Fermenter O-ring

[Benniee]

Hello All,

I've got a 30L fermenter with a screw on lid, and the o-ring has let go where it's joined/glued together. The o-ring looks fine - no cracks or splits. So I'm wondering if I can somehow glue it back together.

Has anyone had any success trying this?

Benniee

 

[mika]

Can be done, you'll need to find a food grade glue, decent rubber shops should have it...or you could just buy another o-ring.

 

[Benniee]

...or you could just buy another o-ring.

I've bought a replacement - but I'm wondering if the old one can be repaired as a spare. The replacement one was $6, seems a bit pricey to me.

Benniee

 

[mika]

Think the glue will be a bit pricier than $6, but I could be wrong. if it concerned you that much you could always just use glad wrap and a lacky band.

 

[Tony M]

Standard method of making odd size O rings.
Determine required length of O ring cord.
Cut ends square. (A sharp blade lubricated with water will do it).
Superglue the ends.
Cheers.

 

[ausdb]

Standard method of making odd size O rings.
Determine required length of O ring cord.
Cut ends square. (A sharp blade lubricated with water will do it).
Superglue the ends.
Cheers.

You beat me to it, Tony even though it's all the way from Prague. None of this fancy shmancy food grade glue just plain old supeglue from the $2 shop does the trick.

 

[Ross]

Do away with the lid o rings completely, they are just another spot for dirt to get trapped.
got rid of mine long ago....

cheers Ross

 

[Benniee]

Do away with the lid o rings completely, they are just another spot for dirt to get trapped.
got rid of mine long ago....

So you use the gladwrap and rubber-band method too?

I think I'll super-glue the old back together to use in a pinch.

Benniee

 

[Ross]

So you use the gladwrap and rubber-band method too?

Benniee

No way.... just remove the seal & screw the lid back on.

cheers Ross

 

[SJW]

Some people just need to see that air lock going nuts. It makes no diff.

 

[Screwtop]

Do away with the lid o rings completely, they are just another spot for dirt to get trapped.
got rid of mine long ago....

cheers Ross

+1

As long as the yeast is doing it's job and producing a cloud of CO2 no badies will access your precious wort. As activity slows and stops, chill the wort, this drops out the yeast and lower temps reduce the likelyhood of infection (badies like WARM).

 

[Benniee]

As long as the yeast is doing it's job and producing a cloud of CO2 no badies will access your precious wort. As activity slows and stops, chill the wort, this drops out the yeast and lower temps reduce the likelyhood of infection (badies like WARM).

Hmmm, I'm tempted to have a go at this - but I don't know if I'm brave enough to do it with an all-grain brew. Maybe a modified kit to begin with. What if you want to lager (longer term) in a fermenter with no o-ring? Or is this something you guys do in cubes?

Benniee

 

[Cortez The Killer]

The use of the o-ring on the inside of the lid is probably questionalbe regarding being sanitary - you can't really tell what's on the rubber / if it's clean

I've used gladwrap + o-ring for a long time now without issue

If you are concerned then a spray bottle with idophor solution never goes astray in the brew house - just about everything gets a quick squirt here

Cheers

 

[Screwtop]

Hmmm, I'm tempted to have a go at this - but I don't know if I'm brave enough to do it with an all-grain brew. Maybe a modified kit to begin with. What if you want to lager (longer term) in a fermenter with no o-ring? Or is this something you guys do in cubes?

Benniee

For lagers, if you keg, rack to a keg with about an inch cut off the dip tube, and leave there for a few weeks, the yeast will work itself out, then rack to a keg with gelatine carbonate and store away (lager). Otherwise use cubes.