Plastic Big Mouth Bubbler

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Racked my strawberry blonde to secondary last night. I must say the plastic is much easier to clean then my old glass carboys. Crud doesn't seem to stick to it like it did to the glass.


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Spent what seemed like hours trying to get the krausen ring off one of my Better Bottles. I even used the old rag in the carboy trick. I had to let it soak last night which helped, but I still have a bit of residue near the top.


I'm really glad I have the Big Mouths. SOOOO much easier to clean.
 
I racked an IPA from it, which is the first batch I used and had a lot of trub but also a large krausen ring. The IPA stalled so the ring was basically two levels and definitely stuck. It was SO easy using a wad of paper towels and warm water. No overnight soak or anything. Cleaned while brewing and racked the new batch. I need to buy more of these. I love my BB but these are easy.

Two negatives.
I wish they would increase the thickness. Even with about 1/2 gallon of water, laying it on the side of the sink depressed the side a bit. The plastic is very thin and makes me think the glass version is likely thin as people say. Second, the inside has a lot of crevices. The "design" of the bubbler has bubbles and very unnecessarily at that. I don't really need a cute fermenter. Inside you can feel each bump from the inside and then of course the crevices from the gallon marks and just the general design. With care, everything can be cleaned but I would prefer a design similar to the BB. Less room for nasties to get stuck and overlooked.

Neither negative deters me from retiring my buckets for these.
 
My only issue so far is that the bung won't stay tight in the lid. The Star San makes it slick and it pops right back up. After it dries out I can push it back down, so I guess that'll do.
 
I need a fermenter to fit in my mini fridge that has a clearance of 10.75" anyone know if this will fit?

Edit: if someone with one readily handy could measure it as precisely as possible I would greatly appreciate it!
 
ekjohns said:
I need a fermenter to fit in my mini fridge that has a clearance of 10.75" anyone know if this will fit?

Edit: if someone with one readily handy could measure it as precisely as possible I would greatly appreciate it!
Click to expand...


Are you talking about height or diameter? As far as Height goes, the BMBs are 2.5" taller than the Better Bottles (as far as the 6 gallon versions go).

As far as diameter, the BMBs are around 10.5-10.75" in diameter. My Better Bottles are 11" in diameter.


Hope this helps.
 
Alpotun said:
My only issue so far is that the bung won't stay tight in the lid. The Star San makes it slick and it pops right back up. After it dries out I can push it back down, so I guess that'll do.
Click to expand...



I just keep twisting the bung until I feel like the star san is drying out. It seems to hold then.
 
Just tossed 21 oz of coconut in two hop bags into the bubbler. Love how easy it is and I know I won't fight to pull the bags when it is time to keg or bottle.
 
For those aging, is there any advantage to getting the smaller 5.5 gallon BMBs or is it better to use a 5 gallon Better Bottle due to less head space? I have no 5 gallon carboys, so thought I would ask.


On another note, it sure would be cool if they had a 3 gallon BMB for the smaller batches.
 
Yesfan said:
For those aging, is there any advantage to getting the smaller 5.5 gallon BMBs or is it better to use a 5 gallon Better Bottle due to less head space? I have no 5 gallon carboys, so thought I would ask.


On another note, it sure would be cool if they had a 3 gallon BMB for the smaller batches.
Click to expand...

I like the idea of a 3 gallon BMB.

Obviously less headspace is better for aging. I prefer a glass carboy for really long aging, not just because of the limited headspace (I can purge with CO2), but because the glass is impermeable, and the design allows for a more reliable seal at the neck. The BMB lid has a greater potential for allowing some air to work past (Although, technically still a VERY low amount with proper handling)

One thing you could do to avoid that problem is to brew the proper amount. This requires a bit of finess and understanding of your process, of course.

Or, you could fill some of the space with sanitized glass marbles or some other easily cleaned and sanitized material like stainless bearings. It would effectively push the top of the liquid closer to the lid.
 
