Airlocks... What else?

[flyfisherwes]

Are there substitutes for airlocks? I don't like that when I pick up a bucket that the water in the airlocks wants to go the other way and into the beer. I've seen blow off hoses but those seem like a pain to get clean. Are there other options? Advantages and disadvantages? Other techniques for using an airlock? Anything is helpful.

I could probably search but searching with my phone is a pain and I'm bored.

 

[Elweydoloco]

Well other than a blow off tube and an airlock, there's other methods but they're mostly arcane.

You can put a baloon (once sanitized) over the carboy and poke smalle holes in it with a needle. I have one friend do this with his mead to decent success.

You can place a damp cloth (once sanitized) over the bucket and allow it to breath that way. Though you won't be able to monitor as you can with an airlock.

The also somewhat commonly used is below.

You can use a type S airlock rather than a 3 piece.

For the most part, I'd think people will use a type S on a secondary as it shows the slow progression of things.

Suggestions for you,

Buy a small bottle of crappy vodka and use that in your airlock it's sanitized it's almost tasteless, and you will worry much less about suckback.

Use some star san water or whatever other sanitizing agent you use. Some will argue that you can infect your beer with suck back. Honestly though, it's a small amount it won't hurt it.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Simpler. Assemble the 3-piece airlock's bottom 2 pieces (without the lid) completely submerged and filled while in the sanitizing solution, then turn it upright (still submerged), and gently lift it out of the solution. The vacuum action of the water will pull on the water inside the airlock air can *JUST* sneak back in.

Put the cap on, attach the rubber stopper, and install. Voila.

M_C

 

[bad67z]

The blow off tub is not that big of a PIA to clean, I usually chuck it in an Oxyclean solution when I'm cleaning other things. The only thing I use a conventional airlock for now is long term storage of ciders and meads.

 

[mredge73]

Use about 3' of cheap vinyl hose on a orange carboy cap as your blow off.
Throw the hose away afterward, no cleaning required.

 

[sapperxl]

http://morebeer.com/view_product/16797//Sanitary_Filter

No need to worry about suckback

 

[rhamilton]

I just fill my 3-piece airlocks with decent quality vodka. If I get suck-back while moving it, it boosts the alcohol % and imparts no flavor to it.

 

[Revvy]

An airlock is nothing more than a valve to keep the lid from blowing off and painting your ceiling with your beer.

The bad stuff are not ninja acrobats, they really can't get into stuff. The co2 coming out will prevent anything getting in.

The airlock is one of the most superfluous things in brewing, that new brewers seem to put the most stock in.

A lot of folks don't use them at all. In fact many folks with arthitis and other issues don't snap the lid down on their buckets anyway, and may folks just put tinfoil, plastic wrap, metal cookie sheets or even plexiglass sheets on top of the bucket instead. It's really not crucial to be tight.

Some folks use blowoff tubes exclusively...

The newest thing, that is replacing airlocks on carboys is this.

These food grade silicone stoppers feature several vent holes lightly sealed with a silicone top flap. Gases can escape, but cannot get in. Just put the stopper on your carboy, and forget it. No worries about evaporation or water getting into your fermenter. This #10 size is pictured at right above, and fits all Better Bottles, and other containers with a 1.75" opening.

http://www.fyurl.com/rr.php?c=2&sit....com/10-VENTED-SILICONE-STOPPER-P2667C94.aspx

Homercidal posted the other day that he was just at a commercial brewery in Traverse City where they FERMENT their beer with plastic wrap on top of the fermentation vessels. And one of our mods posted recently that he just uses loose fitting lids on his fermenters.

 

[acefaser]

I just picked up a couple of those silicone airlocks and can't wait to try them. Only worry is that when I crash cool the carboy it will suck in the stopper. Guess I can replace it with a 's' airlock when the time comes.

Sent from my myTouch 3G Slide using Home Brew Talk

 

[flyfisherwes]

Thanks for the replies. What always worries me is I when the fermentation bubbles wort through it. Last time i found either ants or fruit flies or something in the airlock water. It did not make me feel good. I thought about Makin short blow off hoses out of 1/4 inch tubing or whatever fits in those grommets on the buckets well. Like a foot long or a little more. Then drilling or poking holes in the lids of plastic soda/water bottles. 2 holes. One for the tube (tight around the tube so it will not slide easily) one to vent. then filling the bottles half way or whatever with water with the tube submerged. I could prolly clean a foot of tube pretty easily.

Thoughts?

 

[flyfisherwes]

Thanks for the replies. What always worries me is I when the fermentation bubbles wort through it. Last time i found either ants or fruit flies or something in the airlock water. It did not make me feel good. I thought about Makin short blow off hoses out of 1/4 inch tubing or whatever fits in those grommets on the buckets well. Like a foot long or a little more. Then drilling or poking holes in the lids of plastic soda/water bottles. 2 holes. One for the tube (tight around the tube so it will not slide easily) one to vent. then filling the bottles half way or whatever with water with the tube submerged. I could prolly clean a foot of tube pretty easily.

Thoughts?

I might not even need the water if I didn't cap too tight.

 

[kh54s10]

Get a solid stopper and insert it when moving the carboy, when in place re-install the airlock.

An Oxyclean soak will clean blowoff hoses easily.

 

[pietaster]

Thanks for the replies. What always worries me is I when the fermentation bubbles wort through it. Last time i found either ants or fruit flies or something in the airlock water. It did not make me feel good. I thought about Makin short blow off hoses out of 1/4 inch tubing or whatever fits in those grommets on the buckets well. Like a foot long or a little more. Then drilling or poking holes in the lids of plastic soda/water bottles. 2 holes. One for the tube (tight around the tube so it will not slide easily) one to vent. then filling the bottles half way or whatever with water with the tube submerged. I could prolly clean a foot of tube pretty easily.

Thoughts?

Are you putting water or vodka in your airlocks? I wouldn't think there would be any issue with ants or fruit flies with vodka. unless they are Russian.

 

[ndsgr]

I only use airlocks for secondaries and I don't do them unless I'm making something different (bugs mostly, sometimes fruit). At the last house, I used them on primary during certain seasons because of the fruit flies.

Foil works great, is easy to sanitize, is cheap and doesn't put any head pressure on fermenting yeast (possibly arguable if this is even an issue...)

 

[BeerChef17]

I'd +1 the vodka in the airlock. Personally I use 50/50 vodka and water so it doesn't evaporate as much. It is still strong enough to be sanitary for any suck back. If you are having a problem with bugs getting into your airlock they will most likely still get into your blow off chamber if the wort is bubbling through.

 

[flyfisherwes]

I'd +1 the vodka in the airlock. Personally I use 50/50 vodka and water so it doesn't evaporate as much. It is still strong enough to be sanitary for any suck back. If you are having a problem with bugs getting into your airlock they will most likely still get into your blow off chamber if the wort is bubbling through.

But with a blow off chamber like my bottle idea then I could have a really small hole or just a loose cap that wouldn't allow invasion as easily. Then I could use bleach in the water or rubbing alcohol even because there would be no chance to get it in the beer. I'll make one up when I het the stuff and post a pic.

 

[StittsvilleJames]

I use a bucket and a lid with a rubber o-ring inside it, which sits on top through the magic of gravity (I know, It's not magic....it's a law!).

I have yet to me an infection which can lift a 6 oz lid.