Ahhh, lost my rubber bung

[Drez]

So I got a 6.5 rubber stopper and maybe should have been a 7, it was slick with k met and it went right in. So now I have stabilized wine and a lost bung. What should I do. I don't have a spare 6 gallon but if I rearrange some wines I might be able to figure something out, I'm afraid to leave it in there, while I know its sterile I don't want it to give off a rubber taste either as those rubber stoppers when new reek.

Should I drain and risk a little extra oxidation and try to remove it if I can

Rearrange bulk aging wine to get a new carboy

Just don't worry about it, leave it in till bottling

 

[Sirs]

if it went in that easy it should come right back out just as easy, myself I'd get a coathanger clean it really good and slide that puppy right in the hole and pull it right out just barely bend the end so it will stay on. Or you can wait for other suggestions lol

 

[Deezil]

Empty it out and use the grocery bag method of removing corks from bottles. Same principle.

Empty the carboy
Deflate a plastic grocery bag
-Hold the handles and straighten the bag out, so that the bottom of the bag comes to a point
Lay the carboy on its side
Slide the bag into the carboy, holding onto the handles
Maneuver the carboy until the bung is in the bag
Pull the bag out gently until the bung pops out

Oh, and pray.
It works, unless the bag rips..

 

[Drez]

if it went in that easy it should come right back out just as easy, myself I'd get a coathanger clean it really good and slide that puppy right in the hole and pull it right out just barely bend the end so it will stay on. Or you can wait for other suggestions lol

I thought so too, and I tried pretty much what you said except different improvised tools, I almost had it out and then it slipped back in and sank I think becasue I cant find it now

Empty it out and use the grocery bag method of removing corks from bottles. Same principle.

Empty the carboy
Deflate a plastic grocery bag
-Hold the handles and straighten the bag out, so that the bottom of the bag comes to a point
Lay the carboy on its side
Slide the bag into the carboy, holding onto the handles
Maneuver the carboy until the bung is in the bag
Pull the bag out gently until the bung pops out

Oh, and pray.
It works, unless the bag rips..

Sound like that could work well, if not on one try then another, what about the wine? I just stabalized it like moments before adding the stopper. I understand some of the clearing agents are needed for this stage and worry if I take the wine out Ill loose the new sludge w/ agents and the wine wont clear correctly...

Can I just re aggitate it and all is well?

 

[Deezil]

Do you have a primary fermentation vessel? Could reagitate the sediment, and rack into the the primary long enough to remove the bung..

Just a thought.

I have a couple buckets, and a trash can

 

[Runningwolf]

I would also do as Deezil suggested.

 

[Drez]

Operation code name "mulligan" commences, I'm siphoning and attempting my first grocery bag manoeuvre. Assuming success, I'll re agitate for 5-10 min and see how she goes...

 

[Drez]

SUCCESS

I am in your debt.

Siphoned out the wine making sure to keep all the sediment, commenced operation.
Step 1, acquire bag, locate bung and remove receipt from bad (very important)
Step 2, insert bag with access to handles
Step 3, Capture bung with bag and pull. Moisture helped here to pop that bugger out, Im sure the same principle that got it in there but lets not worry about that.
Re sanitized, agitated in the primary again for ~5min or so with the Drill Rod and siphon back in.

Little more complicated that the typical route but I think well be ok

Thanks all!

 

[Runningwolf]

AWESOME!!! and this is also we how remove corks from bottles.

 

[SteveL]

Glad to hear that you got it out. I did it once with one of my first batches of beer. I was told to just get a new one and leave it in there. Thats what I did, beer turned out great with no off flavors. One of the reason why use Universal Silicone Bungs now, they are not nearly as slippery.

 

[Drez]

Glad to hear that you got it out. I did it once with one of my first batches of beer. I was told to just get a new one and leave it in there. Thats what I did, beer turned out great with no off flavors. One of the reason why use Universal Silicone Bungs now, they are not nearly as slippery.

View attachment 1557

Thats good to know. I wasn't sure it would give off a taste but I certainly didn't want to risk it. It was a new bung and smelled pretty awful, I figured if that smell stays on your hands and I can only imagine how terrible a whiff of that would be in a wine glass

I'll have to look into some silicone bungs, I like that idea better. A much better product that some of these rubbers Im sure.

 

[Dugger]

If you put your airlock in the bung before you put the bung in the carboy, you can avoid this, since the bung is slightly larger with the airlock in it. Also, some airlocks have slightly differing shaft diameters and this can influence whether to use a 6.5 or a 7 bung. Make sure the bung and carboy mouth are both dry when you put it in place; it holds better that way.

 

[JohnT]

On the same note...

Have you guys ever had the problem where the bung does not want to come out? You know, where the bung is stuck, but the f-lock slide out no problem?

I have this tool ..

It is a tool designed for removing corks from 750ml wine bottles (where the cork has been punched into the wine bottle.

It is a "T" handle with a single steel rod that is perpenddicular to the handle.
a the end of the steel rod, there is a short 90 degree bend about 3/8 inch from the bottom.

I find that this really works great when the bung gets stuck.

Simply remove the f-loc, Feed the end of the tool through the center hole in the bung, and give a good yank.

perhaps a picture would be worth a 1000 words in this case?

 

[SteveL]

Have you guys ever had the problem where the bung does not want to come out? You know, where the bung is stuck, but the f-lock slide out no problem?....

The other thing that I use in case like this is an allen hex wrench. Just sanitize the thing stick the "L" shape through the hole, pull. Works like a charm!

 

[Drez]

Make sure the bung and carboy mouth are both dry when you put it in place; it holds better that way.

This was the key point in my case. It was bobing inthe neck a bit becasue of the moisture so I pushed harder, drying the neck/bung would have done wonders Im sure but Im in the habit of spraying everythign with K Met before touching the carboy so that was not the case for me

The other thing that I use in case like this is an allen hex wrench. Just sanitize the thing stick the "L" shape through the hole, pull. Works like a charm!

Haha that is exactly the tool I was using instead of a coat hanger, I almost had it and then it went for a dunk and sank to the bottom haha

 

[AlFulchino]

additionally, paying strict attention to keeping the carboy neck (interior) dry helps reduce these issues.

as someone else stated, leaving a bung in there while the wine finishes will not do any harm

 

[Drez]

Haha

Trick works like a charm for wine bottles too, just as it was suggest it would

 

[Wade E]

Ive used that a few times over the years since I seen the video and every time it works great!