airlock - vodka vs water

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nanoBrewer

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Vodka or water - which should I use in the airlock?

Do I need to user a sanitizer in the airlock water, or can I simple boil the water for 10 minutes?

I've brewed three batches to date, and I've been using tap water in the airlock without adding any sanitizer to the water. So far, my beer (all of them ales) have been great - no baterial infection.
 
I always use water that I have used as my one step sanitizer.... put that in the airlock and let er rip... never had an issue either.
 
One-Step will not last forever...it does break down.

Me? I use whiskey.
 
Probably more important is how clean is your house? ha ha I have never used spirits in the airlock, I am sure it works well, but I have never had an issue. My beer seems to be pretty darn resilient after the primary ferment is completed...
 
Ahhh work calls, back to Chicago, then Buffalo, then back to Chicago, then home to Indianapolis... let me know if the Appleton will work though!

Brewpilot
 
What ever you use, avoid the temptation to overfill the airlock. A good test is to blow 'backwards' through the airlock (before you install it on the fermentoir/carboy obvlioulsy.

If any liquid comes out, it was overfilledand could have been drawn back into your beer.
 
I use some cheap vodka that a friend left at my place one year. I have other friends who have used tap water. As long as it doesn't get sucked back into the fermentor, I don't think tap water is a issue.
 
(about) The only time your airlock will pull vs. push is when your fresh wort/bier is still cooling...right after aerating and pitching. Typically your wort (and air inside) will still cool slightly and cause contraction which reduces the air pressure in your vessel.

It compensates by sucking outside air in...
 
Dennys Fine Consumptibles said:
Plain old water here. Co2 pushes out not in.
Click to expand...

Unless you run into an extended lag time prior to fementation starting. Cool wort has been known to pull liquid from the airlock into the fermentation vessel from time to time. There is a scientific reason for it, that I am unable to put my finger on....hmm:confused:

I believe this is the primary reason people use spirits instead of water. Me, never had an issue with it, so I simply use plain old tap water.
 
I've only used bottled water since that's also what I'm topping off with.

Tommy
 
I use filtered water, not boiled though. I also use this room temp water to add to my wort. I have had no issues with contamination yet.
 
Well I cool my wort to 21C so I donlt have the sucking in problem.

One thing that definatley casue a sucking action (insert lewd joke here) is picking up plastic carboys.

Picking up Ladies of the Night also may cause a simular action but will not effect your carboy.
Although if you are in a car at the time then I guess that could make you a "car-boy".
 
when i was using airlocks instead of blow off tubes i used a spirit dejour. reason being that when the temperatures and psi differ during the initial stages of fermentation, the possibility of sucking in the water from the airlock is a real scenario.
 

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