I started a 5.5 gallon batch of hard cider last night in mine. The nice thing is that the BMB allowed me to put the hydrometer directly in there to check the OG. (I use two different hydrometers since they report slightly different values and average them. :D)
 
I took advantage of Midwest's Buy One Get One Free Fathers day sale last weekend and mine arrived today. I cant wait to put my old glass Carboys on Craigslist and strictly use these. I already know cleanup is going to go so much easier and faster!
 
I recently picked up a couple of these (I've had great success with the glass ones, but liked the idea of the ports being large enough for an autosiphon and wine thief).
The things are great. Easy to clean, smaller footprint, easy to take samples, etc. the harness is also unnecessary- I have them for the glass versions, but the plastic are easy enough to move sans harness.
I've fermented two batches in the 6.5gallon plastic so far, and both have under attenuated. Both are recipes I've made multiple times in the past and all of my processes were the same. Anyone think it may be due to the taller thinner design? Increased pressure? Decreased surface area? I'm scared to use it again.
 
Praiseboognish said:
I recently picked up a couple of these (I've had great success with the glass ones, but liked the idea of the ports being large enough for an autosiphon and wine thief).
The things are great. Easy to clean, smaller footprint, easy to take samples, etc. the harness is also unnecessary- I have them for the glass versions, but the plastic are easy enough to move sans harness.
I've fermented two batches in the 6.5gallon plastic so far, and both have under attenuated. Both are recipes I've made multiple times in the past and all of my processes were the same. Anyone think it may be due to the taller thinner design? Increased pressure? Decreased surface area? I'm scared to use it again.
Click to expand...

At these sizes and volumes, the minuscule change in pressure would have little effect on the yeast and attenuation.

I'd look more at temperature fluctuations and yeast health. Without knowing if your AG or extract, it makes no point to speculate on temp control of mash.
 
Praiseboognish said:
I recently picked up a couple of these (I've had great success with the glass ones, but liked the idea of the ports being large enough for an autosiphon and wine thief).
The things are great. Easy to clean, smaller footprint, easy to take samples, etc. the harness is also unnecessary- I have them for the glass versions, but the plastic are easy enough to move sans harness.
I've fermented two batches in the 6.5gallon plastic so far, and both have under attenuated. Both are recipes I've made multiple times in the past and all of my processes were the same. Anyone think it may be due to the taller thinner design? Increased pressure? Decreased surface area? I'm scared to use it again.
Click to expand...
I can't imagine this is the reason for your issues. It sounds like something in your brew process.
 
I got mine in the mail the other day and just finished calibrating it to see how accurate the side markings are. As Ronald Reagan used to say: "trust, but verify."

Well, 1 gallon came up dead even with the very bottom of the 1 gallon mark on the BMB. Each gallon thereafter came up a tiny bit lower against the mark than the gallon before it. 5 gallons fell about 3-4 millimeters below the bottom of the 5 gallon marking.

FWIW, I used 1000 ml and 10 ml graduated cylinders and a 1 ml pipette to calibrate so I'm pretty confident in my measurements.

Anyone else notice something similar?
 
mmb said:
At these sizes and volumes, the minuscule change in pressure would have little effect on the yeast and attenuation.



I'd look more at temperature fluctuations and yeast health. Without knowing if your AG or extract, it makes no point to speculate on temp control of mash.
Click to expand...


I brew all grain. The most recent batch was 90% pale 2row, 7% light munich, 2% crystal 40, and 1% honey malt. Mashed at 148 for 65 minutes, mash out for 10 minutes at 168. Pitched a very healthy (yeast was about 1 week from packaging) starter of 1272 at 64 degrees and I allowed to free rise to 68. OG 1.064, FG 1.018. It's actually about average attenuation for the yeast, but this beer usually finishes at 1.011-1.013. It was the same thing with the other batch. Attenuation about average, but I generally get several points lower.



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I just used a plastic 6.5 gallon Big Mouth Bubbler that I bought from Northern Brewer. I was a bit surprised that the lid didn't have any kind of gasket so I went online and saw that they sell do sell gaskets. After contacting NB customer support they informed me that the gaskets are only for the glass versions and not the plastic ones. I just wanted to relay that information.
 
