Bung Creeps Loose

[mxsteve625]

I have two carboys, one 6 gallon and one 5 gallon. The dang bung won't stay tight in the tops. They keep slipping up getting loose. What could be causing this? I am afraid that one 5 gallon batch of Muscadine may be bad before I realized this was happening.

Steve

 

[Runningwolf]

Are they damp? Usually when this happens to me I just switch the bungs and everything seems ok. What if you heated them up in some warm water to get them to relax, then dry them and try em again.

 

[jet]

Do they immediately come out, is it over the course of a day or more?

 

[BIGJEFF]

are you using the solid ones or the universal one? I find that on some carboys, the solid ones don't fit real well...

 

[winemaker_3352]

Make sure the bung and the carboy are dry - mine do that when they are wet.

 

[mxsteve625]

They are the universal bungs. One came out immediately. I will try again when dry. The one that came out (whenever) would not stay in even dry. I have tape holding it down right now.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Then use a drilled bung with an airlock - wonder if it could be barometric pressure?

 

[Wade E]

I agree, are they drilled with airlock as many things will make a solid bung pop out and I dont suggest using a solid bung for anything. There are just too many factors that can really cause trouble like MLF, re fermentation, barometric changes, and temp changes to name a few.

 

[Runningwolf]

They are the universal bungs. One came out immediately. I will try again when dry. The one that came out (whenever) would not stay in even dry. I have tape holding it down right now.

I was assuming these were drilled with an airlock in them. Were they solid or drilled with an airlock. We do not reccommend solid bungs

 

[jet]

I was assuming these were drilled with an airlock in them. Were they solid or drilled with an airlock. We do not reccommend solid bungs

You can get universal bungs in drilled or solid. I use the solid ones for storing my carboys.

 

[Runningwolf]

You can get universal bungs in drilled or solid. I use the solid ones for storing my carboys.

And many of us do that also with an inch or two of k-meta in it. But for carboys full of wine I would not suggest it while aging as was mentioned earlier the barometric pressure changes could cause it to pop out.

 

[mxsteve625]

No these are drilled bungs with air lock. After letting them dry they seem to be holding better. I'll keep my eye on them though. Da kinda silly though...it makes sense that if the bung is wet it will move. Strange thing is I have never experienced this before.

 

[Wade E]

Yes, make sure the bung and the inside of the carboy are dry.

 

[Sirs]

If you can get hold of some everclear, take a papertowel dampen it with the everclear and scrub the outside of the bung and the inside of the carboy where it is going to be and let air dry for a few seconds then put in. Do it like your screwing on a lid till it goes down in it good and it should stay I have a carboy I gotta do this to everytime I take the bung out

No these are drilled bungs with air lock. After letting them dry they seem to be holding better. I'll keep my eye on them though. Da kinda silly though...it makes sense that if the bung is wet it will move. Strange thing is I have never experienced this before.

 

[Sirs]

if I try to put it in normally just pushing it straight down it pops right back out soon as I let it go

 

[Runningwolf]

I make sure I have extras and if one doesn't fit this time another one will. I just rotate them If i need to so the last one has time to relax. Also trying to put the air lock in before or after the bung makes a difference.