Noob doing the noob thing.

[IslandLizard]

I agree that a lid with a gasket is a smart investment

I think it depends on the design and the way they're made. I have gasketed lids that don't seal at all, and non-gasketed ones (e.g., regular 6.5 gallon brew buckets) that seal hermetically. And some off and on... depending on whatever season it is.

Even the buckets with screw-on lids, the o-ring lying in a groove in the lid, are not foolproof. You really need to lie that ring in there diligently, without stretching, and test (using an air compressor or CO2 tank) for air-tightness, before filling it with wort.

 

[PashMaddle]

If you suspect a leak in a certain area, just apply duct tape if possible. That stuff is a godsend. I probably use way too much on my carboy, but I have skunked a batch before, and it was personally devastating lol.

I just had to dry hop, having to open the blow off cap for 5 seconds was really nerve recking. However I still have positive pressure as i could see active carbonation and movement still happening.

High five on the duct tape! I hate to admit but I currently don’t have any (or just can’t find it in the garage/shop/junk drawer) but that will be rectified soon. So…I substituted electrical tape around the lid shortly after pitching…I don’t think it worked too well given my situation though lol.

I think it depends on the design and the way they're made. I have gasketed lids that don't seal at all, and non-gasketed ones (e.g., regular 6.5 gallon brew buckets) that seal hermetically. And some off and on... depending on whatever season it is.

Even the buckets with screw-on lids, the o-ring lying in a groove in the lid, are not foolproof. You really need to lie that ring in there diligently, without stretching, and test (using an air compressor or CO2 tank) for air-tightness, before filling it with wort.

thanks for calling this to my attention. I might just tape up until I upgrade instead of chasing down something that might not work.

 

[redrocker652002]

My bucket has all that and a thermowell… and I paid $5 for it.

Seriously, don’t pay extra for buckets just because they have a logo and volume markings on them. I agree that a lid with a gasket is a smart investment but even the morebeer lids aren’t gasketed…I didn’t check MB.

You can go to Walmart and grab a food grade bucket and a step drill for $18 and drill holes in them for $5 a pop for every one after that. Just fine if you’re making 2 - 4 gallon batches. Grommets, airlocks and spigots are cheap too.
DIY till I die.

Edit: I am going to look into getting gaskets or lids with gaskets, thanks for the heads up.

I realized after my post that Morebeer lids were not gasketed. Northern Brewers are. I agree, the DIY is the way to go, so go for it!!!!! My whole rig is about DIY, from my garden pump that runs both my chiller and my keg and bucket washer to my mash tun that is a Coleman cooler, some steel braided water line and a botte tree that my brother 3D printed for me. I agree, DIY till I die too. LOL.

For me, it was in the starter kit so I went for it. Knowing now what I know, Craigslist would have been my first check as there is a lot of stuff there people are trying to get rid of that just don't want to be in the hobby anymore. Either way, have fun with it.

 

[PashMaddle]

I realized after my post that Morebeer lids were not gasketed. Northern Brewers are. I agree, the DIY is the way to go, so go for it!!!!! My whole rig is about DIY, from my garden pump that runs both my chiller and my keg and bucket washer to my mash tun that is a Coleman cooler, some steel braided water line and a botte tree that my brother 3D printed for me. I agree, DIY till I die too. LOL.

For me, it was in the starter kit so I went for it. Knowing now what I know, Craigslist would have been my first check as there is a lot of stuff there people are trying to get rid of that just don't want to be in the hobby anymore. Either way, have fun with it.

I believe that that at at its very core, homebrewing is DIY regardless of whether you drill your own buckets,make kettles from kegs or coil your own immersion chiller or have the fanciest 2bbl Spikefather, bright tanks and glycol chilled conical fermenters. Either way you’re still DIYing your own tasty beverages.

I check Craigslist from time to time and there’s rarely anything in my area and when there is, it’s usually not anything I need or want. If it is, I’m broke. The better news is that my LHBS buys/sells used equipment so I have that to fall back on…and “support mom & pop shops” goes hand in hand with diy.

I recently changed jobs to a shop that doesn’t have a 3d printer (pays better and the benefits are awesome though) so now I can’t do “government projects” on the 3d printer and a bottle tree is on my wish list too.

 

[PashMaddle]

I just had to dry hop, having to open the blow off cap for 5 seconds was really nerve recking. However I still have positive pressure as i could see active carbonation and movement still happening.

I have seen people use food grade sous vide magnets to dry hop and I find it rather ingenious. You put one sv magnet in your hop sock with your hops and use the other to hold it onto the lid until it’s time to dry hop and you simply remove the magnet. No opening of the fermenter required.
This only works if you have sufficient headspace in your fermenter of course. I also don’t like the idea of dropping things in there because splashing can cause oxidation but maybe using the side of the bucket (space permitting) would allow you to move the hops below the surface and then you can remove the magnet.

