AHB Articles: Using Glad wrap instead of a lid

[felten]

You can pour with the hole at the top, like Bum said, or on the side at the 3 or 6 o'clock position. If you start out slowly so that air can enter the hole as you're pouring, you should be able to do it with minimum spillage.

 

[michael_aussie]

You can pour with the hole at the top, like Bum said, or on the side at the 3 or 6 o'clock position. If you start out slowly so that air can enter the hole as you're pouring, you should be able to do it with minimum spillage.

I considered all clock directions.
6 looked like the only one that wouldn't result in the wort running down the side of the cube and making a hell of a mess.

With the first one, once I'd started, and I could see the little gulg spills, I didn't know whether to stop or keep pouring .. and didn't want to risk the potentially unstable flow you get when you stop pouring anything, so I soldiered on through until the level have dropped to the point that I had air at the spout.

I got my son to pick up the fermenter for the second and third that I poured and they weren't too bad. I was able to slow the pouring rate down quickly and get a more stable flow.

 

[Maheel]

next time i am at the green shed i am buying one of those spouts that fit cubes.... save me cleaing sticky mess of the floor

 

[WarmBeer]

next time i am at the green shed i am buying one of those spouts that fit cubes.... save me cleaing sticky mess of the floor

The spouts don't really help, sorry. The problem is the ability to get air into the cube to offset the vacuum effect of the liquid leaving the cube. Due to the plasticity of the cube body moving in and out, you get the "glugging" effect, and corresponding wort mess all over the place.

I'm going to try something next time I brew. My cube does have it's bunghole drilled out (boom-tish) so I'll lay it on it's side, bung at the top, and take out the bung, replacing with a sanitised, closed, tap. Then I can tip the cube the right way up, loosen the cube cap, and open the tap over the fermenter. This should produce a nice stream of wort, aerating it at the same time.

 

[Nick JD]

20L willow cubes are best poured slowly, on their side, so there is always a gap above the liquid leaving the spout - then they don't glug.

For aeration, direct this slow flow onto the side of the fermenter so it spreads out into a wide, thin current.

 

[peaky]

I never got the hang of pouring from the cube without making a mess, there must be a knack to it but I never found it. Mind you the pour was good once the first 4 litres were all over my arms and my shoes and the garage floor

I was using the square 20L cubes, maybe the jerry can type cubes pour easier. Anyway, I now have a few empty cubes floating around the garage if anyone wants them, they won't get used here again :huh:

 

[Bribie G]

The Willow shape do pour more easily. With the Craftbrewer Shape, the trick is to put the cube on a solid wooden chair next to the FV, Then lift using the handle, reach under from behind with the other hand and grasp the rear "lobe" of the underside - wearing rubber kitchen gloves will prevent slippage.



Then raise, tip and pour - but try to get the cube "upside down" and shooting down into the FV as quickly as possible as each glug sends a stream of wort shooting out.
I often get some splashes but nothing too bad, but it's important to have a perfect grasp as they can get slippery, especially if it's a cold cube with condensation, hence the rubber gloves.

 

[manticle]

I don't think I've ever had a problem emptying a cube into a fermenter.

Unless leaving the tap open constitues a problem?

 

[peaky]

Next time I have a shot at emptying a cube maybe I'll use a drum pump....

 

[Hatchy]

I just tip it upside down resting on the fermenter. Any splashing stays in the fermenter. I'll try to get a photo tonight because that makes no sense to me & I know what I'm talking about.

 

[JestersDarts]

I just tip it upside down resting on the fermenter. Any splashing stays in the fermenter. I'll try to get a photo tonight because that makes no sense to me & I know what I'm talking about.

THIS

 

[jamiefbacon]

I just tip it upside down resting on the fermenter. Any splashing stays in the fermenter. I'll try to get a photo tonight because that makes no sense to me & I know what I'm talking about.

+1 to that technique ya just gotta tip it really quickly to the upside down Postion so that when it starts gluging the spout is already inside ur fv opening and no wort can splash out works a treat just gotta be quick at the start

Jamie

 

[Hogan]

I'm not a fan of pricks, I just use it unpricked. As for aeration, I no chill and use the splash and glug method. Then the next morning as the lag phase is ending (more often than not a krausen appearing already) I use the magic tool to thrash the wort, then cover with fresh gladwrap and the rubber band, and tuck the FV off to bed for the duration.

Bribie and Warmbeer - thanks for the tips and showing us your magic tools! :blink:

Being a "kettle chillin" brewer I figure I'll open the tap from a height and splash that baby into the FV.
And then for good measure I could remove the glad wrap and give it a good paddle beating after 12hrs or so lagtime.

