Fermenter bucket - Not a airtight seal

[Sixstring78]

I just brewed my second batch today and used a fermenting bucket I picked up from my LHBS. When I pitched my yeast and placed the lid on I gave the bucket a shake to aerate the wort.
I noticed that some wort came out of the rim around the bucket, meaning that there's not a very tight seal.
I was under the impression that when fermenting you need a airtight seal to prevent oxygen from getting in.
Is this bucket going to give me problems, or is this normal?

Cheers!

 

[Golddiggie]

Push down on the lid harder to get a full seal...

Personally, I don't use buckets to ferment... I used the one that came in my first kit all of twice. Been using carboys and kegs for every other batch. MUCH easier to get a solid seal with either a carboy or keg...

 

[Cart]

If you're just using it to primary it shouldn't be a huge problem. Biggest issue will be that you can't watch the airlock bubble if the lid is leaking a lot. If you pitch enough healthy yeast at the proper temp, and you've sanitized properly, there should be enough C02 going out to keep anything from going in. Just seal it up as tight as you can...

I would recommend switching at least to a better sealing bucket or ideally to carboy if you're going to secondary in it or if you use a longer primary with no secondary as you're more likely to run into contamination or oxidation issues once the more active primary fermentation has shut down.

 

[trevorc13]

Once fermentation begins the co2 will push out any o2 that enters. No problem.

 

[zepolmot]

And once fermentation slows there will be nothing but CO2 in the fermenter with nowhere to go. Your bucket should be fine.

 

[TacoGuthrie]

For my first year I fermented in one if those 10gal buckets that come with wine kits. It has a lid that definitely doesn't seal air tight and I was fine and you will be too.

When you're ready get a carboy or one of those ale buckets

 

[Sixstring78]

I guess i could put some kind of weather stripping in the gasket if i wanted to make a better seal.

 

[kansasbrew]

Do a search on Louis Pasteur's swan neck flask experiment. I have read that his experiment would prove a covered container is enough to keep out microbes. If your sanitation was good before hand, then the fact that it is covered should be enough. That is my understanding at least. A quick google on that seemed to confirm it, but I am not a biologist. I think you can find quotes about it on this forum as well, but it might take some digging.

 

[Homercidal]

There is nothing wrong with your bucket. You don't need an airtight seal to ferment. Shortly after fermentation starts, all air and other stuff is pushed out, replaced with CO2. The only problem is leaking during your shaking.

 

[Sixstring78]

Thanks for the input. I figured that since I see so many people using these buckets, and the LHBS supplied it to me, it can't be all that bad.
Personally though I like using a carboy. I at least know that there is no possibility of air getting into my brew.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the conical fermenter fairy will visit my house someday though. lol

 

[Golddiggie]

Thanks for the input. I figured that since I see so many people using these buckets, and the LHBS supplied it to me, it can't be all that bad.
Personally though I like using a carboy. I at least know that there is no possibility of air getting into my brew.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the conical fermenter fairy will visit my house someday though. lol

If the Fermentation Fairy gets out of the traps I've set, let me know if she does visit you...

You can also opt for using kegs... I'm lusting after some 1/4 barrel Sanke's (7.75 gallon I believe) to use for primaries... I would prefer the tall version, but at this point, I'll take the squat ones too...