I want to jump in here after trying for the 3rd time to get my Big Bubble to seal and failing. These are fine for primary, but no better than a bucket. For secondary ferment or for aging, they are 100% worthless. In secondary, you want a seal--these do NOT seal and there's no way in the world to GET them to seal except by sealing the top with silicone which pretty much defeats the purpose. The lid is hard plastic and it sits on the bubbler which is hard plastic. No gasket--just hard plastic on hard plastic. Any variation at all in the molding and you've got yourself a leak. I've tried teflon tape, I've tried Saran wrap, I've tried spraying everyday with StarSan. If you DO get a seal, it's dumb luck. Whatever possessed me to give it another try the other day, I don't know but it only held a seal for 2 days and I've had to take it apart and try the teflon tape fix again. I wish I'd never bought the thing but I'm too tight to throw it away.
 
Saran wrap isn't going to provide much of a seal because it's so thin. I don't understand how teflon tape would work, either. Why not cut a nice gasket out of silicone sheet?
 
Gonzo_Don said:
I want to jump in here after trying for the 3rd time to get my Big Bubble to seal and failing. These are fine for primary, but no better than a bucket. For secondary ferment or for aging, they are 100% worthless. In secondary, you want a seal--these do NOT seal and there's no way in the world to GET them to seal except by sealing the top with silicone which pretty much defeats the purpose. The lid is hard plastic and it sits on the bubbler which is hard plastic. No gasket--just hard plastic on hard plastic. Any variation at all in the molding and you've got yourself a leak. I've tried teflon tape, I've tried Saran wrap, I've tried spraying everyday with StarSan. If you DO get a seal, it's dumb luck. Whatever possessed me to give it another try the other day, I don't know but it only held a seal for 2 days and I've had to take it apart and try the teflon tape fix again. I wish I'd never bought the thing but I'm too tight to throw it away.
Click to expand...

Two questions:
How do you know you're not getting a seal? Serious question and I'm just trying to learn here.
Why not sell the PBMB? I bet you can unload it here easy and if you have the box, you should be able to ship easy if you care to ship.
 
I've heard of people cutting seals and gaskets out of silicone mats they sell in the kitchen departments. Might work fine for this.

I am not personally going to worry about it, but it's a suggestion. I'd love to get a primary PMBM, but fastrack sells a plastic conical that's very reasonable with many nice features. If I buy another primary, I'll probably get one of those.
 
How I knew mine was not sealing was by squeezing and hearing air coming from around the cap. On my first batch using the bubbler I was getting zero airlock activity, although there was plenty of krausen present. Not wanting to remove the lid, I sealed around it with Vaseline (what a mess). That worked to seal it 'till it was finished, but this time I used plastic wrap instead. Seems to have worked so far.
I'd likely not buy this again if I had a do-over.
 
Alpotun said:
How I knew mine was not sealing was by squeezing and hearing air coming from around the cap. On my first batch using the bubbler I was getting zero airlock activity, although there was plenty of krausen present. Not wanting to remove the lid, I sealed around it with Vaseline (what a mess). That worked to seal it 'till it was finished, but this time I used plastic wrap instead. Seems to have worked so far.
I'd likely not buy this again if I had a do-over.
Click to expand...

I'll have to check mine out. I just tossed 3 oz of hops in mine and once I am ready to rack to my keg, I will do that test. I haven't had issues but in truth, I haven't looked for them and the logic behind the lack of a seal makes perfect sense.
 
Are you saying that the by way they chamfered the lid and bottle top, it shouldn't require anything else? That's what I had hoped, it just hasn't worked out for me.
 
Alpotun said:
Are you saying that the by way they chamfered the lid and bottle top, it shouldn't require anything else? That's what I had hoped, it just hasn't worked out for me.
Click to expand...

Nope. I am saying the logic behind the lack of a seal makes sense. I just haven't noticed because I never looked. I figured my beer fermented and while I love airlock activity, I didn't take note or mind of the lack of it. I also don't see my carboys as they're in a garage ferm chamber. I'm just saying that it makes sense what people are saying, I never gave it much thought when I saw the design. I want to check it out but even if I do hear air, I'll likely just continue to use them because the two batches i've fermented haven't had issues to my knowledge.

