Coopers Fermenter

[brotom7]

Bought a Coopers brewing kit two weeks ago and put the first batch on fementation last Saturday.
Not a bubble in the airlock so far but it's surely fermenting, gravity went from 1.040 to 1.016 and there is some krausen on the top if looking through the transparent top, I would have relaxed and had a homebrew if I just had one

It is a screw top and still bottle feeding my first born I know that an O-ring tightened too hard on the baby bottles make them leak, must be tightened just right. I can only assume the same goes for a big O-ring like the one on the fermenter but I have tried to loosen it a little and tighten it really hard and still no bubbles.

Anybody have any good advice for how to make it seal properly, anything one can put on the O-ring.
Big W have the kit on sale now for $65 and I would like a second for secondary and could certainly use the bottles and nothing wrong with a backup of hydrometer but if I can't get it tight then I have to look elsewhere.

I want bubbles!!!

 

[Hutch]

Big W have the kit on sale now for $65 and I would like a second for secondary and could certainly use the bottles and nothing wrong with a backup of hydrometer but if I can't get it tight then I have to look elsewhere.

Hard to go past a $15 Bunnings 30Ltr "water carrier". This is just a fermenter without the relevant holes drilled. Would make an ideal secondary if you're starting-out.

 

[capretta]

funny thing is my last 2 coopers kits and 2 of my mates never bubbled the first 1 or 2 fermentations.. i would chill out before modifying it too heavily, just give the rubbers time to seat, maybe a wash in hot water etc.

 

[cdbrown]

The airlock is only there to relieve any build up of pressure and not let any nasties back in. If it doesn't bubble but you can see activity (without removing the lid) then the pressure is trickling out elsewhere. No reason to worry. Alot of people throw away the lid and airlock and put a piece of gladwrap over the top, use the o-ring to keep it in place and poke some pin holes to let out the pressure. That way you can clearly see what's going on in there.

 

[staggalee]

The glad wrap is the solution, all right. Try it once and you`ll never go back to dodgy seals and lid problems. The pin holes are optional, the gas always seems to find it`s way out without them.

stagga.

 

[afromaiko]

Related discussion going on in the Brew Shed..

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/index.php?showforum=29

 

[KGB]

The problem is not with the o-ring, its with the top lip of the fermenting barrel. Take the lid off (after the brew of course) and sit something you know is flat across the top like a good, big chopping board. You'll see that the fermenter isn't flat all the way around which makes it very hard to seal sometimes. I know what you're saying about making it too tight but after a while the only way I could get mne to seal was to crank it down hard.

Of course you dont need bubbles out the airlock to make beer, but it sure sounds cooler!

 

[brotom7]

Just racked to secondary so I had a good inspection of the fermenter lid.
Turns out a big piece of spiraled drilled plastic had been cought under the O-ring when they put it in the lid.
This made the O-ring budge out about a centimeter and there is no way it would ever have sealed. Removed it and tested the seal by squeezing the fermenter and voila, I got bubbles