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.
Should be fine, but try to get a stopper and airlock before it slows way down. Otherwise you could get some oxygen coming in.
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.
I’d drop the 40 cents on a new stopper unless you don’t mind oxidation
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?
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.
Maybe the open fermenter pros cold crash in a closed airtight container.
I hope so. Would hate to see fruit flies get sucked in.
This is fun. I’m glad god invented sarcasm
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.
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.
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.