purpose of handling excess kegerator and fermentation chamber wetness.  See: Damp Kegerator? Fix Kegerator Condensation

Not A Replacement for Checking for Leaks…

A do not consider a CO2 alarm as replacement for thoroughly checking for and addressing leaks. Rather this is another layer that could save you a trip to swap out a CO2 tank.

The Biggest Trouble Spot

Color coded post o-rings. From our Keg Rebuild Post – Jump To: Replace O-Rings

In my opinion the most difficult spot to check and the cause of many a lost CO2 tanks are… gas post o-rings.

Testing at this point using the “spray bottle method” (spray Star San everywhere and check for bubbles) is impossible or at the very least difficult and messy.  Leaks will only surface here when a gas QD is actually engaged.  The problem is, you can’t easily see that spot when a QD is on.

The problem stated more simply… You need a QD on to see if it’s leaking, but you can’t see it if a QD is on. You can use what I call the pressure gauge method to check for overall leaks. But even using that method you know that you have a leak but it gives no indication where it’s at.

Be quick to replace gas side o-rings… I’m quick to replace gas post (and gas dip tube) o-rings. Beyond slow and no-carbing beers, a bad gas side o-ring can lead to empty tanks. That’s a waste of time and money and it’s frustrating.

These o-rings cost pennies each when you buy them in bulk. Liberally replacing these can save time, money and frustration.

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Hands on Review: Kegland Hop Bong!

Updated: 6/12/2024

Thank you to HBF Contributor Aaron Nord for this hands on review!  Aaron is an advanced award winning brewer, a long time reader and a serial tipster!

Kegland Hop Bong

Keeping oxygen out of a fermenter after the initial yeast pitch is a goal of most fermentations, with a few exceptions being oxygenating a high gravity batch mid-way through fermentation, barrel-aged ales, or spontaneously fermented ales in open foeders. For a homebrewer who wants to brew a beer outside of those exceptions noted, avoiding oxygen introduction after fermentation has begun is paramount to a quality finished beer, a goal which is sometimes a difficult to attain. Notably, adding dry hops, other flavor components (e.g. wood chips or coffee beans), or clarifying agents (e.g. gelatin fining or Biofine) presents a challenge for most homebrewers if they want to avoid oxygen exposure in the fermenting wort.

There are workarounds and ways for homebrewers to limit oxygen introduction, conceived upon by crafty brewers over the years. Dry hops for example, can be suspended in a muslin bag above the wort by placing a magnet inside the bag and its mating magnet on the outside of the fermenter. In this way, the hops will be in the fermenter at the beginning of fermentation and can be dropped according to the dry hop schedule by simply removing the outside magnet, all without opening the fermenter. Or, to add clarifying agents without cracking the fermenter lid, a brewer can utilize a plastic bottle with a carbonation cap. This method entails adding the liquid substance to a plastic soda bottle and pressurizing the bottle with CO2 via the carbonation cap, purging it, and repeating the process multiple times to ensure the gas inside the bottle is mostly composed of CO2. Then, by using a ball lock jumper, the pressurized bottle can be connected to a fermenter’s ball lock post, if equipped, and the liquid will enter the fermenter, so long as the pressure in the fermenter is less than that of the bottle.

Although these workarounds exist and cut the mustard for my purposes, I was excited when I found out that Kegland was set to release a product that appeared to be a simpler solution all around. In looking into it further I found that it was advertised to have additional uses, aside from the main feature of enabling hop, flavor, or fining additions to the fermenter while limiting oxygen ingress. This highly anticipated product is called the Hop Bong.

I have been a proud owner of a Kegland FermZilla All Rounder fermenter – Hands on Review – for over two years now and have nothing but good things to say about it. As a manufacturer, Kegland is a homebrewing gear innovator and a leader in the market. They are continuing to come up with novel equipment and tools that span their wide array of product offerings including many for their FermZilla fermenter line. I was excited to see what the Hop Bong could offer as an addition to my All Rounder fermenter.

Kegland Hop Bong Current Price & Availability:

via MoreBeer

via William’s Brewing

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Hands on Review: Nukatap Counter Pressure Bottle Filler!

Updated: September 5, 2024

Thank you to HBF Contributor Aaron Nord for this hands on review!  Aaron is an advanced award winning brewer, a long time reader and a serial tipster!

Nukatap Bottle Filler

As with many homebrewers, my experience with the hobby began with making a boxed kit on my stovetop with about 50 bottles of drinkable beer when all was said and done. It was enough to keep me coming back, advancing in skill and acquiring equipment as time went on. I realized quickly that bottling was my least favorite part and was looking forward to ditching the bottles and getting into kegging. This change was one that made a big impact as far as increasing enjoyment of the hobby for me – that and getting out of stovetop brewing and into an electric brewing setup.

Inevitably, I found myself in the situation where I still needed to fill a few bottles from time to time, mainly for competitions. Now that I was kegging all my beer, I wanted an option that wouldn’t interrupt that practice too much. At the time, the most prevalent options for homebrewers were complicated counterpressure systems or the Blichmann Beer Gun. I opted for the latter and used that for several years to successfully bottle my competition beers. It has its pros and cons (discussed more later), and I always kept my ear to the ground on other options.

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