Airlock vacuum

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Mke_bke

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I started fermentation for an IPA and within an hour the airlock appears to have a vacuum effect...not sure why? The water with iodophor in the airlock has suctioned almost dripping into the beer...Anyone know why this occurs or what should I do?
Thank you!
Miguel
@BikeNBrew
 
Your wort most likely lowered in temperature. That is, your wort was warmer than the air in the room you are fermenting in. As the temperature adjusted, it created a negative pressure within the fermenter, thus sucking in the airlock water.

Relax. Dont Worry. Have a Homebrew.

Although it is not "good" to have your airlock liquid enter the fermenter and drop in the wort/beer, it's not the end of the world. Keep this in mind next time you brew and when you chill your wort before pitching.
 
Hello, It can be caused by the temp dropping in your fermenter, as soon as your beer starts fermenting you will see positive pressure, problem solved.
If you are worried about it back sucking, you can just pull the airlock for a second and put it back.

Cheers :mug:
 
Thank you for the info, I had some craft beer :) it made it all better. What is the fermentation temperature required for IPA's?
Thanks again,
Miguel
@BikeNBrew
 
Thank you for the info, I had some craft beer :) it made it all better. What is the fermentation temperature required for IPA's?
Thanks again,
Miguel
@BikeNBrew

Well depends on your yeast but try to keep it in the lower side of the temps recommended for your yeast. I´ve brew IPAs with US-05, Notty and latelly (when I moved to liquid yeast) Wyeast 1056 (very close to us-05) and I ussually ferment them at 65F or even lower, you are basicly looking for a clean yeast without esters so the hops can shine trough
 
Obliviousbrew said:
Well depends on your yeast but try to keep it in the lower side of the temps recommended for your yeast. I´ve brew IPAs with US-05, Notty and latelly (when I moved to liquid yeast) Wyeast 1056 (very close to us-05) and I ussually ferment them at 65F or even lower, you are basicly looking for a clean yeast without esters so the hops can shine trough

Thanks, I am fermenting with a liquid California Ale Yeast from White Labs...

Miguel
@BikeNBrew
 
I hear you it´s a pain to brew in summer (well even summer ended :p) still very warm here to I still have to use my old fridge to ferment wich haves me doing 1 batch per week maximum... well winter is around the corner think we just have to wait.
 
Obliviousbrew said:
I hear you it´s a pain to brew in summer (well even summer ended :p) still very warm here to I still have to use my old fridge to ferment wich haves me doing 1 batch per week maximum... well winter is around the corner think we just have to wait.

Right, not sure when this heat will end, just hope it ends soon.
 
I hear you it´s a pain to brew in summer (well even summer ended :p) still very warm here to I still have to use my old fridge to ferment wich haves me doing 1 batch per week maximum... well winter is around the corner think we just have to wait.

Hello, I take advantage of the heat of summer heat and brew saison beers, I'm fermenting a Belgian Saison right now and the yeast likes 80+ deg, the yeast temp recommendations start at 75 deg and go to 95 deg, this sure makes summer brewing/fermenting easy, you guys should try one before it cool down.

Cheers :mug:
 
Ugh I wish I was out there then!

For the last month or so we've been unusually cool. Last night it got down to 35 deg F. We're looking at highs in the low to mid 60's today.
 
WileECoyote said:
Hello, 90 deg is perfect for trying a Belgian Saison, take advantage go summer high temps, thats what I do.

Cheers :mug:

Hello, thanks WileECoyote, thats good to know...this is my second batch so I am slowly moving through different types of beer to brew. How difficult is brewing a Saison in comparison to a Pale Ale or IPA that I have brewed?

Question to anyone:
My yeast is so active it heated the wort overnight and the foam has gone through the airlock and its now actively bubbling out of the airlock...is this normal? Do I have anything to be concerned with? Thanks again!!!

Miguel
@BikeNBrew
 
cbmikey said:
Ugh I wish I was out there then!

For the last month or so we've been unusually cool. Last night it got down to 35 deg F. We're looking at highs in the low to mid 60's today.

Cbmikey,
Let's trade :) We've had a bit of a heat wave for about a month or two and we are ready for the cold weather...when the winter comes, I am sure we'll be missing this warm weather, ha! :)

Miguel
@BikeNBrew
 
Question to anyone:
My yeast is so active it heated the wort overnight and the foam has gone through the airlock and its now actively bubbling out of the airlock...is this normal? Do I have anything to be concerned with? Thanks again!!!

Miguel
@BikeNBrew

Replace the airlock with a 'blow off tube'. Simply run some tubing from the airlock or opening in the fermenter to a jar of sanitizer. This will allow the foam a place to go and keep it from clogging and blowing the airlock off.
 
