Lid And Airlock Or Clingwrap?

[RdeVjun]

Lol Nick! There is a downside to film, the absence of the reassuring sound effects!

I don't understand though M^B, if I want to open up a fermenter with film I firstly move it (usually from the fermenting fridge), undo the pipe cleaners or band holding the film on, lift it off and toss it, do whatever I need to do (usually dry hops) and replace it with a fresh sheet, return it to the fridge. When I used airlocks, I had to find somewhere clean to put the lid down, remove the airlock to stop backwash, move it, undo the lid (sometimes a struggle), put it down carefully, do what I needed to do, replace it all in reverse order plus top it up with airlock fluid. I always reckoned it was much easier with film? I usually found the airlock a PITA as most of the time to get the lid off it invariably had to be moved from the fridge and I couldn't do that without the above process to avoid backwash. Hydro samples are a breeze too, no need to bother about same.

Granted too though with film there is much less of a physical barrier for insects, I've had cockroaches nibble on it (a long story) and fruit flies do hang around a fermenter left out for whatever reason, however I don't think any of them have gone any further than just investigating it, the gassing effect seems to keep them at bay as there were no problems thereafter with those batches where I thought insects might've been an issue.

Edit: Clarity.

 

[boingk]

I stick the lid on and rest a bottle cap over the hole where the airlock goes.

We have a winner! Seriously though, this is what I do most of the time. THe other half I use one of those 3-piece airlocks as they are silent and I brew close to where I sleep (space constraints suck...).

- boingk

 

[manticle]

Do your glasses, water, plates, meals or fermenter lids come in hermetically sealed rolls of more gladwrap?

Did the time and effort it took you to type that, exceed the time and effort required to type 'no'?

Yes.

 

[Siborg]

I've done my latest brew with gladwrap just because. I've found I've missed the bloop bloop (lol, nick) but its been really cool to actually see the stuff brewing. It was going crazy the first day, then this thick layer of foam (krausen), then it settled back. Its like watching a 6 day movie that you keep walking away from and watching a few mins of each day and you know how its going to end! But the anticipation of what its going to taste like.... take an SG reading just so you can have a try.

 

[Phoney]

I stick the lid on and rest a bottle cap over the hole where the airlock goes.

Sitting a 20c coin over the hole also works a treat.

 

[warra48]

I go the clingwrap routine most of the time. I've had ales under clingwrap for up to 4 weeks, with no ill effects.

I don't dare use it for weizens any longer, I use a blowoff tube, and a 3 litre collection bottle.
After an experience where the kraeusen blew out through the top of the fermenter, messed up the inside of the fridge, and leaked out onto the floor, I think it wise not to tempt fate again. I didn't enjoy the cleaning up.

 

[Barley Belly]

Gladwrap convert here

Started on lid, seal and airlock (bloop, bloop, bloop) Gave it the ass due to sanitation and height restrictions.

Then went to lid, no seal and bottle top on hole. Fixed sanitation and height restriction issues. Gained a "unable to see if it's pumping out Co2 issues"

Now on gladwrap, no pinprick and lid o-ring to hold it on. I'm only onto the first two brews under the new regime and I think I'm on a keeper. No sanitation, height or Co2 production issues AND I get the privilege of watching what my yeasties do their work. :icon_cheers:

 

[zabond]

100% gladwrap,the easiest way to get the seal out of the lid to use for the gladwrap lid or sanitising it is to give the lid a good whack on your palm ,like playing a tamborine,might take a couple of hits but it'll pop out

 

[Ross]

My fermenters have a handle in the lid that makes moving them around so much easier than the side handles, so there's no way I'd ever switch to glad wrap. Also try shaking a keg with a starsan mix for sanitising without a lid & as others have pointed out, try fitting a blow off tube to glad wrap - lol.

First thing I do is remove & dispose of the O'ring, not needed & a pain to clean.
Secondly, remove & discard airlock, not needed & a pain to move fermenter with it in place.
Thirdly, use the grommet hole to suspend your thermowell (modified keg diptube) for insertion of your temperature probe.

Cheers Ross

 

[Batz]

I'm a glad wrap fan, I still have the lids and use them to shake the sanitizer in the fermenter. You notice how they leak when shaking without an o ring Ross? I always wear some sanitizer :lol:

Everyone does it different in this hobby, that's one of the great parts of brewing.....do it your way !


Batz

 

[Kleiny]

I use an airlock a lot because I'm a little bit mezmerized by the whole...

...BLOOP




...BLOOP




....BLOOP














......... Is it finished?



I'd better start a post of the AHB.

"New Post" - HELP, MY FERMENTER HAS STOPPED BUBBLING!

Reply: Oh, **** off!

...BLOOP



...BLOOP

I use gladwrap because i like the clear window it gives me to actually watch my fermentation and know exactly what stage it is at without relying on a sometimes sealed correctly bloop!

Ross you are right about rinseing the fermentor and needing a lid, but i dont need a lid with my auto keg/fermenter washer.

But seriously what ever suit you is what you should use there is no right and wrong in this argument its all down to personnel preference. And personelly im a holden fan :blink:

Kleiny

 

[argon]

Just started using the glad wrap method... Won'tgo back to the airlock. Only reason I went to glad wrap is cause I stepped on my airlock when I was cleaninig a fermenter and smashed it up. One of those hard plastic ones from the supermarket. Did a great job of messing up my foot too.

Used to always worry about backwash through the airlock when moving, transferring, sampling etc. Now no worries at all. Get to have a look inside too.

 

[MarkBastard]

First thing I do is remove & dispose of the O'ring, not needed & a pain to clean.

That's what I was thinking, instead of glad wrap couldn't you just take out the o-ring from the lid and then screw the lid on but not tightly, and it'd work similar to how glad wrap does anyway?

 

[Ross]

That's what I was thinking, instead of glad wrap couldn't you just take out the o-ring from the lid and then screw the lid on but not tightly, and it'd work similar to how glad wrap does anyway?

Mark,

You can screw on as tightly as you like, it will never be airtight but keeps out the insects.

Cheers Ross

 

[Batz]

That's what I was thinking, instead of glad wrap couldn't you just take out the o-ring from the lid and then screw the lid on but not tightly, and it'd work similar to how glad wrap does anyway?

Except you can't see in the fermenter, which is the major advantage of glad wrap.

Batz

 

[Nick JD]

I had no gladwrap once so I stretched a latex glove over the cube's opening and poked holes in the middle two fingers so for a week it did the Devil's Horns.

That beer rocked.

 

[WeaselEstateBrewery]

Only people who attend Mardi Gras and wear pink dresses when they brew use airlocks... :icon_cheers:

Was there an AHB float this year? :icon_chickcheers:

 

[gava]

if there was looks like i'd be on it... I use airlocks.. each to their own I say...

 

[MarkBastard]

Except you can't see in the fermenter, which is the major advantage of glad wrap.

Batz

Although that is nice my fermenter sits in a bar fridge with no light and the glad wrap gets covered in condensation. So it's not the end of the world to lose the view.

 

[manticle]

I tend to still use the lid because it's there and it's protective. Most of my lids are transparent and I can see krausen easily enough. I have used glad wrap in the past - both methods are sound to my mind.

I use the airlock because it's the easiest way to block the bung hoile - don't usually fill it though - just glad and a rubber band. Much less glas needed obviously. I'm about to switch to fermenting exclusively in no chill cubes as I'm trying to isolate the cause of some recent infections. During this time I will stop racking to secondary although I may start racking to bulk prime (don't usually as I'm already in the secondary vessel).