Cubes - Air seeping in after cooled.

[Charst]

Searched first but im about to do my block. Fking homebrewing every time i get one thing right something else fcks up. You'd think I'd Fked Murphy's Mum in a past life.


Cube of Smoked ale i did last weekend was sealed nicely, layed on its thinner side with cap down for an hour while hot,
then picked up and put upright. Minimal air, no drips

I brewed a Tripel yesterday and did the same process. went to put it away after a few hours and found the Smoked ale has unsealed itself. Good three inches of air in my 20L Willow Cube.

I go out to check my tripel tonight and its got three inches of FKING air in it now too, was tight as a tiger when i put it away.

I have 500ml of 1056 on the stir plate that I was about to chill then pitch into a 3L starter tomorrow,
planned on fermenting the smoked and an aussie ale side by side on the weekend.

Yeast for tripel is about 10ml in a 6 month old jar.

Will the air seeping in be an infection chance or just oxidation?

Anyone brewed a 8.5% Tripel with indian Coriander, fresh Orange and Grapefruit peel done with 1056? :blink: any good?


EDIT: Any idea what im doing wrong with these cubes? One was brand new. one had been used to cube a beer before with no drama. Next time i'll try keg lube and i dont know about how im tightening it, too much? too little?

2nd EDIT: Spent an hour making a light candi sugar in the Tripel too for Fk sake.

 

[Rowy]

You really don't want anyone to answer the infection v oxidation question. Do you?

 

[treefiddy]

Haven't you been reading the yeast pitching thread? 10 ml of 6 month old yeast is plenty! /s
I've re-boiled a cube before, I've also heated the wort to about 85C and put it back in the cube. It seemed to work.

The willow jerry's I've not had much luck with.
The thread on one of mine was a bit messy, cleaning the excess plastic off helped. I haven't had this problem since I started using thread tape.

 

[Charst]

@Rowy. I want good news but am willing to accept facts. more important to stop it happening.

@ TreeFiddy thread tape as in the plumbing thread tape from a hardware shop? sanitised I assume?

 

[GuyQLD]

Have you tried the lids? Are they actually tight? You're not bleeding air through the bung hole are you?

 

[treefiddy]

Yep pink or white, what ever floats your boat.

It's not it contact with the inside of the container, so I haven't bothered with sanitising it. The seal comes from the top of the container pressing against the o-ring inside the lid (the o-ring hasn't fallen out has it?).
You may also want to check that the plastic on the top is smooth also. You could have a lump allowing air past.

 

[Rowy]

Have you tried the lids? Are they actually tight? You're not bleeding air through the bung hole are you?

Bloody good thought! Straight to the top of the class. The bung hole bit I mean.

 

[Charst]

My Willow cubes only have the one opening and as im using them for cubing ive never tapped the bottom tap hole.

So its only the lid.

Think i'll be doing a Reboil on both tomorrow night. Shouldn't be a huge increase in IBU's and bugger the Aromatics im not dropping 40litres if i can help it.

 

[Rowy]

Maybe put Gladwrap over the opening and then screw the lid down on top. Try it with some water instead of wort first and see if it works.

 

[treefiddy]

How long have they been open?

48 hours would have to be pushing it, but maybe someone else could give you a better idea.
If wild yeast has got it there and started reproducing then they could be throwing out some flavours that you probably don't want. A re-boil may kill them but those flavours will remain.

Maybe you could try dropping the temp, may help a little?

 

[jc64]

Haven't you been reading the yeast pitching thread? 10 ml of 6 month old yeast is plenty! /s
I've re-boiled a cube before, I've also heated the wort to about 85C and put it back in the cube. It seemed to work.

The willow jerry's I've not had much luck with.
The thread on one of mine was a bit messy, cleaning the excess plastic off helped. I haven't had this problem since I started using thread tape.

Bring that thread back! I need to know it's ok to pitch my old cal ale vial without a starter

 

[Charst]

I wont have a chance to do anything prior to tomorrow after work, so i'll have to run the gauntlet.
The smoked may have been exposed to air for a week I dont know. The tripel 24 hours now.

I used to over tighten cubes to the point that the cube wouldn't seal. I have that sorted by backing off how hard i tighten them,
but maybe ive gone too soft now i dont know,

 

[Charst]

Maybe put Gladwrap over the opening and then screw the lid down on top. Try it with some water instead of wort first and see if it works.

not sure i love the gladwrap idea but ill definitely do some water testing.

cheers the help advice gents.

 

[hotmelt]

You could make one of these.

To do this.

It works for me.No more air leaks.

 

[bum]

You could make one of these.

To do this.

It works for me.No more air leaks.

What a tease.

 

[hotmelt]

What a tease.

But he did say he searched.

 

[hotmelt]

It's my fault Charst, I should've called it a Willow cube clamp and not a No Chill clamp.

 

[Charst]

Cheers hot melt I never thought of using a

to block up the

Just one

though... :lol:

I searched for "Cube Seal" and "Cube Leak"

found stuff, read it, wasn't satisfied.

 

[Charst]

Searched your No chill clamp in google looks a beauty but I still think the seal should hold it tight if i was doing the job properly.

 

[bum]

Such an elementary point I'm about to make but have you trimmed the shitty bits left over on the mold-seam that some brands pf cube seem to have?

Have you tried progressively tightening as the cube cools?