Two brews, One airlock

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Creobane

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I began the boil for my second brew last night, a Cream Stout, only to realize I had no airlock to use. You'll notice the only airlock I own resting atop my fermenting Apfelwein.

Well, this wasn't a problem in the slightest. Some tubing sliced lengthwise to slide in with the other end submerged in a dish of sanitizer.

This is the third brew (of my life) since the beginning of the month. I bottled an Irish Stout 4/12/08, which is now very delicious. The Apfelwein has been fermenting since Monday 4/21/08, and this Cream Stout just started fermenting this afternoon after last night's airlock improv.

Does anyone else have an easy way of making a check valve/airlock from common tools?

-Kyle

Improv%20Airlock.JPG
 
That is what I usually do. Or tape the hole over if fermentation is done. Air will still leak out.
 
I use a piece of tubing and a canning jar. With a knife cut an X in the lid of the jar. Insert one end of the tube through the X. add sanitizer. Put the other end of the tube in the grommet.
 
With the level of your blowoff liquid above that of the bucket, a fairly small drop in temperature could start a siphon that will empty your bowl into your fermenter. I would be fairly careful of that once fermentation slows/ends.
 
When I run out of airlocks, i do a highly technical procedure:

1. rip a sheet of aluminum foil out of the roll
2. sanitize it (a lighter will work, or some star-san)
3. slap it over the hole, wedging a little bit into the hole to keep it in place (that's for a bucket. for a carboy, just cover the top with the foil.)



it ain't pretty, but i've never had any contaminations with foil.
 
ChrisKennedy said:
With the level of your blowoff liquid above that of the bucket, a fairly small drop in temperature could start a siphon that will empty your bowl into your fermenter. I would be fairly careful of that once fermentation slows/ends.

I noticed that also. A simple fix would be to use a longer tube and place your liquid barrier on the same plane as the bottom of your fermenter.
 
homebrewer_99 said:
If you lived closer I'd donate 1-2 of my airlocks to you...I have over 20 of them...;)
How do you accumulate 20 airlocks? : P More importantly, I'm missing the red cap on one of my S-shaped airlocks. Egad!
 
airlocks are pretty cheap, do your self a favor in the future, every time you order from the LHBS add an airlock. i have around 6 of them and i'm going to start getting more once i get my 6 new carboys(blindsided SWMBO into letting me get 6 more)

just my 2 pennies

what you have will work but as stated before, take that water bowl and put it lower to the ground to avoid that getting into the fermenter
 
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