Bung stuck!!!!!

[tcory77]

After my last brew day I was having trouble getting the bung to stay in my Better Bottle. It wanted to keep sliding out with the star san on it. Well, I guess I pushed a little too hard and it is stuck in the top of the better bottle. It was sealed up nice and tight (obviously) so I feft it for fermentation. I will be dry hopping in about a week or so and I will have to get that bung out without disrupting or contaminating my beer.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!!!

 

[specialized]

try using star san as lube. If it worked once it should work again.

 

[tcory77]

`well....I did a search on this and I think my search criteria was not right so I didn't get anything. I saw a thread that talked about a coathanger or a short nail tied in the middle to a string........The plastic bag trick does not seem like something I want to do since I need to dry hop and rack to bottling bucket, both within the next couple of weeks.

I know this has happened to alot of people.....what technique worked best for you guys?

 

[BoogieBrandBooze]

I find that when I have things stuck in my bung hole unclenching typically helps.

Seriously though, what I've done in the past is, once fermentation is complete and I'm ready to open up the fermenter, I insert needle nose pliers into the hole that usually accepts the airlock. By using them in a reverse fashion (closed going in, pulling apart handles to open them while in the hole) I can get enough of a grip on it to wiggle it out. Maybe even try lubing up the lip of the BB with some more StarSan to make things go a little easier...

 

[BillTheSlink]

Go to the hardware store and purchase a toggle bolt, which is a machine screw with a nut on the end that looks like wings and close when they are being pushed through a hole in drywall but open when they get free of the hole. Clean and sanitize the toggle bolt (you may have to use rubbing alcohol to de-oil it before cleaning with PBW and then rinsing and sanitizing). Now push the wings through the hole until they clear the bottom of the bung. As soon as they open grab hold of the screw with a pair of vise-grips and pull.


You will generally find toggle bolts in pull out drawers in the fasteners section where screws and nuts are found.

 

[zymurgy101]

+1 What BillTheSlink said above.

I had it happen to me and used nylon twine and a finishing nail (with starsan) to remove the offending object. This is the same tactic as using an anchor bolt. The problem with an anchor bolt may be that you wind up pushing the stopper further into the carboy...be careful. A nail will go through without any force. Either way you go, just make sure the object will pass through the neck of the bottle on the way out.

Note that using needle nose pliers did not work for me as when the jaws of the pliers opens, it pushes the stopper into the neck of the carboy on each side preventing it from coming out (my results, YMMV). My stopper was about to drop into the carboy, which makes it more tricky.

 

[elpenoso]

I know the feeling, I used a sanitized hex wrench. Just dont drop it!!

 

[instapman]

Here is what you do. Take a Sawzall and cut the top of the better bottle off, (make sure you sanitize the blade) just below the bung. Once you get the top of the better bottle off, use an old shoe to cover the top of the carboy (dont want to risk contamination) so air does not get in. Once you get the carboy covered, take the bung/better bottle top outside and throw it as far as you can, take care to not to hit the neighbors house...

No really, pry that b!t(h out with a scratch awl or screwdriver and then go buy the right size stopper.......

 

[Yalpe]

I had this happen on my first batch two weeks ago. I absolutely couldn't get the rubber stopper to come out until I lubed it. So make sure you do that first. I used a tool to take it out but I don't know how its named. Apparently you push it into a wine bottle, stick the cork in the middle of its 4 metal wires, and then pull it out. The end of this tool looks like a harpoon sort of and fits perfectly into a rubber stopper hole but can also expand. Worked like a charm.

It kinda looks like this with a nut near the X to contract/expand the grip.

../\..
./..\..
.\../
..X

 

[GrizlyGarou]

Got a spare bung? Put some star-san on the top of the bung that's stuck, shove that bad boy all the way in, then use your spare bung. Once the beer's racked out of the better bottle, you can do the plastic bag trick.

If you don't have a spare bung, this is a really good excuse to go get one. I'd go up to the next size, too.

 

[Homercidal]

A stainless screw, and some stout twine. Tie the twine around the middle of the screw, then push the screw through the hole. When it's all the way in, pull on the twine. YOu should be able to pull it out that way.

Stainless screw so in case you drop it in there! And sanitize everything, right?

 

[instapman]

"The most common side effects of STUCK BUNG are headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision, but there are others. Do not get a STUCK BUNG if you take nitrates, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Seek immediate medical help for an STUCK BUNG lasting more than 4 hours. And if you experience a sudden decrease in vision or hearing, unstuck your STUCK BUNG and call your doctor right away"

 

[tcory77]

Stuck bung update!!!!!!!!

Ok........I got my bung unstuck!!!!!!! (What a relief!!!!)

I struggled with it for 10-15 minutes, broke a coat hanger in the process. Almost gave up and just pushed the bung all the way into my better bottle, but I couldn't get that to even budge!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is what worked. I put some star san on top of the bung and got the thinnest butter knife we had. I worked the knife down the side of the bung to get the star san down in there all the way around the bung. Then I used the coat hanger trick and it popped right out!!!!!

Just thought I'd post a follow-up in case anyone encounters this problem.

For the record I just set a personal record for the amount of times using the word bung in a post!!!!

 

[Yalpe]

I suggested that in my reply (lubing it), you could've avoided yourself the struggle

 

[Walker]

Ok........I got my bung unstuck!!!!!!! (What a relief!!!!)

I struggled with it for 10-15 minutes, broke a coat hanger in the process.

got me a new sig now....

 

[tcory77]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Fist off.....Yalpe........you are right....I just didn't make the connection of lubing it quite like I did.

Walker........I am honored to be on your signature!!!!!! Pretty funny predicament to be in in the first place, even funnier to actually try to put into words!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[Gfei]

Glad you got your problem taken care of. This thread was great for a laugh