BeerBorg

I'm fermenting my first carboy batch in an antique tag-sale glass 5 gallon water bottle. Belgian Dubbel, today I tried to add candi syrup. Except that the solid rubber stopper won't come out. I tried a sturdy coat hanger, the kind for a real coat. The hook just straightened out. So I did some research, finding suggestions: corkscrew, bolt, wall anchor, push it in, use air pressure. The one I like so far is to use an allen wrench or a nail on a string through the hole. But I also read about guys drying stoppers before using them. I just sprayed it with starsan and stuck it in. Now it won't even turn. Did the starsan dry and glue it in place? I first tried the hollow cup shaped type of stopper, but it falls out easily. Any stopper tips?

maybe some more star san will loosen er up......i used a rubber stopper only once but i remember it being really slippery when i first put it in. like i had trouble getting it to sit tightly and it kept popping up. but after fementation it did seem kinda stuck and had to work it a little to get it out

When stuff like that happens to us girls we pull out the hair dryer; they're like the men's version of duct tape.

Brewbirds wrote: us girls

See? Now I'm confused, (not really hard to do) I thought birds were fraternal twins of opposite sex. Have I had it wrong?

BB, I did think of warming it. And I may yet. But I'm a bit worried about uneven heat on the glass and the wort. Thank you though.

Do you have any hard plastic slim tool that you can slide between the carboy and stopper while spraying some Star-San in the gap? I'm an auto tech and I'm thinking of what we call a windshield tool. Maybe you could slowly work your way around the stopper like this to help loosen it.
Hey, just noticed in the cup on my desk, what about the little thingy on a pen cap that keeps it in your shirt pocket? That might work.

Good idea Ink.
I'm waiting to try anything until I get a couple of spare stoppers and airlocks. I already cracked the airlock, I want something more than aluminum foil if I lose or damage the stopper.

jimjohson wrote:

Brewbirds wrote: us girls

See? Now I'm confused, (not really hard to do) I thought birds were fraternal twins of opposite sex. Have I had it wrong?

Oh Boy. JJ What am I going to do with you my friend. When Birdie talks people listen when BB2 talks people ask Birdie if they should listen.

I picked up from Sears, a cheap, hose removal tool. It is sturdy, strong and will remove those stubborn stoppers like they are loose. Cut off, or have a bud with a metal saw cut off the last bend with the point on it. It works great.

OR, a small diameter flat tip'd screwdriver, bend to a 90 degree bend in a vise the last 3/4 inch of it. Insert, pull, stopper is out.

Did you get it out John? I had this happen once. It took starsan, a pair of channel locks and a screw driver to get it out. After that I just started using a big blowoff hose.

Okay, solved. Today I was looking around for something to use. I found an unused 2" dollar store paint roller. I pulled the sleeve off, unbent the right angle, bent a hook into the end. That went into the hole and pried out the stopper. Then I added the candi syrup, and put in a new stopper and airlock.