Big Mouth Bubbler- Solution to the bad lid seal problem

Sorry guys. When I bought my BMBs, they came with the threaded ring. I don't know where to get replacements.

I guess it doesn't matter much now, but I'm still using my modified bubblers and they work great - kegged from 2 of them yesterday.

 

Rudy, you might try this. I have two of those lids that tend to want to pop off. Here's what NB said was the workaround. Get a 6" worm clamp (the very long version of the clamp we use to clamp hoses on barbs. Make sure it fits over the mouth of the BMB. Then, get a piece of wire or maybe some coarse string or whatever, put it over the lid and allow it to be secured by the clamp, holding down the lid.

I used some stiff wire on mine, and it works fine. Yeah, it's a bit of a kludge, but it works, and IMO the BMB is such a good fermenter I'm willing to accept this small peccadillo regarding its usage.

Some people use blue tape to hold it down. PassedPawn's fix is possibly the most elegant, but if you don't have the ring it doesn't help.

 

The Fermonster and the BMB have different sized openings, so the lids aren't interchangeable. The Fermonster is just big enough to get my arm in to where I can reach the bottom. It's more than enough to get in and clean the krausen ring off. You can drive a Cadillac through the BMB opening.


As for using keg lube on the Fermonster's Oring, I don't think you need it for the lids to seal better. I have three of them and never had sealing issues. As a matter of fact, my "issue" has been the reverse. The lid is literally glued on and hard as hell to get off to clean them. I wonder if Keg Lube would make the lids easier to get off.


Sorry for the off topic.

 

Here's the workaround I noted above. I didn't tighten down the clamp, it's just to illustrate. Worked very well on the lids that don't want to seat. One wire was enough to hold it. The wire ends are bent under because I didn't want them sticking out where they could stick me.

 

I had a few rounds with M-W and they suggested wires, duct tape, dumbbells and bricks. I did not disclose my secret solution which involves wedging a 2X4 between fridge and cap! That will be for HBT members only. M-W did say a solution was being developed but could not tell me more like when and what. Adding to the frustration, screw-on collars like passeddawn uses are no longer available. So, it's just me and my friends here on HBT to work through this. I am amazed that M-W (AB InBev?) continues to sell this flawed product and don't seem to take producing a fix very seriously.

 

It surprises me as well. They must feel they have a tremendous amount of capital devoted to the defective lids and can't put out a different one until they "dispose" of the bad ones.

Here's what I think is weird: I have four of those lids. Two came with early BMBs and they work just as they should. You can press them down into the opening and they stay.

The two newer ones do not. Now, maybe I don't understand the business, but if it were me, I'd find out what was different between the two types. Is it the size? Type of silicone in the seal? Other dimensions that are off?

I only know about the workaround because I have had all three of my BMB fermenters going at once, and needed that third lid. It won't seat so that's why the workaround.

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Here's an interesting alternative: Morebeer has their 7-gallon Fermonster for $33.99 in the ported (spigot) version. It's got a wide mouth and a lid that *will* seal. The ported BMB version is $39.99, with a lid that won't work properly.

If I were to do it over again, guess which I'd buy?

 

Had I only known. I do have four of these purchased for $25 each on sale so I may try sending them back and pickup what you suggest. I'll see if I can measure a correlation between dimensions and fitment of the lid & seal. Thanks.

 

The BMBs still work fine, it's just a pain to deal with the lid.

BTW, if you buy two of those fermonsters, shipping is free.

 

My LHBS owner says the problem is solved by waxing the ribs on the universal seal. He said "bees wax". I think keg lube might be a better bet. If anybody tries this, please post your experience here.

 

I'll give this fix a look but I'm a little doubtful seeing as the lids will push themselves outward when wet with sanitizer and only stay down when dry. Not under fermentation conditions however!

I do see objective of the grease though. The ribs seem to act as little arms that seal, but also provide an upward force to lift the lid. That force is reduced if the surfaces have less friction (greased).

I wish I could find some of the old style threaded rings...please.

 

I threw my BMB away and it works great now!

Upgraded to a SS Brewbucket Mini. Best thing ever.

 

I just got a ported 6 .5 gal. plastic BMB as a giveaway from NB for buying two extract kits. After pitching yeast I noticed the universal lid won't seal. Read you guys possible fixes for this problem and saw the post about using clamps. I went to Harbor Freight and bought a set of small spring loaded clamps. Pittsburgh 7/8" Spring Clamp Set Item number 69375. Set of 6. I removed the airlock, pushed it all the way in and attached the clamps all around the lid. There is just enough lip on each to attach the clamps. Put the airlock back in and was rewarded with bubbles so I guess it's sealed. Cost - $2.99

http://www.harborfreight.com/micro-spring-clamp-set-6-pc-69375.html

 

I tried using a little keg lube and the lid pops off easier than when wet. I then tried reversing the direction of the silicone seal (large diameter lip down) and it seemed to stay down but probably still not enough friction to keep it in place during fermentation.

 

Thanks for trying, and for posting your results. I was just repeating what the guy told me. As you said, they work even worse when wet, so lubing it didn't seem like a plausible fix.

 

That suggests to me that the wax idea might have merit--should create more friction and thus more likely to hold.

BTW, I had one of the "popoff" lids on one of my BMBs held in place by the method I showed above, and after a couple weeks, it stayed in place--at least for a while. Makes me wonder if the silicone seal can "learn" how to stay like that.