Or it might not hurt to just drop it since most of the gas in the fermenter would be CO2 anyway?

 

[Kornssj]

I have seen people use food grade sous vide magnets to dry hop and I find it rather ingenious. You put one sv magnet in your hop sock with your hops and use the other to hold it onto the lid until it’s time to dry hop and you simply remove the magnet. No opening of the fermenter required.
This only works if you have sufficient headspace in your fermenter of course. I also don’t like the idea of dropping things in there because splashing can cause oxidation but maybe using the side of the bucket (space permitting) would allow you to move the hops below the surface and then you can remove the magnet.

Or it might not hurt to just drop it since most of the gas in the fermenter would be CO2 anyway?

Yeah I think i just read about this on the forum. Kind of strange to deal with magnets TBH lol but I guess if its food grade and has been tested i could try testing it out. I do have that exact problem though, not enough head space within a carboy for 5GAL of wort and anything else.

I remember the 2nd or 3rd day there was vigorous effervescence. Anything within the headspace would have had wort juices circulating through lol. I was thinking about getting another fermenter. Or at least try and figure out a way to get hops in without exposing to oxygen. I really like glass, there is less friction for particles to grab onto and they all fall to the bottom for a clear beer which is my preference.

 

[PashMaddle]

Beware, unless the total order is big enough to get "free shipping," these fairly cheap, but large items may end up costing a small fortune, delivered.

Better, if the OP has a local homebrew store (LHBS) he can probably buy them there. Last time I bought 6.5 gallon brew buckets they were around $12, now they're $18 plus $5.50 for the lid (drilled or not).

This is a big reason why I just drill food grade buckets: I generally don’t need enough Stuff from online retailers to qualify for free shipping and spending extra money to get it seems counterintuitive. I do indeed have a LHBS near me but even if their buckets are less than $18, I’ll still do what I’m doing. I’ll gladly buy a 3gallon fermzilla from him though (and promptly take it home and drill a bunch of hole in it lol)

 

[IslandLizard]

I’ll gladly buy a 3gallon fermzilla from him though

I haven't heard or read about a 3 gallon Fermzilla. Do you have a link to one?

If it's anything like their larger versions, it probably comes with a special lid onto/into which you can screw different adapters. The lid seals well, so you could ferment under pressure using a spunding valve.

 

[PashMaddle]

Yeah I think i just read about this on the forum. Kind of strange to deal with magnets TBH lol but I guess if its food grade and has been tested i could try testing it out. I do have that exact problem though, not enough head space within a carboy for 5GAL of wort and anything else.

I remember the 2nd or 3rd day there was vigorous effervescence. Anything within the headspace would have had wort juices circulating through lol. I was thinking about getting another fermenter. Or at least try and figure out a way to get hops in without exposing to oxygen. I really like glass, there is less friction for particles to grab onto and they all fall to the bottom for a clear beer which is my preference.

If you’re making smaller batches and have a drill, you can have a new 5 gallon fermenter for like $7…$5 if you already have a lid.

I haven't heard or read about a 3 gallon Fermzilla. Do you have a link to one?

If it's anything like their larger versions, it probably comes with a special lid onto/into which you can screw different adapters. The lid seals well, so you could ferment under pressure using a spunding valve.

I went to copy the link and realized that I completely misspoke. It is a 3 gallon fermonster. My apologies. Fermzilla is nice as well but a bit more pricey.

 

[IslandLizard]

I really like glass [...]

The larger the glass vessel the more dangerous they become. Aside from dropping or hard bumping them, they can also suddenly break due to poor manufacturing standards and lack of QC. Those large sharp glass shards can cause serious injuries.

We have a whole compendium on cracked carboy incidents, be warned, some of those posts can be very graphic.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/broken-glass-carboy-horror-stories-compendium.376523/
Or through a general search yielding other examples:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/search/6558465/?q=broken+carboy&c[title_only]=1&o=relevance
With routine fermentations I'd stick to clear plastic (PETE) fermenters if you want to be able to see inside.

For long term fermentations or bulk conditioning/aging such as sours or big beers, glass carboys can be useful since they're not going to be handled much. And when you do, take precautions and handle carefully and with respect.

1 gallon glass jugs are generally fine to use. Just handle with care.

 

[PashMaddle]

Glass scares the crap out of me and I’m not fond of anything that’s difficult to clean so glass carboys or even plastic ones with the narrow mouth are nope in my book.

 

[redrocker652002]

I believe that that at at its very core, homebrewing is DIY regardless of whether you drill your own buckets,make kettles from kegs or coil your own immersion chiller or have the fanciest 2bbl Spikefather, bright tanks and glycol chilled conical fermenters. Either way you’re still DIYing your own tasty beverages.

I check Craigslist from time to time and there’s rarely anything in my area and when there is, it’s usually not anything I need or want. If it is, I’m broke. The better news is that my LHBS buys/sells used equipment so I have that to fall back on…and “support mom & pop shops” goes hand in hand with diy.

