Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal  (Read 4025 times)

Offline wyobrew

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 24
  • Gillette, Wy
age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« on: February 05, 2013, 06:16:14 am »
I brewed up a lambic last weekend and and put it in my brand new bucket with Wyeast Lambic blend for a 6 month primary. Now I can't get the lid to seal. Is this going to be an issue. It seems like it wouldn't be for three weeks or so with a normal beer but I'm worried it will be a problem for a long primary.
What are my options? I'm going to buy another lid today without the slots cut on the side to see if it will seal.  If that doesn't work should I rack to a carboy now while it's actively fermenting or wait a few weeks until it settles down or just keep it in the bucket with the leaking lid. I don't want to wait 6 months to find out I screwed this up.
Kris

Offline euge

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8017
  • Ego ceruisam ad bibere cervisiam
Re: age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2013, 07:10:23 am »
Rack to a carboy after a couple weeks in primary and then do your six months.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline Hokerer

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2654
  • Manassas, VA
Re: age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2013, 07:12:30 am »
As long as there's fairly active fermentation going on, your bucket will be fine as the positive pressure from the fermentation will keep everything going "out", leaky lid an all.  Once the fermentation has settled down a bit, you'll probably want to go ahead an rack to carboy for the remainder of the time.
Joe

Offline AmandaK

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1850
  • Redbird Brewhouse
Re: age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2013, 07:24:55 am »
If that doesn't work should I rack to a carboy now while it's actively fermenting or wait a few weeks until it settles down or just keep it in the bucket with the leaking lid.

Kris,
I would wait until after active fermentation has ceased to transfer to a carboy (with lambic blend, it's around 3-4 weeks). If you leave a beer like that in a plastic bucket, oxygen exposure becomes a real concern - the last thing you want is a vinegar bomb when you put this much time into it. I have had good success with a 4 week primary in plastic, then transferring to glass carboys and waiting for a year or more.
-Amanda
Amanda Burkemper
KC Bier Meisters Lifetime Member - KCBM 3x AHA Club of the Year!!
BJCP Assistant (to the) Midwest Rep
BJCP Grand Master/Mead/Cider


Our Homebrewed Wedding, AHA Article

Offline kylekohlmorgen

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1363
  • Saint Louis, MO
    • The South House Pilot Brewery
Re: age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2013, 09:09:45 am »
Try the new lid first. If it still doesn't seal, rack it and throw the bucket away (or use it to store gear).
Twitter/Instagram: @southhousebrew

Recipes, Brett/Bacteria Experiments: http://SouthHouseBeer.com/

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2013, 09:58:55 am »
Try the new lid first. If it still doesn't seal, rack it and throw the bucket away (or use it to store gear).

why would you throw the bucket away? I have all kind of buckets with poorly sealing lids. It's just not that big a deal. Maybe not good for long term ageing but plastic is not great for that anyway.

sounds like a perfectly usable primary fermenter to me. It's been hit with bugs so mark it as sours only but no reason to retire it.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline euge

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8017
  • Ego ceruisam ad bibere cervisiam
Re: age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2013, 10:51:32 am »
I think it is quite possible to remediate a bugged bucket. Submerge it in near 170-190F water for 20-30 minutes. I use my brew kettle. Let cool in water- if you try to lift it out full of the very hot water it will form cracks in the bottom.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11320
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2013, 10:57:36 am »
I wouldn't store any beer in a bucket for 6 weeks, let alone 6 months!

Offline AmandaK

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1850
  • Redbird Brewhouse
Re: age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2013, 11:12:02 am »
sounds like a perfectly usable primary fermenter to me. It's been hit with bugs so mark it as sours only but no reason to retire it.

That's what I was thinkin.
Amanda Burkemper
KC Bier Meisters Lifetime Member - KCBM 3x AHA Club of the Year!!
BJCP Assistant (to the) Midwest Rep
BJCP Grand Master/Mead/Cider


Our Homebrewed Wedding, AHA Article

Offline kylekohlmorgen

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1363
  • Saint Louis, MO
    • The South House Pilot Brewery
Re: age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2013, 09:15:48 am »
I wouldn't store any beer in a bucket for 6 weeks, let alone 6 months!

Trying it now - kind of a "Homebrew Horny Tank". So far, so good!
Twitter/Instagram: @southhousebrew

Recipes, Brett/Bacteria Experiments: http://SouthHouseBeer.com/

Offline euge

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8017
  • Ego ceruisam ad bibere cervisiam
Re: age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2013, 09:48:34 am »
I have some buckets of lager lagering in one of my chest freezers. Since the chamber is full of co2 from the primary I'm not too worried about oxidation.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11320
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
age 6 months in bucket, lid won't seal
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2013, 10:54:57 am »
The most frequent times I have lost beer it has been due to acetobacter infections in buckets or in plastic fermentors (you don't want to know what it is like to pop the lid on a 10 bbl plastic conical fermentor and witness an acetobacter infection once, let alone twice). It may be a climate issue, some of you may not have problems with it, but it has happened to me enough times that I try to get beer out of plastic as soon as possible.