Someone knocked off my airlock!

Someone knocked off the airlock on my bucket of pumpkin ale. It had finished fermenting, the airlock was off for a minimum of 5-6 hours but probably much closer to 3 days. I assume it's super oxidized at this point. Any chance it will still turn out drinkable?

CO2 is heavier than air. Chances are there was still a blanket of CO2 above your beer even though fermentation had stopped. It will probably be fine. The only way to find out for sure is to let it go and see.

6 hours to 3 days? I dont understand. Thats a big guess. If 6 hours i wouldnt panic follow the normal and see. Never panic most will tell ya on forum beer is damn near fool proof! Beer loves a challenge!

mtk6006 said:

6 hours to 3 days? I dont understand. Thats a big guess. If 6 hours i wouldnt panic follow the normal and see. Never panic most will tell ya on forum beer is damn near fool proof! Beer loves a challenge!

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I wouldn't panic even if it was 3 days. Just bottle it. If you're scared, send them to me. I'll take care of them.

Never automatically assume your beer has gone bad. That's probably the greatest lesson one can take away from this forum.

Unless you have been jostling the beer in that time frame then it should be ok. Maybe lightly oxidized. Just bottle it like normal and drink it up fast. Oxidation is a longevity issue, it will get worse as it ages.

ktblunden said:

Never automatically assume your beer has gone bad. That's probably the greatest lesson one can take away from this forum.

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Haha well it's definitely not going down the drain, I'm just a bit concerned as this was the first beer I was going to give 6 packs aways as gifts. Worst case scenario I'll have a bunch of mediocre pumpkin ale to myself! Thanks guys.

I once came home to a similar situation. I was trying to warm up a Dubbel at the end of fermentation in the garage, and I think a roommate took a sniff and forgot to put the airlock back in tight (I normally ferment in my private space). It was probably open to the elements for 24 hours. I thought it was ruined but bottled it anyway.

The beer won second place in the Belgian category at the country fair this year. You should be fine the CO2 layer will Probably protect it.

You seriously have nothing... NOTHING... to worry about. It'll be fine.

I think the proper response is to hire a crack team of investigators to find out who knocked off your airlock. Then hire and assassin.

Brulosopher said:

You seriously have nothing... NOTHING... to worry about. It'll be fine.

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+1 I have lost airlocks in the middle of the night, coming down in the AM to see a volcano-like scene .. sanitize the airlock, slap it back on (or use a blowoff tube

Anytime someone worries about an airlock coming off a fermenter I have to laugh as there are breweries that do completely open fermentations and they don't have any issues at all. Bottom line, I think airlocks are something that came about because homebrewers need to see something happening or they worry that nothing is happening.

IffyG said:

Anytime someone worries about an airlock coming off a fermenter I have to laugh as there are breweries that do completely open fermentations and they don't have any issues at all. Bottom line, I think airlocks are something that came about because homebrewers need to see something happening or they worry that nothing is happening.

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I realize they aren't necessary during fermentation, but I figured after fermentation they helped prevent oxidation. Out of curiosity, what breweries (that aren't using wild yeasts) do open fermentations?

Anchor Steam is done with an open fermentation. I'm sure there are others.

I may be thinking of the wrong thing (feel fee to correct any misinformation I inadvertently provide), but I saw a special on Pilsner Urquell and I believe most of their process is "open" in old wooden tubs.

I saw something on Pilsner Urquell a few years back and IIRC, they still do some of their beer in open fermentation as a taste test comparator to beer fermented in stainless tanks.