NordeastBrewer77 said:
Replace the airlock with a 'blow off tube'. Simply run some tubing from the airlock or opening in the fermenter to a jar of sanitizer. This will allow the foam a place to go and keep it from clogging and blowing the airlock off.

Thank you NordeastBrewer77...
It hasn't blown the airlock of but its foaming out of the airlock...what happens if I dont do this right away (I only ask because I am working and I dont have the tubing or attachment for yhe tubing to the carboy)

Thank you!
Miguel
@BikeNbrew
 
Something like that happend to me about a month and a half ago, went to work, and the fermentation was going like crazy but there asn´t a blowoff yet, soon as I got to my job my girlfriend/wife called and told me that "the thingy in the beer is bubling out and dripping" She didn´t knew how to habdle hit so I ask her to leave like that and 8 hours after that I got home, cleaned the mess and replace de airlock for a blow off tube, beer was allrigth, actually one of my best. I think if the fermentation it´s very active it´s constantly pushing co2 outside, so the chances of getting an infection are small, my concern it will be that if you don´t have much headspace maybe a lot of the active yeast gets out of your fermentor and that´s a shame but not critical, at least in IMHO.

PS: If it´s just bubbles (it can bubble a little specially if you put star san in your airlock) I wont be to concernd, if happens to me i just change the airlock but that´s maybe because I´m lazy.
 
Thank you NordeastBrewer77...
It hasn't blown the airlock of but its foaming out of the airlock...what happens if I dont do this right away (I only ask because I am working and I dont have the tubing or attachment for yhe tubing to the carboy)

Thank you!
Miguel
@BikeNbrew

Well, if the airlock clogs and the krausen can't get through, it could blow the airlock or the lid (if it's a bucket) off. It'll make a huge mess if it does. If you're using a 3 piece airlock, you can get some tubing that'll go over the center post of the airlock. When you do this, cut the little 'x' tip off of the airlock (the part that goes in the fermenter). Then put the tubing on the post of the airlock and run it to a jug of star san, you won't use the top and middle of the airlock while using the blowoff tube. You can also get tubing that'll fit right inside the mouth of a carboy to do this. The wider the diameter of the tube, the less likely it is for anything coming out of the fermenter to clog it. Be quick and sanitary while you do this and you'll be just fine.
 
Obliviousbrew said:
Something like that happend to me about a month and a half ago, went to work, and the fermentation was going like crazy but there asn´t a blowoff yet, soon as I got to my job my girlfriend/wife called and told me that "the thingy in the beer is bubling out and dripping" She didn´t knew how to habdle hit so I ask her to leave like that and 8 hours after that I got home, cleaned the mess and replace de airlock for a blow off tube, beer was allrigth, actually one of my best. I think if the fermentation it´s very active it´s constantly pushing co2 outside, so the chances of getting an infection are small, my concern it will be that if you don´t have much headspace maybe a lot of the active yeast gets out of your fermentor and that´s a shame but not critical, at least in IMHO.

PS: If it´s just bubbles (it can bubble a little specially if you put star san in your airlock) I wont be to concernd, if happens to me i just change the airlock but that´s maybe because I´m lazy.

Thank you! I appreciate the information and your story...I can relate :) I think I am going to run to Home Depot during my lunch hour and go get wide ~30mm tubing
Thanks!
Miguel
 
NordeastBrewer77 said:
Well, if the airlock clogs and the krausen can't get through, it could blow the airlock or the lid (if it's a bucket) off. It'll make a huge mess if it does. If you're using a 3 piece airlock, you can get some tubing that'll go over the center post of the airlock. When you do this, cut the little 'x' tip off of the airlock (the part that goes in the fermenter). Then put the tubing on the post of the airlock and run it to a jug of star san, you won't use the top and middle of the airlock while using the blowoff tube. You can also get tubing that'll fit right inside the mouth of a carboy to do this. The wider the diameter of the tube, the less likely it is for anything coming out of the fermenter to clog it. Be quick and sanitary while you do this and you'll be just fine.

Thank you!! I appreciate the information very much. I think I will run to Home Depot and change it during my lunch hour.

image-1039275981.jpg
 
Here's my carboy now without the airlock and tubing to a jar/vase with sanitizer...Thanks!!



image-55374468.jpg

Why would my initiall gravity reading was 1.030 is still the question...cant figure out why. I tested the hydrometer with water and I get 1.0
Any suggestions, thoughts, comments are appreciated :)
Thanks,
Miguel
@BikeNBrew
 
Hello, thanks WileECoyote, thats good to know...this is my second batch so I am slowly moving through different types of beer to brew. How difficult is brewing a Saison in comparison to a Pale Ale or IPA that I have brewed?



