Better Bottle Suck

[Bromley]

So, I've done all my previous (7) batches in plastic bucket primaries. Decided I really wanted to get a look at the entire fermentation process, so I picked up a 6 gallon Better Bottle. Brewed up a cream ale yesterday, got it into the better bottle, put my stopper and airlock filled with sanitizer on. Picked it up to move it to my closet where I store fermenters and SLURRP! Nearly all the sanitizer in the airlock got sucked down into the beer. I got it all situated in the closet, refilled the airlock (this time with gin) and left it. When I checked it this morning, the airlock was near empty again. Has anyone else had this problem with the Better Bottles?

I'm assuming some sort of contraction of the plastic or difference in air pressure sucked it back the second time. So, I refilled the airlock, checked it again this afternoon, and no fermentation yet. As of right now, it's been about 28 hours since I pitched the yeast. I figure I'll give it another 24 hours to kick in then either try pitching more yeast or just dump it. Basically I'm thinking the approximately 2 tbsp of sanitizer and 2 tbsp of gin that have been sucked into the beer have killed fermentation. Any suggestions or thoughts?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Never had that problem unless I tried to move the Better Bottle without first removing the air lock (as you experienced).

It sounds like you're experiencing some pretty severe temperature swings, which aren't good for your beer. Try and keep a more constant temperature during fermentation.

 

[Whelk]

What kind of sanitizer?
Not that this point matters, since you already did it, but wouldn't two tablespoons of any sanitizer be kind of a lot for the little amount of liquid in the airlock, especially since you were using gin anyway? I know that for iodophor you should use about two capfuls for 5gal of water, and that can't be much more than 1.5 tablespoons per capful.

 

[Bromley]

You would think temperature changes would be the cause, but I know for a fact the yeast was pitched at 69 F, and the house has been kept between 65-69 degrees since. Those kind of temperature changes have never been a problem in the past.

 

[Bromley]

The sanitizer was One Step. And when I said 2 tbsp that was my guess at how much liquid goes into an airlock, maybe it is more like 1 or 1.5. And that amount would be of diluted sanitizer mixed at 1tbsp/5 gallons of water. Am I making any sense?

Do you think that amount of sanitizer/gin would be enough to screw up fermentation?

 

[Whelk]

The sanitizer was One Step. And when I said 2 tbsp that was my guess at how much liquid goes into an airlock, maybe it is more like 1 or 1.5. And that amount would be of diluted sanitizer mixed at 1tbsp/5 gallons of water. Am I making any sense?

Do you think that amount of sanitizer/gin would be enough to screw up fermentation?

Ohhh, gotcha. So it's 1tbsp of the diluted sanitizer/water mixture, and maybe 1tbsp of gin? That might not make a difference--I know the gin itself wouldn't, and I'd be surprised if that little sanitizer mattered. As long as you weren't putting a tablespoon of straight sanitizer into the gin. Although for the record, the gin alone is fine.

 

[Bromley]

Yes, put simply: there is probably 1tbsp of dilute sanitizer and 1 tbsp of gin in my beer now. No Fermentation after 29 hours. How long should I give it before I get concerned?

And yes, I learned my lesson as far as taking the stopper off the Better Bottle when moving. Although, I have to say, for the same money I wish I had bought a 6 gallon glass carbouy.

 

[McKBrew]

Use vodka in your airlocks. Makes life easier.

 

[Beerrific]

Better-Bottle make air locks that address this problem: http://www.better-bottle.com/products_master.html

Looks like it is just a gravity operated ball check valve.

They run about $12.

 

[Bromley]

Interesting...thanks for the link. Although 12 bucks seems like alot for an airlock.

 

[Whelk]

I'd wait and repitch if you've got nothing at 72 hours. I actually just bought my first 5gal BB and have been using a 5gal glass carboy for a while (previously I only had buckets), so I'm interested to see how the two compare side-by-side. I have to say that I like the glass better so far--if only because it looks so cool. But man, lugging around a full glass carboy makes me shake in my boots. So we'll see.

 

[McKBrew]

That is my only complaint with BB, is that any accesories you might want cost an arm and a leg.

 

[Beerrific]

Interesting...thanks for the link. Although 12 bucks seems like alot for an airlock.

Check valves are cheap. You really could build your own.

 

[tbeazlie]

Having droped a glass carboy on my concrete gararge floor in the past, you will have to pry my Better Bottle from my cold dead hand!

 

[tbeazlie]

Having dropped a glass carboy in the past I will never use anything but the Better bottle from now on.

 

[PenPen]

Yes, put simply: there is probably 1tbsp of dilute sanitizer and 1 tbsp of gin in my beer now. No Fermentation after 29 hours. How long should I give it before I get concerned?

And yes, I learned my lesson as far as taking the stopper off the Better Bottle when moving. Although, I have to say, for the same money I wish I had bought a 6 gallon glass carbouy.

I had airlock suck backs with a 6.5 gallon glass carboy. I understand it is probably happens more easiliy with a BB, but it can still happen in glass.

 

[Brewer3401]

I use a vodka soaked "expensive" paper towel to cover my fermenter hole when I put into my chest freezer. Even though I get my wort to 65 F, I'm worried that the headspace is a higher temp. Keeping my freezer at 68 F (drops 4 F to 64), I had that happen once. Sucked the vodka out of my airlock when the airspace cooled.
Only do paper towel for one day. Then replace with sanitized airlock.

 

[BierMuncher]

I always use a blowoff tube the first 24 hours. Never know when a monster krausen is going to erupt.

If no krausen and things look tame, then on with the airlock. By then, the temp has equalized and risk of suck-back is gone.