 

I have a hose clamp and wire ready to go! However, my OCD-like personality is still kicking me for a more elegant solution. To that end, I ordered some 0.25" o-ring cord (to be formed into an o-ring) that will seal the 0.22" space between lid OD and carboy ID. I'm counting on this simple o-ring to do the trick. To be continued...

 

The best solution (assuming you can't afford a SS fermenter like I can't either) is called a "Fermonster". The lids on those things seal TOO well and I've had to use channel locks more than once to get them off. I learn not to put them on tightly anymore and they seal fine...

 

What he said...exactly.

 

I have the same issues. I bought one of those strap wrenches for mine. No more stuck lids and you never know where else that particular tool might need to be used.

 

I simply use plastic cling wrap to help the seal...and a strap wrench to help get the lid off. problem solved.

 

I've discovered something interesting. I generally just keep my BMB lids in a bucket of Star San. One of the lids that kept popping off I kept in place with the clamp/wire arrangement I showed earlier in the thread.

Guess what? It now stays on without any additional devices. I don't know if the star-san softened the silicone seal (seems unlikely but I'm no chemist), or if it just needs to be held in place, but I used to have two lids that seal and two that do not; now I have three and one.

 

I haven't used my "fix" in a while - the universal tops seem to stay on by themselves now, without any issue. I do 20g batches, so each time I brew it's x4 of these carboys.

Might be, as mongoose suggests above, that the seal has finally somehow conformed due to age and starsan or something. However, I think the solution was just cutting off the top rib, which I did to make it easier to get them on. Regardless, It's been many batches since I've screwed the universal down.

 

BTW, if anyone is interested in converting to these, NB is offering a pretty sweet deal. I don't like the ported ones, but if you do then this deal is for you. Shipping might be a killer, not sure.

Siphonless Big Mouth Bubbler® Fermentor 4 Pack for Just $99.99!

 

I'm in Wisconsin; I just put that into the cart to see what happened and shipping was $13.28 for the "I can wait" rate, tax was $5.50, ends up being just shy of $120 for me, or $30 apiece. Not bad.

Shipping to Huntington Beach CA would be $19.04 for the "I can wait" rate.

 

IIRC, Better Bottle used to charge about $40 JUST FOR THE SPIGOT for their carboys. So, with that in mind, it's a superb deal.

Like I said before, though, I don't like any sort of port on my fermentor, regardless how convenient it makes transfers.

 

I really wanted a simple plug and play solution. Closest I could find was to just buy a 7 gallon fermonster. Problem solved! The bmb will make a great backup, unless someone wants another?

 

Here's a plug n' play solution if anyone is interested. Four pack of these straps from Harbor Freight for $9.99, no muss, no fuss.

https://www.harborfreight.com/400-lb-capacity-1-in-x-15-ft-ratcheting-tie-downs-4-pc-61524.html

 

I like the camlock blow-off tube. How do you connect that to your lid?

 

I mentioned it once earlier in this thread, but I'll say it again: My universal lids stay down just fine now since I removed the largest (top) silicone rib from the gasket. I just cut it off with scissors. I think Mongoose recommended it above, and that worked 100% great for me. I've got 6 of these fermentors in almost constant circulation, so that easy fix has been tested and approved many times over.

 

I used a 1/2" NPT to 3/8" barb adapter and the barb fit nicely into the rubber bung. The 1/2" NPT threaded into the camlock. Cheers!

 

Thanks, totally missed that, way too many pages in this thread! Sounds like a winning solution!

 

This solution involves holding the lid in place with a PVC pipe wedged between the BMB top and the top of fermentation fridge. A slot in the end of the pipe allows the blow-off hose to clear. Once active fermentation is done I replace it with a simple airlock.

 

Elegant solution.

 

Cutting the the top silicone rib off does allow them to fit better. I had one fermentation complete with this fix and thought I was home free. However, the next one, being a little more aggressive, did blow the lid off and made a mess. Looks like it may be a hit or miss option, at least for me. Glad it's a 100% reliable fix for you passedpawn.

Still wish MW would just get some of the earlier design threaded collars made.

 

Hmmm, well darn. I've even had some blowoffs that forced the airlock out and still didn't push the univ lid off.

 

no matter what I do, I cannot get these god damn things to stay sealed.

I called NB and the guy basically told me I was using it wrong and that the surface area that comes in contact with the lid needs to be 'perfectly dry'. he instructed me to use a paper towel/towel to dry everything prior to pitching. I was worried about contaminating the brew and possibly causing an infection, but the NB guy told me not to sweat it.

I did this one time and it worked great until high krausen, which then touched the area that I was trying to keep dry. causing the lid to pop off.

super f'in frustrating. im actually using one right now for a spare 1 gal of wort I had. I just find small, heavy objects i have around the house and keep it on top of the lid to keep pressure on the lid. its frustrating, but whatever.

 

If you have the threaded ring and cover, use that with the silicone gasket. It's the "easy solution" in the first post. Works for me every time.

 

What about a clamping ring that goes around the lip of both the fermenter lip and the lid? Similar to what goes around chemical barrels and buckets. What is the diameter of the lid and lip?

View attachment 1495371754087.jpg

 

How does the Fermonster work for sealing? A brewery I went to recently started using them for pilot/small batches, but I didn't think to see how they sealed. They are a similar product but without the waterdrop pattern molded in the walls. Looks like a nice, basic, fermentor.