help quick - 7.5 gallon primary Ferm. bucket problem

[vizsla_red]

doing my 1st big batch kit, (2nd kit ever)
master vintner kit : cab say with skins,

got the 7.5 gal bucket and lid, from northern brewer, . . .
BUT THE LID DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO SNAP ON!!
I am pressing down pretty hard, and it seems to go down evenly, but there is no "snap"
has what looks like a black tubular gasket seal inside the rim

IS IT SUPPOSED TO SNAP / LOCK DOWN??

currently, it is up on the bathroom lavatory counter,
so I can't get my full wright on it up there,
and I certainly don't want to send it flying/spilling
don't really want to lift it to the floor if I don't have to.

kit instructions call for several daily stirrings during primary fermentation.
if the lid is supposed to LOCK DOWN, (with a lot more body weight), it seems like that will be a real bear to lid and unlid for stirrings, sampling/testing, and stirring

 

[stickman]

Most people leave it just sitting on top, no need to lock down.

 

[Mrose]

I use a plastic hammer to lock mine in place!

 

[vizsla_red]

Most people leave it just sitting on top, no need to lock down.

I use a plastic hammer to lock mine in place!

interesting
two distinctly opposite answers
hmm

:I

 

[DoctorCAD]

If this is the start of the process, you want the lid sitting on the bucket. You need to be able to get inside that bucket for the first two weeks.

 

[vizsla_red]

If this is the start of the process, you want the lid sitting on the bucket. You need to be able to get inside that bucket for the first two weeks.

Yes
This is primary fermentation

 

[Johnd]

Yes
This is primary fermentation

The vast majority of folks leave the lid sitting loosely on top or simply covered with a towel. There is absolutely no need to lock the lid down on a red kit, particularly one with skins. You’ll soon be removing the lid several times per day to punch down your cap, you’ll have easy access without it snapped and airlocked.

 

[bstnh1]

The bucket lids take a lot of pressure to snap down and there's no need to do that during primary. The lids also a bear to remove! I gave up on the buckets and bought a 7 gal. Fermonster with a 4" drilled screw on cap. Much easier to deal with. Virtually every homebrew shop online has them in various sizes.
https://labelpeelers.com/equipment/carboys/plastic-carboys/fermonster-widemouth-carboy-7-gallon/

 

[vizsla_red]

Started two kits simultaneously
The big bubbler is sealed and bubbling well

So I guess I needent worry about NOT seeing any bubbling in the 7.5 gal bucket
And guide things just by s.g. Readings???

 

[bstnh1]

Just go by the SG readings and you'll be fine. Even snapped down, those lids sometimes don't seal 100% and you'll see little or no action in an airlock because of the leaks. A lot of us just cover the primary with cheesecloth or something similar so the yeast gets a little oxygen. The wine is protected during primary with a layer of CO2.

 

[Scooter68]

IF you get it snapped on, think about what it's going to take to get it off and the chances of spilling some of your wine.

I don't see the need to use the lid at all. Cloth cover period.

A Loose lid will not keep out fruit flies and they ARE active even this time of year.
Drapping a cloth over the lid?? Why not just us a cloth and small cord to tie it in place? Even a bungee cord to keep the cloth in place.

 

[buzi]

similar to Scooter68 - when I open ferment I use a large bath towel or two ( designated acceptable by wife - this is key!) to cover the mouth of the vat and use a bungee cord to secure. Works great!

 

[Rice_Guy]

Started two kits simultaneously
, , ,The big bubbler is sealed and bubbling well
So I guess I needent worry about NOT seeing any bubbling in the 7.5 gal bucket
?

You have some choices down the road, , not today,
* off the wine club 98% will do what Scooter and others are suggesting, on a red with skins I would too. 1) the yeast needs oxygen to build up a population that can efficiently ferment the must 2) you are opening the must to punch down the skins 1 or 3 times per day 3) red grape has pigments which capture extra oxygen 4) the flavors in reds are based on tannin and acid which are stable, a lot of the fruit notes are lost.
With the open 7.5 if you stir it and see fine bubbles/ foam this is telling you that the yeast are working their magic
* 2% of the club will have a tight primary like mrose suggests, and I have also IF , , , I am on day 2 or 3 cooling a peach at 50F (refrigerator) and want to maximize fruit flavor with a long 2 to 3 week primary, , and others talk about doing a German reisling, , trying to slow it down with as cool a primary as possible , , so they don’t blow off fruit notes, , , or I might with a rose/ non tannic ( no skins) fruity red.
* So a tight primary (along with cooler temps) is a useful tool for your back pocket , , down the road

 

[vizsla_red]

You have some choices down the road, , not today, . . .
4) the flavors in reds are based on tannin and acid which are stable, a lot of the fruit notes are lost.

by saying the tannins/acids are "stable" what does that mean?
oxygen stable? something else?
if so, are the fruit notes LESS oxygen stable?

how does the oxygen obtained from stirring / punchdown relate to
a) oxygen vs. tannins and acid
b) oxygen vs. fruit note loss (or preservation),
c) tannins and acid vs fruit notes

 

[Stressbaby]

Aromatic white wines (think Viognier, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, even Sauv Blanc) are said to benefit from cool, slow fermentation. It is widely felt that a fast, hot fermentation "blows off" the volatile compounds responsible for those aromas.

The way I look at it, the slower the fermentation, the greater the risk of introducing too much oxygen. First, you have a weaker CO2 blanket. Also, your fermentation lasts longer, resulting in greater number of exposures to oxygen. You need some oxygen for the yeast obviously, but not too much, and if you have a white fermenting slowly over 3 weeks at 55F, stirring that wine twice a day is going to mean 42 exposures rather than 15 exposures you would have if your wine finished in a week.

I think when @Rice_Guy says the tannins/acids are "stable" s/he just means that those elements of the wine aren't going to change that much relative to the volatile compounds which give a wine its aromas.

 

[garymc]

I just made 5 batches of wine. I don't even have lids for 3 of my buckets and did not snap the lids down on the other 2. I use a towel over the tops of the buckets that don't have lids. However, I usually transfer to a carboy with airlock before the fermentation ends, somewhere between 1.020 and 1.010 if I can manage that. I had to do some bottling to free up a carboy, so a couple of them this time were at 1.000 by the time I was able to transfer. But they will continue down to .994 or .992 in the carboy, still releasing CO2.

 

[Mrose]

interesting
two distinctly opposite answers
hmm

:I

Vizsla_red just to verify That is the way a lock my lids down when it’s time. I normally use a disposable shower cap to cover my buckets the first 4-5 days of fermentation then use the lid when the yeast activity slows or I’m at around 1.000 to avoid exposing my must to to much oxygen. Where I live the fruit flies are bad year round and the shower cap keeps them out and allows the gases produced from the fermentation to ecaspe.