vodka in my air lock???!!!!

[anti-bud]

Ok so can anybody help me? I just did my first boil last night. Everything went alright, but a friend of mine told me to use a bit of vodka in my air lock instead of santitized water, well when i inserted my air lock into the fermenter lid some of the vodka got into my beer. The pressure just sucked it right in. Is this going to ruin my first batch???? Please help!!

 

[SuperiorBrew]

you wont even notice it
You may even have boosted your ABV by .00001%

 

[TheJadedDog]

You will be just fine, no worries.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

It's hard to say whether the vodka in your fermenter is going to cause a problem. This actually depends on a number of variables. I suppose the best thing to do, just to be sure, would be to send me the bottle of vodka.

Once I receive it, I will run some tests for you and let you know if it will cause a problem with your beer.

 

[chione]

Ok so can anybody help me? I just did my first boil last night. Everything went alright, but a friend of mine told me to use a bit of vodka in my air lock instead of santitized water, well when i inserted my air lock into the fermenter lid some of the vodka got into my beer. The pressure just sucked it right in. Is this going to ruin my first batch???? Please help!!

I use vodka in my apfelwein because it ferments slowly and it will sit for months. For beer I have been using sanitized water. My theory being that if vodka lands on the beer it will kill any of the top fermenting yeast it contacts where as water will not plus water is cheaper. YMMV

 

[Aspera]

The only way the vodka would affect your beer is if all of the alcohol evaporates off, the airlock solution goes bad, and THEN it gets sucked into your fermenter. For future reference, you can avoid the problem by waiting 24 hours to fill the airlock (the beer is often cooling and not yet producing CO2 the first day.

 

[DeathBrewer]

if the alcohol evaporates off? i would try not to keep my brew anywhere that hot!

 

[Aspera]

Alcohol has a high enough vapor pressure that alcohol (or water for that matter) evaporates at room temperature.

 

[HP_Lovecraft]

The pressure just sucked it right in. Is this going to ruin my first batch???? Please help!!

This is the exact reason why people often sugest using vodka.

The effects of vodka on the wort should have far less impact then water which might infect the beer, or sanitizing solution which may effect the flavor.

Worst thing the vodka will do is kill a small minority of the yeast.

nick

 

[Evan!]

Aspera: don't scare the guy. It's not a problem. I've added 2 cups of bourbon to a beer before...so what is a few drops, or even a few ounces, of vodka (a spirit more neutral than bourbon) gonna do? Nuthin.

 

[riored4v]

This is the exact reason why people often sugest using vodka.

The effects of vodka on the wort should have far less impact then water which might infect the beer, or sanitizing solution which may effect the flavor.

Worst thing the vodka will do is kill a small minority of the yeast.

nick

if you were to use bottled water, you wouldnt have to worry about contamination though correct?

just curious.

 

[Evan!]

if you were to use bottled water, you wouldnt have to worry about contamination though correct?

just curious.

wrongo dongo. while it may be sanitized at the point of opening the bottle, the extended time period that it sits in the airlock affords many a nasty microscopic bacteria or yeast cell the opportunity to nest there...

 

[DeathBrewer]

i understand that, but i always use vodka and i've never experienced it evaporating completely out.

also, the first 24 hours is probably the most important time to ensure that nothing gets into the wort and a dry airlock won't help protect it. once it begins fermenting, the co2 will pretty much keep everything out on its own.

 

[riored4v]

wrongo dongo. while it may be sanitized at the point of opening the bottle, the extended time period that it sits in the airlock affords many a nasty microscopic bacteria or yeast cell the opportunity to nest there...

thanks.

it almost sounds like vodka would be the better option then. i guess i'll use that when i get ready to make my first batch.

 

[Evan!]

Yes, cheap vodka like popov or texas (or, failing that, whatever nasty neutral spirit your drunk friends left at your place that one time...) is best.

 

[anti-bud]

Thanks for the tips EVERYBODY. Yeah when i got home from work today i noticed a ton of bubbly excitment going on inside my airlock...was very relieved. I'm doing an amarillo pale ale for my first batch. Soooooo excited

 

[jonbeck14]

I used starsan in my last batch, a dunkelweiss, but it was creating such a squeaky sound out of the top of the airlock, I had to pull it off and switch it back to vodka. Sounded like a little mouse in the corner.

 

[anti-bud]

I used starsan in my last batch, a dunkelweiss, but it was creating such a squeaky sound out of the top of the airlock, I had to pull it off and switch it back to vodka. Sounded like a little mouse in the corner.

I'm a total green brewer, whats starsan?

 

[EvilTOJ]

Star-san is a no-rinse sanitizer.