Silicone oil in airlock

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CHansen6

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I'm getting ready to set up some sour fermentations that will likely become part of a solera. One of the bigger issue is accidentally letting the airlocks run dry due to the long aging times.

Do you think there would be any issue with using silicone oil or something similar in the airlock in lieu of water, vodka, sanitizer, etc? I was thinking of one of the thinner grades, like 50 cst or so.

Silicone oil is typically made up of poly(dimethylsiloxanes), which is the active component in Fermcap and anti-foam agents. I'm not concerned about potential contamination or anything if some got into the carboy/barrel.
 
Providing the density is similar to water, I can't see why it wouldn't work.
 
Nope, I wouldn't. But thats just me.

Is there any particular reason, or just a gut feeling? I can respect both.


The density of silicone oil is similar to water, though actually a little less which is why it works for anti-foam. It can be much more viscous than water though. The thickest stuff is as viscous as molasses(10,000 cpt), while the thinnest, which is what I was thinking of using, is a light lubricating oil (50cpt).
 
It sounds like you need this guy: lets air out, not in. I just popped one off an old carboy with 6 months of sitting time, no leaking of air in.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/silicone-stopper-breathable-carboy.html

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Is there any particular reason, or just a gut feeling? I can respect both.


The density of silicone oil is similar to water, though actually a little less which is why it works for anti-foam. It can be much more viscous than water though. The thickest stuff is as viscous as molasses(10,000 cpt), while the thinnest, which is what I was thinking of using, is a light lubricating oil (50cpt).

Honestly, just a gut filling....I don't have any hard proof on either way.
 
Will a blow off tube set up work in your fermentation space? Have the blow off tube in a 2 gallon bucket of Star San. The 2 gallons shouldn't evaporate between checks every month.
 
I've heard or read some where about a anti-foam product made from canola oil. I want to say Fermcap-s but I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, if I'm remembering correctly people have added canola oil to help lessen the krausen. In this fog of a memory, I believe yeast will use the fatty acids of the oil. During fermentation, I'm sure if a little canola oil drips in the yeast will eat it. I'm not sure what the evaporation rate of canola oil is. My worry would be aging the beer with oil when all the yeast have pooped out.
 
I would be worried about getting suck back from a temperature or pressure change and then the oil affecting the beer head.

Either the one way valve stop stopcock or using a sealed keg would be my choice
 
We used a loop of tubing with water in the tube on our sour beer project and they never went dry.

Something like this:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w17QISJt-kg[/ame]
 
I would just seal it up completely in a (properly purged) keg. Add a spudding valve if needed or just pull the vent relief occasionally, after primary fermentation is complete there should not be much CO2 being produced.
 
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