Temporary replacement for airlock?

So I'm stupidly sitting here at my brewing quarter's away from home with my boil already going, realizing that in order for me to airlock my current batch at the end of the night, I will need to remove the airlock from my secondary carboy. I have multiple airlocks, but unfortunately didn't remember to bring another one from home. I will be back tomorrow, and I'm wondering what I can do as a temporary way of preventing air from getting into my secondary. At this point it doesn't seem I need to worry too much about air escaping, so it is possible for me to just cover it for 20 hours or so with something sanitary? Any thoughts? Thanks a lot.

A blowoff tube?

tubing plus a glass/mug/jar of sanitized water or just put some sanitized foil over the top of the carboy (loosely so that co2 can escape).

Keep the airlock on your finished beer and top the active ferment with aluminum foil

I would keep the airlock on your secondary, and wrap the primary with some starsan soaked paper towels. Rubber band around it and youre good. The active fermentation will keep positive pressure out of the carboy. I've brewed beers from start to finish only using paper towels. Until recently I didnt have a bung that fit my 7.5 gal sankey fermenter.

Or if you are 100% certain that the secondary is done fermenting you could just cap it for the night, and use the airlock in primary.

Thanks for all the input. I'm leaning toward using the airlock on primary since I'm a little sketched out about that batch in secondary as is. I'll probaby go with the aluminum foil idea and just throw the other airlock in there tomorrow. Secondary definitely seems to be done fermenting anyway. It's been about two and a half weeks and the readings check out.

Keep the airlock on the secondary.

Use sanitized foil on the primary.

Mini-rant: I'd also like to point out that you asked a question and received 4 responses. Two of those responses explicitly say to keep the airlock on the secondary. The other two simply give alternatives to an airlock for your primary. No one ever said to take the airlock off your secondary and use it for your primary, yet this is the route you've now said you're going to take. What's the purpose of posting a question when you're not going to take the advice given in the first place?

I'll wad up a piece of paper towel to plug the hole in my bucket after fermentation slows. I don't do all the time but if I have a bucket sitting on the compressor hump in the chest freezer I can't close the lid, the airlock sticks up too far.

PseudoChef said:

Keep the airlock on the secondary.

Use sanitized foil on the primary.

Mini-rant: I'd also like to point out that you asked a question and received 4 responses. Two of those responses explicitly say to keep the airlock on the secondary. The other two simply give alternatives to an airlock for your primary. No one ever said to take the airlock off your secondary and use it for your primary, yet this is the route you've now said you're going to take. What's the purpose of posting a question when you're not going to take the advice given in the first place?

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Actually pseudo.. one of the above responses did specifically offer the option of transferring the airlock and the response about loosely putting on foil to allow for co2 to escape I interpreted (I think reasonably) to mean that I would transfer the airlock and use the foil as suggested.

StophJS said:

Actually pseudo.. one of the above responses did specifically offer the option of transferring the airlock and the response about loosely putting on foil to allow for co2 to escape I interpreted (I think reasonably) to mean that I would transfer the airlock and use the foil as suggested.

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If you're talking about my post then you mis-interpreted.

Sanitized foil works great over the new brew because the Co2 produced will create positive pressure and help keep any baddies out. On the secondary brew, this is not the case, the brew is not producing nearly as much Co2 in secondary.

jaycount said:

If you're talking about my post then you mis-interpreted.

Sanitized foil works great over the new brew because the Co2 produced will create positive pressure and help keep any baddies out. On the secondary brew, this is not the case, the brew is not producing nearly as much Co2 in secondary.

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I was referring to your post. I did misinterpret. Pretty hurried what with the boil going and what not. Oh well.. at this point I've got the airlock on primary and foil on secondary, but I'll have a chance to stick a new airlock on secondary tomorrow afternoon.

PseudoChef said:

What's the purpose of posting a question when you're not going to take the advice given in the first place?

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The OP acknowledged and thanked everyone for their input and made a decision along with qualifying it. There's not an obligation to take the advice.

Glad to see nothing's changed here.

blacklab said:

Glad to see nothing's changed here.

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Yes, Oregon still has hot assed cheerleaders.


_

PseudoChef said:

What's the purpose of posting a question when you're not going to take the advice given in the first place?

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Did my wife put you up to this? That's exactly what she says all the time.

blacklab said:

Glad to see nothing's changed here.

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Yep, don't know why I waste my time.

I've brewed a beer by shoving kitchen roll in there instead of an airlock. I'm imagining it's breathable enough to let stuff out, and the layer of co2 protects the beer enough.

Wouldn't leave it in there for long after fermentation though.

A balloon over the carboy opening would be kind of fun. One of those long skinny one that clowns use to make balloon animals.

... there's always this option.

Grouchy!