Question about Big Mouth Bubbler

[mwulf67]

I just received a starter kit that included a Big Mouth Bubbler™ 6.5 Gallon Primary Fermentor. There is a noticeable soft spot about the size of fist toward the bottom…the rest of the fermenter is nice and thick and firm, but this one spot is thin and pliable like a solo plastic cup…I can push it in with my finger and it actually crinkles…as a total noob is the normal or is this a defect?

 

[Rocky]

mwulf67, It sounds like a defect in the blow molding process to me. I would contact your vendor and ask for a replacement.

 

[pjd]

I agree with Rocky, it is defective. I would ask for a GLASS replacement.

 

[cpfan]

I just received a starter kit that included a Big Mouth Bubbler™ 6.5 Gallon Primary Fermentor. There is a noticeable soft spot about the size of fist toward the bottom…the rest of the fermenter is nice and thick and firm, but this one spot is thin and pliable like a solo plastic cup…I can push it in with my finger and it actually crinkles…as a total noob is the normal or is this a defect?

I agree with Rocky, it is defective. I would ask for a GLASS replacement.

For a primary fermenter you want a pail, minimum size 7.9 US gallons. For a secondary fermenter, most people prefer a glass carboy.

Steve

 

[bkisel]

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry to burst your bubble[r]

but I can't see what use a Big Mouth Bubbler™ 6.5 Gallon Primary Fermentor would be. [I do understand that a/the purpose for the big mouth is to facilitate cleaning.] For a primary vessel I'd want it to have a least another gallon capacity. I'm not anti Bubbler as I have and frequently use and like two of their 6 gallon carboys.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry to burst your bubble[r]

but I can't see what use a Big Mouth Bubbler™ 6.5 Gallon Primary Fermentor would be. [I do understand that a/the purpose for the big mouth is to facilitate cleaning.] For a primary vessel I'd want it to have a least another gallon capacity. I'm not anti Bubbler as I have and frequently use and like two of their 6 gallon carboys.

It would work for 5 gallon batches as a primary.

 

[mwulf67]

mwulf67, It sounds like a defect in the blow molding process to me. I would contact your vendor and ask for a replacement.

Thank you...I have contacted vendor; will see what happens...

 

[mwulf67]

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry to burst your bubble[r]

but I can't see what use a Big Mouth Bubbler™ 6.5 Gallon Primary Fermentor would be. [I do understand that a/the purpose for the big mouth is to facilitate cleaning.] For a primary vessel I'd want it to have a least another gallon capacity. I'm not anti Bubbler as I have and frequently use and like two of their 6 gallon carboys.

Thank you, I have been lurking for quite awhile...not how I imagined my first thread...

I don’t necessarily disagree about preferring a big pail…and don’t want to name any venders, but the starter kit I bought was called "Master Vintner® Wine Starter Kit"…a quick Google search will show a couple, I think, well known vendors selling this kit…are these guys all selling a crap kit that won’t work?

 

[Boatboy24]

...are these guys all selling a crap kit that won’t work?

Nope. A 6.5 gallon primary will be fine if you have no skins or grape pack added. You might come close to blowing it out, depending on how vigorous a fermentation you have though. As others have mentioned, a larger, open primary is preferred - especially when you get into kits with grape packs. A 7.9 gallon bucket gives you plenty of headspace and room to work when you need to do punchdowns.

Welcome aboard!

 

[mwulf67]

Nope. A 6.5 gallon primary will be fine if you have no skins or grape pack added. You might come close to blowing it out, depending on how vigorous a fermentation you have though. As others have mentioned, a larger, open primary is preferred - especially when you get into kits with grape packs. A 7.9 gallon bucket gives you plenty of headspace and room to work when you need to do punchdowns.

Welcome aboard!

Cool, thank you...I won't be working w/grapes or skin for anytime soon...will pick up a bucket when I do...

 

[bkisel]

Cool, thank you...I won't be working w/grapes or skin for anytime soon...will pick up a bucket when I do...

Sorry, I should have made it clear that it will work as a primary but with the cautions/limitations mentioned above.

 

[mwulf67]

Sorry, I should have made it clear that it will work as a primary but with the cautions/limitations mentioned above.

It’s all good…even better, I learned something…I might not have made the connection between “better” kits needing more room/head space…besides, I can see me producing an “Island Mist” type kit a couple times a year regardless of where this hobby takes me, so I should always have a place for this thing, even if less any ideal…or I just replace it later down the road...

 

[richmke]

Cool, thank you...I won't be working w/grapes or skin for anytime soon...will pick up a bucket when I do...

I would still use this for any 6 gallon batch. The other end of the tube is submerged in another pail 1/3 filled with sanitizing solution or clean water.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/15-16-od-blowoff-hose-3-5-ft.html

 

[mwulf67]

I would still use this for any 6 gallon batch. The other end of the tube is submerged in another pail 1/3 filled with sanitizing solution or clean water.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/15-16-od-blowoff-hose-3-5-ft.html

Would you used that in addition to an airlock or in lieu of one?

 

[maurtis]

Would you used that in addition to an airlock or in lieu of one?

You use the blow off tube instead of an airlock. Since the other end of the tube is submerged in a bucket of sanitizer, it is an airlock. Just a really long one. You are basically expecting a blow out and redirecting the excess into the bucket of sanitizer instead of on the floor.

 

[bkisel]

If you stick with wine making you'll use it enough to have gotten your money's worth and more. For many, maybe most, of us it just isn't our first choice for a primary fermentation vessel. Because of its big mouth I could see myself using one for my stabilization, degassing and clearing phase - nice open mouth and surface for adding agents and stirring to degas.

 

[mwulf67]

Update: After contacting the vendor and providing a video (I told them in my first email, I had one), they are sending me a replacement…I am anxious to start my first batch, but I think I will wait for the replacement…the current one probably wouldn't fail on the first batch, but better safe than sorry…I certainly wouldn’t trust it long term…