bibowski

Recipes 

I bought an airlock in a kit from my local homebrew store, but I didn't see anywhere if I was supposed to put water (or I've even read vodka) into the airlock itself.

Is the only reason for doing that so you can see bubbles travelling through the airlock? Or does it serve another purpose?

ChrisCorley

Recipes 

its a buffer so co2 can escape and oxygen cannot enter. water works but i would use starsan or vodka. just in case it leaks in it wont hurt anything.

bibowski

Recipes 

So is it ok to not have ANYTHING in there? Or it is highly recommended to put something in?

I just did my first brew and the airlock is already on the fermenting bucket... but it's only been there for an hour, I'm sure taking it off, filling it with vodka and putting it back on won't hurt anything.

Golddiggie

Recipes 

You need some kind of liquid in the airlock. Otherwise it's not an airlock at all.

I use StarSan now. When I first started brewing I was using good, filtered, water. Now, I just put some StarSan in (to the fill level) and don't worry about it. I do like how the StarSan can start off cloudy in the airlock, but it quickly clears once fermentation kicks in.

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On Tap: Caramel Ale, Mocha Porter II, MO SMaSH IPA
Waiting/Carbonating: 12.5% Wee Honey II, 8.9% Old Ale, English Brown Ale, Lickah ESB, Mocha Porter II
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ChrisCorley

Recipes 

yeah definitely put some liquid in there. starsan or vodka. watch the level cause you might have suck back or evaporation over the next few weeks. just make sure you have something in there.

fullstop22

Recipes 

five o'clock

Sulli

Recipes 

Don't waste your vodka, use Starsan.