Who else have given up on airlocks?

[petep1980]

At least during the first couple days of a fermentation they seem to be more of a danger than asset for me. I have come into the basement too many times now to see bowed lids and bulging carboys thanks to clogged airlocks.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

They are awesome for conditioning tanks.

 

[bierbrauer]

Time to get a larger fermenter. I use 15 gallon fermenters with airlocks so there is always a 5 gallon buffer zone where the krauesen can climb up!!!

 

[Homercidal]

Use a blow-off tube for the fist part of the fermentation, and an airlock for the rest. Or get a fermenter large enough to handle the krausen!

 

[TipsyDragon]

i've only had 2 or 3 clogged airlocks in the last 1.5 years. if your getting more than that i think there is something else going on with your brew (or with mine).

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I always use a blowoff for primary. I do use an air-lock if I am using a secondary tank for fermentation or aging.

 

[bja]

i've only had 2 or 3 clogged airlocks in the last 1.5 years. if your getting more than that i think there is something else going on with your brew (or with mine).

+1
You may want to drop your fermentation temp a couple degrees, or use those foam control drops, or both.

 

[SumnerH]

+1
You may want to drop your fermentation temp a couple degrees, or use those foam control drops, or both.

Depends on what you brew, too. Someone who does mostly hefeweizens and Belgian strongs is going to have a lot more blowoffs than someone who does IPAs and dry stouts.

 

[glenn514]

Within the last day or so, another thread has been started on this very issue. I responded that I ALWAYS start fermentation with a blow-off tube. I let fermentation go 2-3 days and then switch over to a 3-piece airlock. The others that responded said basically the same thing, and also encouraged a larger, 1" diameter hose stuck into the "throat" of a carboy/Better Bottle. Makes good sense to me, and certainly helps keep my sanity!

glenn514

 

[Revvy]

Make sure you break off or saw the little criss cross of plastic on the bottom of them if you are using 3-piecers. Hop pieces and other harder bits tend to get pushed up against them with rising karusen, and once they are blocked like that, it's more likely to build up pressure.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I too always start with a blowoff tube but I'm intentionally trying to get either a tiny bit of blowoff or for it to almost blowoff. Doing that gets the gunk to stick to the upper conical portion and neck area of the carboy so it doesn't fall back into the beer.

I used to use a 1" hose but now I just use a 3/8" hose crammed onto the angled port of a carboy cap (thermowell in the straight port). No clogs yet but I try to put relatively clear/clean wort into the carboy.

 

[springer]

Time to get a larger fermenter. I use 15 gallon fermenters with airlocks so there is always a 5 gallon buffer zone where the krauesen can climb up!!!

Same here I did have the last Hefe come within 2 inches of the top had about 12 gallons in it. Must have gotten some strong yeast as it overflowed the starter on the stir plate too...

 

[Gremlyn]

I always leave the blowoff on there for the first week or two (depends how lazy I am). Glad I have a blowoff on the dubbel I just brewed, that'd be a mess otherwise. It's going NUTS! Literally spewing out yeast slurry by the ounce... good old 530 with a big starter

 

[petep1980]

I'm too cheap to invest in a bigger bucket.

 

[jsullivan02130]

Yikes. Wrong hobby dude! Don't tell me you went down to Home Depot....

How big is your bucket? I have 6.5 gallon fermenters and I've never had an issue. It sounds more like the bucket may be the issue rather than the airlock. Yeasties need their space.

I'm too cheap to invest in a bigger bucket.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

Blow-off for a week, airlock for the following primary time. I have had some beers (belgians) that love to make a mess, and others (stouts and bitters) that tend to be relatively calm.

Obviously Yeast type, and fermentation temperature will have the biggest effect when it comes to blow-offs, but you never know when the yeast are going to decide to go apesh!t on them sugars.

blow-off=cheap insurance.

 

[doctorRobert]

edit: posted on wrong thread.

But I agree airlocks suck

 

[HalfPint]

I always use blow-off tubes for the first few days, but after that, I usually throw an airlock on. I will typically swap them whenever I sanitize my wine thief to take a gravity reading.

 

[johnpreuss]

Yikes. Wrong hobby dude! Don't tell me you went down to Home Depot....

How big is your bucket? I have 6.5 gallon fermenters and I've never had an issue. It sounds more like the bucket may be the issue rather than the airlock. Yeasties need their space.

No doubt! I used a 5 gallon pail for my first 6 batches, 4 with a blow off tube, then I came around and bought a 7.9 gallon pail. AWESOME the only time I've needed a blow off for a 5 gallon batch was for a wit w/3944.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I ferment 5 gallons in a 15.5 gallon Sanke so my airlocks never clog!

I like to set the fermentor and walk away. Beyond that it's all up to the yeast.

 

[Ketchepillar]

I got a bit druck while brewing last night, couldn't find an airlock so I just rested an uncapped bottle cap over the carboy opening . It was just a half batch I brewed for kicks, not too invested in it. I made several other mistakes along the way as well.

Normally I just tinfoil, but I had none of that.

 

[Pappers_]

Add me to the list of those who use a blowoff tube on my primary fermenter (a better bottle) and an airlock on the secondary tank.

