Lid And Airlock Or Clingwrap?

[manticle]

Who boils their esky?

 

[praxis178]

Who boils their esky?

You don't need to boil it, just get it reasonably hot/warm, so mashing would do, good thing there isn't any ethanol present, as it's a very good solvent for stripping BPA (#1 in the bad plasticizer listings) out of plastics.....

Hmmm, guess it's time to look for a SS mash tun. :blink:

 

[bradsbrew]

I am a glad wrap and rubber band man, no hole, I will be sourcing a commercial size roll of cling wrap ( have already thought of a reason why I need to purchase).

Although next time I use 3787 I will have to use a lid and blow off tube.

Cheers

 

[rendo]

Hello Everybody,

*stands up*

My name is Rendo and I am a glad wrap addict too. I love it. I like how you can see straight into your brew, I like how it doesnt need washing. How you simply throw it away when done. There is no worry about if it is sealed or if it is fermenting.

I miss the bloop bloop bloop, but I figure I can get a recording off the net somewhere and listen to it on my ipod when I am going to sleep. I imagine my dreams will be filled with beery bliss.

I have used glad wrap solidly now for 3 months and I wont be going back! Mardi Gras, pink skirts & airlocks are so 2000...!

*holds up a roll of glap wrap, runs around in a circle, sits down and starts playing the didgeridoo(sp?) with the roll*

I am a glad wrap and rubber band man, no hole, I will be sourcing a commercial size roll of cling wrap ( have already thought of a reason why I need to purchase).

Although next time I use 3787 I will have to use a lid and blow off tube.

Cheers

 

[MarkBastard]

I miss the bloop bloop bloop

I used to make a certain type of liquid that required 6 litres of white sugar in a fermenter, with turbo yeast. I did this in a tiny granny flat and slept quite near it, needless to say I never need to hear an airlock again in my life. Or smell that smell that was created!

 

[RobB]

Its time for another Devils advocate moment. I use cling wrap for all the reasons already mentioned, but I have often wondered about its oxygen permeability. There is still some debate about the suitability of PET for long term bottling and even HDPE containers for secondary fermenters. While I know nothing of the molecular structures, the thinness of cling film makes me think that it will be even more permeable than PET or HDPE containers.

I have noticed that over-ripe fruit (rockmelon especially) can stink out the fridge when wrapped in cling film and there are times when I swear I can smell my beer through the film even after active fermentation has finished.

Having a layer of denser-than-air CO2 over the beer will help, but molecular diffusion will occur and a permeable membrane will only slow this down, not stop it altogether.
The weight of anecdotal evidence on this forum seems to suggest that oxidation and staling isnt a concern with this method, so Im guessing that while oxygen probably is getting in, it isnt happening fast enough to be a concern. That pretty much answers my own question, but Id be interested to hear what others think.

 

[QldKev]

Its time for another Devils advocate moment. I use cling wrap for all the reasons already mentioned, but I have often wondered about its oxygen permeability. There is still some debate about the suitability of PET for long term bottling and even HDPE containers for secondary fermenters. While I know nothing of the molecular structures, the thinness of cling film makes me think that it will be even more permeable than PET or HDPE containers.

I have noticed that over-ripe fruit (rockmelon especially) can stink out the fridge when wrapped in cling film and there are times when I swear I can smell my beer through the film even after active fermentation has finished.

Having a layer of denser-than-air CO2 over the beer will help, but molecular diffusion will occur and a permeable membrane will only slow this down, not stop it altogether.
The weight of anecdotal evidence on this forum seems to suggest that oxidation and staling isnt a concern with this method, so Im guessing that while oxygen probably is getting in, it isnt happening fast enough to be a concern. That pretty much answers my own question, but Id be interested to hear what others think.

Are you fermenting or storing your beer under gladwrap. Last time I checked when fermenting it is producing CO2 that excapes outwards from the fermentor. The cover is only in place to prevent airborn nasties dropping into the beer.

