Ale Pail rubber seal fell into bucket

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

pint33

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Hi guys,

Yesterday, after I pitched my yeast and put the lid on my fermeting bucket, and while putting my airlock in the lid, I pushed too hard and the black grommet/rubber seal fell into the wort.

I had sprayed iodophor extensively on both the grommet and the airlock extensively, prior.

My local homebrew shop told me not to worry about it, and let the beer ferment with the grommet in the bucket. I bought a new grommet for the lid and inserted the airlock. The fermentation is chugging along nicely today.

Should I be concerned? Thanks!
 
i had the same thing happen to me but with a batch of wine and unfortunately i didn't have any extra grommets so i washed my arms down and went swimming. The wine ended up fine also so i don't think you have anything to worry about.
 
glad to know I'm not the only one that's had to dig the grommet out!
Happened on my first batch and as I didn't have a replacement and couldn't get it with a large spoon, I had to dig it out by hand. Beer turned out fine however. Now I just put the airlock in the lid before putting the lid on the pail.
 
I figured it was a regular occurence. This just makes me want to go out and buy a bunch of glass carboys though and stop screwing around with the lid/airlock issue. The bucket is less expensive but I know I want glass. My homebrew shop says the 6.5 gallon carboys are on back order and I just have to "wait." No worries, the bucket will do for now. Thanks again for the replies! :mug:
 
I have had a few mishaps where I had to fish something out of the wort, sanitize your arm and it will be fine.
 
I've done it a handful of times, but once was on a very dark porter, and I couldn't find the bugger.

I just sprayed some StarSan on a square of Aluminum Foil, and taped it down onto the lid. No harm done at all. :)
 
I'm always using the bucket to hold starsan so I never get to use it as a fermenter :confused:

I considered getting a bottling bucket, but instead went with a Better Bottle as a secondary, intending to use the port at the bottom as a liquified priming sugar port and bottling port. :)
 
You can use a woodworkers spade bit or a Forstner bit, in a drill press, to drill a bigger hole. Or a brace and bit, with a back up block. About 1 inch. Or 1 1/4. Then purchase a bung and throw the grommet away. Cheap ass kits. Make the bung hole big enough for the syphon gismo, and also to peek inside without removing the lid. Cheap as kits, but they do get noobs thristy for better equipment as well as homebrew.
 
Same thing happened to me. Just brewed my first batch ever and on second night my 2 year old daughter happened to get near it and pushed the air lock down causing the grommet to fall in. I just left it in and figured I would do more harm trying to get it out.
 
I've found that a little star-san on the air lock helps it slide in without popping the rubber out. I also found out that doing this with a tapered carboy bung lets it pop right out of the carboy!:D
 

Latest posts

Back
Top