No Chill Cube Tap Mishap

[flattop]

Last night i finished my 3rd installment of Dr Smurto's BIAB nochill cubed.

I was cleaning up and i put my Jerry on the kitchen bench to wipe it down as i had a few drips down the side, I spun it a little to wipe the back and the tap just gently touched the coffee machine and bang it shot off across the room under pressure, i managed to grab it, lie the jerry can cube on its back and stem the flow losing only a litre.

Basically what i discovered was the pressure of the hot wort built up inside and combined with expanded threads on the jerry made the thing pop like a 35yo cherry. I put the tap back in to try to see what happened and basically it didn't need much encouragement to pop out again.
It was really demoralizing cleaning a litre of hot wort off the kitchen bench.... at least there is about 21 left in the jerry for later.

I abandoned the tap and put the bung in, no more taps in hot jerrys for me. Too easy to get seriously burnt

 

[PostModern]

Last night i finished my 3rd installment of Dr Smurto's BIAB nochill cubed.

I was cleaning up and i put my Jerry on the kitchen bench to wipe it down as i had a few drips down the side, I spun it a little to wipe the back and the tap just gently touched the coffee machine and bang it shot off across the room under pressure, i managed to grab it, lie the jerry can cube on its back and stem the flow losing only a litre.

Basically what i discovered was the pressure of the hot wort built up inside and combined with expanded threads on the jerry made the thing pop like a 35yo cherry. I put the tap back in to try to see what happened and basically it didn't need much encouragement to pop out again.
It was really demoralizing cleaning a litre of hot wort off the kitchen bench.... at least there is about 21 left in the jerry for later.

I abandoned the tap and put the bung in, no more taps in hot jerrys for me. Too easy to get seriously burnt

I've switched out all my drilled cubes for undrilled. I never saw the need for a tap and this proves that they can be unsafe, especially as the thread softens with heat.

Good thing you avoided getting injured.

 

[beers]

I've had the same problem with the thread on the lid before. I re-tightened the lid after laying the hot cube on it's side for 10 mins & the thread just popped.. no chance of getting it to take again
FWIW I personally dont bother with taps on my cubes. Just another thing that can go wrong.

 

[flattop]

I used the tap in the past to aerate the wort, put the cube on the bar and the fermenter on a stool and opened the tap to let the wort run into the fermenter and foam it up before pitching, looks like i will be modifying that method this time round. The thread was really spongy, i guess it just couldn't take pressurised 100*c heat.
I was worried about the bung but that seemed to be fine, i think the real key is that after filling the cube you probably are better off leaving the lid loose for an hour to let any pressure release, i think it was the pressure pushing to get out combined with a softer thread that enabled it to happen.

All this doesn't mean don't turn the cube on it's side to sterilize, just release the pressure before and after....

 

[beers]

I used the tap in the past to aerate the wort, put the cube on the bar and the fermenter on a stool and opened the tap to let the wort run into the fermenter and foam it up before pitching, looks like i will be modifying that method this time round. The thread was really spongy, i guess it just couldn't take pressurised 100*c heat.
I was worried about the bung but that seemed to be fine, i think the real key is that after filling the cube you probably are better off leaving the lid loose for an hour to let any pressure release, i think it was the pressure pushing to get out combined with a softer thread that enabled it to happen.

All this doesn't mean don't turn the cube on it's side to sterilize, just release the pressure before and after....

I'm not sure if there is any outward pressure? It would be inward if it's cooling? Maybe it was the position you had it sitting?

If anything I would advise against tightening once the plastic has taken up heat. The heat will make it easier to pop the thread.

 

[Quintrex]

Basically what i discovered was the pressure of the hot wort built up inside and combined with expanded threads on the jerry made the thing pop like a 35yo cherry. I put the tap back in to try to see what happened and basically it didn't need much encouragement to pop out again.
It was really demoralizing cleaning a litre of hot wort off the kitchen bench.... at least there is about 21 left in the jerry for later.

