dumb question but what the hell!!!

I've been brewing for quite some time, but still a noob, aren't we all,. I've had to sell me gear to move countries, but have been given a new quiver of equipment as a present from the SWMBO.
Now here is the dumb question, do most primary's have airlocks or not. My old primary had an airlock, mind you it was about 8 gals. But my new kit has a bucket without a airlock and a lid that really doesn't snap on.
Any comments and answers would be awesome.
Thanks
H

wait, what?? if there's no airlock in the lid you can drill a hole and fit an airlock in it, but if the lid doesn't snap on air tight than that's all void. What kinda kit is that? Does it have a brand name or anything? Where'd she get it from?

Primary doesn't really need to be tight lidded.I brewed for 20 years using garbage bags for lids on my "bottling bucket "type primary,so long as you don't have too long of a lag on your yeast.

the kit is a spagnols advanced kit, primary bucket and glass carboy. as for lag time I'm making a pilsner, and so far looks to have the start of fermentation in under 24hrs.

You could buy a lid with a gasket (necessary for a seal) predrilled for an airlock at the local HB shop for $6. No, you don't need it. But you also don't need to use a bucket with a trash bag for a lid, whatever that means.

There are a few fermentation buckets that do not have a grommeted gasket for an airlock...Some you do need to drill, while others don't and the lids don't sit all that tight on them. An airlock is nothing more than a valve to keep the lid from blowing off and painting your ceiling with your beer, some folks just put a pie tin or a plxiglass sheet on top of their bucket, or use blowoff tubes all the time, or other things instead of them...or not at all.

And some even do cover their buckets with trash bags, saran wrap or tinfoil. All any of those things are really about are keeping things from falling in your fermenter, or birds from pooping inside.

Back in the 80's there was very little in the way of brew equipment are information available.My first experience was with an open 10 gallon bucket as a fermentor.The rule of thumb back then was to cover your primary with a loose fitting lid.Plastic garbage bags fit this purpose perfectly and I made about 200 exctract kits over the years using it.Use what is available!

Well I'll be damned! But um, yeah, like 6 bucks.

Thanks guys, consencess, put a cover over it and it's good to go. Like I mentioned earlier I've had gear before and the primary had a airlock/ port hole for a blow off tube.
Thanks again.
H