Stupid cat!

[Joewalla88]

I'm pretty sure my cat knocked the airlock out of my fermenter. It looks like he knocked some bottles over and made a mess of broken glass too. I'm not sure how long it's been sitting there without the airlock in it. 24 hrs at most. I'm going to try to relax about it. I'm just hoping nothing got in there while it was sitting like that. I'm excited about this beer and will be annoyed if this messes it up. Stupid cat.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Relax. I rarely remember to put an airlock on my fermenters. Even when they do have airlocks, they leak so badly that the airlock doesn't do anything. You'll be fine.

 

[Joewalla88]

I'm actually surprised the cat hasn't been an issue before. I used to worry about her playing with the airlock trying to catch the bubbles or something. I guess I should be happy that only one bottle broke. I doubt anything fell into the tiny hole on the bucket lid, knock on wood. I just know that my dogs would never pull anything like this.

 

[RM-MN]

While fermenting your beer will be giving of CO2 which then must escape somewhere. Usually that is through an airlock or around the lid of a bucket. In your case it is escaping through the hole where the airlock had been. This creates a flow of gas. Bacteria don't swim. They cannot get "upstream" through that flow of gas, slight though it is. Even if they did, the beer is acidic, which restricts what bacteria can propagate, has CO2 in it which restricts other bacteria, and has an antiseptic called alcohol. Pet the cat, clean up the broken glass, put the airlock back on and quit worrying.

 

[Br3w4u]

Stupid human. The cat only did what it does naturally. It got into **** and caused mischief. Maybe you should donate yourself to the local association of cannibals and leave your fortune to the cat.

 

[Joewalla88]

While fermenting your beer will be giving of CO2 which then must escape somewhere. Usually that is through an airlock or around the lid of a bucket. In your case it is escaping through the hole where the airlock had been. This creates a flow of gas. Bacteria don't swim. They cannot get "upstream" through that flow of gas, slight though it is. Even if they did, the beer is acidic, which restricts what bacteria can propagate, has CO2 in it which restricts other bacteria, and has an antiseptic called alcohol. Pet the cat, clean up the broken glass, put the airlock back on and quit worrying.

You're right. It's kinda funny that after years of home brewing I still worry about this stuff.

 

[Joewalla88]

Stupid human. The cat only did what it does naturally. It got into poopy and caused mischief. Maybe you should donate yourself to the local association of cannibals and leave your fortune to the cat.

My GF agrees with you.

 

[El Nino]

 

[seatazzz]

My youngest cat has discovered that airlock bungs are GREAT toys. They bounce, her claws can grab them, and they roll in weird directions. I think there's three under the fridge now.

 

[RPh_Guy]

 

[WBB]

Well now you have to name the beer after the cat. Nine lives lager? Cat-astrophe Ale? What were you brewing?

 

[Joewalla88]

It's a hibiscus/jasmine blonde. The cat's name is Opal, so I might try to work that in.

 

[filthyastronaut]

This happened to me recently, the beer had been sitting about a week after active fermentation so no active prevention against oxygen, with contamination being a secondary worry. I bottled it right then and there.

 

[Joewalla88]

This happened to me recently, the beer had been sitting about a week after active fermentation so no active prevention against oxygen, with contamination being a secondary worry. I bottled it right then and there.

How'd it turn out? What did you do with your cat?

 

[Lefou]

My cats never messed with my carboys.
I think it had something to do with them being older and less curious about the process.
One of the first all grains I did was a WLP300 German-style wheat with a blow off. Maybe the constant "bloop bloop bloop" noise shooed 'em off. One of my fuzzy goobers was so skittish he would avoid the kitchen entirely unless it was kitty food time. He'd habitually go the long way around and I would joke about him being a paranoid sissie afraid of being ambushed by the bags of rice or potatoes.
If they did misbehave, I would chase them down and give them hugs. Generally being introverted rascal contrarians, cats sometimes tend to hate hugs unless you're their favorite human.

 

[filthyastronaut]

How'd it turn out? What did you do with your cat?

Beer turned out fine! I think I did the right thing bottling it promptly. My cat continues to constantly raise hell and take special interest in my brewing activities . . . and everything else we do.