Still have leaky Primary

So I pitched a batch of continental pilsner yesterday and the yeast went crazy. By the next morning I opened the top and there was a nice layer of bubbles. But still no activity in the airlock.

Last batch after we bottled it we realized that the grommet in between the plastic pail top and the airlock was broken. I went to my LHBS and he had an extra and just gave it to me. I replaced it and jammed the airlock in there nice and tight and still nothing in the burper.

I also tried taking the lid off and rotating it 90º. Is there any other fixes for this problem. I am going to buy a glass carboy this weekend I think but I want to still use this as a primary fermenter.

Wrey said:

So I pitched a batch of continental pilsner yesterday and the yeast went crazy. By the next morning I opened the top and there was a nice layer of bubbles. But still no activity in the airlock.

Last batch after we bottled it we realized that the grommet in between the plastic pail top and the airlock was broken. I went to my LHBS and he had an extra and just gave it to me. I replaced it and jammed the airlock in there nice and tight and still nothing in the burper.

I also tried taking the lid off and rotating it 90º. Is there any other fixes for this problem. I am going to buy a glass carboy this weekend I think but I want to still use this as a primary fermenter.

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Hmmm sounds like you may be SOL. You could try to add some silicon around the grommet to make sure it has a tight seal and that the lid is completely snapped on. If that doesn't work I would abandon it as a primary and convert completely to carboys....plastic primaries suck anyway. I use mine for cleaning buckets.

HemiPowered said:

... I would abandon it as a primary and convert completely to carboys....plastic primaries suck anyway...

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Better Bottles rule. I will never buy another glass carboy.

brloomis said:

Better Bottles rule. I will never buy another glass carboy.

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Though a lot of people use em, I still only buy glass. Either way better bottles or glass carboys are the way to go, better bottles being a close second place

Is there liquid in your airlock?

Sorry...had to ask...it's been the case in the past.

I wouldn't worry too much about the performance of your airlock. If it appears to be snug and you're generating CO2, then the chances of infection as a result of a minor leak are nil.

A lot of people use their airlock to determine the progess of their beer and that can be very misleading. Get your hydrometer in there every other day and take readings.

I have two 6.5 glass carboys, one 5 gallon bettter bottle and two 7.5 gallon buckets and far and away...the buckets are easier. Granted you don't get to "watch the show"...but I'm past that point.

Wrey said:

So I pitched a batch of continental pilsner yesterday and the yeast went crazy. By the next morning I opened the top and there was a nice layer of bubbles. But still no activity in the airlock.

Last batch after we bottled it we realized that the grommet in between the plastic pail top and the airlock was broken. I went to my LHBS and he had an extra and just gave it to me. I replaced it and jammed the airlock in there nice and tight and still nothing in the burper.

I also tried taking the lid off and rotating it 90º. Is there any other fixes for this problem. I am going to buy a glass carboy this weekend I think but I want to still use this as a primary fermenter.

Click to expand...

I had a similar problem with my third batch. I thought it was the grommit, but it ended up being the seal on the lid. It had broken because I shoved it down in the bucket to sanitize it. I ended up buyng a new lid and all is well now. And now I sanitize by pouring the sanitizer over the bottom of the lid and letting it sit for a few minutes.

Live and Learn.

Hope this helped.

Cheers,

You don't need an airtight seal on the bucket. Keep the lid on so that no bugs can fill into the brew and everything will be ok.

Before this starts to ferment and after the yeast stops producing enough CO2 to create pressure your brew will be open to oxygen and airborne bugs. I would suggest making this as airtight as possible. After your primary fermentation is ended I would fill your plastic primary with a gallon or two of water and hold upside down with your finger over the grommet hole to find any leaks. If any are found and cannot be fixed I would discontinue use as this is not a safe fermenter.

Will it be unsafe if I just let it go in the primary for 2 weeks before bottleing or should I go out and get a secondary to rack to that has a better seal? I took a peek in there today and it looked like most of the activity had subsided pretty well. It has been in there for about 48 hours.

The last batch had a similiar problem and we just let it sit there for the full 2 weeks before botteling.

On a pretty much unrelated note. I am currently drinking a Widmer Hefeweizen and I wanted to try cultivating the yeast for a Hefeweizen batch that I want to make on Saterday.

Is this a good beer to collect yeast from and can anyone point me in the right direction on how to do it.

EDIT: After doing a little more research on the boards I think I will just buy the yeast.

Wrey said:

Will it be unsafe if I just let it go in the primary for 2 weeks before bottleing or should I go out and get a secondary to rack to that has a better seal? I took a peek in there today and it looked like most of the activity had subsided pretty well. It has been in there for about 48 hours.

The last batch had a similiar problem and we just let it sit there for the full 2 weeks before botteling.

On a pretty much unrelated note. I am currently drinking a Widmer Hefeweizen and I wanted to try cultivating the yeast for a Hefeweizen batch that I want to make on Saterday.

Is this a good beer to collect yeast from and can anyone point me in the right direction on how to do it.

EDIT: After doing a little more research on the boards I think I will just buy the yeast.

Click to expand...

Its a gamble. Me personally I would purchase another however it really depends on your finances. If you could afford to do so definitely get another as you need to buy another at some point anyways.

Wrey said:

Will it be unsafe if I just let it go in the primary for 2 weeks before bottleing or should I go out and get a secondary to rack to that has a better seal? I took a peek in there today and it looked like most of the activity had subsided pretty well. It has been in there for about 48 hours.

The last batch had a similiar problem and we just let it sit there for the full 2 weeks before botteling.

On a pretty much unrelated note. I am currently drinking a Widmer Hefeweizen and I wanted to try cultivating the yeast for a Hefeweizen batch that I want to make on Saterday.

Is this a good beer to collect yeast from and can anyone point me in the right direction on how to do it.

EDIT: After doing a little more research on the boards I think I will just buy the yeast.

Click to expand...

You'll probably be ok. There's a small chance that you're going to get a ruined batch. Do you always lift the lid on your primary? Personally, I don't touch mine until bubbling in the airlock has ceased for two to three days. You're potentially introducing some bad bugs into your wort. Again, its a small chance, but not one I like to take. As Hemi said, its always good to have as air tight a seal as you can.

As for the primary/secondary thing, you're probably ok leaving it in primary for two weeks, but you'll get a clearer beer by putting it in secondary for a few weeks (There are many threads on this, and I don't want to turn this into a "secondary or no secondary" thread) but IMHO, I've had better results with the beers I've racked to secondary. If finances allow for it, I'd grab a carboy (I use Better Bottles, personally) and rack to secondary after 7 to 10 days for another week or two. Just my two cents.

Remember . . . RDWHAHB.

Cheers,