Fementer Lid Sticking

[MrGuzzle]

hey, i use a brigalow fememter with a screw on lid and lately the lid is so hard to unscrew when i go the check the gravity of the beer every night, i was just wondering if there was a trick so it wont stick and so it is still tight enought not to let any air in, this has only just started happening in the last couple a brews i have put on.. thanks

 

[Florian]

I know it has been said many times before, but your best bet is to get rid of the lid altogether and replace it with glad wrap. Just fix the glad wrap with the rubber ring from your fermenter. There are plenty of threads on here on that topic, there are many advantages and almost no disadvantages.

Oh, and the best way to check your gravity is actually to get some beer out of the tap, that way you don't introduce any nasties from the air or anything that's stuck to your hydrometer. If you have a no rinse sanitiser like starsan, sparay some of it into the tap each time you have used it.

Florian

 

[MrGuzzle]

yeh i am considering to start using a test tube when testing the beer, i was thinking mayb like soap or something like that around the rubber gaskit so it slides easyer??

 

[stew.w]

get some o-ring grease from bunnings or a plumbing shop.
or get rid of it and glad wrap it.

 

[MrGuzzle]

yeh i thinking glad wrap will be the best idea, im not sure about the greese idea due to infection..

 

[white.grant]

The elephant in the corner is why are you opening the fermenter to check the gravity? Do you have a tap and sample tube, or are you dropping your hydrometer into the wort?

If the latter, allowing the CO2 blanket to escape will greatly increase the risk of contamination, so stop doing that and get youself a sample tube!

You really do not need to check your gravity every night - using some gladwrap will let you see into the fermenter so you can observe the rise and fall of krausen. Once the krausen has fallen is the time to sample the gravity. A stable reading over three days will let you know that the fermentation has finished and you're ready to package.

cheers

grant

edit just read florian's post - but bugger it I was on a roll

 

[MrGuzzle]

cheers thanks guys, all me questions are answered

 

[stew.w]

i havnt had any problem using o-ring grease and getting an infection.
i used it for about 18 months, only every had 1 infection.
thought you were just loosening the lid to take a sample from the tap (so you dont suck the airlock contents through), dont put you hydro in the fermenter.
now thats a good way to get an infection, thats more of a worry than o-ring grease

 

[stm]

Yes, the trick is to use cling wrap instead of the lid. Much easier. And as a guide, check the gravity for the first time (apart from OG) after about a week or even 10 days. No need to check earlier, unless you are seriously concerned that fermentation has not kicked off due to dead yeast.

 

[michaelcocks]

Yes, the trick is to use cling wrap instead of the lid. Much easier. And as a guide, check the gravity for the first time (apart from OG) after about a week or even 10 days. No need to check earlier, unless you are seriously concerned that fermentation has not kicked off due to dead yeast.

+ one for cling warp - you won't look back (like kegging...)

 

[Fourstar]

just remove the O ring. A waste of space, there will be enough positive pressure from the fermentation and CO2 escaping from under the rim with the lid simply screwed on. Only thing is you wont have any 'bloops' coming from your kitten lock. :lol:

 

[DKS]

I use the "O" ring from the lid to secure cling wrap.
Daz