In short, when it comes to me and this possible issue, ignorance may be bliss. :eek:
 
I havent had any leak issues with mine. i just make sure its on tight. I thought i would get leaks cause the lack of a gasket but so far so good.

I love how easy these things are to clean. I was using the bubbler plastic carboy and one of them leaked from the bottom. idk how that happened but there was a crack where the plastic met in the bottom center. And the other one has some crud that i cant seem to get out no matter how many times i soak it in hot water and PBW.
 
j1n said:
I havent had any leak issues with mine. i just make sure its on tight. I thought i would get leaks cause the lack of a gasket but so far so good.

I love how easy these things are to clean. I was using the bubbler plastic carboy and one of them leaked from the bottom. idk how that happened but there was a crack where the plastic met in the bottom center. And the other one has some crud that i cant seem to get out no matter how many times i soak it in hot water and PBW.
Click to expand...

Did you try a washcloth? i had one issue and it was a tiny spot but I just had to have it come out. A hot water soak in PBW overnight, then I dumped nearly all the water out and stuck a wet washcloth in...swirled it around and then rested it on the side with the washcloth sitting on the spot. Propped it in such a way that it didn't roll. It worked for me. It was a spot smaller than a dime but I knew I had to get it off the carboy.
 
Hello said:
Did you try a washcloth? i had one issue and it was a tiny spot but I just had to have it come out. A hot water soak in PBW overnight, then I dumped nearly all the water out and stuck a wet washcloth in...swirled it around and then rested it on the side with the washcloth sitting on the spot. Propped it in such a way that it didn't roll. It worked for me. It was a spot smaller than a dime but I knew I had to get it off the carboy.
Click to expand...

No, i didn't try that. I just ended up getting new fermentors. Got a couple of the plastic big mouth bubblers and a 30L speidel fermentor.

I downgraded that plastic carboy for holding RO water for brew day only.
 
I like your idea 30 bones. Thanks

Also, I bought the "glass" bubbler gaskets, used the white inner lid as a template and cut them to size for my plastic bubbler.

Filled it with a couple gallons of water and plugged the holes with unported stoppers.

Flipped her upside down and waited for a leak. None to be found. Haven't used them to ferment yet, y'all think thats a sufficient leak test
 
I'll be testing this theory as soon as this evening or weekend. Sure hope it works. I hate hate hate my auto siphon, have since I started brewing.
 
30Bones said:
I'll be testing this theory as soon as this evening or weekend. Sure hope it works. I hate hate hate my auto siphon, have since I started brewing.
Click to expand...

Really? I love my autosiphon.

Then again, I am going to see about using CO2 to push transfers more often too. It definitely has some advantages if you have a portable or convenient CO2 system to use.
 
Frostbrewer said:
I like your idea 30 bones. Thanks

Also, I bought the "glass" bubbler gaskets, used the white inner lid as a template and cut them to size for my plastic bubbler.

Filled it with a couple gallons of water and plugged the holes with unported stoppers.

Flipped her upside down and waited for a leak. None to be found. Haven't used them to ferment yet, y'all think thats a sufficient leak test
Click to expand...


Is it resting on the lid, with a couple gallons water weight on it?..........:)
 
Stealthcruiser said:
Is it resting on the lid, with a couple gallons water weight on it?..........:)
Click to expand...

Well, it was held upside down but not resting on the lid. I did it without the gasket and it leaked like crazy.

Are you implying that the extra pressure from the water weight made a more complete seal?

Explain it to me like I'm 4:mug:
 
30Bones said:
I think this may just work. Applied not even a pound of CO2 and it seemed to hold. Will be racking to a keg soon to prove this :) plan is to use a liquid out in this same manor to make as little O2 contact as possible.

View attachment 226024View attachment 226025


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Click to expand...


Well it didn't work. Leaked enough to only get me halfway through. I have other ideas for next time. I ran out of co2, so it will have to wait.


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Using mine for the first time today with an ESB that I plan to dryhop when the main ferment is over. Seemed to seal just fine to me.
 

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