How Can I Fix My Airlock?

[Samma3l]

Hi Samma31,

I have 3 Coopers fermenters and none of them seal correctly with the original O ring after the first couple of uses. I have tried screwing down the lid till just sealing and the air lock starts to move, but after almost getting it to bubble it levels out again. I have slightly increased pressure on the lid until I can not make it any tighter and it still leaks. You may have found if you tighten the lid you can still rock the lid slightly as the threads don't seem to grip evenly alround. I have heard on another thread that the seal was replaced with a black seal and this worked.
I run 2 seals on my fermenters and haven't had a problem since. I position 1 seal on the rim and 1 in the lid, then I push the lid down and tighten but it does not need too much pressure to seal.
Even if you buy the black seal ( I think it is a VB fermenter type. Your local HBS will know. ) and it does not fix the problem, just add the original seal as well and you will get bubbling through the air lock.

Happy Brewing
Ian

Thanks Ian,

I think I'll try this on my next brew.

 

[BoilerBoy]

I admit that when I first started brewing the "bloop" in the air lock was a very reassuring and satisfying thing to see and hear, but thats about the the extent of there use.

Sooner or later the damn things dont seal and the end result is all the above stress and stuffing around written in this thread. In the end for me I got fed up and only learned to trustI only what I see with my eyes and what the hydrometer reads.

Cheers
BB

 

[Haiper]

I've got a Cooper's barrel and have had nothing but success with it, guess it's just luck of the draw.

My first batch of lager had krausen foaming out of the airlock like a rabid dog, so I decided to make a blow off tube for this last batch of cider I just put down. I popped a 50cm length of clear sanitised PVC tube in the grommet and then into a cleaned 600ml coke bottle with some boiled water in it. For some reason the bubbles just weren't happening, three days later. So tonight I went down and popped the original airlock in the top and within 10 seconds....bloop bloop....and no krausen. Must be something to do with the height I had the coke bottle at (sitting on the floor). Anyone have any experience with this?

I've found the Cooper's barrel seems to do up nice and snug and then about an hour or so later, I've revisited it and managed to get another bit of a turn out of the lid, snugging it up real nice. Seems to give a bit more later on for some reason, the seal must get softer or something.

 

[simpletotoro]

hi...you could also try a blow off tube...just a length of foodgrade hose pushed into the hole in the lid that you fit the airlock to...then other end of hose into a bucket with your choice of sanatiser in it...works a treat even when you reuse the yeast cake...cheap as well...
cheers simpletotoro

 

[staggalee]

to get a tight lid off

use a leather trouser belt , tightening in the correct direction ,in mcuh the same way as a oil filter clamp

have somebody else hold the fermenter

you do the trick with the belt

just spend $22 and buy a pail fermenter with the snap on lid -this subject comes up every few months without fail, I can`t believe it

stagga.

 

[DWC]

I wouldn't use food grade grease or oil around ANYTHING beer related. Go the extra seal
and see if it works. If you can't get it to work, try taking it back to place of purchase and
swap for a decent one.

Dave

 

[OzBeer_MD]

hi,
re, silicon grease, some body lube from the supermarket, or chemist, lifestyle brand will do.

cheers, alan

And name your next batch "KY"

MD

 

[vchead]

I have exactly the same problem. My Cooper's fermenter lid sealed properly only once in it's life. Tried many suggestions as listed here but few work consistently.

Best solution is to put 2 bricks on their sides on top of one another on the lid of the fermenter after sealing and putting airlock in. Works every time. Then sit back and enjoy the bubbles,

Rodders