Big Mouth Bubbler- Solution to the bad lid seal problem

CornyKegs 728
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.
watermelon83 said:
If you tighten the lid like a real man, it won't leak. Mine doesn't.
Click to expand...

The op is referring to the new BMB universal lid where you don't screw it on but Instead it slides in with some rubber lining. The lining doesn't do **** and eventually just pops back up after being pressed down. I had to duct tape mine down.
 
watermelon83 said:
If you tighten the lid like a real man, it won't leak. Mine doesn't.
Click to expand...

Nobody likes people who talk like that. I'm not worried about it though, karma will get you. Probably already has.

And yea, this thread is about making the universal gasketed lids stay down. You might be right about getting the older lids to work, but I never even tried.
 
I ran into this same problem tonight as i made some wine. I called my brewing partner and he brought over his glass Big Mouth Bubbler and lid. Same exact thing I have. We even ordered it on the same day. Come to find out the inner diameter of my BMB is smaller than his, so the lid fits his perfectly and fails to fit mine! I plan on calling NB tomorrow to see how they can rectify this.
 
passedpawn said:
Nobody likes people who talk like that. I'm not worried about it though, karma will get you. Probably already has.

And yea, this thread is about making the universal gasketed lids stay down. You might be right about getting the older lids to work, but I never even tried.
Click to expand...

Will karma get you for saying nobody likes me? I need to read up on this karma stuff. My post was very tongue in cheek, sorry if it came across as a serious attack.
 
I just ordered a glass EVO 2 with the new universal lid. The lid would not fit into the fermenter top. When I measured the fermenter opening, it was slightly oval shaped instead of round. Northern Brewer is sending me out a new fermenter. Hopefully, the top fill fit this one. Have you had any problem with the universal top, popping out of the fermenter? Also, how hard do you have to press to get the top fully inserted?
 
Woodberg said:
I just ordered a glass EVO 2 with the new universal lid. The lid would not fit into the fermenter top. When I measured the fermenter opening, it was slightly oval shaped instead of round. Northern Brewer is sending me out a new fermenter. Hopefully, the top fill fit this one. Have you had any problem with the universal top, popping out of the fermenter? Also, how hard do you have to press to get the top fully inserted?
Click to expand...

Same problem. Couldn't get the universal lid in at all. They're sending me a new one as well, free of charge. Hopefully this will work.
 
That's really interesting. I wonder if they got a bad batch of fermenters. They told me to keep the original one, but its kind of useless without the top. I'm thinking about finding someone who could grind the glass down to get the top to fit. Not sure if that's even feasible.
 
Woodberg said:
That's really interesting. I wonder if they got a bad batch of fermenters. They told me to keep the original one, but its kind of useless without the top. I'm thinking about finding someone who could grind the glass down to get the top to fit. Not sure if that's even feasible.
Click to expand...


Would grinding the top be better than grinding on the fermenter? The silicon gasket should still fit snug inside the fermenter.


I got my lids in yesterday.
 
Yesfan said:
Would grinding the top be better than grinding on the fermenter? The silicon gasket should still fit snug inside the fermenter.
Click to expand...

That might work. I'll probably give that a try first, since I know I can get another lid and gasket. I would just have to orient the lid to the fermenter since both would be more oval shaped. Definitely can't hurt to try. I agree with a previous post that its a great idea with, so far, poor execution.
 
passedpawn said:
Problem


_mg_1184-66367.jpg
[/INDENT]
Click to expand...

Wow, I'm glad to see someone else has the RUSTY walls in the Fermentation chamber/freezer ! Mine just keeps getting more and more....LOL :mug:
 
pagrider said:
I got a couple of the new lids i am using them on both the plastic and the glass bubblers and they work great
Click to expand...

When the new universal lid is inserted, does it go all the way in? Mine has about a 1/4" gap. I just can't push it all the way until it is flush with the top of the ferment. Is this normal? It seems like its making a good seal, even without being fully seated.
 
Woodberg said:
When the new universal lid is inserted, does it go all the way in? Mine has about a 1/4" gap. I just can't push it all the way until it is flush with the top of the ferment. Is this normal? It seems like its making a good seal, even without being fully seated.
Click to expand...