Question to anyone:
My yeast is so active it heated the wort overnight and the foam has gone through the airlock and its now actively bubbling out of the airlock...is this normal? Do I have anything to be concerned with? Thanks again!!!




Miguel
@BikeNBrew

Same as brewing a Pale Ale or IPA

All I can say is Blowoff NOW!!! lol "EDIT" way to take care of needing a blowoff.

Cheers :mug:
 
WileECoyote said:
Same as brewing a Pale Ale or IPA

All I can say is Blowoff NOW!!! lol "EDIT" way to take care of needing a blowoff.

Cheers :mug:

Haha!
Thanks! Priorities...I left from a meeting and lostened on the phone to get the tubing I needed to plave the blow off...its working good now :)
Miguel
@BikeNBrew
Www.facebook.com/BikeNBrew
 
Mke_bke said:
Here's my carboy now without the airlock and tubing to a jar/vase with sanitizer...Thanks!!

Why would my initiall gravity reading was 1.030 is still the question...cant figure out why. I tested the hydrometer with water and I get 1.0
Any suggestions, thoughts, comments are appreciated :)
Thanks,
Miguel
@BikeNBrew

In the picture your blow off container is higher than the carboy. You may want to place it below the beer level. Once active fermentation settles there is a risk of siphoning all of the blowoff back into the carboy.
 
nasty_rabbit said:
In the picture your blow off container is higher than the carboy. You may want to place it below the beer level. Once active fermentation settles there is a risk of siphoning all of the blowoff back into the carboy.

Thank you Nasty_rabbit, I was wondering if placement had any effect and you answered my concern...great suggestion and thanks again.
 
Here's my carboy now without the airlock and tubing to a jar/vase with sanitizer...Thanks!!



View attachment 77010

Why would my initiall gravity reading was 1.030 is still the question...cant figure out why. I tested the hydrometer with water and I get 1.0
Any suggestions, thoughts, comments are appreciated :)
Thanks,
Miguel
@BikeNBrew

Ha! Looks much better now. As for your OG being off, did you use top up water after the boil? That can lead to low OG readings if it's not mixed in all the way. No worries though, that fermentation will surely mix it all in. :mug:
 
NordeastBrewer77 said:
Ha! Looks much better now. As for your OG being off, did you use top up water after the boil? That can lead to low OG readings if it's not mixed in all the way. No worries though, that fermentation will surely mix it all in. :mug:

I didn't do a full boil (all 5 gals.), I boiled 3 and had two in the carboy...thats a great suggestion, I cant remember taking a reading from the 3 or 5 gallons to give me a 1.130 :( details! Haha

I guess I will test it the old fashioned way, taste and see if I drop (get sleepy) :)
Thank you!
Miguel
 
Cbmikey,
Let's trade :) We've had a bit of a heat wave for about a month or two and we are ready for the cold weather...when the winter comes, I am sure we'll be missing this warm weather, ha! :)

Miguel
@BikeNBrew

I wish! Now is the time when we hi the Falintering season. It's gray, cold, cloudy, windy and wet for the next 6-7 months. Enjoy it!
 
Mke_bke said:
I didn't do a full boil (all 5 gals.), I boiled 3 and had two in the carboy...thats a great suggestion, I cant remember taking a reading from the 3 or 5 gallons to give me a 1.130 :( details! Haha

I guess I will test it the old fashioned way, taste and see if I drop (get sleepy) :)
Thank you!
Miguel

I think you have a typo either above or earlier in the thread. Was the OG 1.030 or 1.130? Big difference. I am going to go way out on a limb and say you either had 1.030 from the 5 gal not being mixed well (as was noted earlier as a possibility) or 1.130 from your 3 gal boil of undiluted wort".

I'm pretty new but I would suggest ignoring gravity measurements for this batch and just make sure to give extra time before bottling/kegging to make sure fermentation is complete. Extra time in a primary or secondary shouldn't hurt anything.
 
freisste said:
I think you have a typo either above or earlier in the thread. Was the OG 1.030 or 1.130? Big difference. I am going to go way out on a limb and say you either had 1.030 from the 5 gal not being mixed well (as was noted earlier as a possibility) or 1.130 from your 3 gal boil of undiluted wort".

I'm pretty new but I would suggest ignoring gravity measurements for this batch and just make sure to give extra time before bottling/kegging to make sure fermentation is complete. Extra time in a primary or secondary shouldn't hurt anything.

Hello Freisste,
It wasn't a typo, it was 1.130 but, as you stated, I believe it was from the 3 gal. boil...so now I dont know what my ABV might be. I will take your suggestion and keep it in primary a couple weeks and another in secondary before I bottle.
Thank you,
Miguel
@BikeNBrew
 
I am having this same problem and was searching for a solution. Just found it! Thanks for the posts guys
 
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