Primary bucket... Quebec style!

I wonder if Quebecers are the only ones doing this, cause it seems to be the general way of doing it around here, maybe we are distant parents with Rednecks?

I sometimes wonder, i have caught several treads in here complaining about the primary buckets lids being hard to manipulate and such, and it might be what got this "fashion" going here, what we do here is simply use a clean new garbage bag and use a little rope with an elastic as a retainer, this way the co2 can still get out and it's still safe to prevent infections (i never got anything turning weird in two years using this method).

Do some of you do it this way as well?

here is a pic of what i am trying to say here:

Hey, why not? If it works, don't change it.

Do you sanitize the lid (bag) before you bungee it on? Probably not a bad idea.

I myself am very new to brewing but in my short (almost not existent) time involved in brewing I have not seen this.

I'll be cheering for Quebec and Canada this weekend. War GSP!

I know good sense would dictate to sanitize the bag, but i never did and so far not a sign of infection yet.

the bags being new and mechanically processed, out of the machine they get packet, so they are not supposed to have been handled by human hands.

But hey, i know one day i may regret not having sanitized em...

I know the processing of food grade bags, paper towels, etc. effectively sanitized them. I'm not sure about garbage bags. I'm sure it's fine.

Open fermentation (no lid) is not as rare as you might think.

I don't snap shut that silly lid on bucket fermenters. I just place it over top. I don't use airlocks on carboys, either. Just some aluminum foil.

It must be a French-Canadian sort of thing because in Nova Scotia we use lids haha, although I don't know any Acadian brewers!

SeamusMac said:

It must be a French-Canadian sort of thing because in Nova Scotia we use lids haha, although I don't know any Acadian brewers!

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Must be!

When i originally bought my primary bucket at the LHBS the guy took the lid of it and told me i didnt need it and offered to give me a rebate on the primary kit, and showed me this method in his backstore, he told me, you can buy it if you want, but you'll soon want to throw the damn thing across the street because they are a pain to remove from the bucket.

He then told me, nobody uses them around here anyways, and i thought the only one who was doing that was my neighbor who taught me all the basics.

BierMuncher said:

Open fermentation (no lid) is not as rare as you might think.

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No lid at all?
Interesting... and nothing bad gets in?

BierMuncher said:

Open fermentation (no lid) is not as rare as you might think.

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I noticed that, i watched a documentary a while back where a brewery used an open fermentation for one of the beers..
Trying to remember what style of beer it was.. I want to say it was a dubbel..

I like the idea with the bag over the bucket.. i am a firm believer in experimenting and doing things your own way when homebrewing.

impetus, i just searched the forums in here and found a tread about open fermentation, it is interesting indeed:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/open-fermentation-51695/

Looks like a good idea. I ferment in carboys and I've never had blow-off (6.5 gallon carboys, an precise temperature control). Thus I just use airlocks the whole time, and the foam control seems to carry over from the boil pretty well (been using that the last couple batches).

It only works in Quebec, because the bacteria don't speak French.

Seriously though it is basically the same thing, just a different design. Something to keep nasties out and let out excess gas.

A clean garbage back will be pretty clean. Where will it get bacteria in the machine between liquid garbage bag and bag on a roll?

Regards

I've always used carboys so I don't deal with lids, but now I think about it, it does seem like a pain. I'm thinking about the buckets with lids I have dealt with. Like stinking bank vaults to open.

beersydoesit said:

I've always used carboys so I don't deal with lids, but now I think about it, it does seem like a pain. I'm thinking about the buckets with lids I have dealt with. Like stinking bank vaults to open.

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Exactly, when i first went to my LHBS to get started with basic equipment, i gathered some stuff including the regular lids for the primary bucket, the guy working there happened to be the owner that day, he took me backstore and showed me how it was done, he had about 15 primaries fermenting with this method.

We went back to the front counter and he told me, you can buy the lid and bubbler if you want, but first, try it, put that damn lid on and remove it from your bucket...
I didnt need more than that to be convinced...

Here is another pic of the setup during the initial wild rush of fermentation, when people usually get blow offs and such, one can see it builds a lot of pressure cause i have put some light toys on it to show that fact:


I know it looks silly with the toys on it but it's just to illustrate the fact that it can handle the pressure very nicely.

Bin bag on fermenting bucket? Damn, thought I was being uniquely resourceful by doing that. I did sanitise it though. Didn't even use elastic on mine, just weighed it down flat over the bucket with a chopping board figuring there'd be more than enough chance for gas to seep out without anything bad getting in. Best beer I've made so far too.

Great minds think alike and all that.

There is a tool that you can get to pop the lid off of a bucket, it makes it a lot easier. I myself use carboys also but have delt with trying to pull what seems like a lid that is welded on.... off.

I must have some weird buckets then because its not a problem getting the lids off, mine are designed in a way that you can just put your finger under the lid and snap it up.
I do trust that method that you use but I just love seeing my airlock bubble.

I agree watching the airlock bubble away is GRRRREAT!

My primary looks like a 10 gallon garbage bucket, with an easy snap on lid, not air tight at all, but tight enough to keep the dust out.

Nothing weird yet, other than when I scooped out some old yeast floaters that looked like rotten hamburger, or my yeast octopus that refused to sink.

Fermentation without an airlock to dode over and stare at for days on end?!?!?!?!?!?!?! What heracy is this?!?!!!.

Heracy!!!!!!!!! Heracy i say!!!!!! Its witchcraft at its very worst!!! You will burn in hell!!!! Hell i say!!!

You go out and get you an airlock, right now, boil a batch, put the airlockon it abd when the bubbles start you do 2 hail barleys and 3 our fermenters and maybe, just maybe you can save your immortal soul.

He does not need an airlock. It's just to darned cold for an infection up there in Quebec.

I got airlocks on my secondary glass carboys, but i just don't use a secondary anymore so i don't get to see them bubbles...

...crap, i guess i'll just burn in Hell then...

I use three difffernent buckets, all have different lid designs- one of the familiar "Ale Pail," three "US Plastics," and some smaller 3.5 gal. "Ropak" brand. Some are easier than others, the "Ale Pail" being hardest to remove. But from my perspective, it's just not that big a deal. Start in one spot, work your way around, and when you've gotten enough of the lid up, it comes off.

My preference? The "US Plastics" 7 gal. bucket. It's got a taller profile than most buckets, so more headspace. Cheaper to buy than the "Ale Pail," and not only does the lid incorporate an "O" ring seal that actually DOES seal, but the lip of the lid has more to grab onto, so it's easier to remove.

Open fermentation would not work worth a darn for me. By the time it was done fermenting, the cats would have drunk it all.