Poll: Do you sniff your airlock?

[BrewZer]

Confess!

 

[TBC27]

Of course

 

[sirbrewsalittle]

That’s part of the fun/experience.

 

[PADave]

Not the airlock specifically, but I'll sometimes open the chest freezer that I ferment in and stick my head inside.

 

[pockets121]

Of course !

 

[CanadianNorth]

Every brew, sometimes daily

 

[triethylborane]

"other?"

 

[jalc6927]

Always

 

[celging]

Yup!

 

[thunderwagn]

Absolutely!

 

[whovous]

Is there anyone who does not?

 

[OldHamlet]

I use too. Now i just open the keezer.

 

[seatazzz]

I confess...I will not only smell the airlock but will also take it out of the lid and peek inside. I use rum in my airlock so the smell I get isn't true. Just peeked at the blonde I did yesterday, as a matter of fact. It's got a blowoff instead of an airlock because I couldn't find a complete one in my stash.

 

[BrewZer]

I confess...I will not only smell the airlock but will also take it out of the lid and peek inside. I use rum in my airlock so the smell I get isn't true. Just peeked at the blonde I did yesterday, as a matter of fact. It's got a blowoff instead of an airlock because I couldn't find a complete one in my stash.

The blowoff can deliver even more smelly goodness!

 

[don_bran321]

totally. especially ipas

 

[thehaze]

Several times a day! I cannot go out of the house without doing that or coming home, without sniffing the airlock, FIRST THING!

 

[Morrey]

I voted "other" since I'll sniff the airlock every so often, but I have blow off tubes running into jugs of Star San on the floor so I am not often inclined to get on my hands and knees for a sniff test.

Interesting to this question I visited a brewery this weekend where they had just racked an Imperial Stout into 55G bourbon barrels they got from Buffalo Trace. He had the bung drilled for a 3 pc airlock, and the racking of beer caused the yeast to become active plus they found some new consumables in the barrel from the bourbon left behind. The brewer smelled the off gassing, and I did the same to take note of the bourbon essence coming thru the airlock. Very neat!!

 

[MHBT]

I am an airlock sniffer..like a dog on a crotch

 

[6midgets]

for sure

 

[Pappers_]

The intense concentration of CO2 can burn your nose and sinuses, during active fermentation.

 

[BrewZer]

The intense concentration of CO2 can burn your nose and sinuses, during active fermentation.

Thanks for that safety tip!

Sniffers, sniff cautiously!

 

[davem301]

Definitely!

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I check my beer daily when fermenting. With the chest freezer for temp control, I about passed out with the intensity when I stuck my head down in there. I just waft some out with my hand now.

I have a stout "barrel aging" (bourbon soaked oak & vanilla) that builds up pressure so I vent periodically. I always take a whiff of that to see how it smells. I'll be bottling soon, so time to brew another big stout to age.

 

[foam_top]

I think my signature says it all.

 

[whovous]

The intense concentration of CO2 can burn your nose and sinuses, during active fermentation.

You say that like it is a bad thing.

 

[Maylar]

Airlock sniffing is the best way to detect sulfur in a stressed ferment. Can't have that, so... sniff regularly.

 

[jimdkc]

More than once a day... not quite once an hour...

 

[jheinikel]

Absolutely! Just part of the QA/QC process.