Winemaking Made Easy
Bungs, Stoppers & Closures – Say What?
April 3rd, 2009 by robin in wine making
Regardless of what you call them bungs, stoppers or closures – you need them. They aren’t usually given any attention, but where would wine making be without them? For one thing, if you didn’t have one where would you put your airlock? Seriously, these items are important. They work in conjunction with air locks to ensure an air-tight seal at the neck of your carboy, keeping your wine healthy and safe.
The thing we really need to discuss when it comes to bungs is size. They are given number sizes that can sometimes be confusing if you don’t know what they mean. Below please find a chart that will help you find the right size stopper for your carboy or jug.
| Size | Top Diameter (in.) | Bottom Diameter (in.) |
| 2 | 3/4 | 5/8 |
| 3 | 15/16 | 3/4 |
| 4 | 1 | 3/4 |
| 5 | 1 1/6 | 29/32 |
| 5.5 | 1 1/8 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 1/8 | 1 1/16 |
| 6.5 | 1 3/8 | 1 1/8 |
| 7 | 1 7/16 | 1 3/16 |
| 7.5 | 1 1/2 | 1 1/4 |
| 8 | 1 5/8 | 1 3/8 |
| 8.5 | 1 11/16 | 1 7/16 |
| 9 | 1 3/4 | 1 15/32 |
| 9.5 | 1 13/16 | 1 1/2 |
| 10 | 1 15/16 | 1 5/8 |
| 10.5 | 2 1/16 | 1 3/4 |
| 11 | 2 1/4 | 1 15/16 |
| 11.5 | 2 1/2 | 2 |
| 12 | 2 9/16 | 2 1/8 |
| 13 | 2 11/16 | 2 5/16 |
| 14 | 3 1/2 | 3 |
| 15 | 4 | 3 1/4 |
There are several “universal” stopper sizes that you don’t have to worry about measuring for. There is a small, medium and large of these and they come in drilled and undrilled forms. The small generally fits glass carboys. The medium usually fits Better Bottle carboys and the large are designed to fit larger demi-johns and barrels. Their dimensions are as follows:
| Size | Top Diameter (in.) | Bottom Diameter (in.) |
|---|---|---|
| small | 1 8/16 | 1 2/16 |
| medium | 1 12/16 | 1 7/16 |
| Large | 2 4/16 | 1 14/16 |
So regardless of whether you choose to call it a bung, stopper or closure, please give this piece of equipment the respect it deserves. We would be lost without it.
Tomorrow we will discuss hydrometers.
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Tags: bung, bungs, carboy stopper, closures, stoppers, wine making supplies, winemaking supplies