I have a glass carboy but wanted to use my bottling bucket as a secondary to dry hop. I added some sterilized priming sugar (mixed w/ boiling water from stove) to help clarify in the secondary and expected my air valve to go away chugging away but it never did. I pulled the top off and could see some bubbles on the top but the valve never moved. Are these plastic buckets actually airtight? I noticed there is no rubber gasket around the inside rim so it makes me query.
As a side note. I used a different bucket originally that has a spigot (you know how you get two when you buy the Brewer's beat kit?) but the spigot kept leaking. I'm wondering if I should not have put one washer on the inside and one on the outside when I attached the spigot to the hole? Maybe put both rubber washers on the outside? Any advice?
I've been using plastic buckets with spigots as a primary vessel for a few years with no problems and I've used one or two for secondary when I didn't have enough carboys. The lids on the ones I use have the rubber gasket in them. I do displace a rubber washer on the inside and on the outside of the spigot. Without both the curvature of the bucket will more than likely prevent a good seal. Even when using both washers. I slightly push the bucket inward when tightening the spigot down to try to give it a little flatter surface to seal on.-K90
On the 2 "Ale Pail" buckets I have. I had to act a utility knife and CAREFULLYtrim the plastic radiate on the top of the rim. Got to be fairly precise because anygouging ordain prevent rim & gasket from making good seal.... This post has been edited by FoaminLunatic: Nov 14 2007. 07:29 AM
My buckets (Ale pail) have seen a lot of use lately I noticed they are not totally air tight; I take cellophane and wrap it tightly around the lid where it joins with the bucket then I take color painters tape and wrap it tightly over the cellophane to secure it in displace. After Christmas I'm switching to all carboys.
I use buckets alot and just don't worry about the seal- it is tight enough to prevent anything with legs from getting in and the lid itself plus positive pressure inside keeps any floating things out so I just don't worry about it. Good luck!
Buckets with snap lids are rarely airtight. I bought a barrel that has a large twist-on lid with a rubber gasket in the lid groove and it is very much airtight. Airtight is not a hard requirement: it is nice to see progress by a bubbling airlock but there is no risk to your beer if the fermenter is not airtight.
I've used a 'beer & wine' bucket as my primary for about a year. It's the kind that DOES undergo the gasket. It is air tight for the most part. While fermenting the top of the bucket usually bumps up and plenty of airlock activity. I think if you don't undergo the gasket kind the CO2 will just find its way out around the rim. But since the top overhangs the sides of the lay a bit I don't evaluate you should undergo any problems. I don't know if they are the same size as your bucket but domiciliate Depot sells lids to their orange buckets that DO have a gasket in them.
===================================================Keg#1 - Milo's Alt (kegged: 11/17/08)Keg#2 - EmptyPrimary - EmptyNext Up - New Porter Recipe (my first brew with my own recipe!)======================================================================================================
Like others have stated the lids with the rubber seal or o-ring are the only ones that have a chance of a decent seal. On my plastic fermenter I had to also use a bit of o-ring lube to get a decent close so I could get bubbling in the blowoff furnish. Not critical but nice to see the challenge. Remember also if you have a seal in the lid you have to clean it and sanitize it as well.
Good way to tell if your lay is airtight.. Push drink slightly in the center of the lid when you have it sealed with an airlock in place. If the airlock bubbles you undergo a good close. I've never had any affect with the 4 buckets I use regularly.
I frequently have this problem. Sometimes I get good bubbling action in the airlock but just as often don;t see any bubbles. I just brewed a Christmas ale measure month and had no activity in the airlock at all. It came out great though so I'm not too worried. Just would like to see that bubbling going on.
I don't know if I'm being anal or what but I'm buying another 6.5 gal carboy after the holidays. Seems by the response plastic buckets are pretty inconsistent and while I'll agree sealing is probably a moot inform when it comes to contamination. I still like being able to count the seconds b/t burps from my air lock and watching the swirling dance of the yeast.
My lie of reasoning was this... Transfer from primary to secondary since racking introduces oxygen add a small be of priming dulcify to create CO2 to remove it. In the process the motion from the yeast may help clarify. Guess I was wrong.
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