Rubber Stopper Fell in half way through primary

[mycroftisfat]

Hey all,

Currently have 3 5 gallon batchs 2 weeks into fermentation. Everything has been going fine except for this one pesky airlock that has snuck off a couple times. Lets just say last night I got a little overzealous putting it back in because the rubber stopper is now in the carboy. Not 100% how sanitized it was. What do you all think should I re-rack and add kmetabisulfite asap? Leave it be until fermentation is over?

HALP

 

[Mirilis]

Id just let it go.. if fermentation has started then maybe there was enough alcohol to inhibit some of the baddies. I would not put kmeta in because youll kill the yeast halfway through the ferment. Just my 2c

 

[mycroftisfat]

Yea you're probably right. I didn't want to stress the yeast by adding meta and reracking at this point but also wanted to try to minimize any risk of contamination. I am worried that since its running at low temp I have atleast another 3 weeks before fermentation is complete. The idea of letting it sit on a rubber stopper for so long is disappointing even though most say it shouldn't affect the final outcome. I guess I just have to learn to be nice to my stoppers.

 

[mwilcox]

so I once took a rubber stopper, stuck it in a tupperware of water, closed it up, and the next day tasted the water. It was completely awful. So that particular brand of stopper was definitely not inert. So if it happened to me I'd rack to another vessel. YMMV.

 

[Lefou]

so I once took a rubber stopper, stuck it in a tupperware of water, closed it up, and the next day tasted the water. It was completely awful. So that particular brand of stopper was definitely not inert. So if it happened to me I'd rack to another vessel. YMMV.

The reason for that is raw rubber gets sulfur compounds added to shape and harden under heat.

 

[Stephmon]

Can you fashion a sanitary 'hook' of some sort through the drilled hole and pull it back out?

 

[mycroftisfat]

So I left the stopper in. It was one of the light brown rubber ones, not the white silicone rubber type. No signs of infection at this point. Fermentation is still going on this one but I have two other carboys that I'll be reracking this weekend so i'm thinking I might as well rack this one off. I'll sample the mead and let you all know if there are any off flavors.

I don't think the sanitary hook would work, the only way I've seen of getting the stopper out is with the plastic bag method. Also I can't spot the stopper; probably buried in the yeast cake.

 

[mr_stout]

The rubber stopper is going to make the mead smell and taste like rubber. This will ruin your mead. You will not want to drink it afterwards. The longer it stays in there the worst the rubber smell will be.

So I left the stopper in. It was one of the light brown rubber ones, not the white silicone rubber type. No signs of infection at this point. Fermentation is still going on this one but I have two other carboys that I'll be reracking this weekend so i'm thinking I might as well rack this one off. I'll sample the mead and let you all know if there are any off flavors.

I don't think the sanitary hook would work, the only way I've seen of getting the stopper out is with the plastic bag method. Also I can't spot the stopper; probably buried in the yeast cake.