Nimand
Well-Known Member
I just bought a wine fridge and it looks like my fermenter might not fit in when the airlock installed. How necessary are airlocks and is there another option I could use so it will fit?
Airlock question
- Thread starter Nimand
- Start date
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All an airlock is is a vent, a valve to release the pressure that builds up from the creation of co2...Nothing else.
Whatever means used to achieve that end is fine. The yeast don't care. 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 just use a blowoff tube exclusively.
In fact William's Brewing has a great solution for carboys
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/10-VENTED-SILICONE-STOPPER-P2667C94.aspx
Whatever means used to achieve that end is fine. The yeast don't care. 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 just use a blowoff tube exclusively.
In fact William's Brewing has a great solution for carboys
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/10-VENTED-SILICONE-STOPPER-P2667C94.aspx
In fact when I'm lagering I don't even use an airlock, just my "ghetto thermowell."
It uses a $3.95 HD stainless plumbing supply line, a $5.00 orange carboy cap, and some glue.
It uses a $3.95 HD stainless plumbing supply line, a $5.00 orange carboy cap, and some glue.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Blowoff tube for one. You could also fit a bent plastic, or stainless, tube into the bunghole to fit the tube onto that and send it into the bucket of sanitizer solution. You'll need enough room to at least have a jug, bottle, or bucket half filled with sanitizer for the other end of the tube.
What do you ferment in?
BTW, you DO need an airlock of some type there. Sure, some will argue that you can do open fermentation and such. Personally, I'd rather have an airlock or blowoff tube fitted to my fermenter and KNOW it's safe than use foil to cover the top. Of course, I also have a thermowell in the same assembly that the airlock/blowoff tube connects to.
What do you ferment in?
BTW, you DO need an airlock of some type there. Sure, some will argue that you can do open fermentation and such. Personally, I'd rather have an airlock or blowoff tube fitted to my fermenter and KNOW it's safe than use foil to cover the top. Of course, I also have a thermowell in the same assembly that the airlock/blowoff tube connects to.
Nimand
Well-Known Member
Im using the standard 6 gallon bucket for a fermenter. I might be able to get my airlock a little farther in the lid and try it I just have beer in my fermenter at the moment and I didnt want to move the bucket that much. I bottle this week so Ill see. I might just go with not snapping the lid. If I do that should I plug the hole? Or I might use a blow off. Just shove tubing in there and have it going to a sanitized solution??
If you're in a dedicated fermentation fridge, there's not reason not to just use the lid as is, an let the hole work as a vent. Nothing's going to get it, it a closed environment in your fridge afterall. It's not in the middle of the room with folks and fruitflies flying around....it's in a fridge...you're gonna close the door after all.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
IF it was me, I'd see about fitting a blowoff hose in the lid hole and have the container in there with it. For one thing, IF it goes really active, there's a place for the blowoff to go. Otherwise, you'll be cleaning the inside of the fridge, again... After doing that a couple of times, you'll probably use a blowoff tube/assembly.
Just get a plastic plumbing elbow that'll fit the airlock bung & atatch your blow off rig to it. Low profile rig should fit.
So Revvy, that pic of the carboy cap and steel tube you stick a thermometer in right? Only during lagering or do you monitor fermenting temp as well?
Like this guy did.
[B said:geniz[/B];3720300]I sterilized everything.
I screwed the plastic cap back onto the fermentor, and stuck the short end of the CPVC "U" into the hole in the cap:
I stuck the other end of the vinyl tube into a mason jar full of starsan:
Voila. A great low profile CPVC blowoff tube.
Pretty clever idea. I have the same problem in my small chest freezer. This is a great alternative.
So Revvy you're getting an electrical temperature signal from the wort to input the controller?
Nimand
Well-Known Member
cool I think ill try that for now...if I get a crazy ferm oh well
I use Revvy's setup to monitor fermentation temps in a carboy....my pails all have 2 holes, one for the airlock and one for the thermowell.
It never occured to me. But yeah that can be put directly into the bucket as well for temp controlling during fermentation.
I guess I need to pick up another plumbing line.
For lagers I control the coolbox temp, for ales I control the FermWrap (which sits in the coolbox). It has always been easier for me to put my ales in a cold environment and heat them a bit with a FermWrap to fermentation temp.