I abandoned the tap and put the bung in, no more taps in hot jerrys for me. Too easy to get seriously burnt

HAHA nice description

 

[wambesi]

On my 2nd or 3rd one I had the tap pop out on me also, since then I've gone back to the bung and use an easy syphon instead.
Works a treat now.

 

[flattop]

"I'm not sure if there is any outward pressure? It would be inward if it's cooling? Maybe it was the position you had it sitting?"

No, the opposite, it's like a boiling kettle or a car radiator, if you put close to boiling water in a sealed container it want's to expand and push outward.
Softened plastic combined with outward pressure is enough to make the protruding tap easy to knock out.
It was knocked out, it didn't pop out alone, it took a gentle knock on the tap to unseat it.
This is the 6th No Chill in this cube and the first incident with the tap.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

If you squeeze all the air out - then there will be no pressure above what gravity provides.

Still, I wouldn't use a tap anyway just in case you knock it off

 

[mje1980]

No taps on my cubes for that reason.

 

[flattop]

TB you are right, i forgot to squeeze, or rather i had the jerry so full there wasn't much airspace except in the handle.
What i should have done is turned it on it's side and tried to vent what air was left....
OR just not had the tap fitted.... It's a bung now.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

What sort of cube are you using ?

I've used taps on pretty much all of my cubes without issue

The taps don't even give the slightest hint they are going any where

It'd be the same case with a bung in

Cheers

 

[Thirsty Boy]

ahh, but you can't knock the bung out on your coffee maker. Otherwise your are right, as far as just popping out goes, they would be the same as a tap.

 

[Doc]

I've switched out all my drilled cubes for undrilled. I never saw the need for a tap and this proves that they can be unsafe, especially as the thread softens with heat.

Yep, I never use tap on my cubes. Always just the bung.

I've had the same problem with the thread on the lid before. I re-tightened the lid after laying the hot cube on it's side for 10 mins & the thread just popped.. no chance of getting it to take again
FWIW I personally dont bother with taps on my cubes. Just another thing that can go wrong.

I've had this issue a few times lately.
It seems to me that as the wort is going in hot and I'm lifting the cube and tilting to get a perfect fill, the cube opening is deforming into an oval shape that the lid then doesn't take too.
Only seen it on a couple of cubes but I'm taking careful note of the shape of the opening these days.

Doc

 

[big d]

Never had this happen to me as yet but thanks for the heads up.Will keep a close eye on the tap.
Gotta get off my backside and set up my immersion chiller again.

Cheers
Big D

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Yep, I never use tap on my cubes. Always just the bung.



I've had this issue a few times lately.
It seems to me that as the wort is going in hot and I'm lifting the cube and tilting to get a perfect fill, the cube opening is deforming into an oval shape that the lid then doesn't take too.
Only seen it on a couple of cubes but I'm taking careful note of the shape of the opening these days.

Doc

I screw the lid on firmly while the cube is sitting nice and flat - then I put it up against a wall, tilt it, lean my knee into it and unscrew the lids just a little till air starts to leak out slowly... keep leaning till a little liquid comes out and tighten.

That way the lid itself keeps the opening/spout in shape.

A little keg lube on the o'ring of the lid also goes a long way to getting a good seal without having to tighten the hell out of the lid and risk jumping the thread.

TB

 

[drew9242]

Yea i wouldnt have a tap on mine either. Another tap you have to remeber to shut. Have enough trouble remebering the fermenter tap.

 

[beers]

I've had this issue a few times lately.
It seems to me that as the wort is going in hot and I'm lifting the cube and tilting to get a perfect fill, the cube opening is deforming into an oval shape that the lid then doesn't take too.
Only seen it on a couple of cubes but I'm taking careful note of the shape of the opening these days.

Doc

Good point Doc. I lift & tilt when filling too so will have to keep an eye on my cubes. Although I have reused a cube & lid after the thread has popped previously. I've been sealing asap after filling, & not re-tightening, & haven't had any issues of late... touch wood :unsure: