airlock worries

hey, my brew has started fermenting as I have foam on top, a scum ring along the top wall and sediment along the bottom. the water in the airlock is bubbling, but some sediment has gotten into the airlock and it has turned the water brown. and now the water has foamed up and has either evaporated or spilled out from the top of the airlock. i just need to know if this is alright, and if i can just add more water into the airlock and everything will be fine.

i think that has been caused by putting the end of the airlock that goes into the fermenter too far in, so it has sucked up some of the foam that has been created.

any advice or recommendations? cheers, much appreciated.

just clean it out, SANITIZE and refill it and you'll be fine.

RDWHAHB!

You can easily add more water and it won't cause a problem, but I recommend using cheap vodka in the future as bacteria won't grow in it and water will grow bacteria.

talleymonster said:

just clean it out, SANITIZE and refill it and you'll be fine.

RDWHAHB!

Click to expand...

if i remove the airlock to clean it, won't I ruin the beer by exposing it to oxygen at this point in the process?

No there is enough C02 blanketing your beer to protect it from oxidizing. I frankly wouldn't remove the airlock to clean it mid-fermentation, but that is your call. You could just put a clean piece of tape over the hole and I am sure you would be fine.

I have cleaned my rubber stopper and airlock by removing them mid fermentation without hesitation. Well obviously only with my hefe that went crazy and I had too. If its fermenting well then there is enough co2 rising to push any nasties out and away from you beer.

+1 on the vodka

+1 on removing the airlock, cleaning, and sanitizing.