Primary lid tight with air lock or lid just sitting on top??

[Christg4]

So I have done some searching of the forum and on google but never seem to get the same answer. What should be done snap the lid down with airlock or is it ok to just set the lid on the primary bucket?

 

[Kirbster]

Tight with airlock. It will help keep airborne nasties from sneaking in. It was also prevent fruit flies from seeking out your fermenting beer.

Be prepared for a blow off though. Just in case.

 

[Brewenstein]

After almost losing two batches at the same time from krausen clogging the airlock, I always just set my lid on top, with the airlock in it. I do place a 10 pound weight on it so that there is no gap for bugs to get in, but the CO2 still escapes. I also enjoy peeking on the fermentation process, and I keep notes as to what happens each day / several times a day. After about 3 days, when I notice that the krausen is beginning to fall, I snap the lid on and forget it for a couple of weeks until I check the SG. I have been doing this for over a year now with no problems. I guess that I am just too lazy to rig a blow off tube.

 

[Christg4]

I have a weight on mine as well and I do like to peak alot, thats a good tip to snap her down once the krausen as started to reside!

 

[joelshults]

I agree with Brewenstein. After having a couple of batches almost blow up, I leave the lid loose for the first couple of days. Once high krausen is past, I seal it up and leave it there until time to bottle.

 

[IrregularPulse]

It really doesn't matter. bacteria are not ninjas. either method gives you an escape for CO2 while protecting from things falling down and in.

 

[Revvy]

It doesn't really matter, you really don't need an airtight seal on your fermenter. The co2 coming out of there would protect your beer. In fact many folks with arthitis and other issues don't snap the lid down on their buckets anyway, and may folks just put tinfoil, plastic wrap, metal cookie sheets or even plexiglass sheets on top of the bucket instead. It's really not crucial to be tight. The bad stuff are not ninja acrobats, they really can't get into stuff. The co2 coming out will prevent anything getting in.

 

[Revvy]

It really doesn't matter. bacteria are not ninjas..

IThe bad stuff are not ninja acrobats, they really can't get into stuff.

Psych!!! Great minds think alike.