I forgot to add water to my AIRLOCK.

Hello,

I brewed my first batch of beer yesterday. I had no idea I needed to add water or vodka to my airlock. Should I go back and do this today or just leave it??

Thanks for any advice!

So the airlock is on top, but it's dry? Whatever the case, yes - add water now...all should be fine.

The thing to remember is, even with a dry airlock is that the bad stuff are not ninja acrobats....whether it is a 3 piece or an s type, they would have to get through the cap at the top, then either negotiate a series of twist and turns through an S shaped "track" OR have to dive down, then climb up the center post under the plastic bubbler, then lift said bubbler up enough to the make it into the center post and dive into your fermenter....and STILL have to negotiate the rising co2 current pushing out of the fermenter itself....Think about it...Even without water in there, do you think a piece of dust can make this journey?





Needless to say a piece of dust ain't gonna make it. And not much else either. Relax

Go back and add water to the airlock. It is unobtrusive enough to the fermenting process to go over, open the top of the airlock and dribble some water to the proper level.

Thanks!!!!

If I were you I'd use vodka instead of water, I see you're aware about using it. As a new brewer we tend to forget that things like simply moving the fermenter can cause pressure changes and suck the water into the beer - luckily this happened to me on my very first day so it's not like it was stale old water. However, when I took my first gravity reading I forgot to take out the airlock (my fermenter has a spigot built in) and when I turned the tap the water, this time 6 day old water, got sucked in as well lol. So, it's not like you're instantly gonna get infected or anything sucking the old water in, but why not be safe and go with some cheapo vodka anyway?


Rev.

I need you to package all beer and ship it to me for testing. It's the only way I can be absolutely sure that there is no contamination.

Yeah I use vodka usually in my airlock.

Speaking of which, I need to buy more vodka.

I use distilled water, or sometimes distilled water with star-san in it, which keeps it sterile and is way cheaper than even cheap vodka, plus it doesn't evaporate like vodka does.

Also, if you use the triple-ripple airlock, it won't suck anything back through due to the nature of the design.

poley said:

Also, if you use the triple-ripple airlock, it won't suck anything back through due to the nature of the design.

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You, sir, are mistaken.

weirdboy said:

You, sir, are mistaken.

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Really? I've watched air get sucked back through my triple ripple when the ambient temp drops! Maybe if you over-fill it you could get water or whatever sucked back in, but I've watched mine closely.

I'm very curious about this, b/c this is the main reason I started using the triple ripple instead of the 3-piece ones.

weirdboy said:

You, sir, are mistaken.

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LMAO! Short and sweet.

The only one I ever had sucked back all the water into the fermenter the first time I used it. In fact it is the reason that I started using vodka in the first place.

EDIT:

I actually saw it happen as I was moving the fermenter. I picked it up and it made a sucking sound and all the water disappeared...

Hoosier said:

LMAO! Short and sweet.

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Not very productive...

weirdboy said:

The only one I ever had sucked back all the water into the fermenter the first time I used it. In fact it is the reason that I started using vodka in the first place.

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Interesting. I'll keep an eye on them in the future, but that's not been my experience. Thanks for sharing yours.

poley said:

Not very productive...

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Entertaining none the less...

Hoosier said:

Entertaining none the less...

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Agree to disagree. I'm trying to help people out here, not get heckled.

poley said:

Agree to disagree. I'm trying to help people out here, not get heckled.

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Agreed. Just pointing out some humor is all. Not trying to hurt feelings here. It doesn't all have to serious. I will keep my laughs to myself in the future :cross:

OK guys, let's get back on topic

Poley, when you say triple ripple do you mean the typical "S" type airlock? If so, then that is the very same airlock I had suck the water back in twice. It would have to because the only place the fermenter can get air to displace the volume is from the airlock, so it pulls the water back in.


Rev.

Rev,

Yes, the S-type airlock. But the way I see it, if the airlock can push CO2 out, then it can also pull air back in. It has two air/water chambers, with the u-shaped water tube in-between. I've watched it happen, and the only way that I can see water making it all the way over and into the fermenter is if you hold your carboy sideways, or if you have a water level that is over the line.

This is a great discussion btw, and I'm really interested in it.

The type of fermenter has a large play in this. A glass fermenter doesn't have the flex that a better bottle or a bucket has. If you lift a bucket or a BB you run the risk of having strong suction through the airlock which can bring in whatever liquid is in the airlock. Less of a problem with a glass carboy or a stainless steel fermenter.

Hoosier said:

The type of fermenter has a large play in this. A glass fermenter doesn't have the flex that a better bottle or a bucket has. If you lift a bucket or a BB you run the risk of having strong suction through the airlock which can bring in whatever liquid is in the airlock. Less of a problem with a glass carboy or a stainless steel fermenter.

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That's a fantastic insight that hadn't occurred to me, which might explain why I've never had this issue, as all my fermentation has been in glass --- thanks hoosier!

Anytime Brother!

poley said:

That's a fantastic insight that hadn't occurred to me, which might explain why I've never had this issue, as all my fermentation has been in glass --- thanks hoosier!

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That's definitely why then. My fermenter is plastic (Cooper's with the spigot) and when I first picked it up to move it that first day it sucked the water in. Then when I opened the spigot to fill the hydrometer tube it sucked in again cause I didn't think to remove it. But, that was some quick learning LOL.


Rev.