Airlock Question

[wkethman]

I wanted to know if not snapping the cap onto the airlock after you fill it halfway with sanitized solution will affect the quality of the beer? It seems counter-intuitive to seal an airlock designed as a vent for CO2 during brewing. Please let me know if this renders my brew useless. I would rather not spend the time to bottle if I have just contaminated my brew

 

[mux]

The air lock cap has little holes in it. It is designed to let co2 out and nothing in.

 

[h22lude]

The cap has holes in it. It is to keep things from falling into the sanitizer.

 

[wkethman]

Does that mean I may have contaminated my brew? It appears that the way the airlock is designed, the water creates a seal that allows only CO2 to escape without any input pathway given that the water is properly filled to the recommended level. I would assume that the cap is to prevent the plastic floating cap from being ejected from the vessel under pressure and not to prevent contamination. Am I assuming wrong?

 

[maffewl]

As said, if you are using a 3 piece airlock... it requires 3 pieces to work. But, an airlock is not absolutely necessary, I have a bucket fermenter going right now (ran out of carboys) that just has the lid snapped in a couple places but loose in a couple places to vent.

 

[TAPPOOL]

The air lock let's the CO2 out. It's not air tight. It's designed not to let any air into your brew. Your fine. If not, then I brewed a lot of bad beer and never knew it.

 

[Seven]

Does that mean I may have contaminated my brew? It appears that the way the airlock is designed, the water creates a seal that allows only CO2 to escape without any input pathway given that the water is properly filled to the recommended level. I would assume that the cap is to prevent the plastic floating cap from being ejected from the vessel under pressure and not to prevent contamination. Am I assuming wrong?

You should use vodka or star-san in your air lock instead of water. These will kill anything that falls into the air lock and they won't hurt the flavor of your beer in the event that some gets sucked back into the fermentor.