I recently changed jobs to a shop that doesn’t have a 3d printer (pays better and the benefits are awesome though) so now I can’t do “government projects” on the 3d printer and a bottle tree is on my wish list too.

Completely agree with all that you said there. If you are looking for a bottle tree I might have an extra one that I can send you. One of the tabs is broken, and it will need a wider base because if you put too many on one side it tips over.

I wish I had a local shop, the closest for me is a Morebeer brick and motar shop about 30 mins away. With the price of gas and that they ship free over 50 bucks I don't really need to go.

Thumbs up to everything you said though, I feel the same way.

 

[redrocker652002]

Yeah I think i just read about this on the forum. Kind of strange to deal with magnets TBH lol but I guess if its food grade and has been tested i could try testing it out. I do have that exact problem though, not enough head space within a carboy for 5GAL of wort and anything else.

I remember the 2nd or 3rd day there was vigorous effervescence. Anything within the headspace would have had wort juices circulating through lol. I was thinking about getting another fermenter. Or at least try and figure out a way to get hops in without exposing to oxygen. I really like glass, there is less friction for particles to grab onto and they all fall to the bottom for a clear beer which is my preference.

I have 2 5 gallon glass carboys that I am just using to store Starsan. I would be more than happy to get rid of one if you are interested. Two things though, the openings are only about big enough to put a stopper and an airlock thru and once filled they are incredibly heavy to move around. I have read some pretty big horror stories about dropping them and shattering glass cutting people. I don't use them for anything but storage for that exact reason. If you are going to dry hop beer, you would end up just pouring the pellets thru the opening, thus exposing to O2, which is what you are worrying about. So, not sure this is a good fix for you.

As far as opening the lid to drop a bag of hops in it. I do it all the time with no perceived ill effect. I get the small bag washed and sanitized, grab a few marbles and sanitize them as well. Put the marbles and hops in the bag, pull the draw string and bring it to the bucket. Open the lid only partially, easily slide the bag in, seal the lid back up again with the draw string hanging out so the lid holds the draw string and the bag above the bottom of the bucket. A quick open and shut of the lid should not be a problem in my mind. And I have done mostly hoppy IPA's and Pale Ale's like this. Given them to friends and have gotten nothing but good reviews. And these are cops I give them to, so anytime they get a chance to complain or burn me, they do. LOL

As far as the magnet idea, I have seen lots of guys use it when they are dry hopping in a keg. They use the magnet to hold the bag above the beer, when ready they just pull the magnet off the side of the keg and off the hops go. They then let the hops sit and carb and serve from that keg. To me, any transfer of the finished beer to another vessel means more chance for oxygen exposure, so racking to a secondary bucket might not be the best way to go. In my mind, get your dry hops ready, crack the lid of the bucket just enough to get the bag in, let it go and seal the bucket, all done. LOL

Now, with all this being said, I am in no way a pro and only have been doing this for a couple of years. I average about a batch a month or so, so please take that into consideration when reading anything I post. There are folks here that are way more experienced than I am. Keep at it, take good notes and you will find you groove and what works for you. Rock On!!!!!!!

 

[redrocker652002]

Glass scares the crap out of me and I’m not fond of anything that’s difficult to clean so glass carboys or even plastic ones with the narrow mouth are nope in my book.

Not to mention if you drop a 5 gallon glass carboy you will find yourself sitting in a hospital bed and not being able to drink beer for a while. LOL.

 

[PashMaddle]

Not to mention if you drop a 5 gallon glass carboy you will find yourself sitting in a hospital bed and not being able to drink beer for a while. LOL.

Exactly.
I ended up with like ten stitches in my forearm last year because I slapped a window to startle a coworker (stupid, I know). It didn’t do any serious harm but it was pretty close to it, I got lucky…or less unlucky?

Anyway, I take glass stuff pretty seriously now.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

With a 3 gal plastic carboy, here are some tips for cleaning:

• clean immediately after bottling is complete
• swirl warm (100F-ish) water at the bottom of the carboy to remove crud at the bottom
• swirl warm (100F-ish) water around the sides of the carboy to remove crud on the sides. If crud remains, add some no rinse cleaner and swirl it until "it's dizzy".
• soak the carboy in warmer (130F-ish) water using a no rinse cleaner.

 

[Kornssj]

Thanks for the advice on glass fermenters. I might switch to another material since glass is typically the only thing I have used except for my first few batches which used plastic bucket which came with my kit.

I do like that they make fermenters with clear smooth Plastic. Looks like the Fermonster you can fit your entire hand into it so that may be really useful during cleanings. I think i can get one pretty cheap around 25 bucks but let me know if anyone sees a sale with a lower price anywhere. For me, the sides of whatever fermenter I'm using must be smooth to not allow particles to catch. I have noticed a significant difference in my beers when I take this into account.