using 55 gallon poly drums?

[brewskiez]

I've spent some time watching youtube videos of larger batch wine making and I'm a little confused. These guys fill up 55 gallon plastic drums and let the must ferment in them for about 10 days. It doesn't appear they are using an air lock not until they strain it and transfer to secondary. Can anyone clarify what I think I'm seeing.

 

[kodiakken]

I start mine in a 5 gallon bucket and do not use an air lock.
When I put it in my secondary a carboy then I use a lock.

 

[bernardsmith]

Yeah.. There is enough CO2 produced and outgassed to prevent any contamination from anything with enough energy and force to push against the pressure from the wine. When active fermentation comes close to ending (a gravity around 1.005 ) wine makers will rack from their primary into a secondary which will have no headroom and be sealed with an airlock. Most (or many) wine makers who ferment fruit will stir their wine several times a day to ensure the cap of fruit is kept wet and so will not become covered with mold - so sealing a primary simply makes no sense. Mead makers, even when fermenting only honey also stir their meads to degas the liquid to help keep the pH from dropping precipitously - so again, sealing their fermenters does not make a great deal of sense.

 

[AkTom]

/\ this, what he said.

 

[brewskiez]

Thanks guys answered my question.