Carboy Caps vs. Bungs

Aside from the fact that using a bung entitles me to call the mouth of my carboys a bunghole , I'd prefer to use carboy caps in every way. They're easier to get on, off, and facilitate easy, sanitary, siphoning. More than anything else, I don't have to wait for them and the inside of the carboy's mouth to dry before they'll work--rubber bungs tend to slide out if they or the carboy mouth is at all moist.

Are they sufficiently air tight, though, to prevent microorganisms from sneaking in, and to protect my brew and wine from oxidation? I know the EdWort's Apfelwein recipe mentions using them, and so, in careful fidelity to the recipe (and because the better bottle stoppers are so expensive), I've used one on the batch I have going right now. But if they're sufficient for general use--I am so tossing all my bungs!

WOW! I want carboy caps now after that testimonial!

You can also use carboy caps as part of a siphon set-up.
See Walker-san's thread
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2910

I like bungs myself because the airlocks only clear my lager fridge if bungs are used instead of carboy caps.

More a question than a testimonial at this point--I'd -like- to use them for just about everything, but I'm worried that they're not sufficiently air-tight to keep out invading microorganisms and O2.

They are airtight, if you get the right size. Orange for 3,5, 6 gallon carboys, and red (I think for the 6.5 gallon). I use them about half the time.

I like the siphoning idea. I think that I will pick up a couple tomorrow when I go to the brew shop.

Yooper Chick said:

They are airtight, if you get the right size. Orange for 3,5, 6 gallon carboys, and red (I think for the 6.5 gallon). I use them about half the time.

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Hot diggity! You're now my favorite person ever.

I'm a HUGE fan of carboy caps for Better Bottles. My starsan soaked rubber stoppers would always pop out. My carboy caps just pop on and stay on regardless of a wet carboy neck.

I think cap are better than bungs at stopping microorganisms even if they are a bit loose. Microorganisms usually ride on dust. With a bung dust will settle around the top lip of the carboy. As soon as you remove the bung bad things can fall into your beer. Caps cover the entire top of the carboy and keep those bad guy guys out.

fifelee said:

I think cap are better than bungs at stopping microorganisms even if they are a bit loose. Microorganisms usually ride on dust. With a bung dust will settle around the top lip of the carboy. As soon as you remove the bung bad things can fall into your beer. Caps cover the entire top of the carboy and keep those bad guy guys out.

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Very good point!

I realize this thread is really ancient. My apologies. Just wanted to ask if the orange carboy caps aren't airtight on better bottles, how does the siphoning trick work? Can they really be sanitary if totally oversized for the mouth of the carboy? Thanks

Firebelly said:

I realize this thread is really ancient. My apologies. Just wanted to ask if the orange carboy caps aren't airtight on better bottles, how does the siphoning trick work? Can they really be sanitary if totally oversized for the mouth of the carboy? Thanks

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What I've done to make the orange cap airtight on Better Bottles is to use one of these:

http://www.bargainfittings.com/inde...t&keyword=gasket&category_id=0&product_id=105

I lay this on the mouth of the BB, then put on the orange carboy cap - the gasket lifts the cap up just far enough for the bottom ridge to seal against the flange around the mouth of the BB. The only problem with these gaskets is that they are just barely big enough to work - 1 7/8 inches diameter, where 2 inches would be perfect. So you have to lay the gasket on the BB and center it, then put the cap on taking care not to move the gasket to the side. I'd like to find something a bit larger, but haven't really put any time into looking as these gaskets work well enough for me. Note - I haven't really tested long-term air-tightness, but it seals plenty well enough to start a siphon - if I suck on one of the carboy cap openings, I can collapse the sides of the BB.

Thanks DeafSmith! I will definitely try these out. If I happen to find a better alternative I'll update this thread. Seems kind of crazy that the makers of BB don't just produce an appropriately sized carboy cap of their own. Oh well.

Old thread, I know. Came across it after my rubber bungs kept popping out of my BB. I use a standard orange carboy cap on both my 3g and 6g Better Bottles. They fit just fine and are airtight for siphoning (http://morebeer.com/view_product/18872/102287/Sterile_Siphon_Starter_-_For_5_and_6_Gallon_Carboys)