I remember seeing a post about this, though I can’t remember whether it was here - I couldn’t find it, efficiently, nonetheless.
In case anyone has trouble keeping the bung/stopper in the top of glass demijohns/carboys, I made simple muselets out of 16 AWG craft wire.
How-To images follow the ‘deployment’ images.
Fermentor (apologies for the poor lighting, but you know, fermentation chamber.
Aging a mead, or any secondary.
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Cut craft wire, approximately 2 feet, folded in half.
- Twist a loop into end - at middle fold - a few times. I do this so that the loop will end up just below the top of the bung.
- Place wire about demijohn neck, where you will want it to set (has to be under a lip, obviously).
- Wrap around and CAREFULLY pull the wire tight (should do this while demijohn is empty, just in case).
- Twist pair to close.
- Place bung. Loop ONE of the wire ends over the bung, slightly off-center, and thread through the loop.
- CAREFULLY pull the wire tight, and kink the pair to set.
- Lay second wire end over the first and the loop.
- Pull second wire-end tight, and twist to set.
ALL DONE!!!
You can see there’s plenty of room for an airlock. I normally only use the drilled stoppers, and not the type used in this demo - they are WAY more reliable, in my experience.
