cool bung stuck situation, advice?

[TheWeeb]

This is a one-gallon batch of imperial red rye, yea, pushed the bung down the neck of the thing while attempting to get the airlock in. I did not want to push it into the wort, so I capped it with a home-made stopper - - rubber chair leg caps from WalMart - - which seems to work.

I know I have to push it all the way in before racking/bottling, which it is now time for, but I am concerned as to how to get it back out. I saw the video on using a shirt with a carboy, but this is a one-gallon that seems to have a narrower, longer neck than the 5-gallon ones.

Thoughts?

 

[twalte]

Edit...sorry, did not catch that it was a 1 gallon carboy. I would still try a very thin piece of fabric...worst case, drink another bottle of Carlo Rossi wine to replace the bottle.

Happens to me ALL THE TIME!!! I always spray my bung with StarSan solution before I work on it just in case. I actually had one carboy with 3 in it by the time I was done.

I use this approach. Seemed strange, but it worked great. Just drop a piece of cloth into the empty carboy and use it to pull the bung out.

 

[Jayhem]

If you can't get it those 1-gallon carboys can be found often at thrift stores for about $3. I wouldn't spend too much time on it. Get yourself a bung that is too large to be pushed all the way in, bungs only need to go into the neck of the carboy about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch!

 

[ajf]

I admire your ingenuity.:rockin: How about a corkscrew.

-a.

 

[wood0966]

Haha this happened to me before although ot that far in but I used a orange peeler to get it out. It is the kind that is a strong plastic and one end has a sort of hook on it. That thing fit through the hole and I could yank it out. But if you can't get it out just spay it with some Starsan and then push it in before racking?

 

[Calichusetts]

In the future...use 38mm screw caps with the 1 gallon jugs. They have a 3/8 hole in them that perfectly fit tubing and airlocks. Super cheap.

 

[unionrdr]

That craigtube video is a good one for showing how to remove the bung. It looks to me to be the easiest way. Also,for those of us walking with a cane,the aluminum tube kind eventuallt push through the rubber chair leg end on it. I thought to find another one,& put a thick washer inside it on the bottom to keep the tube end of the cane from pushing through. don't wanna slip from less surface area of the tubing sticking through. I fell acoupkle days ago after a winter storm left a foot deep drift in front of the garage door because of this. I'll take pics of the conversion if any older brewers are in need of suck mods. My hip joints are still messed up from the fall. I'm gunna fix this.

 

[Yooper]

Here's my favorite way to easily do it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8Od5p8WPTy8

 

[TheWeeb]

Used the cloth technique, an old t-shirt which ripped the first time. Second time was able to get the bung out of the hole. All good, and thanks for the advice!