Glad Wrap Lid For Fermenter

[whitegoose]

I tried glad wrap for the first time on this brew - a Kolsch using PRO-16 yeast... fermenting in a "better bottle" with a narrow opening and my glad wrap popped off... three times!! I heard it pop off the first time and tended to it quickly, put some fresh glad wrap on and this time poked some holes in it. The second time I think it might have had the glad wrap off for about an hour before I noticed... I put a tighter elastic band on and pricked like 10 holes in fresh glad wrap.

Then last night, it poped off again! It could have been off for anywehere up to 7 hours while I slept. When I found it it was still actively spewing out the open lid.

I have now reverted back to a hacked together bung with an airlock, and it seems much happier.

I can only hope that the angry yeast and vigorous krausen was enough to fight off any bugs that tried to get in during the night.

 

[bum]

I reckon the answer there might have been a looser rubber band rather than a tighter one and pin holes. Not that it matters, of course, if you and the brew are happier with the bung then that's the real solution.

 

[flano]

no holes...3 sheets of cling film for me.
couple of rubber bands.
It seems to work....although the beer I made with it turned of ordinary.

 

[Bubba]

Cling wrap double layered, no holes and the original seal from the lid used as the rubber band...I find more than 2 layers of glad wrap and I find it hard to see what's going on in there.
Make sure plenty of head space so it doesn't blow!

Why no holes?...well once I saw a couple of tiny little ants on the lid of my fermenter, and I suppose I am paranoid. Also at the end of fermentation as the gas slows down the glad wrap can sag if left, and any moisture or outside condensation will run into the hole...again paranoid but after all the sanitisation and effort I don't want to leave it to chance!

 

[cdbrown]

For very active yeast like wheats then I'll spray the first sheet of glad wrap with star san, but most times I don't for other brews. 2 layers is the norm for me, no holes, o-ring from the lid to secure it.

 

[MeLoveBeer]

2 layers is the norm for me, no holes, o-ring from the lid to secure it.

+1

I'd just find a really loose rubber band; you're not trying to trap CO2, just hold the gladwrap in place and stop stuff falling in. Not sure how you can stop the ants, but you could argue that pricking holes in the gladwrap would do nothing to discourage them anyway (maybe place the fermenter in a shallow tray with 10mm or so of water?)

 

[felten]

If you're using a better bottle, you could just use al foil

 

[kocken42]

Use a big balloon! If that over-fills, you WILL know about it!

 

[MarkBastard]

I used to use double layers but now I use single layers and it's heaps heaps better in every way. Try it some time.

 

[Leigh]

When I started using glad wrap, I didn't realise there were so many different ways of using it!

For me, single layer, un-sanitised, lid seal used to hold in place, no-pin hole

 

[rendo]

SPOT ON!!

For me, single layer, un-sanitised, lid seal used to hold in place, no-pin hole

 

[jakub76]

For me, single layer, un-sanitised, lid seal used to hold in place, no-pin hole

Same here...I used to put a single pin hole in because I read it in an old brewing book (and coopers kit instructions) but this site and a couple of trial runs showed me that I didn't need the pin hole.

I still use the lid with blow-off tube for wheat beers and belgians, glad wrap for everything else and usually with 24 litres in the fermenter...trying to maximise my system's productivity.

 

[michaelcocks]

When I started using glad wrap, I didn't realise there were so many different ways of using it!

For me, single layer, un-sanitised, lid seal used to hold in place, no-pin hole

+1

 

[flano]

single layer ..no hole.

Sounds like my sex life.

 

[manticle]

I usually paint my glad wrap with a red stripe which helps keep away acetobacter. A small green spot at the Northeast Quadrant (lower area) makes the brew resistant to oxidation and a blue stripe, asymmetrical and of varying thickness will run directly from North to South, intersecting the red stripe and partially obscuring it.

I'm not yet sure what this last one does - an old brewing guru once showed me that this was the brewer's way so I guess I can put that one down to superstition.

I also eat my glad wrap after every fermentation is complete.

 

[canon1ball]

Glad wrap works for me, single layer.

c1b

 

[BrenosBrews]

LOL, that's what you call maximising fermentor capacity!

 

[dcx3]

SPOT ON!!

Same and i only fill to handles.

 

[juzz1981]

I usually paint my glad wrap with a red stripe which helps keep away acetobacter. A small green spot at the Northeast Quadrant (lower area) makes the brew resistant to oxidation and a blue stripe, asymmetrical and of varying thickness will run directly from North to South, intersecting the red stripe and partially obscuring it.

I'm not yet sure what this last one does - an old brewing guru once showed me that this was the brewer's way so I guess I can put that one down to superstition.

I also eat my glad wrap after every fermentation is complete.

+1 LMAO

 

[Nick JD]

Don't lick the krausen off the gladwrap! It tastes like detergent!