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grasshopper1917 · 10-03-2007, 12:45 PM

I think we make beer a little differently in Eastren Canada here. We start out in a plastic fermenter but there is not airlock in it - I havent seen a homebrew shop down here yet that has a hole in it. Most people do the primary fermentation with the lid not snug on the bucket thus allowing the gas to escape under the lid. I guess that would allow oxygen to get in too - but I havent had a problem with it so far. Personally with regular ales I put the lid on so it is air tight and when fermentation starts i pull the lid off a sligh bit daily to relieve pressue. High gravity brews i leave the lid loose so it doesnt blow right off.

After about 5 days for a normal ale fermentation is usually pretty well done - then we rack to the secondary glass carboy - which has an airlock - once the beer is clear usually about 2 weeks we transfer to a bottling bucket with some corn sugar and bottle.

Does this sound like a strange method? I wonder why the shops around here dont follow the method most people it seems on here use?

brewt00l · 10-03-2007, 12:55 PM

So airlocks and hydrometers are not available in eastern Canada?

Dinbin · 10-03-2007, 01:28 PM

I think the air-lock is just one more tool to help simplify and safeguard your brew. You don't have to "burp" your bucket, and there is a reduced chance of infection.

**Bobby_M** · 10-03-2007, 01:44 PM

There's really nothing wrong with the loose lid method but then again, a stopper (or grommet) plus an airlock is a whole $3 for piece of mind. The same could be said for a drilled hole and a piece of 1" OD tubing shoved in and draped into a jar of water. I like having that visual indicator of activity. Ahhh the sweet lullaby of glub glub glub.

mr x · 10-03-2007, 03:09 PM

I always use an airlock. I just put a hole in the lid and snap it down. That bubbling sound gives a me peaceful easy feeling...but I've been experimenting with the 6.5 gallon carboys, so I may scrap the plastic altogether.

Check out the Burnside Noble Grape for big fermenters. They have used food grade Malt jugs - 60 litres - $20.

Evan! · 10-03-2007, 03:31 PM

I see you also spell differently in "eastren" canada too.

I doubt it's an eastern-canada thing. You could easily order bungs online and drill a hole in your lid.

ohiobrewtus · 10-03-2007, 03:35 PM

Dang crazy hosers.

grasshopper1917 · 10-03-2007, 08:27 PM

Ohhhh yea we can drill a hole in the top or order a plastic fermentor with the airlock. Just most of the folks I talk to here dont use it - as I seen we have some exceptions with Mr. X

Ok ill check out the burnside noble grape sounds cool - I usually go to the noble grape in clayton park.

We do have hydrometers down east here as well we use them to stir our coffee hehehe - just kidden I always use my hydrometer to make sure primary fermentation pretty well done before transfering - and then to check FG so i can estimate alcohol content

newguy · 10-03-2007, 09:59 PM

I always like to remind myself brewer's from the start of time didn't have airlocks or hydrometers...and I'm pretty damn sure they were making good beer! So hey as long as you like what you make...go with what you know!

**DeathBrewer** · 10-03-2007, 10:30 PM

i'm sure overly sweet, non-carbonated beverages, spiced and bittered without hops and fermented with mold taste fantastic

I'm just being an ass, you can make some great beer without using all the fancy-schmancy new technology...but...why would you want to? i like control over my brew and knowing what's going on every part of the process, with zero worry of contamination, stuck fermentations, or other annoying problems.