Actually on that one - I could stand corrected but I thought I heard Jamil Z on his show discuss that the important time for oxygenated wort was the first part of fermentation - if thats the case Bribie, why do you re aerate 12 hours in - is a wee while after pitching the optimum time to provide O2 and boost yeast health?

I'm sure BribieG is not advocating leaving the first aeration until 12 hours after pitching. What he is saying is that he aerates at the time of pitch and then 12 hours later he aerates again. The first period of lag time is imperative for the growth of yeast through oxygenation. An additional round of aeration before the second phase kicks in will accelerate yeast growth.

Cheers, Hoges.

 

[Tilt]

I'm sure BribieG is not advocating leaving the first aeration until 12 hours after pitching. What he is saying is that he aerates at the time of pitch and then 12 hours later he aerates again. The first period of lag time is imperative for the growth of yeast through oxygenation. An additional round of aeration before the second phase kicks in will accelerate yeast growth.

Cheers, Hoges.

Thanks Hoges - Bribies approach makes perfect sense now that I've had a chance to read the White/Zainashef Yeast book.
They advocate aeration as the yeast is pitched to ensure healthy yeast preparation for fermentation (lag phase). Apparently this O2 will be used up quite rapidly. Then, still during lag phase but before fermentaion starts, its possible to carry out another aeration to ensure optimal yeast health - and they recommend this for high gravity brews or situations where there's been a slight yeast underpitch.
All good - learning a lot recently and hoping to taste the difference very soon!!
Cheers

 

[T_Kiwi]

THIS

+1, also works with putting oil in the engine and petrol in the dirtbikes and lawnmowers etc etc etc

 

[GuyQLD]

Oh look, necro alert.

In all seriousness though, I have a really good quality icebox (the sort that keeps ice around for 4 days in summer) and previously I had been putting my fermenter in with a water bath and a towel over the top and adjusting with ice/hotwater etc.

Mainly this is because with an airlock, it doesn't fit.

But sans airlock, turn that puppy on it's side and it's a very snug fit; with just enough room for a freezer block or two and in current QLD weather it's going along nice and steady at 18 degrees.

So just how long can you get away with the glad wrap lid?

I normally leave in the fermenting vessel for around 2 weeks then bottle, will it be safe for that long?

I do have to open it pretty soon to dry hop as well so a little concerned about that.

Since I'm using US05 - should I just wait till day 3-4 when the really active part is over, drop some hops in and wack on the standard airlock to finish or will another layer of glad be ok? (This would mean losing some of my temp control but given current weather in QLD I'm not worried, worst case it'll get down to 14/15 degress over night and I haven't had a problem with that so far)

And apologies to GregL, I know he'll shed a tear in frustration h34r:

 

[manticle]

Once active fermentation has ceased and FG is reached (and you're sure it's reached), I have found it a good idea to look at sealing the vessel. I actually ferment in a cube with the lid backed off a few turns so at this point, I simply tighten the lid. I have left barrel fermenters with glad lids on for a few weeks conditioning before with no issues but I have also seen some grow white film and I'd rather be safe than sorry.. You don't need to worry about fitting the airlock though - just cover the bung hole with something clean and sanitary.

I also dry hop during the cold conditioning phase.

 

[Wimmig]

I just tip it upside down resting on the fermenter. Any splashing stays in the fermenter. I'll try to get a photo tonight because that makes no sense to me & I know what I'm talking about.

Bugger moving it to a fermentor, an extra step not needed. Pitch the yeast, and swap the lid out.

 

[Truman42]

Once active fermentation has ceased and FG is reached (and you're sure it's reached), I have found it a good idea to look at sealing the vessel. I actually ferment in a cube with the lid backed off a few turns so at this point, I simply tighten the lid. I have left barrel fermenters with glad lids on for a few weeks conditioning before with no issues but I have also seen some grow white film and I'd rather be safe than sorry.. You don't need to worry about fitting the airlock though - just cover the bung hole with something clean and sanitary.

I also dry hop during the cold conditioning phase.

I didnt know that and Ive just put my glad wrap covered fermenter into the fridge to CC for 5-7 days. Im going to go and swap the glad wrap for the lid. Thanks Manticle.

 

[manticle]

In the cold will reduce the likelihood of anything bad happening but I just prefer the lid at that point. From memory, the few that developed skins (brews turned out OK regardless - tried a cider at a friend's place at least 6 months after bottling recently that tasted beautiful with no hint of sourness or oxidation, clear as a bell) were outside the fridge.

Precautions are easy enough though and I'd rather not see weird, white skin on my brews.