Forgot to put water in my airlock, is my beer ruined?

Hello everyone,

I started brewing my first batch of beer this weekend (sat. Dec.12) and I forgot to put water in the airlock and did not notice until ~26hrs later. I read a few posts that say that the beer should be fine, but it has been almost 48 hrs since I pitch my yeast and I have yet to see any major signs of a violent fermentation (currently it is only bubbling in the airlock once a minute, if that ). Did I ruin my first batch?


Thanks in advance,

Nope, if you are getting bubbles then your beer is on its way.

Some people dont even use airlocks and just put a piece of sanitized aluminum foil over the top of the carboy.

I use cheap vodka in my airlocks as no nasties can live in it and if I get suckback it wont put any nasties that might be in the water in my beer.

it will probably be fine. while it it fermenting it will be expelling co2 which will cause a gas outflow. Let it finish and taste it then decide. What was your recipe and what yeast did you use?

I used semi-expensive vodka (Finlandia) in my airlock for my last batch. I'm going to use Vox for my next one, so if there's a suck back the results will be delicious.

I am brewing a Belgian white and used a liquid yeast (not entirely sure of the name of the yeast, I purchased a kit that the local home brew supply store put together).

by the way, using vodka in the airlock is brilliant. I will def. be using that technique.

I really think an air lock is more of a visual indicator for fermentation than anything. When fermentation kicks off you've got positive pressure that will purge all the air out. And what if there is negative pressure? It's going to suck in air or the water in the air lock if it's filled high enough.

PT Ray said:

I really think an air lock is more of a visual indicator for fermentation than anything.

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I think you got that kinda backwards. An airlock is to keep wild yeast, bacteria and fruit flies out of your brew while allowing co2 to escape. It's very hit-and-miss as to a fermentation gauge. I don't even get bubbles in mine because CO2 escapes past the lid of my pail.

A hydrometer is a fermentation measuring device, not the airlock.

ChshreCat said:

An airlock is to keep wild yeast, bacteria and fruit flies out of your brew while allowing co2 to escape.

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A wad of cotton will do the same thing, just not as visual.

PT Ray said:

A wad of cotton will do the same thing, just not as visual.

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Not quite as well, but it works in a pinch. As does tin foil, plastic wrap and lots of other things. With my not-quite-airtight ail pail I've though about just sticking a stopper in my airlock hole and being done with it, but it just doesn't look right to not have that plastic dohickey sticking out the top. Just wouldn't feel like I was making beer!

ChshreCat said:

Just wouldn't feel like I was making beer!

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Exactly! Mine have iodophor or quat which keeps them from blipping and more or less just makes suds. I feel cheated!

PT Ray said:

Exactly! Mine have iodophor or quat which keeps them from blipping and more or less just makes suds. I feel cheated!

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Sometimes I want to get someone to record the sound of their airlock and send it to me. Then I can play it on a loop in my fermentation closet just so I get the full effect.

ChshreCat said:

Sometimes I want to get someone to record the sound of their airlock and send it to me. Then I can play it on a loop in my fermentation closet just so I get the full effect.

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Thats awesome