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Pimp my bucket...


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#1 3rd party JKor

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 01:20 PM

Now that I'm happily fermenting in buckets, I'm obviously thinking about how I can tweak them.  I wouldn't want to leave well enough alone!

 

I find one of the bigger downsides are the lids.  They're a pain to get off the bucket (mine are anyway), you can't see what's going on in there.  They don't always seal.  etc., etc.  So I had been thinking about replacing the lids with something easier/better.  I looked at the Gamma lids, like they have on the Vittles Vaults, those seemed pretty good but they would also be a pain to get off for cleaning.  Then I had the idea of just using a clear piece of acrylic (or similar) with a gasket.  I wanted something rigid enough to tighten down and compress a soft gasket.  I was able to find some 12x12x1/2 thick polycarbonate on ebay for less than $15 each.  I didn't think I'd get something so thick for that price.  It appears they sell a lot of cut offs from PC glazings on ebay, so smaller PC pieces are actually pretty cheap.

 

Anywho, the PC is very rigid so it will only need a couple of hold down points, maybe 4, and another nice thing about 1/2" PC is that you can drill and tap it.  I'll probably put a couple of 1/2" NPT fittings through the lid for various connections.   Maybe set it up for pressurized transfers.  

 

Also, my thinking for the long run is to go to stainless stock pots for fermenters.  These lids would fit exactly on the Update International 20qt stock pots I had in mind to use.  Bonus!  I may even be able to carbonate in them (and add a cooling jacket).  I found someone on ebay selling almost exactly what I was planning to do, except for use as a vacuum chamber for degassing silicones:

 

https://www.ebay.com...=item3aa277fdb9

 

Same stock pot and everything.  Weird.



#2 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 01:23 PM

I was going to do this a while back. I even made a custom gasket for the lid and had a way to keep it sealed. By the time I was done making it I had the 1bbl  system and haven't gone back. Now I use the big stock pot as a reservoir for sanitizer on brew day.



#3 3rd party JKor

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 01:25 PM

Did you use RTV silicone for the gasket?



#4 positiveContact

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 01:58 PM

Now that I'm happily fermenting in buckets, I'm obviously thinking about how I can tweak them.  I wouldn't want to leave well enough alone!

 

I find one of the bigger downsides are the lids.  They're a pain to get off the bucket (mine are anyway), you can't see what's going on in there.  They don't always seal.  etc., etc.  So I had been thinking about replacing the lids with something easier/better.  I looked at the Gamma lids, like they have on the Vittles Vaults, those seemed pretty good but they would also be a pain to get off for cleaning.  Then I had the idea of just using a clear piece of acrylic (or similar) with a gasket.  I wanted something rigid enough to tighten down and compress a soft gasket.  I was able to find some 12x12x1/2 thick polycarbonate on ebay for less than $15 each.  I didn't think I'd get something so thick for that price.  It appears they sell a lot of cut offs from PC glazings on ebay, so smaller PC pieces are actually pretty cheap.

 

Anywho, the PC is very rigid so it will only need a couple of hold down points, maybe 4, and another nice thing about 1/2" PC is that you can drill and tap it.  I'll probably put a couple of 1/2" NPT fittings through the lid for various connections.   Maybe set it up for pressurized transfers.  

 

Also, my thinking for the long run is to go to stainless stock pots for fermenters.  These lids would fit exactly on the Update International 20qt stock pots I had in mind to use.  Bonus!  I may even be able to carbonate in them (and add a cooling jacket).  I found someone on ebay selling almost exactly what I was planning to do, except for use as a vacuum chamber for degassing silicones:

 

https://www.ebay.com...=item3aa277fdb9

 

Same stock pot and everything.  Weird.

 

would it seal with positive pressure?



#5 Corbin

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 02:19 PM

I use one of these
https://www.amazon.c...s/dp/B006RXPV4Y

#6 positiveContact

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 02:44 PM

I've found that some bucket lids are much easier to remove than others.



#7 3rd party JKor

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 06:51 PM

would it seal with positive pressure?

 

 

Not the one I linked, you would need clamps to keep the lid on.  



#8 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 18 August 2015 - 07:53 AM

I bought some 100% silicon caulk at lowes. It actually worked well. It gives off an odor for about 2 days, but then when it's finally completely cured it stops.



#9 HVB

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Posted 18 August 2015 - 07:55 AM

Would sliced silicone tubing not work OK for a gasket?
 



#10 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 18 August 2015 - 08:00 AM

You're going to need to make a clamp that can depress the lid and keep it tight against the pot. Bungies might work, but they slip and don't apply even pressure and have a tendency to bow the lid which causes part of the seal to fail.


Would sliced silicone tubing not work OK for a gasket?
 

 

Sure if you can get the right size. You want to try and splice it at a 45 degree angle with some crazy glue too.



#11 positiveContact

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Posted 18 August 2015 - 08:04 AM

how about a small vittles vault?  do they make those?



#12 HVB

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Posted 18 August 2015 - 08:06 AM

how about a small vittles vault?  do they make those?

If you want to keep the bucket you can look into Gamma Seal lids.



#13 positiveContact

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Posted 18 August 2015 - 08:12 AM

how about one of these deals?

 

https://www.morebeer...20l-53-gal.html

 

9941.jpg


If you want to keep the bucket you can look into Gamma Seal lids.

 

that's with the adapter on the lip of the bucket?  only seems slightly better than prying the lid off since you have to take the adapter off to properly clean everything out but maybe I'm wrong.



#14 bigdaddyale

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Posted 18 August 2015 - 11:50 AM

CamExt.AdjustableProductPicture.jpg



#15 3rd party JKor

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Posted 18 August 2015 - 01:29 PM

I had already ordered some threaded handwheels and plan to use some 1/4"-20 threaded hook to grab underneath the bucket ridge.  I use the Encore Plastics food grade buckets from Lowe's.  They have a very pronounced reinforcing ridge around the bucket.  It should be no problem to use it to hold down the lid.

 

I'll make some custom gaskets using this food grade RTV silicone.



#16 HVB

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Posted 20 November 2015 - 11:14 AM

My bucket pimping.

 

11222179_10154524741169657_8995112105141



#17 BlKtRe

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Posted 20 November 2015 - 04:54 PM

CamExt.AdjustableProductPicture.jpg


More information please!

#18 HVB

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Posted 20 November 2015 - 05:42 PM

More information please!


Search for cam lever.

#19 BlKtRe

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Posted 20 November 2015 - 09:55 PM

Search for cam lever.


I was thinking more in terms of how these would work on a bucket lid.

#20 haeffnkr

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Posted 21 November 2015 - 05:59 AM

Use some bungee cords to hold down your plexiglass lid.

You could use 2 short ones and just connect them to renforecment rings on the top of your bucket, drill 4 small holes in those ridges/renforcements so the hooks done slide off or just wrap 2 long one under the bucket and connect them together on top of the bucket/lid.

 

good luck Kevin




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