Primary Lid ?

[2PUPs]

I have a Beer & Wine Deluxe Primary Fermenter , the lid is like that of a 5 gallon paint bucket , that you would cut slightly up with a knife to the nothes for easy opening , I was wondering should the ones on the primary be left alone or a slight cut to the notch ?

Jeff

 

[Flem]

You should leave it alone. You'll need that tight seal if you want to ferment to dry in the primary with an airlock.

 

[Runningwolf]

I have a Beer & Wine Deluxe Primary Fermenter , the lid is like that of a 5 gallon paint bucket , that you would cut slightly up with a knife to the nothes for easy opening , I was wondering should the ones on the primary be left alone or a slight cut to the notch ?

Jeff

Leave them alone. They fall apart in time all on there own. Don't use those orange tools they sell for opening them either. They destroy the tops just as fast as hitting them on with a mallad.

 

[2PUPs]

Thanks for the quick reply my friends , I just went to open lid and it cracked on me , still has a good seal though , I didnt cut the slits on this one , but its still a bummer that it cracked , guess I will be going to my LHBS tomorrow to get new lid (s) . And I thought it would be a hydrometer that I would break first , thats why I got three of them .

Jeff

 

[Flem]

If it's a new primary, they should replace the lid at "no charge".

 

[roblloyd]

I just leave the lid on loose. Then when it hits an SG of 1.00 or less I transfer to secondary with the airlock. Is that not the right way?

 

[Flem]

That's okay, unless you want to ferment to dry in the primary---then you snap it down.

 

[roblloyd]

At what point do you snap it down? You do need some air in there for a little while right? How dry? .996 or less?

 

[Flem]

I'm doing an Orchard Breezin kit right now. I snapped it down on day 1. I'm now on day 9 and I haven't opened it yet. The kit is telling me Day 14. I'll check the SG a couple of days before that. This kit is telling me dry is .998 or lower. I believe Wade ferments to dry in the primary for all of his.

 

[roblloyd]

I thought our yeasty friends needed O2 to do their thing. Having it snapped down and air-locked it would fill with CO2 and suffocate them or slow down the fermentation process?

 

[Flem]

I agree but that's what this kit calls for. On my previous kits, I opened the top (not snapped down) every day to either check the SG or to stir it or both. The only consistent thing that I've found on the various kits is that the instructions are inconsistent. Go figure.

 

[Torch404]

I ferment my wine in the primary bucket covered in a towel and then the lid smashed down over that. I have fermented to dry many times without problem, proper sanitation should prevent any problem. Your wine will not oxidize as CO2 covers the wine while it's fermenting. When it's done fermenting it's still releasing CO2 from degassing. As long as you do not leave it for a long time dry in primary you should be fine. Leaving it the primary too long is also inviting vinegar bacteria as they enjoy the additional surface area. Stirring your must while it's fermenting is what introduces the oxygen for your yeast.