What the Pail?

Let me start this mini-rant by saying that I really like Austin Homebrew Supply. Their prices and service are great and I'm a huge fan of their beer kits - all top shelf.

But I just received an order and I picked up three of their primary fermentation buckets (as in Ale Pails). HOLY COW! What is with the lids on these things?

I'm no lightweight and I had all I could do to get the pail lid on - damn near had to use a rubber hammer. And once I got the lid on, I couldn't get it off to save my life. I was even using one of AHS's Pail Lid Openers.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Am I missing some trick that will make adding and removing the lid easier? Will my beer taste better based on the better than air tight seal on these pails?

Jiminy Crickets!!

You might want to take that lid on and off a number of times so it's not a PITA when you want to take the beer out. I personally don't believe having an airtight lid is as important to making good beer as it is to ensuring the airlock activity happily gurgles away which tends to make us homebrewers happy.

Did you cut the slits on the side of the lids?

beerbuddy said:

Did you cut the slits on the side of the lids?

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I did not - I will try that. Danke.

After you cut the slits you may still find the lids hard to get off. If so, try lifting (prying with your hand really) just one section, holding that up with the other hand while you lift the next and just work your way around until the last one pops loose.

The lids are meant to hold liquids against spills during shipping and the instructions tell you to cut the slits before opening. Those instructions are missing from the lids on the Ale Pails that I have seen.

RM-MN said:

After you cut the slits you may still find the lids hard to get off. If so, try lifting (prying with your hand really) just one section, holding that up with the other hand while you lift the next and just work your way around until the last one pops loose.

The lids are meant to hold liquids against spills during shipping and the instructions tell you to cut the slits before opening. Those instructions are missing from the lids on the Ale Pails that I have seen.

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Thanks for the advice - I'll try that.

No instructions came with my pails - you would think you wouldn't need them!

You can buy a "lid opener" at Home Depot etc for a couple of bucks that makes easy work of getting those lids off. I think AHS sells them now too.

The easiest way to get them off is to put your knee in the middle, lean into it and "peel" the side up that is front of your knee. I'm a major weakling and I have no trouble with opening them that way!

Yeah dude you have to cut notches in the lid sides at the the marked intervals.

Sounds like these have the same sort of lid as my 7 gal. US Plastics buckets. Yes, this type of lid should first be cut around the circumference from the edge of the lid into each of the holes (I think 9 or 10). This is easily accomplished with a utility knife. It makes the lid easier to snap into place, and all one need do to open it is to pull on each individual segment until it releases, and the lid will come right off. This is easier to do than it is to write.