superglue seal on my fermenter?

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phattnug

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hey guys can i use super glue to seal of the cap and air lock together? it is leaking i have no other way of sealing at the moment and my house is stinking up a storm since normaly it would vent gasses outside with airline tubbing from the top of the airlock. Im just planing gluing the air lock to the cap not from the inside but outside?

Cheers stay drinkin mates :mug:
 
I wouldn't use superglue...maybe you could seal it with teflon tape wrapped around the fittings?

Other gentlemen use a paste of flour and water to seal various piping connections, do I hear banjos?
 
The airlock is there to release CO2 pressure and keep dirt out. If you seal the fermentor the pressure is going to build. It will find a means of escaping. This usually results in wort over the floor, walls, and ceiling.
 
flars said:
The airlock is there to release CO2 pressure and keep dirt out. If you seal the fermentor the pressure is going to build. It will find a means of escaping. This usually results in wort over the floor, walls, and ceiling.
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gas is leaking around the seal on the bottle top on the fermenter and the airlock i want to seal this leak since i have airline tubing sealed to the top of the airlock and out my window i don't want co2 gas inside my house the wife and family are putting me through hell about the brewery smell i need a good seal did no one at all except the first person that replied read my full post?! :smack:
 
How in the world would you have a leaking airlock? If your airlock is leaking then it is because wort is escaping and you need a blow off tube. If it is leaking before you put it into the bung, it is because you have it turned on its side or upside down. In that case, because an airlock is not a sealed unit (and never ever should be), it will leak.


phattnug said:
gas is leaking around the seal on the bottle top on the fermenter and the airlock i want to seal this leak since i have airline tubing sealed to the top of the airlock and out my window i don't want co2 gas inside my house the wife and family are putting me through hell about the brewery smell i need a good seal did no one at all except the first person that replied read my full post?! :smack:
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Oh I read your post there buddy, twice. I'm telling you that an airlock is not air tight.

What in the world makes you think there is a leak elsewhere? are you saying that the bung is not tight around the airlock? Buy another bung, in that case the air lock should fit into the bung hole quite tight. I do not think there is a setup where you just stick an airlock in a fermenter without some kind of bung. Got a pic? I keep reading what you're writing and all I can think of is something isn't right.

PS, CO2, the amount released from fermenting beer is not harmful and should not result in anyone giving you hell about anything unless perhaps you're brewing a kolsch. Then I suppose it will stink for the first few days.
 
Hello said:
How in the world would you have a leaking airlock? If your airlock is leaking then it is because wort is escaping and you need a blow off tube. If it is leaking before you put it into the bung, it is because you have it turned on its side or upside down. In that case, because an airlock is not a sealed unit (and never ever should be), it will leak.




Oh I read your post there buddy, twice. I'm telling you that an airlock is not air tight.

What in the world makes you think there is a leak elsewhere? are you saying that the bung is not tight around the airlock? Buy another bung, in that case the air lock should fit into the bung hole quite tight. I do not think there is a setup where you just stick an airlock in a fermenter without some kind of bung. Got a pic? I keep reading what you're writing and all I can think of is something isn't right.

PS, CO2, the amount released from fermenting beer is not harmful and should not result in anyone giving you hell about anything unless perhaps you're brewing a kolsch. Then I suppose it will stink for the first few days.
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Look at this pic its not my picture but i have a bottle like this and plastic cap tubing and airlock is like mine but mine is venting outside) http://www.beeraucratic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/air-lock-200x300.jpg its leaking around the tubing. co2 harmfulness is not my problem its the smell the brewing is putting out into my house that everyone is complaining about i need to seal this around the tube so all gas goes into the tube and out the window. :drunk: I have looked around for a cap for this type of bottle and found nothing i have talked to my brew shop they cant find sizes to fit the bottle either.. I am trying to fix this before my wife cracks ****s and i find my brew tipped out all over the lawn) don't think she will do that :rockin: anyway i want her and my family to be comfortable and not have to sniff the brewery smell that comes from the leak in between the tubing and the cap (my homemade airlock) and fills my apartment up with the tainted god scent its meant to vent outside :p i don't mind the smell on the other hand its full of hatred towards my hobby.

Stay drinkin
 
How big of a batch is this and what are you brewing? My brews are undetectable unless you are trying to smell them. Then again I haven't brewed much or anything crazy...

People are having trouble answering your question because you aren't using the correct terminology. The rubber stopper in that picture is called a bung. The tube is a blow off tube, and the bottle its going into, well I'm not sure what that's called. The entire blow off tube system acts as an airlock.

Is Co2 leaking at the bung on the carboy or are you wanting it to not leak at the "soda bottle" on your system?

If you are concerned with it leaking from the carboy (fermenter) side then you may need one of these: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...drilled.html?gclid=CPzzi7GDmL4CFc5ffgodoEUAeA
 
As mentioned above, any areas where you feel it should not be leaking, you can make a paste of some flour, oatmeal, and water, and pack it around the leaking area, as long as your fermenter can still vent, ( outdoors, the Wife's closet, etc....)
 