With the plastic BMB, the universal gasketed lid AMOST goes all the way in. The last, widest, silicone rib doesn't fit into the carboy. That rib is about 1/8" thick, so that's the limit for me.
 
passedpawn said:
With the plastic BMB, the universal gasketed lid AMOST goes all the way in. The last, widest, silicone rib doesn't fit into the carboy. That rib is about 1/8" thick, so that's the limit for me.
Click to expand...

I tried your "simple fix" with the silicone gasket and it worked pretty well, thanks for the tip! I did have to snug up the lid after a few days, but after that it held pressure for about 2 weeks.
 
daveMN said:
I tried your "simple fix" with the silicone gasket and it worked pretty well, thanks for the tip! I did have to snug up the lid after a few days, but after that it held pressure for about 2 weeks.
Click to expand...

Woo hoo, the first real test (besides me).

So, are you talking about the "Easy Solution"? Which is, take the silicone gasket off their new thingy and stick inside your old thingy?
 
Yes, the Easy Solution. Just swap the thingy. Kept thinking I was going to drop the silicone gasket in the fermenter.
 
I just discovered this issue last night. Big beer and came home from work and the lid had popped off and would not stay on. Good thing it was gassing big time. I just put a 10lb Olympic weight over the top and the large hole in the middle of the weight allowed the airlock to poke right out of the top. Sucks because they most likely knew about this when they tested but instead of wasting time to make lid modifications an Olympic weight works perfectly and quickly.
 
Update on my progress. I received the replacement BMB Evo2 from Northern Brewer and the new universal lid fits fine in it. I also had them send me out 2 of the original lids. I still think the combination of the 2 lids seems like the best solution.

For my original BMB Evo2, I may just try to get one of the original lids to fit. The problem is that the new universal lid will not fit into the opening at the top, even if I have the plastic gasket off. Just the blue part of the universal lid will not fit inside becase the opening is too narrow. If you put the two fermenter side by side, you can see that the wall thickness of the opening is way thicker on my first BMB.

The outside diameter is the same on both, so the original screw on lid will fit either one. Its like they designed the outside diameter of the opening for the original screw lid and didn't really worry about the thickness of the walls, because it didn't matter before. Now with the new universal lid, the interior opening dimension matters.

The nice thing about the original lid is that since it screws down, you don't have to worry about the lid popping off.
 
Beautifully documented tutorial @passedpawn .

I don't have any BMB's but I love reading/seeing DIY threads. So many ideas in this part of the forum it's staggering.

Nothing to add to the topic.

Great job. I'm sure this will solution will benefit anyone who needs it/finds it.
 
I have 2 of the 6.5 glass Evo 2's and of course have the seal problem. I have some leftover food grade RTV silicone (similar to the provided link) from a heat stick build I did. Could putting a bead of this on the top lip of the carboy be a solution? I figure it could be scraped off with a razor blade fairly easy if things go wrong.

Is the risk of a place to harbor bacteria to great by doing this?


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002UEN1A?keywords=food%20grade%20silicone%20red&qid=1453746240&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2
 
Last edited by a moderator:
smarch0 said:
I have 2 of the 6.5 glass Evo 2's and of course have the seal problem. I have some leftover food grade RTV silicone (similar to the provided link) from a heat stick build I did. Could putting a bead of this on the top lip of the carboy be a solution? I figure it could be scraped off with a razor blade fairly easy if things go wrong.

Is the risk of a place to harbor bacteria to great by doing this?


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002UEN1A/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Click to expand...

I've seen some nasty, black stuff grow under silicone caulk. Watch it closely if you go that route.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
BrewSavage said:
Has anyone tried an o-ring?

Industry Standard Reference Number: AS568-161
Click to expand...

This works great! I put the O-ring inside the original lid and then 2 of the original seals. Screwed it on with moderate pressure... et voila! Lovely bubbles coming through the blow off tube.

I got one of the very first EVO II BMB's and it wouldn't seal even with a stack of 6 "seals". I complained and they sent out a new EVO II "Service pack 1" Thinner walls were quite evident compared to my first one. Still had a problem getting a good seal, but at least the lid could be screwed on/off using less than super-human strength.

