I'm starting an Apfelwein today and was going to use a 5gal carboy I borrowed form a friend. I don't have any bungs that will fit it, and quite frankly, don't want to go to the hassle of running around town looking for a rubber stopper that will fit and drilling it out. I've heard of people just putting foil around the top, or using a balloon with a little hole in it. Will this work? $2 is $2!
Airlock alternatives
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nukinfuts29
Well-Known Member
Do you have the plastic white cap? Punch a hole in it, feed a hose into it, and run it into a bucket with some water or vodka in it.
Butter
Well-Known Member
Just get some 1" id tubing. Fits inside the carboy neck perfectly. Instant blowoff tube.
Foil over the opening will be fine for now. Once fermentation starts, everything moves out of the fermenter and the CO2 blanket protects the cider/wine.
Once fermentation is over, the foil will not be adequate, and you will need a decent seal.
Once fermentation is over, the foil will not be adequate, and you will need a decent seal.
OP
OP
snaps10
Well-Known Member
Thanks, but that would be more than the price of the rubber bung.
I'm going to just cover it with foil. Thanks all.
Thanks, but that would be more than the price of the rubber bung.
I'm going to just cover it with foil. Thanks all.
Hopefully it doesn't blow.
Your fine with foil... Apfelwine doesn't create much of a krausen!!
nukinfuts29
Well-Known Member
Mine sure does, but i use nottingham
DMartin
Well-Known Member
Get a balloon over the mouth of the carboy, and poke a tiny hole in it with a needle. The fermentation will partially inflate the balloon, just enough to cause equilibrium with the gas escaping from the pinhole.
It's not ideal, but it'll do in a pinch.
It's not ideal, but it'll do in a pinch.
really? I just threw some together up to the brim. should I put a blow off tube on it? sadly I didn't write down the yeast... dammit...
nukinfuts29
Well-Known Member
Always log everything!
Couldn't ya just splurge for the bung and airlock? I mean yeah, $2 is $2 but I'm willing to bet that ingredients for that cider cost over $2.
nukinfuts29
Well-Known Member
This doesn't really work, because the second the pressure drops the balloon allows air to be sucked back in.
That's assuming the balloon lasts THAT long. Too much pressure and that pinhole becomes a split, exposing your fermenting beverage.
nukinfuts29
Well-Known Member
Good point, your correct. I forgot he won't spend $2, so we are using dollar general balloons.
RCCOLA
Well-Known Member
If you use a balloon, just dont poke it. If it becomes too inflated, let out some pressure. You can see this is just a 1 gallon batch though and I had to use a huge balloon (around 1992 before I knew there were airlocks). Best bet is to buy an airlock.
you can use aluminum foil. as long as fermentation continues you will have positive pressure pushing outside air away. As it ends the CO2 will escape for a day or so. The problem with this is once active fermentation ends you have to bottle immediately or the air can get in and oxidize it.
OP
OP
snaps10
Well-Known Member
The airlocks I've got and abundance of. Bungs for the carboys, or a place to buy them though, I didn't. I just didn't want to buy one for a carboy that I'm not going to keep, but I ended up finding a 6.5 rubber stopper, making it smaller with my dremel, and drilling it out. I had some down time this morning, so I figured, what the heck.
I am that cheap, I know I am, I've come to accept it.
I am that cheap, I know I am, I've come to accept it.
RCCOLA
Well-Known Member
Nothing wrong with that, and nothing to be ashamed of. Good for you.
