Total newbie. Still confused

[GaSh65]

Hi folks. It's great to be part of this forum, although there's so much going on here, it's an understatement to say it's overwhelming.
I'm 55, enjoy a beer and am slowly learning more about the different types and the why's and wherefores to it all.
So I've decided that 2021 is the year that I'll dive into it and start making my own. I registered with here and found terrym's post "Basic beginners guide to brewing your own beer from a kit". I thought I'd start here, see how I go and then see about moving into something a bit more involved and complex. So I copied and pasted the kit details into a note on my phone as a 'to buy' list.
It also suggested that Wilkos is a good place to buy equipment and supplies, so I went to the one where I live in Harlow. I bought a 25 litre FV, a large plastic spoon and a funnel. They didn't have anything else on the list.
The rest of it I then bought online at The Home Brew Shop. It's now arrived and I was all excited about preparing to make my first batch, when I noticed that the airlock bubbler with grommet to fit in the top of the FV is way too small. I (stupidly) assumed that everything would be a standard size and all work together.
I realise I should have just bought an all in one kit, but that too late now.
Is there something ridiculously obvious that I'm missing here?
Can anyone suggest how I get around this? I'm peeved that even at this early stage, I'm still can't start as I've bought the wrong kit.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[lupinehorror]

you can ferment without an airlock if you don't seal the bucket lid tightly. not ideal but it'll ferment.

 

[Banbeer]

Hi and welcome to the forum, have you got a length of silicon tubing that will fit in the FV grommet and then into a bottle filled with sanitiser.

 

[VW911]

You probably just need a "bored bung" to fit in the fermenter, and put the airlock in this.
If you can't get one, a wad of cotton wool stuffed in the hole will do for now...

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Yep, stick some cotton wool in if you haven't got any silicone tubing, although I have had some infected brews beer is pretty forgiving!

 

[foxy]

In Australia most throw the lid away, keep the seal and use cling wrap.

No airlock or blow off tube needed.

 

[Plotmaster]

If your kit came with some tubing you could cut an inch off the end and use it as a kind of connector between the FV lid and your airlock... Hope you get it sorted chief!

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

In Australia most throw the lid away, keep the seal and use cling wrap.
View attachment 37849
No airlock or blow off tube needed.

Why would you throw the lid of the fermenter away and then forever spend money on cling film?

 

[GaSh65]

Guys, thank you all so much for such quick and helpful replies. I was a tad disheartened yesterday, but now feel I storm ahead with this and make beer. Pandemic permitting.
I am thinking of cutting a piece of the tubing from the Siphon and using that, failing that some cotton wool, failing that some cling film. So there are plenty of options.
Thanks again. It's great to be part of such a lovely community. I look forward to when I can help someone out like you all have with me.

 

[Clint]

You'll be fine! As long as you sanitise everything and don't leave it so the Mrs,kids,cat,dog,slugs,bats etc can get in it'll be great..
Oh,and once it's done...don't fiddle with it! Leave it at least two weeks before you take a reading.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If the hole is 28 mm (ish) a standard bung will fit.

 

[jof]

My FV is a 30 year old boots kit bucket.
It has a single 5-6mm hole drilled in the lid - no airlock

OK, so I only brew ale, none of this NEIPA stuff, and the longest I've left if for is about 10 days from starting, but I've not had a problem with it.

On the other hand, my cider is in a 5 gallon wine fermenter with an airlock on the top - as I know it will take longer to ferment out than the usual beer

 

[foxy]

Why would you throw the lid of the fermenter away and then forever spend money on cling film?

Pro's and cons for cling film.

No need for an airlock
No suck back of whatever fluid is in the airlock
Go straight into the crash cooling phase
Less height
Can see whats happening in the fermenter.

Cons
Pay a 0.02 of a cent for cling film.

When I was using the plastic fermenters