Superglue won't seal a thing. Use pure silicone or even some keg lube (mineral oil based) to seal whatever's leaking. If it stinks badly, the seal isn't the root cause - it's more likely your sanitation.
 
...stinking?

Look, superglue is food safe when it's cured, but don't risk getting it in your beer as a liquid. That's bad. Airlocks are purely optional (I consider this a polite understatement). You don't have to worry about it being airtight from a sanitation perspective. I don't know why your beer stinks. Are you sure you like beer? :)

Stealthcruiser said:
As mentioned above, any areas where you feel it should not be leaking, you can make a paste of some flour, oatmeal, and water, and pack it around the leaking area, as long as your fermenter can still vent, ( outdoors, the Wife's closet, etc....)
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Maybe I misunderstand, but I hope you're not telling him to pack raw milled grain (flour, oatmeal) onto a hole in his fermenter to help keep it sanitary.
 
Yuri_Rage said:
Superglue won't seal a thing. Use pure silicone or even some keg lube (mineral oil based) to seal whatever's leaking. If it stinks badly, the seal isn't the root cause - it's more likely your sanitation.
Click to expand...

phattnug said:
Look at this pic its not my picture but i have a bottle like this and plastic cap tubing and airlock is like mine but mine is venting outside) http://www.beeraucratic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/air-lock-200x300.jpg its leaking around the tubing. co2 harmfulness is not my problem its the smell the brewing is putting out into my house that everyone is complaining about i need to seal this around the tube so all gas goes into the tube and out the window. :drunk: I have looked around for a cap for this type of bottle and found nothing i have talked to my brew shop they cant find sizes to fit the bottle either.. I am trying to fix this before my wife cracks ****s and i find my brew tipped out all over the lawn) don't think she will do that :rockin: anyway i want her and my family to be comfortable and not have to sniff the brewery smell that comes from the leak in between the tubing and the cap (my homemade airlock) and fills my apartment up with the tainted god scent its meant to vent outside :p i don't mind the smell on the other hand its full of hatred towards my hobby.

Stay drinkin
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what part of do not seal the airlock, do you not understand or are you trolling? If your lovely wife does not like the smell, put the frickin Carboy in the garage!!!!
 
I still don't get what is leaking. Is beer leaking from the BUNG? that is the rubber thing that you keep calling a cap, I think. Is beer leaking from between the glass and the bung? If so you need to find a bung that fits or a vessel that takes a bung that fits. A problem only you can resolve.

You did mention CO2 leaking into the house. You voiced concern…if beer fermenting is something your family is unable to stand at all, you need to find a new place for your beer or a new hobby. It is of detriment to your family, as it seems.

Is there a leak between the bung (the rubber thing you keep calling a cap) and the hose? Get a thicker hose. If you cannot find hose to fit inside the bung, get a new bung that fits a hose that you have.

Are you talking about invisible gases from fermentation leaking? If so, welcome to brewing. It is a wonderful hobby that I hope you get to continue.

Is it leaking from the end of the hose that sits in a bottle of water or sanitizer? If so, it should be. It's blow off.

I think it is clear that people want to help, ****, I want to help, but I'm so unsure what is leaking or where there is a leak. Telling me around tubing tells me that anywhere from point a to b and in-between is leaking. If you have a hole in a tube get a new tube.
 
Have any of you fine folks that are piling on here ever used a blow-off tube? You know how your setup runs a tube into a jug or bottle? His tube is going out a window, no jug, no bottle, just directly outside. With me so far? Now, if your jug that the blow-off tube is running into doesn't have any bubbles, either your beer isn't fermenting, or air is escaping elsewhere and not through the tube. If OP is using a carboy, that means air is either escaping a) between the carboy lip and the bung, b) between the bung and airlock, or c) between the tube connect to the airlock and the airlock itself. Why his beer smells nasty is a different story, but the important points that everyone seems to be missing are now laid out. The nasty smell is still entering the room that his fermenters are sitting in, instead of venting outdoors.

OP, correct me if I'm wrong.

+1 to using teflon tape to help create a seal anywhere you think there may be gas leaking. Next thing to do: identify the smell that is offending, and figure out if you can eliminate it. If it's a sulfur, "rhino fart" smell, look into potential nutrient deficiencies or other factors that may be stressing the yeast. If it's something else, describe it so we can brainstorm and perhaps find a way to help eliminate that problem for you.
 
boydster said:
Have any of you fine folks that are piling on here ever used a blow-off tube? You know how your setup runs a tube into a jug or bottle? His tube is going out a window, no jug, no bottle, just directly outside.
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If anyone misunderstands this point it may be because it is completely insane. Just venturing a guess. :)
 
boydster said:
Have any of you fine folks that are piling on here ever used a blow-off tube? You know how your setup runs a tube into a jug or bottle? His tube is going out a window, no jug, no bottle, just directly outside. With me so far? Now, if your jug that the blow-off tube is running into doesn't have any bubbles, either your beer isn't fermenting, or air is escaping elsewhere and not through the tube. If OP is using a carboy, that means air is either escaping a) between the carboy lip and the bung, b) between the bung and airlock, or c) between the tube connect to the airlock and the airlock itself. Why his beer smells nasty is a different story, but the important points that everyone seems to be missing are now laid out. The nasty smell is still entering the room that his fermenters are sitting in, instead of venting outdoors.

