Anybody reusing the vodka in their airlocks?

[bigbeergeek]

...as in pouring airlocks full of cheapo vodka back into the bottle for reuse. I've done this off and on for some time, but I wonder if the vodka loses its potency over time. Perhaps airlock bubbling hastens evaporation of the ethanol fraction from the airlock, leaving a higher concentration of water behind. I've certainly had airlocks evaporate on me, but I'm not willing to taste them side-by-side with the bottle to determine a loss of potency -- yuck! Any insight on this?

 

[BoxofRain]

Honestly...I put Stoli in mine and take a shot when I'm done fermenting.

 

[lumpher]

yes, they do lose potency, but not enough to make any difference. answer: use cheap vodka, and dump when fermenting is done. i use cheap stuff, and get the stinkeye when buying it in liquor stores, but little do they know what it's used for and the result

 

[JonM]

I reused a pint glass with a couple ounces of rotgut vodka (had a blowoff tube with the end in the vodka.) Used it for at least a half a dozen batches. As long as I didn't get any actual blowoff crud in it, I figured it was fine.

 

[Brewer3401]

I remember leaving a small amount of scotch in a glass overnight

The next night, I tasted it - I could not perceive any alcohol.

I believe the alcohol evaporated.

Note: My main concern with the airlock getting sucked back is when I decrease temps. Other than that, you should not have any problem.

I will put a folded iodophore soaked paper towel over the hole on my fermenter for the firist 24 hours (until the temp equalizes), then put on the airlock.

I put beer in my airlock - used to do scotch.

 

[nefarious_1_]

I only reuse vodka I use for sanitizing bottlecaps. The reused vodka gets put into a separate container. Then, I use it in my airlocks. All airlock vodka gets tossed though.

 

[bja]

Have any of you heard of Star San?

 

[vitrael]

Have any of you heard of Star San?

^_^

This said, I have a *full* bottle of Fleischmann's that I use for sanitizing bottlecaps and for airlock liquid. I only dump if wort bubbles up into it.

 

[DarkShadesBill]

I use Iodophor in the airlock; I drink Vodka.

 

[Beezy]

Have any of you heard of Star San?

$$$

 

[bigbeergeek]

I use Iodophor in the airlock; I drink Vodka.

The sanitizing properties of iodophor will dissipate in a few days, after that the liquid in your airlock is prone to infection.

 

[aerialmedical]

Alright, so what is difference in using vodka vs. just some good 'ole water in the airlock? Why are we all filling airlocks with something other than water?

 

[bigbeergeek]

Alright, so what is difference in using vodka vs. just some good 'ole water in the airlock? Why are we all filling airlocks with something other than water?

I'll field this one.

Airlocks filled with stagnant water for weeks or months harbor bacteria and wild yeast. Tiny insects (namely gnats) seem to gravitate toward the aromas of fermenting ale and accumulate in airlocks too, bringing yet more bacteria/yeast. The problem is sometimes the liquid in your airlock gets into your fermenting beer, like when the airlock is removed or when the beer temperature cools (and you experience "suckback"). This is a potential source of contamination. By filling the airlock with cheap vodka, the liquid is self-sterilizing, and thus insects and wild bacteria/yeast cannot pass through it into your beer. If a few drops of vodka make their way into five gallons of beer, the flavor impact is negligible. An infected batch of beer, however, is another story...

 

[scotched]

I just use a tiny drop of star-san + bottled water, and just never move a fermenter around with the airlock in. I'll use tinfoil if I need to move it distances.

I've found that vodka in the airlock actually attracts flys (where I live)

 

[petey_c]

Military Special vodka! I don't get the stinkeye more than any other vet buying it... Wouldn't drink it though. I'm afraid if I spilled some on the floor, it would start eating it's way to the core of the earth...

 

[zymurgy101]

I use vodka and\or Star San...whichever is closest. Depending upon if you expect blow off, I like the idea of a sanitary air filter like I use when injecting air or O2...http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Sanitary-Filter.html

 

[bja]

$$$

So you're saying that vodka is cheaper than Star San? I think it cost me about $0.50 to make 5 gallon of Star San. What kind of cheap ass vodka do you buy?

 

[bja]

By filling the airlock with cheap vodka, the liquid is self-sterilizing, and thus insects and wild bacteria/yeast cannot pass through it into your beer.

What happens when the alcohol in the vodka evaporates?

 

[bendavanza]

I'm a cheapo but I'd rather not risk an infection by re-using vodka in an airlock. it only takes a small amount. My batch of beer is worth a lot more to me. If I'm in a temp controlled environment like a fridge I just use water or star san. And this stuff about star san being expensive, jeez it takes 1/5 oz to make a gallon, and it's wonderful stuff. Once I started using it, esp. in a spray bottle, other sanitizers seem inferior.

 

[nefarious_1_]

What happens when the alcohol in the vodka evaporates?

It takes weeks to evaporate. Do you go that long without checking your beer? I don't.

Also, in the event it gets sucked back through the airlock into the beer, at least you're only adding alcohol instead of chemical sanitizer. But I think this thread is about re-using vodka, not airlock filler preference...

 

[bja]

It takes weeks to evaporate. Do you go that long without checking your beer? I don't.

Cheap vodka is usually only 40% alcohol. So when 40% of the fluid in the airlock is gone, so is the alcohol.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Have any of you heard of Star San?

That's what I use. Putting vodka in an airlock just seems like such a waste....

 

[shelly_belly]

I don't know. I bought a pint of vodka 2 years ago just for airlocks. I still have 1/2 pint left.

