Airlock not secure. Problem?

[HarvardSquareHomey]

Well my girlfriend and I just brewed our 5th batch this Tuesday, a Brewer's Best Nut Brown Ale. I think everything went perfectly. Last Night when I came home, I opened up my closet and expected to see heavy activity in the airlock. Nothing. Upon closer inspection and realizing the closet smelled very hoppy, I saw that the rubber grommet on the primary lid was pushed in slightly. I fixed the situation and immediately got bubbles in the lock.

My question is, because there was a the smallest of holes between the lid and the grommet, for about 24 hrs, will there be any problem with my fermentation? Thanks guys. -and girls

 

[Yooper]

Oh, no, you'll be fine.

During that time, the wort is busily fermenting and so plenty of co2 is coming out, and so it's very unlikely that any contaminants were able to get in. I've actually had my airlock go dry and had a bucket lid not sealed tight at all, and made great beer. I don't recommend that as a practice, of course, but beer is much more resilient than that!

Good luck with your brew!

 

[HarvardSquareHomey]

Thanks Yoop,

Well, Airlock activity has almost completely stopped. Can't help but think that if the problem hadn't happened in the first place, she'd still be bubbling away happily. We'll see though huh?

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

RDWHAHB! You should be fine. Like Yooper said, beer is pretty tough. You just about have to try to ruin a beer.

 

[HarvardSquareHomey]

ok what does RDWHAHB! mean? I guess I'm out of the loop. Thanks again guys. I haven't ruined a batch yet **knock on wood. so I guess we'll just wait and see.

 

[85 Haro Designs]

Relax, Don't Worry Have A Homebrew (RDWHAHB)

It's a ubiquitous expression by the famed "Joy of Hombrewing" author - Charlie Papazian.

Incidentally, I tried the RDWHAHB on my pissed off wife the other day, and it's didn't work on her.

 

[jmiracle]

I did a hefe in a bucket for almost a month with some sort of bad seal, I never saw one bubble...but it fermented and made a great beer! I think that experience (which ended last night when I drank my first delicious glass of the stuff) really helped me relax overall, you still want to pay attention to your process but beer is more forgiving than I originally thought/worried about!

 

[chthonik]

Incidentally, I tried the RDWHAHB on my pissed off wife the other day, and it's didn't work on her.

Ha! I doubt it would work on mine either!