Those who are occasionally engaged in home winemaking can stop at the simplest option – a medical glove. For those who plan regular experiments with wort, it is better to purchase a special water seal or make it yourself.
In this article, Vzboltay will consider all types of home-made devices, share instructions for their manufacture, weigh the “pros” and “cons” of each.
medical glove
The main advantages of this option are availability and low cost. Make it easy.
The main drawback is fragility: the glove can burst, fly off, tear at the most crucial moment. You will have to urgently look for a replacement or wind the rubber product back.
For vessels with a narrow neck, this option is not suitable: it is difficult to ensure tightness. In addition, in the manufacture of each batch of mash, you will have to take a new glove. So the benefit of constantly working with wort is doubtful.
Alternatively, use a condom or a balloon.
Materials
Rubber medical glove (sold in a pharmacy)
Rope, elastic band or tape for fixing
Needle / awl
Method of application
Make a hole in one of the fingers of the glove.
Pull the base of the product over the neck of the vessel, firmly fix it with a rope or tape.
Follow the fermentation processes by the volume of the glove: during the active release of gases – it will inflate, after fermentation is over – it will fall off.
Closure made of cotton wool / rags
The most primitive option for the lazy, which has more disadvantages than advantages.
Pros: Availability and ease of use.
Cons: difficulties with tracking the start and completion of fermentation, poor tightness, inability to use on vessels with a wide neck, dubious benefits.
This method should be used only in extreme cases, if it is not possible to use others. It allows you to more or less restrict the access of air, but you will have to control the process “by eye”.
Materials: a piece of cotton or cloth
Method of application
Seal the neck of the vessel tightly with a lump of cotton wool or other porous material.
The beginning and end of fermentation processes should be monitored visually.
Shutter from a can
The second most popular option after the glove. With proper execution, it can function no worse than a factory device.
There are practically no cons. The main thing is to ensure the tightness of the structure. For these purposes, different compositions are used: from sticky dough and adhesive tape to plasticine and special sealant. It is recommended to take a gas outlet tube that is not very thin so that it does not become clogged with foam. You can buy it at a hardware or hardware store.
To eliminate the specific smell of fermentation, you will need a nylon lid for the jar and an additional hose.
Materials
Glass jar
Water
flexible silicone tube/thin rubber hose
Coating agent: glue, dough, silicone, plasticine, etc.
Additional gas outlet tube and jar lid (optional)
Method of application
Make a hole in the lid of the fermentation tank, insert a tube into it so that the end protrudes slightly into the vessel, but is much higher than the level of the wort.
Thoroughly cover the junction of the tube with the cap.
Fill the jar about halfway with water, immerse the other end of the tube in the liquid.
Optionally, you can use an additional hose and a cover with 2 holes for odor removal. You should close the jar with a lid, place the end of the tube connected to the fermentation tank in one hole, immerse it in water. Insert an additional tube into the second hole, fixing the end above the water level. Bring the second part of the tube out the window or sewer. Cover the joints with sealant.
The intensity of fermentation is monitored by the formation of bubbles. After completing their selection, you can proceed to the next stage of work.
Drop water seal
This option is one of the analogues of the previous one, so they have similar pros and cons. Another “medical” version is a syringe shutter. A thin dropper needle can be replaced with a thicker one by taking it from the largest syringe available on the market.
Materials
dropper
Bank with water
Scissors
Method of application
Pierce the lid of the fermentation tank with a dropper needle, fix it.
On the other side of the dropper, cut off all unnecessary, leaving only the tube itself, lower the end into the water.
Follow the process for the resulting bubbles.
In addition to those listed, there are a lot of instructions for creating water seals from improvised means. You can use one of them or come up with your own.
The original silent water seal, easy to operate, requiring a minimum of time to manufacture:
Relevance: 04.02.2019
Tags: Vodka, mash, moonshine, Moonshine stills and accessories