What would you do if the airlock pops off while in primary? Need insight/advise.

[MNFirefly]

Hello, fellow homebrewers.

I am in the need of some advice and insight.

I went down to check on my cherry infused cider that I have in primary after a week. I had added some sugar syrup - made from boiling water and raw sugar - last night along with yeast energizer to get the feasting back after a little stalling. I sat with the cider about 20 minutes to make sue nothing funny happened and went to bed. When I woke up, I went down to check on this batch and my heart sunk. I found that the airlock popped off even though it was secure and tight on the glass jug. I immediately scooped everything up and brought it back upstairs to sterilize the air lock so I could re-attach it until I decide what to do.

The good news is that yeast action really picked up a lot and acting like nothing happened. I am grateful for that after the sluggish fermentation.

My husband thinks I should throw the whole batch out and start over. I believe the batch is alright and has some hope to be saved.

What do all of you recommend that I should do? Your help will be appreciated either way. Thanks!

 

[ultra_cas]

I'd have done exactly what you did, pick up the airlock, re-sterilize it, and put it back on. No need to dump it, you're out absolutely nothing letting it go through the process. Active fermentation probably kept the nasties out, as there was CO2 coming out of where the airlock would have been.

Was it foaming out through where the airlock should have been? Maybe use a blowoff tube next time?

 

[Dapem]

How many batches have you and/or your husband done before this? If all that happened was the airlock popped off sometime in the night, but there was some decent fermentation still occurring in the primary, then the cider will be fine. Sanitize and pop that airlock back on and keep on fermenting. The only thing to watch for is if something dropped into the primary that would cause an infection, but if nothing was over it that might've fallen in, you'll be fine. My only questions would be why the airlock came off. It was either 1. knocked off or 2. gas couldn't escape due to a block somewhere in the airlock, and so the pressure forced the airlock out. The way you make it sound, it was probably #2, so check the airlock, blow through it, and if all is well, keep using it. And don't try to jam it in there, if there is a block and the pressure can't push the airlock out, it'll build inside the primary until it'll explode (see Bottle Bombs).

Hope that helps!

 

[Dhelderman]

Put it back on and make some cider. If primary ferment was going strong it'll be fine.

If, by some weird chance, you end up with infection, hope it was acetobacter and start looking up ways to use apple cider vinegar.

 

[MNFirefly]

Thank you to everyone who replied so far. I greatly appreciate your help. I will keep reading everyone's comments. I have a 4-hour timer so I can go down and check on the cider. I did notice some large air bubbles where the cherries rose up to and helped to gently loosen them up when I checked on it last. I plan to watch for those very carefully.

Cheers!!

 

[BrotherBock]

Don't listen to your husband. Everything is fine. Just sanitize it and reattach.

Like others above have said, infection was not likely. Also, since it's been in primary for a week I imagine the Ph is lower than when it started and will also help combat infection.

 

[WVMJ]

You actually dont need an airlock on the primary, you could do it in a bucket with just a cloth over it, when we ferement in a carboy we usually just put a kneehigh stocking over the top to keep gnats out while letting all the gasses out. WVMJ

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Run!!!!!!!

 

[Yooper]

You actually dont need an airlock on the primary, you could do it in a bucket with just a cloth over it, when we ferement in a carboy we usually just put a kneehigh stocking over the top to keep gnats out while letting all the gasses out. WVMJ

That's what I was going to say! I don't even cover my primary, except with a towel to keep out fruit flies. Of course, by day 5 or 6 I generally rack to secondary like I do with my wines, and this was day 8, but if fermentation is active and the cider isn't finished it will be perfectly fine.

 

[Hoppity]

I've never known a husband who was right when his wife had a strong opinion. Ex-husbands, however are a different story. Brew on!

 

[MNFirefly]

I've never known a husband who was right when his wife had a strong opinion. Ex-husbands, however are a different story. Brew on!

LMAO!!

 

[dmcrag]

Same thing, happened to me, but just started secondary ferment. I started secondary yesterday, but found that my husband managed to knock off the airlock when moving stuff in the garage. I sterilized the airlock and put it back on, but am I out of luck?

 

[jsiddall]

Same thing, happened to me, but just started secondary ferment. I started secondary yesterday, but found that my husband managed to knock off the airlock when moving stuff in the garage. I sterilized the airlock and put it back on, but am I out of luck?

Very likely perfectly fine. Even if fermentation had finished there is probably enough CO2 in solution that the minimal headspace (you don't have a lot of headspace, do you?) should have been protected.

Now, if fruit flies or something got into it you might end up with vinegar instead of cider.

Either way, just carry on and see what happens.