S-shaped vs 3-piece airlock

[GuldTuborg]

"S" shape are the only way to go, especially for aging. Those stupid 3 piece dry out quickly and you can never tell at a glance if it's still working or not.

Only fools use 3 piece airlocks!

 

[subliminalurge]

The S shapes are easy to clean. I frequently get a little krausen blown up into them when I primary in my 6 gallon carboy when my 6.5 gallons are in use. I don't even change them, just make sure they have an ample amount of star san solution in them as I always do. By the time I rack the beer out the stuff in the airlock is very dry and crusted on. An overnight soak in an ice cream bucket of oxi clean solution, then force some water from the faucet through them and they're good as new.

 

[Diaperload]

I like the look and action of the "S" shaped better. They are weaker though. 2 of my "S" airlocks got so stuck in the bung that when I finally got it loose the plastic stretched to the breaking point. Since then I go with the 3 piece air lock.

 

[Aunt_Ester]

Shame they don't sell OxiClean in Virginia Beach.

Touché. But I have no confidence in scrubbing bubbles. Elbow grease is my only resolve.

 

[RunnerDude]

Just read most of this thread. I started with a 3 piece and thought it was perfectly good for my first two beers. Then my local store talked me into an S type for my apfelwein due to the evaporation issue and the fact that intend to leave it in the carboy for 6-8 months. It did bubble over and I ended up putting in a blowoff tube, but not before a bunch of juice/wort got into the airlock. I just soaked it in PBW overnight and it seems fine.

But how to people dry these? They seem really tough to dry (and I'm in a semi-arid climate). And while I used PBW on it and will use starsan on it before it's used again, I'm a bit worried about stuff growing in there if it doesn't totally dry out. I've tried blowing it out, which gets out some big stuff but also introduces moist air (and other fun stuff). I guess I could blow a hair dryer into it, but I don't think we have one. How do others do it?

I'm starting to think I should have stuck with the 3 piece.

 

[DamageCT]

I like both but have had better experience with the S locks.

The 3 piece seem to suck water back in and suction the middle piece when in a chest freezer for fermentation.

 

[Grippe]

I had problem with suck back on the 3 pieces. Switched to the double bubble and found that it easier to perform yeast swirling.

 

[Teromous]

It's not that you don't need an airlock on your starter, it's that using an airlock on your starter is actually detrimental. As much fun as it is to watch the pretty bubbles, you're hurting the yeast in doing so.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/stop-putting-airlocks-your-starters-104529/

Unless you're re-introducing O2 back into your starter (shaking, stirring, or injected), putting foil over your vessel is hardly going to be any more harmful than putting an airlock. You're still going to build a layer of CO2 over the wort unless you actively remove it. I also find it humorous that people insist on using foil, but still use an Erlenmeyer flask which reduces surface contact with O2.

 

[unionrdr]

I've used both,& Ime the s type blows out water faster. I use cheap vodka in my 3 piece,& only have to top it off once during primary. With the cap on it,it doesn't evaporate very fast at all. And way easier to clean with my small brushes & PBW. The s type was indeed harder to pull out of the grommet. I think it's due to the type of plastic used.

 

[RunnerDude]

Thanks all. But really what I'm looking for is how people dry the S or double-bubble style? I just put it in the drying rack upside down and it is taking an extremely long time to dry, which I fear is asking for mold.

 

[eanmcnulty]

Slip a 1/2" ID tube over the center post of of the three piece and you have your blowoff tube. Then pop the tube off and put the bubbler back on and you have an airlock.

Remove the little X of plastic at the bottom of the airlock though. That will get gummed up and give you a blockage.

I have a couple of 3-piece, but I have been using S-locks for the past couple of years. I think I may be going back to 3-piece. How simple to add the blowoff if needed!
My S-locks have grown something in the bottom of the S. I can't get it clean, and I have had to toss a couple. I use Starsan in them.
Old threads reveal good ideas.

 

[kh54s10]

Thanks all. But really what I'm looking for is how people dry the S or double-bubble style? I just put it in the drying rack upside down and it is taking an extremely long time to dry, which I fear is asking for mold.

I just throw it in the box with all the rest of the brewing stuff. When I go back to it it is dry. I clean it well after use and clean it well again then sanitize it before use. I always use a blow off tube so I have never gotten krausen in either style airlock.

That said; I have 2 of each and it seems I usually go for the 3 piece. And always when I use my bucket because I attach the blow off to it.

Also, I have not noticed much difference in the bubbling. That is probably because most of the bubbling was done into the catch bottle of the blow off system.

 

[USMCMatt]

Make sure you cut the X off the bottom of the 3-piece

 

[Rivenin]

cut the X off?

 

[Reno_eNVy]

cut the X off?

There are plastic crosses at the bottom of certain airlocks that can cause blockage and eventually lids blowing off. You cut that off and you don't have to worry about it.... as much.


Also, USMCMatt.... nice necrothread.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I have had suck back on both types but far more on the 3 piece airlocks. I bought several 3 piece airlocks because it's easier to convert into a blow off tube but I want to buy more S airlocks because they evaporate less fluid so I am less concerned about a dry airlock.

I guess I didn't have anything different to say on the subject...

 

[Master]

I use both, plus blowoff tubes.

More often than not, I'm doing 6-7 gallons in a 14 gallon SS Conical, so I'm not usually dealing with Krausen getting in there.

3 piece pros:
Holds more Vodka/Starsan, so during an active fermentation, it doesn't dry out as fast.
Easy Cleaning

3 piece cons:
Suckback. Happens with temp changes. I have a heated/cooled fermenter that holds +/- 1 degree so it's not a big issue with ales until I cold crash.

1 piece Pros:
No Suckback. (If you don't overfill it's physically impossible)

1 piece Cons:
Harder to clean if crap gets in. Not impossible. just an overnight soak vs 1 minute job.
During energetic fermentation, it will evaporate the much smaller volume of vodka quickly. Like 2 days with a 1.052 OG Lager rockin and rolling.

 

[Clef051]

I use both, I always use the 2 piece on stuff that has to sit for awhile just so I don't have to keep filling the sanitizer in there as much as with the 3 piece.

 

[user 70770]

I've been using a 3 piece airlock for 12 years. Back when I started I didn't have temperature control so I ended up with some big krausen that would clog up the airlock. Now that I have temperature controlled freezer to ferment my beers, my fermentations have all been very civilized with short krausen. I've started using the technique of cold crashing the beer at the end of fermentation and of course this causes major suck back using a 3-piece. I think I'm gonna switch to an S-lock for my next beer just because I hate the idea of stuff getting in my beer.

 

[Knkbrand]

sorry to bring back a thread, but I was having this debate in my head, and it brought me here. I do like the sound of the s lock better. I have recently switched to s locks and I have 4 wines 2 beers and a cider going, and my brew room sound just awesome!

 

[Hang Glider]

I start with a blow-off tube in a spare growler and never seem to remember to change it out -

 

[mashpaddled]

Others mentioned the big benefit of the three piece is that you can easily connect a blowoff tube. The downside is that they tend to have way more suckback than the S airlock and evaporate quicker.

I tend to use the three piece airlocks I have on some of my smaller fermenters for primary because there's less headspace and more chance I need a blowoff. S airlocks for everything else. Anything aging for a while has an S airlock to avoid problems with suckback and evaporation.