 

[Beer_Guy]

+1 on the yeast making a difference.

Of the four test batches I recently did, the White Labs Edinburgh Scottish Ale Yeast was the slowest to start. But when it did, WOW!! The second morning the water in the air lock was tinted brown and the Krausen was still over 2 inches thick.

I have always used an air lock only and tried to leave plenty of head room. I am thinking a blow off tube is in my future.

 

[bob1852]

Make sure you break off or saw the little criss cross of plastic on the bottom of them if you are using 3-piecers. Hop pieces and other harder bits tend to get pushed up against them with rising karusen, and once they are blocked like that, it's more likely to build up pressure.

good call El Revvy

 

[HalfPint]

good call El Revvy

Well if you use the three piece blow-off assemby, you have to cut that off. But I think Revvy is talking about in general in this case.

 

[bob1852]

Well if you use the three piece blow-off assemby, you have to cut that off. But I think Revvy is talking about in general in this case.

yes, that's what I posted the pic - to show what needs to be cut off

 

[Revvy]

Yeah that's the culprit. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that many lid blowing, ceiling coating, types of blowoffs are because of those little plastic buggers. Some hop gunk gets pressed against that, and the pressure builds.

Ever notice s types do not have that on the bottom? They are wide open on the bottom.

 

[weirdboy]

I usually just put plastic wrap over the fermenter and rest the lid on top to keep it in place for the first week or so.

Also, more headspace.

 

[bob1852]

Yeah that's the culprit. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that many lid blowing, ceiling coating, types of blowoffs are because of those little plastic buggers. Some hop gunk gets pressed against that, and the pressure builds.

take a close look at the upper airlock in the pic. That bugger's holes were clogged with plastic. It never had a chance....

 

[Revvy]

take a close look at the upper airlock in the pic. That bugger's holes were clogged with plastic. It never had a chance....

Oh geez, yeah. I can imagine that going off like one of those pop bottle rockets where you put a little water in.

 

[ScottishPete]

If you're going to leave something in primary for ~4weeks, what's the harm in keeping the blow off tube the entire time? ie. is there a link that talks about why you should switch to a 3 piece after a week?

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

If you're going to leave something in primary for ~4weeks, what's the harm in keeping the blow off tube the entire time? ie. is there a link that talks about why you should switch to a 3 piece after a week?

No harm but it will be easier to clean if you do it asap though. I've left it on the entire time but I never go 4 weeks unless it's a really big beer.

 

[Revvy]

I have an airlock problem...I have an S type that got filled with krausen, I thought I did a good job cleaning it out, but I noticed when I went to use it there appears to be hop particles deep into the S...and rinsing does nothing...any ideas?

 

[springer]

I have an airlock problem...I have an S type that got filled with krausen, I thought I did a good job cleaning it out, but I noticed when I went to use it there appears to be hop particles deep into the S...and rinsing does nothing...any ideas?

Buy a new one.. or smash it open wont help much but may make you feel better.

 

[Revvy]

Buy a new one.. or smash it open wont help much but may make you feel better.

Yeah, actually I bought some more the other. I just had grabbed it at big brew day out of my parts box and wanted to use it. In fact the red cap on the second one wouldn't stay on, so I just re-sanitized the hoppy one and stuck it on til I got the beer home, and changed it to a 3 piece.

 

[ScottishPete]

No harm but it will be easier to clean if you do it asap though. I've left it on the entire time but I never go 4 weeks unless it's a really big beer.

I'm not following ... you're saying switch from blow off -> 3 piece early just so it will be easier to clean the blow off tube?

 

[Dave258]

Instead of stopping using an airlock, I stopped using my 6 gal. Better Bottles as primaries. Got tired of losing 1/2 gal of beer through my blowoff tube. Once, I had a Brown Ale BLAST the bung and airlock out of the top of the BB at 2am. Sounded like a shot gun. My wife nearly died thinking someone broke in.
Now I only primary in my Buckets! Haven't had a blow off in 6-7 batches including a batch of edworts Bavarian Hefe with 3068, that blew out the starter like springer's. But this one wasn't on the stir plate.

 

[springer]

I always have several on hand . Seems as they get older the get brittle and start cracking ... or the grandson comes walking into the living room with parts of it... He has an fixation to flushing things last one was my thermapen off the meat tray... wish he had flushed the steaks would have been cheaper

 

[jds]

I've stopped with carboy caps and blowoff hoses as well. I cover the mouth of the carboy with sanitized aluminum foil, and stab a sanitized dial thermo through the foil to monitor the ferment temperature. Fermcap keeps the blowouts away.

To top it all off, I ferment in a big water bath or tub, so even if there is a blowout, it's just a little extra cleaning up, and not a natural disaster.

 

[Revvy]

I always have several on hand . Seems as they get older the get brittle and start cracking ... or the grandson comes walking into the living room with parts of it... He has an fixation to flushing things last one was my thermapen off the meat tray... wish he had flushed the steaks would have been cheaper

Oh no....he flushed your thermapen? Oh boy. I bet if it was your son, and not grandson, you would have flushed HIM.