Grommets for Airlock

[shadow47]

£5 for a "Plastic Demijohn" in my local homebrew shop, which is (as you all know) a glorified 5L water bottle.

Where is the cheapest place to buy the Grommets to fit an airlock to the top? (would like around 10+)

Is it a good idea to drill a large hole with a holesaw, then fit with a standard bung?

Are these water bottles from homebrew stores the same as the ones you buy in supermarkets (same thickness, shape etc)?

 

[Moley]

Don't bother with grommets, if you drill a 9-10mm hole in the cap there's enough flexibility in the plastic to give a proper seal to the airlock.

Hole saw or forstner bit and standard bung works fine :thumb:

I think the bottles are the same, but supermarket ones usually cost less than a quid and come filled with free water which you can use in your brew.

 

[Doh]

Hi I am about to do mine today
Beer kit first (last one was not too bad) hoping to improve on this one after reading threads here (got me some brewing sugar)
Anyways back to your Q after I have used the water for the above I will be left with one 5L water bottle so going to have a go at the wurzel's Orange wine - going to drill a large hole to take a normal rubber bung. Also going to drill a rubber bung to take my heater wire for the beer.

I think there are a few pics of what you after here. http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=103937#p103937
Hope link work as I am new here. I will edit here for drill size later an maybe add some pics.

 

[Dieseljockey]

Don't bother with grommets, if you drill a 9-10mm hole in the cap there's enough flexibility in the plastic to give a proper seal to the airlock.

Hole saw or forstner bit and standard bung works fine :thumb:

I think the bottles are the same, but supermarket ones usually cost less than a quid and come filled with free water which you can use in your brew.

Spot on Moley...this is my one grievance with Ebay & other outlets...stuff on there that takes the urine price wise..the water bottles from the supermarket are fine..they are spot on..I was in the local HBS a while back and this young guy walks in and asked the cost of the Grolsch type bottles..now Mick has them in stock but he told the guy.. go buy a 12 pack.. drink and enjoy them.. then you have the bottles you want...saves you money and you get a good weekend out of it. :party:
On Ebay this morning someone had 3 airlocks for £1.50..but then wanted another £2 or £3 postage.. :rofl: :rofl:

 

[shadow47]

On Ebay this morning someone had 3 airlocks for £1.50..but then wanted another £2 or £3 postage.. :rofl: :rofl:

I sent someone this...
Dear biggerjugscouk,

£2.45 delivery on a single packet of yeast? Are you having a laugh?

And this is the reply.

Hi,

2.45 is our minimum price for shipping, but this isn't simply 'Postage'. This amount covers picking, packaging (the price of the padded envelope), packing (..the person doing it. If I were selling this privately, I have no problems with spending 5 minutes packing and labelling it for free, but we are a limited company and I don't do this myself. We have to PAY someone to do it), admin time, printing out two copies of the invoice (one for you, one for our records), plus a contribution to the Royal Mail for picking up (their van doesn't pick up from us for free), plus the postage itself, and finally, unlike postage from the Royal Mail which has an exemption, we have to add 20% VAT!

Though we value all orders from all of our customers, it isn't hard to see that the value of smaller orders are swamped by associated costs. You see the order swamped by the cost of 'postage', and we see the order swamped by the cost of carrying out the transaction. If the item was more valuable, perhaps allowing room for a modest profit, then we could use this to offset the P&P. However, we are selling a pack of these for 1.25, so the postage and packing (etc) costs need to be met by the shipping charge.

We regularly review our shipping charges. Though your comment was brief it is nonetheless valid, and will be taken into consideration at the next review.

Hope that this helps!

Regards, - Mike Hart
Bigger Jugs

 

[shadow47]

Don't bother with grommets, if you drill a 9-10mm hole in the cap there's enough flexibility in the plastic to give a proper seal to the airlock.

Hole saw or forstner bit and standard bung works fine :thumb:

I think the bottles are the same, but supermarket ones usually cost less than a quid and come filled with free water which you can use in your brew.

Thanks Moley!

:

I guess you could use some blue tack if there seal isn't complete?


Would a spade bit do a good job? I have hole saws but they're all too big my smallest one is literally 2m too big, the bung goes straight through the hole drilled with it.

 

[Dieseljockey]

Dear biggerjugscouk,

Are you sure you were on the same site as me... :rofl: :rofl:
with an address like that I would be very suspicious...
does the wife know...you can tell us all we won't say a word.. :lol:

 

[shadow47]

hahaha!

Yeah I never noticed that, my GF doesn't know! :lol: (I ain't married her yet lol)