[ajbrenneis]

Somehow a rubber stopper must have magically appeared in my carboy ........   How do I get it out?

Thank you.

[dbeechum]

Break the carboy! 

Seriously just get the neck nice and wet with something slippery like soap or star san. put a thin washcloth in the carboy (holding onto a corner outside!) Bounce the stopper on top of the cloth and pull. Eventually you'll get it into the neck and then out.

You can also fashion a coat hanger hook if that's more your speed.

[wingnut]

Two methods I have heard:

drape a thin cloth into the carboy, keeping the four corners of the cloth "out".  Then manipulate the carboy so the the stopper is near the neck.  Then pull the cloth corners... kind of lassoing the stopper and pull.  

The other person made a tool, kind of like a toggle bolt.  With wire he made a loop, small enough to fit through the hole of the stopper and then with the loop thorugh the center of the stopper, placed a pice of wire to prevent the loop from pulling back thorugh, and pulled the stopper out.  

The other method I have heard is a hammer...

Good luck

[babalu87]

Get a plastic grocery bag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y82j3R7tXw

[bluesman]

Get a plastic grocery bag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y82j3R7tXw

I like that trick.  Just curious have you ever tried it.

[saintpierre]

Get a plastic grocery bag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y82j3R7tXw

Very cool!

[ajbrenneis]

Thanks for the help!

[babalu87]

Get a plastic grocery bag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y82j3R7tXw

I like that trick.  Just curious have you ever tried it.

Yes, not with a carboy but I have heard it works on those as well........... no reason it shouldnt.

[bluesman]

Get a plastic grocery bag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y82j3R7tXw

I like that trick.  Just curious have you ever tried it.

Yes, not with a carboy but I have heard it works on those as well........... no reason it shouldnt.

That's good to know. Thanks.

[maxieboy]

Somehow a rubber stopper must have magically appeared in my carboy ........   How do I get it out?

Thank you.

Once you get it out, throw it out and go with universal stoppers:



Fits all your carboys, won't push through, and stays put when wet. You're welcome. 

[kgs]

Somehow a rubber stopper must have magically appeared in my carboy ........   How do I get it out?

Thank you.

Once you get it out, throw it out and go with universal stoppers:

Fits all your carboys, won't push through, and stays put when wet. You're welcome. 

I finally got one of these after you or someone else posted the same advice in a similar thread, and indeed, thank you. A very small price differential for something much easier to deal with.

[ajbrenneis]

Thank you everyone.  After the beer was done fermenting, I used the plastic bag trick and it worked first try with no effort.  (And I bought the universal stoppers!)