I'm about done with plastic buckets my lid is seeping air out and I'm worried about contamination, any one have some easy solutions to sorta seal down the lid during this fermentation, I was thinking about cutting out some wood and sorta trapping it between the flanges and the lid for compression I know with co2 pushing out I'm fine for now but I'm just worried about after. Think this will work or any one have an easier trick
Bucket lid problem
- Thread starter 1fast636
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McKnuckle
Well-Known Member
During ferm the lack of seal is not a real problem because gas pressure is moving out of the bucket anyway. When it slows to a real crawl it's probably best to rack or package. I place a small dumbbell on my pail lid just to keep it firmly in place, and move the beer to a better container when ferm is done and CO2 is passively out gassing.
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1fast636
Well-Known Member
Eh I wouldn't say that before I posted I rigged this up
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1420314492.080690.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1420314492.080690.jpg
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1fast636
Well-Known Member
It's just that is still letting a little bit out as well but it's sorta my fault for filling to 6 gals and not stopping at 5.5 lol I was just excited to hit my mark perfect I wasn't thinking lol
"Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep."* 
RDWHAHB
Many of us use brew buckets with questionable seals without problem. If you think you need to do something about it tho, you can look at these:
Gamma Lids (avail at Amazon, HD, etc.)
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24116&catid=626
Brew on
*Buffalo Springfield
RDWHAHBMany of us use brew buckets with questionable seals without problem. If you think you need to do something about it tho, you can look at these:
Gamma Lids (avail at Amazon, HD, etc.)
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24116&catid=626
Brew on
*Buffalo Springfield
Just remember that Co2 is heavier than O2 and therefore will displace any oxygen. A tight seal is definitely not critical for keep O2 out. And since you're not relying on airlock bubbling as an indicator of fermentation status - right? - then it's no big deal. All that said, if you're fermenting in an old dusty/moldy basement, as I am, you definitely want to everything you can to keep dust out of your fermenter. I've even become superstitious about opening my fermentation during the first 3 weeks. Doesn't take much to get an infection started. Good luck!
If you're still concerned you should check out better bottles or glass carboys. Minimal opening that's easy to plug with a bung and an airlock.
P
If you're still concerned you should check out better bottles or glass carboys. Minimal opening that's easy to plug with a bung and an airlock.
P
OP
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1fast636
Well-Known Member
This is the first time my lid hasn't wanted to seal well I had a few bubbles pop out before but this one is pretty full in force. Lol like I said pretty sure it's because of stuffing 6gals in and leaving very litte head room oh we'll yall have eased my mind I'm not to worried any more but I do have an assembly in my mind I might make if I get bored tonight after the wife falls asleep and if I don't have to many hb's
I currently have the same problem. I thought the buckets were not fermenting since there was no blow off bubbling, but upon opening and taking a gravity reading was shocked to see after 4 days there was ample fermentation happening. Then I tried to reseal the lid and found it was a real pain to get a good seal. I think I'll be purchasing 2 more 6 gallon glass carboys.
bionut
Well-Known Member
In Australia they use cling wrap instead of lids on their fermenters and they make great beer. RDWHAHB.
The human race was fermenting beer for thousands of years before we started worrying about the lid not fitting.
It's only an issue if you are keeping the beer in the bucket for a length of time after primary fermentation, it's more likely to get oxidised
It's only an issue if you are keeping the beer in the bucket for a length of time after primary fermentation, it's more likely to get oxidised
bionut
Well-Known Member
In plastic buckets oxidation can happen even with a good lid over a very long time, at least in theory. I don't think that someone is keeping his beer in the fermenter for more than 3-4 weeks.
OMG WOW! Silly me ferments in a stainless kettle with the lid on...well after high kreusen I do seal it up with a plastic bag, works fine IME.
bionut
Well-Known Member
Can you elaborate? How do you seal with the plastic bag? Do you put the entire pot in it?
Glass carboys are dangerous when they break. Many modern day ones come from China and are too flimsy to handle. Think big gashes and ER room. Nothing wrong with buckets. And they all come with a handle.
Nothing elaborate, I take a large plastic bag and cut it to get a sheet of plastic wrap, then I drape it over the fermenting kettle and wrap it tight twice with a long string or actually a boot lace, seals up tight. You can actually monitor positive pressure in the fermenter as the plastic wrap domes up w the co2 produced.
When the wrap settles it's time to think of moving the brew to a keg....say 10 to 12 days.
bionut
Well-Known Member
So it's the same as with cling wrap. I tought that you put the entire pot in the bag
I want to try this, altoug i don't think i will ferment in the kettle because i use a converted keg,.
I want to try this, altoug i don't think i will ferment in the kettle because i use a converted keg,.
estricklin
Well-Known Member
Bingo!
The thing to keep in mind here is that, bacteria and wild yeast can't crawl up your bucket and under your lid and do a high dive cannon ball into your wort, sorry, it's just not going to happen. They travel by air movment, and they get into things by gravity. The fact that you have a lid, is, well really solving the problem about 99.998% of the way. Ever seen anyone use a sealing lid and airlock when they make a yeast starter?
Some of the cheaper plastic lids without a gasket/rubber seal, don't seal as well as the better ones, kind of a fact of life. If memory serves me right, it's the "True Brew" brand lids, (I think they are blue sorry I'm colorblind they could be purple) that are the best. They seal easy, and are easy to remove. The plain white ones aren't as good but honestly I have 15-20 of the plain white ones and I'm not about to replace them. I get all my lids from Wal-Mart or the hardware store, drill a hole in them and use cheap rubber grommets from the hardware store on the airlock hole.
Buckets are safer. Buckets are way cheaper and readily available at many places around town for almost nothing. When you brew a lot, especially in 10 gallon batches, having a more economical fermenter option is really nice.
