help mouth wash airlock fluid

[hopsoda]

knew that title would get somones attention.

Is it ok to use rubbing alc. in the air lock ... or mouth wash? ... or will it change the flavor of the beer? ...
I have heard to use ... water vodka or rum ... can i use other ... "Germ killing liquids? like vinagar , salt water , iodine / betadine...bleach ... or anything like that?
i can't bring myself to pour good (drinkable) liquor into the airlock, but i want somthing other than water , just to be safe ... just don't wana wast a drop.
whats a good cheap alternative? besides plain water.:cross:

 

[xbabyboy4021x]

id just use boiled water or cheap vodka, i see where ur coming from, but ive had batches that somehow created negative pressure in the primary and actually sucked the fluid from the airlock into the primary and i would much rather have a small amount of vodka or water sucked into my fermentor than anything else

 

[Cheeto]

use the vodka or a a mixture of your sanitizer and water. I would stay away from anything else you could have a major problem on your hand if you were to use bleach, mouthwash vinegar or salt water

as for not wanting to waste good drinkable booze buy the cheap $5-7 a fifth stuff, that is neither good or drinkable when it comes to vodka !!!

 

[Jaybird]

1/2 H2O and 1/2 vodka
Some people use starsan. You just want to use something that you wouldn't mind IN your beer. You may get some suck back. If that happens you are going to get some airlock fluid IN your beer
Cheers
JJ

 

[flowerysong]

Don't use anything you wouldn't drink! (If you would drink rubbing alcohol, please seek psychiatric help.)

Putting non-potable (or non-palatable, like vinegar) liquids that close to your beer is just asking for trouble. As already mentioned, changes in temperature can suck the liquid right out of the airlock into your beer.

No one's recommending you use your $100 a bottle Scotch as an airlock fluid. Get a bottle of cheap vodka or rum, and if you still feel it's a waste you can always drink it after you've emptied the carboy.

Another alternative is a no-rinse sanitiser like Star-San or Iodophor.

 

[Maveric777]

I picked up the "Cheapest Rot Gut Vodka" (at least that is what I asked for at the window) and drove away spending $1.80 for my air lock..... Works for me....lol

 

[Homercidal]

Don't put rubbing alcohol in there. I personally use cheap vodka, be because we have a leftover bottle from some long-forgotten New-Years party, and we don't personally drink that sht. Otherwise, I'd use star san.

Boiled water is ok. The odds of it contaminating the beer is low since there is nothing in the water for bugs to grow in. There should be positive pressure in the fermenter while the initial fermentation is going.

 

[hopsoda]

Thanks , thats kind of the answer's i expected.... but was just checking ... i have never had negitive pressure on my airlock (yet) , thanks for the warning.
and all the help.

 

[conpewter]

You don't have to waste your airlock vodka.... drink up! (Granted I use star-san solution so I don't drink it, but it is cheap!)

 

[EdWort]

Don't use anything you wouldn't drink! (If you would drink rubbing alcohol, please seek psychiatric help.)

Putting non-potable (or non-palatable, like vinegar) liquids that close to your beer is just asking for trouble. As already mentioned, changes in temperature can suck the liquid right out of the airlock into your beer.

No one's recommending you use your $100 a bottle Scotch as an airlock fluid. Get a bottle of cheap vodka or rum, and if you still feel it's a waste you can always drink it after you've emptied the carboy.

Another alternative is a no-rinse sanitiser like Star-San or Iodophor.

A $9 1/2 gallon of vodka has lasted me over a year.

It's all I put in my airlocks.

 

[browntrout]

only the best goes into my airlocks. the finest scotch (nothing under 25 years old), brandy and congnac. if you cheap out here where does it end? next thing you know you'll be brewing in plastic ziplock bags. only the best all the way.

 

[Captain Damage]

What? Do you have some kind of monster sized airlock? My airlocks hold 1oz of liquid - not even a full shot. Even if you're filling it with "the good stuff" we're talking about pennies per fill.

 

[reim0027]

I use my diluted sanitizer (starsan). I save the 5 gallons of sanitizer solution (which I used to sanitize the primary fermentor) - it would go to waste anyway. I use it for the airlock bubbler (the foaming action also helps detect slow bubbling too). I use it for on-the-spot sanitization (if I touched something on accident). Since it is a no rinse sanitizer, and will be getting into my beer anyway, I don't mind if it gets sucked into my beer.

 

[jay672]

I just use some of my starsan solution never had an issue

 

[MrNate]

I just use tap water.

 

[Marko73]

+1 for good vodka. One shot for you, one for your airlock. . . . . and oh yes, one for your homeys.

 

[flowerysong]

What? Do you have some kind of monster sized airlock? My airlocks hold 1oz of liquid - not even a full shot. Even if you're filling it with "the good stuff" we're talking about pennies per fill.

We're talking $1/fl. oz. for the cheapest bottle in my collection that I would count as "the good stuff". EdWort's vodka is $0.14/fl. oz. Over the course of several batches, that price difference will add up.