10
votes
Accepted
Beer blew up into the airlock. What's next?
Just clean it up and replace the airlock sanitizer fluid.
If you have a second airlock just prep it and swap. If not just cover with sanitized foil while cleaning.
- 18.5k
8
votes
White sediment inside my airlock
Looks just like yeast to me. If foam rushed into your airlock, this is really probable. Sugars are dissolved and you won't see them as a layer.
I would replace the airlock with clean one - that way, ...
- 3,718
8
votes
Having doubts about my first stout
At what temperature did you eventually mashed? Not sure how it works out with BIAB, but adding grains to a regular mash (even less volume compared to BIAB), the temperature only drops a few °C's. My ...
- 671
7
votes
Accepted
Worried about oxidation
It's fine. I assume the beer is still actively fermenting, in which case not only will freshly-produced CO₂ (somewhat) displace the O₂ in the headspace, but the yeast can still clean up any O₂ that ...
- 10.1k
7
votes
Put the airlock really high could avoid blowing?
If fermenting in a corney keg you will never yield 5 gallons of finished beer.
If 5 gallons finished beer is the goal use 6-6.5 carboys and brew 5.5-6 gallons of beer.
Primary yeast cake easily ...
- 18.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Airlock has a bug inside
Generally speaking it is safer to remove, clean/sterilise and replace the airlock. It should only take 30 seconds and the vent hole can be covered with an inverted glass to prevent any accidental ...
- 5,631
7
votes
Accepted
Starsan in double bubble airlock keeps getting sucked into fermenter - why and how to prevent?
This is caused by a drop in temp before co2 is being produced. Just cap the fermenter in sanitized foil until you're past the lag phase, or cooled to fermentaion temp. Though a little bit of starsan ...
- 18.5k
5
votes
Will this home-made airlock work?
It will probably be OK. The smaller the bore of the tube, the greater the tendency will be for any bubbles to push the liquid right out. You could just make a blow-off instead by submerging the ...
5
votes
Airlock Blow now no bubbles
If you were getting beer/yeast coming out of your airlock, it seems safe to say your beer was fermenting, perhaps quite vigorously. It's not uncommon for a beer to ferment completely within a few days,...
- 196
5
votes
Has your airlock ever shot out of your carboy?
It usually happens with strong fermentation when the krausen clogs the airlock, it is then ejected with the pressure.
If the fermentation was still active when you returned, the beer might not be ...
- 4,806
4
votes
Airlock was removed from wine carboy - is it still ok?
No way to really know.
For sure it will be more oxidized. It will be a flaw in taste, but no one can know how big one.
Real danger is with flood. Flood promotes mold, and other bad microorganisms. ...
- 3,718
4
votes
Accepted
How bad can this be?
Removing your airlock will most likely not ruin your beer, at least not right away. I remove the lid of my fermentor to take a specific gravity reading from time to time, and I never ruined a batch ...
- 4,806
4
votes
Accepted
Why bother with airlock when I can just leave the tube going to the bleach water in place?
Short answer: sure, that is fine and jsled is absolutely right.
Long answer: the other thing to consider is just don't bother with blowoff, which I assume is the reason for the bleach water setup, ...
- 366
4
votes
Accepted
Contamination from airlock
I think the likelihood of a batch getting contaminated this way is pretty low. Certainly be careful with cleaning and replacing the airlock. But generally speaking the airlock serves as a blocker ...
- 1,900
4
votes
Airlock won't stay in carboy
I use this style. I press them all the way down to the lip. Wet or dry they stay put. Take a little work and patience to get out though.
- 18.5k
3
votes
How bad can this be?
Your hands are filthy. DO NOT PUT THEM IN YOUR BEER.
I say don't put a spoon in either. However big the risk of infection because of your lost o-ring, it's less than poking around in your beer. Plus ...
- 366
3
votes
Airlock required for lagering or conditioning?
You used the term "lagering", so if you are truly lagering, the answer is 'it depends'. If your beer is indeed a lager, then your yeast WILL be active....potentially down to freezing temperatures (if ...
3
votes
Why bother with airlock when I can just leave the tube going to the bleach water in place?
Yes, you can leave the blow-off tube in place if you like. It is just a big airlock, anyways.
- 10.1k
3
votes
White sediment inside my airlock
Ditto, most likely yeast. Try and use a "blow off tube" next time as the krausen is forming, usually during the first few days after the start of fermentation.... depending on fermentation temp, type ...
- 61
3
votes
Fermentation issues
What makes you think that something went wrong? It is normal for the fermentation to slow down, specially if you are close to your final gravity. The speed of fermentation can vary for several ...
- 4,806
3
votes
Accepted
Elderberry wine making: Is wine entering the bubbler airlock usual?
My instant advice is to take the bung out of the demi-john, pour out enough liquid to leave at least 2 inches (or more) above the liquid. Flush/clean the bubble trap and refill as before, then fit ...
- 5,631
3
votes
Starsan in double bubble airlock keeps getting sucked into fermenter - why and how to prevent?
You're putting too much liquid in the bubbles of the airlock. If each side is only filled about one-third, none of the liquid will either be sucked out or blown out.
The fluid in a properly-filled ...
- 2,829
3
votes
Airlock sucking inward
I use vodka in my airlocks if sucking in starts to occur. Freeze distilled stuff should do the trick. To actually get on and answer your questions:
Is my wine likely to be ruined?
Probably not
Is ...
- 7,018
3
votes
Airlock sucking inward
Depending on how much head space, just a few degrees drop will pull air through the air lock into the fermentor.
Also that means that fermentation was no longer producing c02.
It sounds like you ...
- 18.5k
3
votes
I forgot to put liquid in my airlock!
at the beginning, co2 production should push air out through the airlock. So, it probably depends on how long it was left that way
- 51
3
votes
I forgot to put liquid in my airlock!
It's almost certainly fine. As Ken points out, CO2 production pushes air out of the airlock, particularly at the beginning. The headspace in your fermentation vessel is predominantly CO2, so ...
- 710
3
votes
Starsan- overly ambitious krausen in airlock
It's prolly normal and I doupt this foam comes from starsan. I get bigger reaction when my fermentation temperature is high and/or OG is high and/or yeast produce big krausen
- 260
3
votes
Accepted
No airlock movement but I can see bubbling in the mead
Probably primary fermentation is complete. Leave it for another week.
It could also be things like fermentation has slowed, because the ambient temperature has dropped, and it is not complete. Or a ...
- 2,060
2
votes
Why bother with airlock when I can just leave the tube going to the bleach water in place?
Using an airlock certainly makes handling the vessel easier as it's all self contained, but hopefully you won't have to handle the vessel much.
I liked using an airlock because it was a more compact ...
- 933
2
votes
Is my wine safe to drink?
Short answer Yes
No known harmful pathogens can survive in beer or wine.
From your disciption there seems to be no sign of acetobacter which can sour the wine, usually it will have a pellicle on top....
- 18.5k
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