 

[bigbeergeek]

Cheap vodka is usually only 40% alcohol. So when 40% of the fluid in the airlock is gone, so is the alcohol.

That's not true at all. Read up on distillation science.

 

[nefarious_1_]

what he said ^^^

You'd have to distill the vodka to separate the alcohol.

 

[TomOliver]

Man, I didn't even know people used vodka. I've been using star san solution since day one.

 

[emjay]

Yep, Star San for me to.

 

[bja]

what he said ^^^

You'd have to distill the vodka to separate the alcohol.

Why would you need to separate it in order for it to evaporate?

 

[nefarious_1_]

Disregard my last post, I should have read your comments more carefully.

There wouldn't be a huge amount of alcohol evaporation in relation to the water if it were left in an airlock for a couple weeks because the water would be evaporating too.

40% evaporation of 80 proof liquor does not equal total alcohol evaporation: the water evaporates at a given rate relative to, but not equal to, the alcohol evaporation. It would take a long time to make a big difference at room temperature. Of course, the only way to tell would be to distill the vodka after that time and compare the results to what you started with.


It's been a while since college chemistry for me, so you should google a more in depth answer. I certainly don't have any equations for you but I hope it helps. Maybe someone else can give a better explanation.

 

[bja]

It's been a while since college chemistry for me, so you should google a more in depth answer. I certainly don't have any equations for you so this is the best I can do, hope it helps.

There are no equations that I know of but alcohol does evaporate substantially faster than water. Dip one finger in alcohol and another in water then see how long each takes to dry. Also alcohol will evaporate out of solution and would not need to be distilled to eventually be gone. Maybe that would take a month. Maybe more, maybe less, I don't know.

BTW, I'm not looking for an answer. I have no intention of ever using vodka in an air lock.

 

[corkybstewart]

After 18 years of brewing with water in the airlock it's good to know I should change my ways(LOL). I've never had an infected batch, even with fruit fly infestations every spring. If you have such major temp fluctuations that the airlock fluid gets sucked into the fermenter you have bigger problems to worry about.

 

[tasq]

Honestly...I put Stoli in mine and take a shot when I'm done fermenting.

I did this once and it tasted terrible.

 

[CrazedArmadillo]

Left open to air, the ethanol in vodka will evaporate faster than the water...so by pouring your used vodka back into the bottle, you might be progressively lowering the strength of the vodka.

If you have a kitchen scale that can measure grams, just take a known volume of the used vodka out of your airlock and weigh it to calculate the density. 40% Ethanol should have a density of 0.9156 grams/ml. If yours comes out higher than this, some of the ethanol has evaporated.

For an ethanol/water mixture:
% Alcohol = 474 x (1 - Density)

 

[bigbeergeek]

After 18 years of brewing with water in the airlock it's good to know I should change my ways(LOL). I've never had an infected batch, even with fruit fly infestations every spring. If you have such major temp fluctuations that the airlock fluid gets sucked into the fermenter you have bigger problems to worry about.

True. I'm talking about the kinds of temperature fluctuations experienced when cold crashing a carboy prior to kegging or fining with gelatin.

 

[Brewer3401]

True. I'm talking about the kinds of temperature fluctuations experienced when cold crashing a carboy prior to kegging or fining with gelatin.

Yes, I agree with this.

The way I brew, I'll get the wort about 5 F colder than fermentation temp, then let it sit for 1 hour before racking to the fermenter.

Even though I THINK I'm ok, I just take a iodophore soaked paper towel and put on the top of the airlock hole, then put on the airlock 24 hours later.

The big deal is when you crash from 65 F or so down to 35 F or so - will suck an down an airlock like a 4th street whore. (or so I've heard)

I'm leery about anything being sucked in to the fermenter - I go 2 days with the iodophore paper towel after cold crashing, then put on the airlock.

 

[rycov]

if you get the s shaped airlock it will bubble in reverse, then it won't suck into the fermenter

 

[Brewer3401]

if you get the s shaped airlock it will bubble in reverse, then it won't suck into the fermenter

I read that somewhere - really good idea. I've just always used the 3 piece - don't know why, just have.

Our homebrew store owner in New Orleans looked like he used a lot of the snake looking ones - maybe he knew no suck back with those.

 

[rycov]

yeah, I started with the three piece because it looked cool. then the next time I got the s shaped one because I wanted to see how I liked that, and I noticed that when I cold crashed it bubbled backwards. so now I just use those. then I read on here that other people use them for that reason.

 

[emjay]

That's why I use Star San. The stuff isn't really toxic at all, but rather it sanitizes by being too acidic for bacteria and other microbes to survive in. As long as the pH is low enough (below 3.5, IIRC).

And so obviously, a pH exceeding that point no longer works. The most common way of having a Star San solution of higher than pH 3.5 is dilution... specifically, racking onto the foam, which you should not fear atrictly because it IS safe to consume in reasonable quantities, as long as the pH of the solution isn't so low that it damages tissue. In fact, the major active ingredient is found in higher concentrations in all sorts of soft drinks, flavored waters, etc.

So, while people seem to consider sanitizers in general as all being either toxic to them, or at the very least, bad for yeast - getting some suckback is 100% fine with Star San... every drop of the stuff will generally remain as an effective4 sanitizer in the airlock until the moment it gets sucked back into the beer and dilutes, no longer remaining under the necessary pdH, and therefore becoming harmless to both the yeast AND yourself.

In short, if you're going to use liquid in the airlock and don't have to worry about freezing it, you really can't beat Star San.