I bought a universal lid when I saw this thread and it worked great on one of my BMB's but not the other (pops out). Meanwhile, I ordered the O-rings specified and that seems to work. Only due to increased thickness of the seal stack, I fear. The O-ring is not a perfect fit.
 
I ordered another BMB plus the new universal lid. I just checked my other BMB and I'm wondering this: Couldn't you use a spring clamp on each side to hold the universal lid in place so it wouldn't pop up? Or even just tiny c-clamps on each side to hold it in place? You can buy little tiny c-clamps where the opening is no more than an inch.

Or, failing that, some sort of entwined rubber band system that links under the lip of the BMB mouth?

There's a lip under the mouth of the BMB--it would seem to me that there is something there on which to get a purchase, thus something to hold the lid in place.

pinchclamp.jpg

cclamp.jpg

My new BMB and new universal lid is supposed to show up today. I'll try these things out and report back.
 
rmarshall100 said:
This works great! I put the O-ring inside the original lid and then 2 of the original seals. Screwed it on with moderate pressure... et voila! Lovely bubbles coming through the blow off tube.

I got one of the very first EVO II BMB's and it wouldn't seal even with a stack of 6 "seals". I complained and they sent out a new EVO II "Service pack 1" Thinner walls were quite evident compared to my first one. Still had a problem getting a good seal, but at least the lid could be screwed on/off using less than super-human strength.

I bought a universal lid when I saw this thread and it worked great on one of my BMB's but not the other (pops out). Meanwhile, I ordered the O-rings specified and that seems to work. Only due to increased thickness of the seal stack, I fear. The O-ring is not a perfect fit.
Click to expand...

smarch0 said:
I have 2 of the 6.5 glass Evo 2's and of course have the seal problem. I have some leftover food grade RTV silicone (similar to the provided link) from a heat stick build I did. Could putting a bead of this on the top lip of the carboy be a solution? I figure it could be scraped off with a razor blade fairly easy if things go wrong.

Is the risk of a place to harbor bacteria to great by doing this?


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002UEN1A?keywords=food%20grade%20silicone%20red&qid=1453746240&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2
Click to expand...

mongoose33 said:
I ordered another BMB plus the new universal lid. I just checked my other BMB and I'm wondering this: Couldn't you use a spring clamp on each side to hold the universal lid in place so it wouldn't pop up? Or even just tiny c-clamps on each side to hold it in place?

Or, failing that, some sort of entwined rubber band system that links under the lip of the BMB mouth?

There's a lip under the mouth of the BMB--it would seem to me that there is something there on which to get a purchase, thus something to hold the lid in place.
Click to expand...

Did you guys see the original post in this thread? Or are you rejecting it for some reason?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I followed the first post and pulled the white gasket off the universal and slapped it onto the original lid and cover. It's now sealed. Simple.
 
passedpawn said:
Did you guys see the original post in this thread? Or are you rejecting it for some reason?
Click to expand...

Well, the couple of bucks for a couple of clamps is a quicker solution than having to cut the plastic lid part down to size, wouldn't you think? If the only issue is making sure the universal lid doesn't pop off, all you need is something to keep it in place so it doesn't rise up.

Clamps, presumably, could do that. I bought a couple spring clamps, a couple c-clamps--we'll see how they do. I'll post results an/or pics either way.

And if it works, i won't have to cut anything.
 
mongoose33 said:
Well, the couple of bucks for a couple of clamps is a quicker solution than having to cut the plastic lid part down to size, wouldn't you think? If the only issue is making sure the universal lid doesn't pop off, all you need is something to keep it in place so it doesn't rise up.

Clamps, presumably, could do that. I bought a couple spring clamps, a couple c-clamps--we'll see how they do. I'll post results an/or pics either way.

And if it works, i won't have to cut anything.
Click to expand...

Sometimes expense is the best economy.

If the clamps don't work, the liquid gasket doesn't work, the seran wrap doesn't work, you'll find that it would have far cheaper (especially in time) to just do it the way I explained. Sounds like I'm selling something here and of course I'm not, I was just trying to help out others with the same problem.

