Newbie Airlock Question

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I recieved my starter kit and ingredients yesterday and started my first batch of beer yesterday afternoon.

I have a question..... on the airlock.... the inner piece that floats is off kilter..... Is this normal? And if not, how do I remedy it? I've attached a picture so you will see what I mean.

As I am a beginner, I appreciate your advice..... I am a little concerned about the situation with my airlock and would like to understand it better.

Thanks!

Sincerely,
Jessica.

IMG_20170217_123012829_HDR.jpg
 
Perfectly normal. You should see it start moving once there is action in the fermenter. Congrats on completing your first brew day!
 
Perfectly normal. You should see it start moving once there is action in the fermenter.

Yes, but is it normal for that moving piece inside to *stay* in that position for a period of time?

Thanks for the congrats btw. I'm making an american-style "light" beer..... Hoping to have it ready by St. Paddy's Day, so I can wash down my Salt Beef, Cabbage, and New Potatoes with good old-fashioned homebrew! :D
 
It's normal. All that you are doing is trying to crate a barrier where the CO2 gas can escape and not allow the outside critters/air in. It'll flop around a bit, then stay locked up with the pressure during primary. Once fermentation settles, it'll settle back down and bubble every once in awhile.

Just FYI, you don't have to push it so far into the grommet.

Remember... RDWHAHB :mug:
 
I don't normally pay that much attention to it, but probably normal. You just want the bottom part to be submerged. I can't tell if the liquid is above the fill line though. If it is, it might explain its positioning. I wouldn't worry about it. Leave it be and take a whiff every now and then.
 
I agree, if you push it too far down sometimes the krausen/fermentation debris can come up and plug the bottom of the airlock.

The airlock is no longer quite so far down into the grommet. Plus, My fermenter is 6.5 gallons total, but I am doing only 5 gallons of beer, so there are several inches of headspace :D
 
Well shootz. I was on the thread about the "found" airlock and saw your thread so I thought I'd be funny. I'm pretty sure you'll be ok, but do look up blow off just in case [emoji6].
 
I don't normally pay that much attention to it, but probably normal. You just want the bottom part to be submerged. I can't tell if the liquid is above the fill line though. If it is, it might explain its positioning. I wouldn't worry about it. Leave it be and take a whiff every now and then.

+1^ That's right!

You don't need to fill it all the way up to the "fill line" for it to work.
As long as the liquid (hope you used Starsan) covers the rectangular holes in the bottom of the shuttle (the floating piece), it does it's job. About an inch of Starsan is fine. The more liquid you put in, the more chance there is on suck back later, or when you pick up your fermentor.

More importantly, try to keep that fermentor around 65F, although the right temperature depend on the yeast you used. The warmer it is the more off flavors the yeast will produce.
 
Funny story: buddy of mine was fermentating stout in a bucket and while he was at the local watering hole the airlock plugged, and eventually blew resulting in a geyser of liquid black gold that reached the ceiling. His girlfriend was home at the time and called to have a rational conversation with him (lol). Dude told her to put the airlock back on and he'd clean it up when he got home. So she jammed the airlock back in the bucket but decided to clean it up herself. As she was standing on a ladder wiping the ceiling (right above the bucket) it popped again and soaked her. Beer turned out great though.
 
UPDATE:

It is now exactly two weeks since Brew Day.... I took a hydrometer reading today, and the gravity is 1.008.... Which is within the finishing gravity range for this type of beer (1.008-1.013). Starting Gravity was 1.040; Gravity one week ago today was 1.020.

I will test the gravity again Saturday..... and if it is still 1.008, I will bottle........ and then probably start a new batch of beer.

Wish me luck! :D
 
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