Under $10.00 fermentation device

[Vater Araignee]

A knife you don't particularly care about but preferably a drill with assorted drill bits.

a sharp knife

1 gallon jar of pickles $4.35

aquarium tubing $0.99

glue gun with sticks $0.99

2 plastic gum ball machine bubbles $1.00

[Vater Araignee]

Lets build an air lock

first you want to drill a hole through the very top of the bubble large enough to freely move the tubing in and out of.

Im using a knife for cheapness and so you can see that with patience it can be done.

see that underlined word? Keep it in mind. Don't bust your bubble and don't hurt yourself or you'll burst your bubble.

In fact I would rather you use a drill with an appropriately sized bit and go slow!

The whole hole done?

Good now make 4 to six small holes around that one.

[Vater Araignee]

those done?

now wash that bubble and base GOOD.

Now snap on the base CAREFUL DON'T BREAK IT.

Time to hot glue the base to the bubble making it water tight.

Do I have to tell you to dry them before you put them together and glue them?

allow to completely cool.

[Vater Araignee]

Now lets take that other bubble and put a tube hole in the top

you want this one snug.

STOP I didn't say put the little holes around it.

This is the E Z part get a lighter or candle or stove if you can move it to your work space and heat up your blade.

I'm using sterno because I'm a fire bug and I have a few dozen or so just laying around.

now poke slots around the bottom lip of the bubble.

or drill small holes

guess what...

you don't need the base

[Vater Araignee]

now take your tubing and cut a notch in one end.

OOPS after you get the plastic off your blade or like me you change the blade.

I think I should have had you do that notching first.

or alternately

now stick the end into the second bubble. You know the one with the slots/holes at the bottom hence forth known as your dust cover.

[Vater Araignee]

notice we haven't cut the tubing to length yet? Lets keep it that way.

now lets stick it in the water basin (first bubble) until it touches the bottom and the dust cover is resting on the water basin.

then glue the tubing in place on the dust cover let it cool and take the basin off and glue the tubing on the inside of the dust cover.

don't go for pretty, go for stuck.

Now you want to take the tubing at least six inches up and loop it back down and glue it to the side of the dust cover.

when it cools off add the water basin and cut the tubing off so that it is at least an inch past the base

[Vater Araignee]

Now for the hard part.

take a peace of tubing and the jar lid placing the tub about center trace around it with a pencil.

Next cut across the tracing several times. It's a good time to wash the lid.

[Vater Araignee]

bend every other tab up and down alternately. and insert the bottom tub of the air lock onto the hole.

Now bend the tabs so that they basically grip the tubing. They don't have to be super tight or digging into the tubing, you don't want to pinch or puncture it.

Is your glue gun still nice and hot?

Good start in on the underside of the lid start gluing the tub into place making sure that you get some of the glue to penetrate to the other side around the tub and completely covering the hole and allow it to cool.

Once the glue is cool carefully remove the water basin,

then using the tip of the glue gun get the glue you push through to the to hot again and start gluing the top for complete coverage of the hole.

allow to cool. now cut the tubing protruding from the bottom of the lid down to about an 8th inch above the tabs.

put water basin back on the put the lid back on the jar.

CONGRATULATION!!! you have a ten long neck cider fermenter.

[Vater Araignee]

coming soon...

How to use it.

but before we get to that run out and get yourself a 5 gal. Orange Homer Bucket $3.47 and a 5 gal. Orange Bucket Lid $1.47 and write on the lid STERILIZATION.

[Vater Araignee]

Anybody gotten to work on this yet?

[Vater Araignee]

Hey kiddies and price update for you.

I found a Plastic one gallon jar at walmart for $2.37

oh

An Idiots Fool Proof Cider Making 101