Further, if you look at post #1, there is a solution there that does not require the cutting. I've made 12 carboys worth of beer with them and they work flawlessly (3 20g batches). Either of the solutions I proposed will make you feel better about your fermentor than having a bunch of clamps hanging off of it.

Good luck. It would be nice to see a better solution that what I presented. I'll be watching for that.
 
I see Midwest Brewing has the dual-port "universal" lids, but they also have JUST the seal. I haven't looked at the solution lately, but would just the seal with the original lid, etc do the job?
 
Newsman said:
I see Midwest Brewing has the dual-port "universal" lids, but they also have JUST the seal. I haven't looked at the solution lately, but would just the seal with the original lid, etc do the job?
Click to expand...

Yes, it will. See the "Simple Solution" in post #1. I never fermented with it this way - only tested to make sure it was air tight by filling airlock and squeezing the carboy.

Can you drop a link to the seal only here? Thanks.

BTW, while it will work, I wasn't satisfied with it. The seal isn't held as securely as I would have liked. A few posts above this one, somebody apparently has some experience with this method. I'd love to hear more from him.
 
The seal only will work with the old style lid.
I'm at work but I'll post a pic when I get home
 
passedpawn said:
Yes, it will. See the "Simple Solution" in post #1. I never fermented with it this way - only tested to make sure it was air tight by filling airlock and squeezing the carboy.

Can you drop a link to the seal only here? Thanks.

BTW, while it will work, I wasn't satisfied with it. The seal isn't held as securely as I would have liked. A few posts above this one, somebody apparently has some experience with this method. I'd love to hear more from him.
Click to expand...

I did the "simple solution" and thought it worked just fine with my plastic 6.5 gal BMB. After active fermentation dropped off (about 3 days) I did have to snug up the lid a little. After that, it worked great.
 
Yesfan said:
If it's anything like Northern Brewers prices, the seals by themselves are only a dollar cheaper than the entire universal lid. Might as well get the entire lid and do it the right way.
Click to expand...

Do the seals pop off the new style lids fairly easily? I want to try using just the seal on the old version plastic BMB.

I also ordered a sheet of 0.02" silicone to attempt to make a seal if that doesn't work out.

This fiasco is just annoying. Such a great concept. How hard can it be to make a silicone seal? Why not make a lid that has a groove that the seal sits in? I know I'm preaching to the choir, but man alive is this annoying.
 
passedpawn said:
Yes, it will. See the "Simple Solution" in post #1. I never fermented with it this way - only tested to make sure it was air tight by filling airlock and squeezing the carboy.

Can you drop a link to the seal only here? Thanks.

BTW, while it will work, I wasn't satisfied with it. The seal isn't held as securely as I would have liked. A few posts above this one, somebody apparently has some experience with this method. I'd love to hear more from him.
Click to expand...

Here's a link to the seal itself... it only saves about a buck off the price of the new "universal" lid -- http://www.midwestsupplies.com/big-mouth-bubbler-universal-lid-replacement-seal.html
 
hezagenius said:
Do the seals pop off the new style lids fairly easily? I want to try using just the seal on the old version plastic BMB.

I also ordered a sheet of 0.02" silicone to attempt to make a seal if that doesn't work out.

This fiasco is just annoying. Such a great concept. How hard can it be to make a silicone seal? Why not make a lid that has a groove that the seal sits in? I know I'm preaching to the choir, but man alive is this annoying.
Click to expand...



I've not used the new lid yet. I got mine after my last batch was kegged. Haven't brewed since then.
 

Similar threads

43North
Why does big mouth bubbler have threads?
Replies
9
Views
1K
Wolfbayte
Wolfbayte
D
Bucket Blaster and Big Mouth Bubbler
Replies
2
Views
1K
donovanlambright
D
passedpawn
Big Mouth Bubbler lid - yet another solution, maybe the easiest
Replies
18
Views
3K
PCABrewing
P
J2W2
Any way to purge O2 from a plastic Big Mouth Bubbler before filling?
Replies
5
Views
915
J2W2
J2W2
Langerz
New Conical - Check my plan
Replies
15
Views
1K
Langerz
Langerz
InkBird 300

Latest posts

Back
Top