Airlock Woes

[schwartz]

I just finished my first batch about 15 minutes ago ( a Nut Brown Ale, brewed from LME with some specialty grains and hops). When I was sealing my fermenter (Ale Pail), I pushed the airlock (3 piece) in too hard and knocked the grommit into the wort. I've read that a ton of people had this same problem, but I don't know what to do. Do I fish it out? Right now I wrapped the stem of the airlock in plumber's teflon tape until it appears to have made a seal. Am I ok?


P.S.- how soon should I start to look for signs of fermentation (ie bubbling) before I question the seal integrity?

 

[homebrewer_99]

If it's only the grommet and you just closed it I would sanitize a ladle and scoop it out if it's floating.

 

[schwartz]

Bit the bullet so to speak and re-opened the fermentor. The grommit doesn't float, though you'd think it would. Anyhow, 10 minutes with some sterilized long kitchen tongs and i finally grabbed it off the bottom. The new plan: insert airlock into grommit --> grommit into fermentor lid.

Thanks for the help Bill

 

[homebrewer_99]

You're welcome. As long as it just happened and not yesterday you were safe to crack it open. Some brewers open ferment (no lid).

We Americans have gotten kind of anal about our foodstuffs (plastic gloves, etc.) I lived in Germany for 9 years. The only time I saw a rubber glove was during my physical, never saw one in a restaurant.

 

[K9Tracker]

This sounds strangely familiar

I fished for mine for 5 mins and gave up. I just used tape and my beer came out fine. I have seen spare grommits for sale at the LBS...nice to have a spare because I see myself doing this atleast 7 more times.

 

[Spyk'd]

I always used a drilled stopper when I was using my bucket. It was nearly impossible to push through. I mean, you could if you really wanted to...

 

[schwartz]

update: woke up this morning to a nicely bubbling airlock! Now comes the hard part.

 

[D*Bo]

I found the best thing to do is insert the airlock body empty into the lid before putting the cover on the primary bucket, then after sealing the lid place my finger over the hole in the airlock and fill, then put the floating piece in and cap it.

this also helps prevent sucking what ever you put into the airlock into your wort.

While we're on this topic don't use distilled spirits in your airlock (ie: vodka). It will kill off yeast as well as evaporate extremly fast (alochol evaporates faster than water). I usually just use water, occasionally sanitizer (idopher solution), but I believe water is the best bet incase it gets sucked into the wort.


Oh, and as long as you follow proper sanatation, you shouldn't have issues opening your fermentor while the wort is bubbling away. The CO2 produced should keep anything from getting in.