anti-bud

Recipes 

Ok so can anybody help me? I just did my first boil last night. Everything went alright, but a friend of mine told me to use a bit of vodka in my air lock instead of santitized water, well when i inserted my air lock into the fermenter lid some of the vodka got into my beer. The pressure just sucked it right in. Is this going to ruin my first batch???? Please help!!

SuperiorBrew

Recipes 

you wont even notice it
You may even have boosted your ABV by .00001%

__________________
Rich

Bitter Creek Homebrew Supply

TheJadedDog

Recipes 

You will be just fine, no worries.

__________________
And now we go AG!

On Tap: Nadda
Primary: Nadda
Planning: Extra Special Bitter

Sir Humpsalot

Recipes 

It's hard to say whether the vodka in your fermenter is going to cause a problem. This actually depends on a number of variables. I suppose the best thing to do, just to be sure, would be to send me the bottle of vodka.

Once I receive it, I will run some tests for you and let you know if it will cause a problem with your beer.

__________________
In Process: Big Big Barley Wine, Hob Goblin Clone, Chocolate Porter, Light American Wheat
Bottled/Kegged: :-(
Up Next: Oatmeal Cookie Stout // Gumball head clone // ESB

chione

Recipes 

I use vodka in my apfelwein because it ferments slowly and it will sit for months. For beer I have been using sanitized water. My theory being that if vodka lands on the beer it will kill any of the top fermenting yeast it contacts where as water will not plus water is cheaper. YMMV

Aspera

Recipes 

The only way the vodka would affect your beer is if all of the alcohol evaporates off, the airlock solution goes bad, and THEN it gets sucked into your fermenter. For future reference, you can avoid the problem by waiting 24 hours to fill the airlock (the beer is often cooling and not yet producing CO2 the first day.

DeathBrewer

Recipes 

if the alcohol evaporates off? i would try not to keep my brew anywhere that hot!

__________________
Easy Partial Mash Brewing - Stovetop All-Grain Brewing

"Death is always with us." - Brewpastor

We will remember...

Aspera

Recipes 

Alcohol has a high enough vapor pressure that alcohol (or water for that matter) evaporates at room temperature.

HP_Lovecraft

Recipes 

This is the exact reason why people often sugest using vodka.

The effects of vodka on the wort should have far less impact then water which might infect the beer, or sanitizing solution which may effect the flavor.

Worst thing the vodka will do is kill a small minority of the yeast.

nick

Evan!

Recipes 

Aspera: don't scare the guy. It's not a problem. I've added 2 cups of bourbon to a beer before...so what is a few drops, or even a few ounces, of vodka (a spirit more neutral than bourbon) gonna do? Nuthin.

__________________
MOSS HOLLOW BREWING CO.
Aristocratic Ales, Lascivious Lagers

.planned:
•Scottish 80/- •Sweet Stout •Roggenbier
.primary | bright:
98: Moss Hollow Soured '09 72: Oude Kriek 99: B-Weisse 102: Brett'd BDSA 104: Feat of Strength Helles Bock 105: Merkin Brown
.on tap | kegged:
XX: Moss Hollow Springs Sparkling Water 95: Gott Mit Uns German Pils 91b: Brown Willie's Oaked Abbey Ale 103: Merkin Stout
98: Yorkshire Special 100: Maple Porter 89: Cidre Saison 101: Steffiweizen '09 (#3)