DIY Injection Port Lids

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#1

Here’s one approach to making injection-port lids which I quite like:

Requirements:

  • Drill
  • RTV silicone (high-temperature)
  • Tyvek
  • Micropore tape
  • Scissors

Steps:

  • Drill two holes in the lid (filter hole slightly larger than injection-port hole)
  • Apply a small blob of silicone to one of the holes and swirl it around
    • Strong smell from the silicone: work in a well-ventilated space
  • Add a second blob of silicone to the same hole on the other side of the lid
  • Try to ensure there are no air bubbles between the two blobs of silicone
  • Set the lids aside so the silicone can set (24-48 hours)
  • Cut Tyvek squares and tape one over the second hole (with micropore tape)

The Tyvek in this case comes from USPS mailing sleeves. I’m not sure if it’s still the case, but you used to be able to get these for free at some USPS mail boxes. I have also found Tyvek locally in the form of reusable shopping bags.

Another approach is to cut a square of Tvyek roughly 1.5 - 2 times the diameter of the mouth of the jar. Fill the jar with grain / liquid culture, place the Tyvek square over the jar opening, then screw the lid on over the Tyvek. One hole has the injection port, the other is covered with a layer of micropore tape. When injecting LC into the jar, pierce the injection port and the Tyvek filter.

Top-view of the metal lid of a canning jar with a red blob of silicone and rectangle of Tyvek covered by a rectangle of micropore tape
Top-view of the metal lid of a canning jar with a red blob of silicone and rectangle of Tyvek covered by a rectangle of micropore tape1200×900 129 KB

Bottom-view of the metal lid of a canning jar with a red blob of silicone and a small hole. Red and whote Tyvek is visible through the hole
Bottom-view of the metal lid of a canning jar with a red blob of silicone and a small hole. Red and whote Tyvek is visible through the hole1200×1200 151 KB

Four glass canning jars with DIY injection-port lids
Four glass canning jars with DIY injection-port lids900×1200 165 KB

Feel free to share your preferred lid-prep techniques here! :slight_smile: It’s nice to have a range of different techniques to employ when certain materials or resources aren’t available.

Injecting Through Polyfill: Sin?
#2

so originally I had been using silicon ports like you’ve done above,
but someone in biopunk kitchen telegram recommended these self-healing ports so I decided to try them.

when I tried putting them on the lids I had, I used an 8mm drill and some scissors, but couldn’t get the holes to be the exact right size for the ports, so the lids ended up being a tiny bit leaky around the edges of the port.

Soooo, then I went back over the edges of the ports with silicon, and they are no longer leaking.
Can’t say this is a recommended tek, but its working lol

IMAGE 2021-02-24 15:09:18
IMAGE 2021-02-24 15:09:181280×960 94.7 KB

[photo of lid with self-healing port and silicon around the port]

IMAGE 2021-02-24 15:09:17
IMAGE 2021-02-24 15:09:171280×960 128 KB

[original silicon lid]

p.s. all of our jars are from the German pfand system and eventually I hope will be returned to the river of jars from whence they came

#3

These are a small variety of lids; a mate and I made about a month ago. I personally prefer the 1st option due to cleanliness and ascetics, however it is the most expensive option.

  1. Autoclave syringe filter and silicone injection port

    image
    image3024×4032 1.88 MB

  2. Polyfill with micropore tape over and port

    image
    image3024×4032 1.19 MB

  3. Poly and port

    image
    image3024×4032 2.4 MB

  4. Poly and RTV silicone

    image
    image3024×4032 2.3 MB

The holes were around 0.5cm and 0.8cm for the port and filter respectively. (Used a normal hand drill)
We also sanded down the rough edges of the fresh drilled holes to get it smooth and fit to size.

These Consol jars come highly recommended. Hermetically seal and well spaced. The only down side is the rust that eventually eats away at them.

1 Like
#4

When injecting LC into the jar, pierce the injection port and the Tyvek filter.

@glyph why do you say pierce the injection port and the tyvek? why not just the injection port?

#5

I wrote that as part of the description of a second method which involves covering the mouth of the jar with a large piece of tyvek before putting the lid on. When using that method, the needle needs to pierce both layers (injection port and tyvek).

This photo kinda illustrates what I’m talking about, just imagine that one of the small holes in the lid had been made into an injection port with silicone:

1 Like
#6

thanks @glyph I can now properly parse that sentence from before (before I was imagining piercing both holes, for unclear reasons)

#7

@Merlyn I agree your first lid example looks nice. I’ve also been seeing others do this online. I’m a bit confused though, wondering what is the purpose of the “syringe filter” and why its shaped like that? As I understand it, this part is just an alternative filter (similar to the other filters you showed in the other images)… the syringe still goes through the injection port, and not through this “syringe filter”. So I’m curious why is it called a syringe filter and what its advantages are?