Something i never seen befor help

[donnmustang]

Was making a lavender mead and instead if bubbling in the air lock it has created a vacuum. I have never seen this before can any one explain? Ska should I toss it or keep it

 

[Revvy]

Why would you toss it?

All that happened was that you had airlock suckback....happens to everyone at onetime or an other. That's why we use sanitizer or vodka in out airlock.

Why is it that "Tossing" is ever an option, if you don't know how it turned out? You ALWAYS wait it out and see, then you wait some more. You don't just toss because you "think" something is wrong. This alcohol stuff is stronger than that....

 

[donnmustang]

Well was not sure it could have been bacteria growth I have used vodka and it's sucked back 4 air lock worth of vodka for 1 gallon batch

 

[biochemedic]

Well was not sure it could have been bacteria growth I have used vodka and it's sucked back 4 air lock worth of vodka for 1 gallon batch

This definitely sounds weird...I don't think you have a bacterial infection, but generally suckback is caused by temp changes (specifically, cooling while the airlock is sealed); however, if you're in active primary, production of CO2 should easily overwhelm this. Are you actually actively fermenting? Are you having big temp changes between various times of the day/night? Did you put the mead into the carboy at a relatively high temp and it's been cooling to fermentation temp?

I think a few more details about the fermentation (when you started, temps, etc.) may be helpful in figuring out why this has been happening...

 

[huesmann]

Does your environment (or must) have wide temperature fluctuations?

 

[donnmustang]

No chang of temp I have about 10 other brews going on. Temp is about 64. 2nd week of primary brewing. Very stable temps and all that

 

[biochemedic]

Strange...whatever you do, don't stand where that carboy is...physics seems to be working backwards there!

 

[donnmustang]

Strange...whatever you do, don't stand where that carboy is...physics seems to be working backwards there!

Lol would not surprise me going to rack today wonder if that will change any thing

 

[donnmustang]

Haha yea racking today we will see if it changes

 

[donnmustang]

Looks like it has stopped after racking and now starting to Bubble. We shall see