DIY assistance needed on Fermenter

Dear all,

Need some suggestions. I live in a country where brewing kits are not readily available. So i have made a fermenter. now the my prob is that (refer to picture) the red cap is this cheapo plastic thing and i don't think it's air tight.

I was thinking of putting some sort of rubber on to it to make it air tight. Any suggestions would be most welcome.


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Gab

you could use something like thread seal tape. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_seal_tape if its available to you. but honestly i wouldn't worry about it to much. The lids primary goal is not to be air tight, its to keep things from falling into your beer. if you have fermentation and its not air tight the out flow of co2 will keep any outside air from getting in.

Either way is fine. You don't need airtight on something like this, especially if you're using this as a primary fermenter for < 1 month. Enough CO2 will be produced to keep oxygen from harming the beer, as long as you aren't opening the top and stirring it or splashing it around (which you shouldn't do anyway).

Our local brew pub uses teflon threat tape around the twist tops of the growlers they sell. The tap, screw then wrap thread tape around the outside. always seamed to keep it fresh and sealed. Like others said, no need to make it air tight.

Your fermenter doesn't need to be airtight. In fact no fermenter is. If it were it would explode. If co2 is getting out then nothing can get it.

Thanks to all for the advice, Thread tape.....dammit should have thought of that. Anwaer was in my toolbox the whole time so simple. What about secondary fermentation. would the CO2 produced still be enough?

Btw i'm making rice wine or rice beer (depending on what yeast) i'm using. trying to mix the traditional style with the new.

Cheers guys

Gabriel_ong said:

Thanks to all for the advice, Thread tape.....dammit should have thought of that. Anwaer was in my toolbox the whole time so simple. What about secondary fermentation. would the CO2 produced still be enough?

Btw i'm making rice wine or rice beer (depending on what yeast) i'm using. trying to mix the traditional style with the new.

Cheers guys

Click to expand...

for secondary a good seal is more important, but you can still get away with some minor leaks. But with thread tape you should be fine. To test the seal; close the top with the air lock filled, then put the fermenter in hot tap water. If it's sealed you will get a few bubbles out of the air lock from the air inside expanding with heat. This isn't proof of a great seal, but is proof of a good enough seal.

Thank you all for the advice. I think i can take it from here.

Here's my recipe for Traditional Sabahan Rice Wine called LiHing.
You guys can give it a go.

1 Kg Glutinous rice
50g of Yeast (Ale or Beer yeast should do)
9 litres of water
4.5 kg Castor Sugar (We use palm, sugarcane, honey as wel)
Handful of Ginger slices and Guava Leaves
0) Scrub Fermenter with ginger and guava leaves.
1) Cook the rice aldante. Wait for it to cool.
2) Sprinkle Yeast on to the rice and mix well.
I find sprinkling while mixing to be the best effect.
3) Put rice mixture into the fermenter for 7 days.
4) Make a syrup with water and sugar and wait to cool.
5) Add into fermenter with rice mixture.
6) Ferment for a month.
7) Strain all liquid into secondary fermenter.
8) Wait for another month
9) Bottle.

You can keep it for years.

Can be used for cooking, merry making.
Wine sound taste sweet.