A better air lock

[Max_Born]

I've been making cider for a year, using gallon jugs. Typically, I'll use a 38mm screw-on plastic cap with the hole in it to accept a plastic air lock. For me, the caps are single use; they crack each batch. Sometimes, I'll need to use a second cap to get to the end of fermentation. I find they need to be tightened pretty good in order to seal. Too tight I guess.

I've tried stoppers with less luck. Any other solutions? Any way to modify the plastic caps to get a seal with less force? Thank you.

 

[poptarts]

why not buy bungs and use those instead of lids?

 

[rocketsan]

Or buy a proper fermenter...

 

[Max_Born]

What exactly is a "proper" fermenter?

The rubber stoppers I used had a hole in the center, which fit the air lock OK, but the stoppers would not stay put in the jug. They kept inching out. Is a bung something different than a rubber stopper? If so, what is it?

Thank you.

 

[kev211]

What exactly is a "proper" fermenter?

The rubber stoppers I used had a hole in the center, which fit the air lock OK, but the stoppers would not stay put in the jug. They kept inching out. Is a bung something different than a rubber stopper? If so, what is it?

Thank you.

No, a bung is a rubber stopper so youre all set there. Did you make sure to buy the right size bung? They come in a lot of sizes so if you have one thats too big it can inch its way out

 

[bernardsmith]

Also a wet bung can tend to be pushed out. You want to make sure the bung is quite dry.. and you can santize a bung so that it is dry simply by sitting a colander or sieve atop a bowl of K-meta in solution and allowing the SO2 gas that the K-meta produces to sanitize the rubber or silicone bung. But as Rocketsan suggests a glass carboy may be a good investment and my local HBS is now selling wide mouthed single gallon glass jars with drilled and grommeted caps that are ready to hold a bubbler (airlock) so these must be available nationally - These are great for use as primary fermenters but their wide mouths suggest that they may not be so wonderful for aging wines -

http://saratogaz.com/DRILLED-AND-GROMMETED-LID-FOR-CLEAR-ONE-GALLON-WIDE-MOUTH-JUG_p_9365.html

 

[mightynintendo]

Forget about fancy airlocks and drilling holes in plastic caps. Way too complicated and also a waste of perfectly good caps. You'd be better off getting a length of flexible plastic tube sized just so that it can be shoved inside the neck of the jug (snugly). then the other end of the tube is put into a bucket of water. Secure it in place if you're really worried but that would be overkill in my opinion. The natural bend in the tube can be used to push against the wall of the water bucket, keeping the end submerged.

 

[Maylar]

A 1 gallon jug uses a #6 rubber bung. I've never ever had one come loose. And those plastic screw caps are indestructible, unless you're tightening them with the Fear of God. You don't need vice grips to snug an airlock.

Here's one of each -

 

[Max_Born]

Great suggestions and thank you. I can't recall, but I think the stoppers were likely wet from sanitization or juice on the inside of the glass jug. I'm pretty sure I have the correct bungs, I'll retry, being more careful.

I was not aware of the wide-mouth glass gallons and those grommeted lids. I've been using narrow-mouth glass gallon jugs similar to the "Gallo" jug that use the standard 38mm screw lid. Like those that Maylar posted just above.

I think I'm using the Fear of God approach....seems that if I don't press the air lock snug enough into the hole in the plastic cap, gas exits at that interface rather than thru the air lock. I've also had the lids fail where the top of the lid separates from the threaded portion.

Thanks to all for your help. I've now got some things to try.

 

[BigFloppy]

When I do a single gallon batch using screw caps, I drill a hole capable of taking a grommet sized so that the air-lock seals well to the grommet, never over tighten the screw cap, needs negligible force to seal properly

I get my grommets from Harbor Freight .. http://www.harborfreight.com/180-piece-harness-grommet-set-67582.html