Cling Wrap Lid On Fermentor -what To Use As Airlock?

[Yeastie Beastie]

Okay, basically my fermentor lid broke right down the guts which rendered it unusable and my other 2 are being used.

I was reading a topic on fermenting fridges and saw someone using clingwrap and the lid o ring as a lid, so I did this. Question is what do I use for an airlock, obviously nothing is going to get in so no dramas there but looking at the photo you can spot the obvious drama I have.

What should I use as an airlock/vent.

At the moment I have put a pin prick in the wrap and covered it in one of those medical patches (can't remember the name but it is sure to end in "ermic") that only let air go out and not in.

Also is it a good idea just to scrape off the krausen with a big 'ol sanitized spoon. Assuming (being the mother of all mistakes) the yeast I sprinkled on 2 days ago has settled into it's new home pretty well.

 

[Wolfy]

You don't need an airlock, vent or hole, the CO2 will escape around the seal where the o-ring holds the cling wrap down.
I also don't see any point in scraping it either, you'd not scrape the underside of a lid or the sides of your fermenter and mix it back in, so don't do it with cling wrap either.

 

[manticle]

Generally no need for an airlock - the gas will escape because it wants to. However looking at the photo it seems as if you may not have left enough headspace for the yeast you are using.

Don't worry too much - I have often had leaking krausen. At this point of fermentation, microbes have little chance with the yeast being so active. In the case of leaks, I normally remove the glad, give a quick wipe with a new, clean sponge around the edges, quick spray with starsan (probably useless) around the area, then replace the glad. Your krausen doesn't look like it's leaking - just threatening so I'd not worry till/if it does leak. My main reason to do so is to clean up stuff around the fermenter that will become manky and attract either vinegar flies or bacteria. The stuff inside the fermenter I regard as pretty strong and resistant but the stuff outside is best removed ASAP.

I never prick my glad wrap. Once it subsides, put another, non-pricked sheet over it.

 

[RdeVjun]

Good, glad to hear your most useless piece of equipment is now buggered- if you haven't already then toss it in the bin, that's the best place for it. Happy to see you've harvested the only thing good about them: the o- ring.

Forget the pinprick and patch, it is not really necessary- replace it with a fresh sheet of film and just leave it be. How is anything going to get in there? Who cares if the krausen touches the film?

In this situation I've just left it, the krausen should eventually subside and everything will be fine.

Only get the spoon into it if you want to top crop. What would be achieved by reducing the yeast population? I don't know why these novel things need to be interfered with, there's no need to bother it unless something is about to infect it, and there's nothing threatening in this case. :icon_cheers:

 

[bulp]

I'm going to +1 too

Leave it alone, relax its all good, only time i'd worry is if the krausen pushed the gladwrap and o ring off the fermenter which has happened to me before just keep an eye on it.

 

[Yeastie Beastie]

However looking at the photo it seems as if you may not have left enough headspace for the yeast you are using.

Yeah miscalculated the depth of my pot on the boil (used the measuring stick to measure) hence I finished with about 27 litres of wort.
Also it made it's escape out the back out of the photo.

Replaced the wrap with afresh sheet and wiped the outside down as suggested.

Cheers to all. :icon_chickcheers:

YB.

 

[RdeVjun]

Also it made it's escape out the back out of the photo.

Replaced the wrap with afresh sheet and wiped the outside down as suggested.

Ah, I see. Had that very situation just recently myself, I was wondering what that really naff smell was (thinking it was an infection), had a closer look at all the fermenters and there it was running down the back of one fermenter of ESB, growing a few nasty foreign cultures, dang it... <_< I did the same as you, fresh film and a bit of a tidy up.

Should be fine! :beer:

 

[Bandito]

I dont even bother with the o-ring, I just take the cling film and lay a flat length over the opening (jerry can or round fermenter), then rotate and stretch the roll around the lip a few times. It creates a nice seal, and unless there are sharp pieces of plastic on the lip that puncure the film, it puffs up during fermentation, and I can tell when it has slowed when it isnt puffed out like a balloon.

A closeup of a current brew in full fermentation, and another one that is more advanced, and not producing so much CO2 now. It may look like a dogs breakfast, but yesterday it was bulging like the one that is currently bulging. The trick is to do it up tight, but not real tight! As in 'steady on dude! you have to let some air out!' Just tight enough to get a reasonable seal, but not protect it from radiation.

No need for an o-ring other than to save on glad wrap IMO.

 

[bjay]

I would do what a few of the others have said and clean up the slops,,, Then put a new bit of glad wrap on

Is this the brew you made from the grain from the paddock ?

cheers
bjay

 

[Yeastie Beastie]

I dont even bother with the o-ring, I just take the cling film and lay a flat length over the opening (jerry can or round fermenter), then rotate and stretch the roll around the lip a few times. It creates a nice seal, and unless there are sharp pieces of plastic on the lip that puncure the film, it puffs up during fermentation, and I can tell when it has slowed when it isnt puffed out like a balloon.

A closeup of a current brew in full fermentation, and another one that is more advanced, and not producing so much CO2 now. It may look like a dogs breakfast, but yesterday it was bulging like the one that is currently bulging. The trick is to do it up tight, but not real tight! As in 'steady on dude! you have to let some air out!' Just tight enough to get a reasonable seal, but not protect it from radiation.

No need for an o-ring other than to save on glad wrap IMO.

the same way I re-cover the dog food lol.
PS that's a nice amount of beer on the go. How do you go fermenting in a 20L can?

I would do what a few of the others have said and clean up the slops,,, Then put a new bit of glad wrap on

Is this the brew you made from the grain from the paddock ?

cheers
bjay

Nah thats well bottled...

 

[Florian]

How do you go fermenting in a 20L can?

I have fermented my last two brews in these cans, and can't see any disadvantage. It saves plenty of space in the fridge, especially if youre not using a tap but syphon into secondary instead.

Florian

 

[juzz1981]

Glad Wrap + Rubber Band for me

Airlock and fermenter lid ---> Bin

 

[Yeastie Beastie]

Airlock and fermenter lid ---> Bin

+1. Built weak as piss

 

[Murcluf]

I've found gladwrap and o-ring so much easier to use and observe whats going on in the fermenter then the lid and an airlock which used to frustrate the buggery out of me.

 

[Yeastie Beastie]

OMG I didn't realize soooo many people use this method.
Seeing as now my glad wrap lid has been on there for a couple of days now you are right about ease of observation, this will be standard practice here now.

 

[michael_or]

"It saves plenty of space in the fridge"

+1 for 20l cubes. I do all my brews like this now.

 

[MeLoveBeer]

Contemplating using gladwrap for my next brew but was wondering if everyone just uses the standard stuff from the supermarket or the catering cling wrap?

 

[bjay]

I just use the standard stuff from the supermarket

bjay

 

[kelbygreen]

i use catering stuff only coz we bought 600m of it but if we had supermarket stuff i would use that its all the same just smaller rolls

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Ummm... whats an airlock... :unsure:

I ferment in 25ltr cubes and screw the lid on so it is tight enough to let air escape ( using the sqeeuze the sides methods )

Them bloody O ring are mould magnets