OP, correct me if I'm wrong.

+1 to using teflon tape to help create a seal anywhere you think there may be gas leaking. Next thing to do: identify the smell that is offending, and figure out if you can eliminate it. If it's a sulfur, "rhino fart" smell, look into potential nutrient deficiencies or other factors that may be stressing the yeast. If it's something else, describe it so we can brainstorm and perhaps find a way to help eliminate that problem for you.
Click to expand...


I have and I do. Perhaps you need to collaborate with this guy prior to him posting so he can write a coherent question. You know, so you don't have to be bothered by people not following what he is saying an attempting in vain to help. God forbid we try.
 
Hello said:
I have and I do. Perhaps you need to collaborate with this guy prior to him posting so he can write a coherent question. You know, so you don't have to be bothered by people not following what he is saying an attempting in vain to help. God forbid we try.
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All I'm saying is cut the guy a break, he tried voicing his issue and wants help. From his second post, it was pretty easy to piece together the issue. It's no fun starting a thread for help and instead you get people being willfully ignorant about things and poking fun. I remember a cider bottle bomb thread like that from a while ago... We've all done something foolish while learning, and advice is better than ridicule.

OP, the airlock really is only there to prevent things from going into your fermenter that could contaminate it. Venting through a tube out a window seems like it could invite issues. Can you ferment in a different room like a basement or something where the smell won't be a problem?
 
Yet another thread where packerfaninsandiego is bustin on a noob. Maybe you just shouldn't jump in if you can't be polite about it.


That aside. Wrap the end of your tube/airlock with Teflon tape and then stick it in the bung. Should seal it just fine. Just make sure the other end in in a jug of water to keep bad things out.
 
OP, you are fermenting sugar water with small fruit additions... that terrible smell you have been trying to vent out your window is not "brewery smell." It is due to having zero nutrients in your must and, as a result, terribly unhealthy yeast. Please look into using recipes that have already been tested, and for the love of all things that aren't smelly use some yeast nutrient.
 
boydster said:
OP, you are fermenting sugar water with small fruit additions... that terrible smell you have been trying to vent out your window is not "brewery smell." It is due to having zero nutrients in your must and, as a result, terribly unhealthy yeast. Please look into using recipes that have already been tested, and for the love of all things that aren't smelly use some yeast nutrient.
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This^^^^^.

It may well be that underpitching, no aeration, and possibly a warm ferment temp are giving the OP a distinct sulphur odor and an unhappy family.

Yeast nutrient may help quite a bit.

For the sealing of the stopper, I'd second the Teflon tape suggestion.
 
Even poorly handled wort shouldn't make very much sulfur unless you're fermenting in the low 60s or colder. It might make some other types of stink, I suppose. I have only experienced sulfur from ales at temperatures approaching lager range.
 
fearwig said:
Even poorly handled wort shouldn't make very much sulfur unless you're fermenting in the low 60s or colder. It might make some other types of stink, I suppose. I have only experienced sulfur from ales at temperatures approaching lager range.
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Agreed, but he's not working with wort. He's using bread yeast, sugar, and water for the basis of his brews. And some apple slices. So, flavored hooch.

Doesn't sound very appetizing, and is almost completely devoid of nutrients for the yeast.
 
Oh gross, I didn't see that. No wonder he's piping it out the window, he's hiding it from the warden.
Bakers yeast I have been using was the cheapest at my local home brewing shop.
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If you're using bread yeast... why did you go to a home brew shop? What the hell is going on? I give up.
 
Teflon Tape around the bung, and instead of running the tube outside why don't you stick it in a bottle of water (like you showed in your picture)? This should cut down on the smell and keep any nasties from outside work their way back through the tube once fermentation has slowed.

Hooch Hack: You could fill your blow off bottle with vodka and some more apple slices and have 2nd DRINK!!
 
fearwig said:
Oh gross, I didn't see that. No wonder he's piping it out the window, he's hiding it from the warden.


If you're using bread yeast... why did you go to a home brew shop? What the hell is going on? I give up.
Click to expand...
Bakers yeast was 7 dollars for a single 7g packet in the supermarket that was all they had, at the brew shop it was 5 dollars for a 20g jar i like to get the most out of my money.
 
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