QldKev

 

[Fourstar]

The weight of anecdotal evidence on this forum seems to suggest that oxidation and staling isn’t a concern with this method, so I’m guessing that while oxygen probably is getting in, it isn’t happening fast enough to be a concern. That pretty much answers my own question, but I’d be interested to hear what others think.

I'd trust the continual displacement of CO2 during fermentation is enough to put a foothold on excessive o2 entering your fermenter when using cling wrap. Either way, we ferment in plastic vessels which are permeable any way. Any long term storage in our fermenters WILL eventually oxidise our beers. This is also one reason why it is recommended to ferment sours in glass.

After all, the core reason for those using glad wrap or their original fermenter lid is not to combat oxidation but to avoid the use of an airlock and stop bacteria/yeast etc entering your precious wort/beer.

cheers! :icon_cheers:

 

[komodo]

I'll use gladwrap for primary but not secondary.
I heard Dr Karl one day on JJJ talking about cling wrap and freezer bags and the reason when you defrost meat you always end up with a blood like solution on the OUTSIDE of the plastic.

 

[pyrobrewer]

Grommet 95 cents
Airlock 2 bucks
Peace of mind... priceless

 

[zebba]

Grommet 95 cents
Airlock 2 bucks
Peace of mind... priceless

Personally I get more piece of mind from the gladwrap. No suck-back into the fermenter from the airlock, and the only time I need to "open" it is for a dryhop ('cause sometimes when the curiosity takes hold, I just HAVE to have a look!)

 

[stm]

Clingwrap, no pinhole.

 

[Dave70]

Clingwrap and THREE pinholes.

 

[pyrobrewer]

Personally I get more piece of mind from the gladwrap. No suck-back into the fermenter from the airlock, and the only time I need to "open" it is for a dryhop ('cause sometimes when the curiosity takes hold, I just HAVE to have a look!)

If you are worried about suck-back, yes we all somtimes forget, dont put water in at all!

Louis pasteur (the pasteuriser guy) showed that microorganisms cannot enter through a tortuous path (say an airlock) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Pasteur this experiment (scroll down to germ theory) was used as proof of germ theory - No water! stick a cotton wool ball in the top to keep out the ferrets.

 

[manticle]

Never a pinhole, never a problem

EXCEPT

I just racked a dubbel that had several layers of glad and still several small beetles managed to find their way in so I'm starting to question the efficacy of the glad as a physical barrier. Still, a bit of beetle never hurt no-one.

 

[haysie]

Never a pinhole, never a problem

EXCEPT

I just racked a dubbel that had several layers of glad and still several small beetles managed to find their way in so I'm starting to question the efficacy of the glad as a physical barrier. Still, a bit of beetle never hurt no-one.

Beetle Beer!
FWIW, i had a few years ago an infestation of earwigs, they were in everything, my mash tun lines, chiller, under the lid of the boiler, as it got hotter a few dropped in the wort, faark it i said, the boil will kill it? wont it?
In the end it was a great beer and for the life of me I couldnt pick the insects, yet their bare shells were thru out my gear. Still alive n punching!

 

[AndrewQLD]

Never a pinhole, never a problem

EXCEPT

I just racked a dubbel that had several layers of glad and still several small beetles managed to find their way in so I'm starting to question the efficacy of the glad as a physical barrier. Still, a bit of beetle never hurt no-one.

Beetle Juice Dubbel, nice. So long as they weren't those Rhino beetles, they stink :lol:

Andrew

 

[manticle]

Dubbel beetle? Betelguese dubbel? Some good names. Most certainly won't be tipping it - tastes like the best dubbel I've done so far in its elementary stages.

@Haysie: I bet there's people in the world who consider earwigs a delicacy. Maybe the proteins help with head retention?

 

[bum]

Dubbel beetle? Betelguese dubbel? Some good names. Most certainly won't be tipping it - tastes like the best dubbel I've done so far in its elementary stages.

I foresee dry beetling really taking off.

I'm gonna go a little more lateral and suggest V-Dubbel. Put the word 'beetle' in the name and people will ask why. They never called them Soilent People for a reason.

 

[pyrobrewer]

Wasnt there an english beer with a chicken in it?