Fermentation Bucket Lids

[smata67]

The lid on my new Ale Pail is really hard to get off. It came with the Brewer's Best kit. Does not have a rubber gasket. I've been sanitizing by sloshing around and do have some leakage when I do this, so it is not entirely airtight. Is it a requirement for primary fermentation for the lid to be watertight?

I got a spare lid from Brewmaster's warehouse that goes on and off a thousand times easier. It kind of has 4 tabs around the perimeter, so you bend them up and off the lid comes right off. This one does have a rubber gasket. The ease with which it comes off probably means it is not as tightly sealed as the Ale Pail, but the gasket probably takes care of this.

 

[Yooper]

I have some buckets with very tight lids, too. It doesn't really matter if the lid is tight or not. Use whichever one you like to. The lid is only there to keep things like fruitflies out of the wort. You won't get very much air exchange around the lid, so don't worry about it at all.

 

[Clumber]

It doesn't really matter if the lid is tight or not.

The looser the lid the more likely gases escape from the lid instead of the airlock. So, if like me, you are one of those people who can't seem to avoid worrying when you don't see airlock activity, no matter how many posts there are saying to trust your specific gravity values and ignore the airlock, a lid that isn't tight, might cause you some angst.

 

[Revvy]

ALthough you can get them online or at brewshops, you can also find them for about a buck at any hardware store.

They are for opening 5 gallon plastic buckets.

 

[smata67]

ALthough you can get them online or at brewshops, you can also find them for about a buck at any hardware store.

They are for opening 5 gallon plastic buckets.

I think I'm going to get two of these. But I'm switching away from the hard-to-pry ale pale top, that's an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Sammy75]

I nearly lost a finger the first time I tried opening my bucket. Learned to add a towel to the process to avoid finger slicing. I really need to go get one of the above tools!

 

[the_mox]

one of those tools makes it super easy to get your lid off, well worth the money!

 

[tvtoms]

Watch those fingernails. Almost took half a dozen off the first time I cracked the lid on my new bucket. Sheesh. That tool should be standard issue, with the logo of the shop on it.

 

[fatmoose]

ALthough you can get them online or at brewshops, you can also find them for about a buck at any hardware store.

They are for opening 5 gallon plastic buckets.

Picked one up for a couple bucks at LHBS, really makes life easier.

 

[smata67]

Brewmaster's Warehouse lids are much better than the Ale Pales and what I'm going to go with. The lip is thinner, so it comes off easier and it has 4 tabs that snap onto the bucket instead of all around like the standard Ale Pale. I think the black rubber gasket that comes with it (BM lid) will have to be in place if you want a watertight tight seal, though. The Ale Pale lid seems to seal quite well without one. Even with this tool, there's danger of jostling around the bucket trying to get the lid off, the Brewmaster's lids come right off easily.

 

[Ohio-Ed]

Brewmaster's Warehouse lids are much better than the Ale Pales and what I'm going to go with. The lip is thinner, so it comes off easier and it has 4 tabs that snap onto the bucket instead of all around like the standard Ale Pale. I think the black rubber gasket that comes with it (BM lid) will have to be in place if you want a watertight tight seal, though. The Ale Pale lid seems to seal quite well without one. Even with this tool, there's danger of jostling around the bucket trying to get the lid off, the Brewmaster's lids come right off easily.

I minimized the need to take the lid off my fermentation buckets.
I used a hole saw and cut a hole in the lid large enough to get a thief into the bucket for samples and then use a drilled rubber stopper in place of the grommet.

I use another stopper with 2 holes (one for a racking cane, one for a barb fitting) to slightly pressurize the bucket with co2 for transferring.

So, my lid stays on the bucket until I'm ready to cleanup.

 

[smata67]

I might cut in a 4" diameter hole on my top and cover with plexiglass glued down with foodsafe silicon, creating a "viewport" on my top so I can keep an eye on things...

 

[sjlammer]

I might cut in a 4" diameter hole on my top and cover with plexiglass glued down with foodsafe silicon, creating a "viewport" on my top so I can keep an eye on things...

This is a good idea!

 

[tvtoms]

I might cut in a 4" diameter hole on my top and cover with plexiglass glued down with foodsafe silicon, creating a "viewport" on my top so I can keep an eye on things...

I've been wondering WHY doesnt some smart person create some CLEAR lids for the standard buckets?

Seriously, it's so great to be able to look in there and see how the krausen is coming along, see if it's going to blow off before it actually does.. see if the beer is clearing or has any sort of issues forming on top.

I mean heck. HDPE2 can be made clear.. so whats the deal?