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
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 ...
- 5,641
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
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
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
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
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 ...
- 7,048
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
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 ...
- 5,641
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
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
I've had my home brew sitting at 19c for 4 days now but there are no bubbles
Take a gravity reading. Write down the gravity. Is it already in a reasonable range for a finished beer? Anything of 1.014 or lower should be fine.
Did you take a reading of the Original Gravity (OG)?...
- 1,266
2
votes
Contamination from airlock
I stopped using vodka or sanitizer in the airlock 19 years and nearly 500 batches ago. No problem.
- 33.4k
2
votes
Starsan in double bubble airlock keeps getting sucked into fermenter - why and how to prevent?
One sensible suggestion is don't put starsan in the bubble trap - just put water in there. There is no need to use an antiseptic in the air lock.
- 5,641
2
votes
Urgent help for a new beginner
I think you mean a 5 gallon batch (19 L)? I don't know your specific recipe, but the corn sugar is usually for priming the bottles for carbonation after the beer is done. So you would boil your ...
- 608
2
votes
Airlock sucking inward
I used to use K-meta in my airlocks without any problems, until I had it get sucked into and ruin a batch of beer. Now, nothing but vodka in my airlocks. If it gets sucked in it just raises my ABV a ...
- 502
2
votes
Airlock won't stay in carboy
Are you sure it is the correct size?
I use the solid type, but what I find is that if I use a #7 bung, it wants to come out so I need to press it down a lot more. However, if I use a #6.5 (just a ...
- 4,806
2
votes
Airlock Blow now no bubbles
What temperature is your fermenter. You may want to consider cooling it down if it is too high. That will slow fermentation and potentially produce better tasting beer if your temp is too high. ...
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
Fermentation started right after air-locking, but stopped after a few hours
Get that vinegar out of there. Your entire batch could turn to vinegar, as it is obviously not a good sanitizer for acetobacter vinegar-producing bacteria! I use vodka in mine, and Everclear would ...
- 3,425
2
votes
Problem with cider not fermenting
In my experience, I usually don't begin to see CO2 bubbles until days 3 or 4. Usually by the end of a week you should have pretty aggressive fermentation. I usually keep my Cider fermenting on a ...
- 257
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