Noob: To airlock or not to airlock the primary?

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Gabrew

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Hey guys (& gals), congrats to everyone for contributing to such a great site...its awesome.

Ok, enough sucking up....I`m using a malt extract kit and I was simply wondering, for my primary, should I be using an airlock or is that only necessary in the secondary??:confused:

(I`ve looked around the site but was unable to find any concrete answers to my question)

Thanks in advance.:D
 
Are you asking whether you should use an airlock or a blowoff tube? That's a debatable subject. But if you're asking if you need an airlock on your fermenter as opposed to just being open then you definitely want an airlock.
 
Well my question is whether i should simply leave the lid on the primary fermentor (without snapping it shut) or snap the lid shut with an airlock...
thanks
 
Oh. They'll accomplish the same thing for you essentially. They will both let c02 escape while reducing the risk of bacterial infection by keeping the fermentation covered. As long as you have enough headspace in your fermenter I would say just use an airlock just to keep everything sealed up tight. Just preference really.
 
awesome...just wanted to make sure everything was alright. I`ll most probably be putting an airlock tomorrow morning, thanks again!!!
 
I second the recommendation to snap the lid and use an airlock. If it's a hefe then you might want to use a blowoff, or if it's a 5 gal batch in a 5 gal carboy I would advise a blowoff. A loose lid on a fermenting bucket will only tempt you to constantly peek, all the while possibly exposing your wort to nasties. If there's some one else around, they might even do something silly like stick their finger in and give your brew a swirl, just to see how it tastes. Don't laugh, it's been done before.
 
hehe, alright. Actually it`s a redwood ale. The plan was to make 23 liters (in one of those fermentation buckets) but i might have added an extra 0.5L...do you still recomend the blowoff over the airlock??

thanks again!
 
I use a blow off for the primary all of the time.
1) Because I have it.
2) Because I would feel an idiot if I had it, needed it and didn't use it.
3) You never really know what kind of fermentation you are going to get.
4) I don't like to feel like an idiot.
 
olllllo said:
I use a blow off for the primary all of the time.
1) Because I have it.
2) Because I would feel an idiot if I had it, needed it and didn't use it.
3) You never really know what kind of fermentation you are going to get.
4) I don't like to feel like an idiot.

+1 on all points
 
You definitely need to seal the primary vessel airtight and you should be fine just using an airlock, but they are right about the blow off tube.
 
While an airlock or blowoff tube may be helpful in primary fermentation, they are not essential. I brew ten gallon batches using the open fermentation method all the time.

If you are using an airlock or blow-off tube during primary fementation then it would make sense to seal the lead.
 
Perhaps you could seal the fermenter shut and plug up the airlock hole. Then you will get a very nice treatment of eau de beer for your room. Enjoy the aroma for years to come :)

Just kidding. I usually do a blowoff tube for the first week and then switch to an air lock for the remaining 3 weeks prilary.
 
I use a blow off for the primary all of the time.
1) Because I have it.
2) Because I would feel an idiot if I had it, needed it and didn't use it.
3) You never really know what kind of fermentation you are going to get.
4) I don't like to feel like an idiot.

Yep...I will use a blow off until the bubbles subside then I will put on an airlock to save space.
 
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