On my second batch now where active ferm is definitely going but I don't see any bubbling in air lock so I guess it's escaping through the lid somehow. Should I worry about this?
I should add that the batch before these two had a blow off into the airlock. Same bucket and lid. This batch is going, I can smell it intensely when I open the lid to my new totally awesome chest freezer ferm chamber, I THINK I can even hear the fizzing. This time using a blow off tube in a bucket of water but nothing happening in the bucket.
On my second batch now where active ferm is definitely going but I don't see any bubbling in air lock so I guess it's escaping through the lid somehow. Should I worry about this?
well I went ahead and got a second primary bucket, this one is much better. Skinnier and taller (still 6.5 gallons) but the lid has a rubber gasket... makes sense...
The whole 'perfectly airtight fermentation' thing is a relatively new phenomenon. You'll be fine, it'll still be holding back a whole load of CO2 so you shouldn't expect any oxygenation.
I wouldn't age it in a bucket for a year or anything like that, though