12 g Bucket gasket help

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TechyDork

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I have recently started using some 12 gallon buckets with lids as fermenters. They are great and i have not had a bad batch in them, but they do have a downside. The lids do not seal they way the 5-6 gallon ale pales do.

The lid just sits on top and during fermentation some of the blow off leaks out and runs down the side of the fermenter and on to the floor of our ferm chamber. Not a huge deal to clean up, but we would prefer to seal them off and put a blow off tube through the lids and into a bucket of sanitizer.

Can anyone recommend a good gasket material that we could adhere to the lids to seal them up? We were thinking of using some clamps to tighten the lids down once the gasket is in place.

I have looked in to other options for 14-15 gallon fermenters, but shipping for the plastic conical tanks is outrageous to AK (quoted me over $600 in shipping alone for 4 of them shipped) Stainless is nice, but to costly for us right now.

Here is a pic and a link to the same buckets we are using.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VL64SO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

41rEezbQmYL.jpg


thank,
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Cheap and easy, perhaps 6 or 8, 1 inch metal binder clamps would help seal it up.

Or even easier, use some fermcap S, or infant gas drops to control the foam.
Simethicone is the active ingredient.
 
Cheap and easy, perhaps 6 or 8, 1 inch metal binder clamps would help seal it up.

Or even easier, use some fermcap S, or infant gas drops to control the foam.
Simethicone is the active ingredient.

So you think just clamping it down would provide a tight enough seal to keep the krausen from spilling out of the sides?
 
What if you put the blowoff tube like 1/2" or 1" under the lid on the side? Would that keep the krausen below the lid so a perfectly tight seal wouldn't matter so much? That does limit your liquid level, though, so it might not work.
 
So you think just clamping it down would provide a tight enough seal to keep the krausen from spilling out of the sides?

I think it has a better chance with the clamps then without them... :)

My solution to needing a blowoff tube is to use a bigger fermenter.

You have an aversion to using fermcap or gas-X?
 
I think it has a better chance with the clamps then without them... :)

My solution to needing a blowoff tube is to use a bigger fermenter.

You have an aversion to using fermcap or gas-X?

Not necessarily, i have just never used them.

I would love to go with a bigger fermenter, but here in AK my options are limited do to shipping costs.

I plan to try clamping the lids on my next brew and add a blow off tube and see how that works.

thanks,
 
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