> ...that is a neat idea - what your wife made as a top for it.

She has also made me several muslin tops for my 6- and 7-gallon
primary buckets. She cuts the circle about 6 inches wider in diameter
than the top (i.e. 3 inches all around), darts the 3-inch overhang to
turn the muslin downwards, and then sews a hem and threads the elastic
through it before finishing. They fit snug and keep everything out -
dust, dog hairs, flying insects. If you buy good muslin, you get a
high thread-count weave and that is much better than a plain cotton
weave for keeping out the microscopic stuff, although this too is a
matter of relativity. The tops wash and dry easily and store folded
in ZipLoc bags. Most importantly, they allow the must exposure to air
those first critical 48-72 hours when the yeast is largely just
multiplying and needs O2 exposure. After that, you can use the
plastic lids that come with the buckets, either with or without
airlock, but I tend not to do that

Jack Keller