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

Author Topic: 1 gallon fermentor cap  (Read 2590 times)

Offline flbrewer

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2161
1 gallon fermentor cap
« on: January 15, 2014, 06:50:00 pm »
Long story short, I don't have a cap for my 1 gallon fermentor available...can I just use some foil loosely wrapped on top w. Starsan? I've brewed this before and don't expect the krausen to be a problem.

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2014, 06:54:49 pm »
Should be fine, but try to get a stopper and airlock before it slows way down. Otherwise you could get some oxygen coming in.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2014, 06:56:41 pm by Steve in TX »

Offline flbrewer

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2161
Re: 1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2014, 07:00:47 pm »
Well technically I have a rubber stopper, but it reeks and don't want the smell or pieces of rubber in the beer. The plastic replacement is on the way.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: 1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2014, 01:09:35 am »
I'd drop the 40 cents on a new stopper unless you don't mind oxidation

Offline punatic

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4583
  • Puna District, Hawaii Island (UTC -10)
Re: 1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2014, 03:40:49 am »
Gee, that makes me wonder, how do the commercial brewers who ferment in open fermenters avoid oxidation?
Mayhap it has something to do with carbon dioxide being heavier than air?
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


AHA Life Member #33907

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: 1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2014, 05:05:59 am »
Ya I don't know. Good point. Maybe we should all open ferment and avoid all fuss

Maybe oxidation is caused by trying to keep oxygen out. If it sees its not a challenge it just moves on, looking for some fool with a used airlock.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2014, 05:18:42 am by klickitat jim »

Offline tommymorris

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3869
Re: 1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2014, 06:08:10 am »
Maybe the open fermenter pros cold crash in a closed airtight container.

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: 1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2014, 06:21:59 am »
I hope so. Would hate to see fruit flies get sucked in.

This is fun. I'm glad god invented sarcasm

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: 1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2014, 08:29:03 am »
Carl is right on here. I ferment with no air lock all the time and oxidation is not one of the issues I have run into. Fruit flies, sure, but while fermentation is active they can't really get in real easy and after it slows down, just crimp the foil tighter. when things are done, pop a rubber band around the foil and it's more or less air tight.

also, a stopper and airlock are cheap and also work well particularly if you have the devil flies in your fermentation area or near by.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

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

Offline reverseapachemaster

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3778
    • Brain Sparging on Brewing
Re: 1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2014, 08:57:19 am »
I use drilled rubber stoppers with an airlock on my one gallon batches. Yeah, the rubber stinks but in the three or so years of using them I have never had a batch that came out with any of the rubber taste or aroma in the beer. That is true even when the krausen hits the rubber or when the beer has sat under the stopper for a long time. I've had beer under one of those rubber stoppers for two years without any absorption of the rubber aroma.

But I also agree that you will be fine using the foil.
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline kgs

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1068
  • Sonoma County, CA
Re: 1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2014, 04:48:20 pm »
I use drilled rubber stoppers with an airlock on my one gallon batches. Yeah, the rubber stinks but in the three or so years of using them I have never had a batch that came out with any of the rubber taste or aroma in the beer. That is true even when the krausen hits the rubber or when the beer has sat under the stopper for a long time. I've had beer under one of those rubber stoppers for two years without any absorption of the rubber aroma.

But I also agree that you will be fine using the foil.

Northern Brewer sells a drilled cap for 1-gallon jugs. I keep wondering whether it has a gasket, or what.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/small-batch-1-gallon-fermenting-jug.html
K.G. Schneider
AHA Member

Offline reverseapachemaster

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3778
    • Brain Sparging on Brewing
Re: 1 gallon fermentor cap
« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2014, 07:52:22 am »
Nope, it's just a drilled stopper. You jam the airlock in. It stays put unless blowoff pushes it out. I like to use the three piece airlocks because I can pull off the middle piece and attach a blowoff tube to it if needed.
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing