What problems would be caused by the vittles vault not making a perfect seal when slightly pressurized? Other than the airlock not bubbling? Here's what I do to fix my lid. I bought some food grade silicone caulking and I sealed the inside of the lid-ring. On the screw grooves I use keg lube to encourge the seal there. I'm trying to get it to seal to the point where I can push with CO2, but I have a little contraption I need to build before I can try that out. I have just built a new VV fermenter with the caulking, so that's actually new to me and this fermenter is going to be put into use with the next big batch I make. I've had minor success with just the keg lube in the past, sometimes the airlock/blowoff would bubble, sometimes it wouldn't. Either way I don't think this would have a major impact on the beer. Sierra Nevada's marketing would have you think that decreased pressure on the beer actually serves to improve the flavors. If you don't have a perfect seal what you're basically doing is modern open fermentation, where the fermenter is covered but an airlock isn't in use, and due to the minor pressure different you're beer is basically protected against infection. So I don't see how the lack of a perfect seal would affect your beers flavor to a great degree (unless you think open fermentations provide optimal conditions for the yeast). I did the silicone caulking thing mostly as a way to make cleaning easier, rather than disassembling the lid like Dean's site describes I just covered up the cracks with food grade silicone which will make cleaning & sanitizing easier. I'll take some pictures so I can explain it better, but I sealed it from the inside.Like Dean said, VVs do have sealing issues. I've only brewed 3 beers and they all have been unimpressive. I'm thinking one issue might be the lack of air seal for fermenting. Tough to say though. I wish there was an easy fix for my lid leaking, but I can't think of one. I'd try to go another route if I had to do it over again.
Edited by chuck_d, 11 May 2009 - 11:39 AM.