Who else have given up on airlocks?

[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.

 

[springer]

Ya he did, I hear the toilet then little feet running and him calling "POP POP " he proudly shows me the thermapen in two pieces in the toilet. At least I got new water resistant one

 

[gabeweisz]

I use a wine fermenter rather than a regular bucket - it's just under 8 gallons rather than 6. Never had a problem with a clogged fermenter because of the extra space.

 

[MVKTR2]

Count me in the "I primary in a bucket and don't have blow-offs" group. I've done a couple dozen batches now, all in a bucket for primary with out even a sniff of a blow-off. Never even had krauzen get in my air lock. It doesn't hurt that my big biers are 4-4.5 gallon batches leaving me extra head space, however my regular strength ales including hefe's are usually 5.5 gallons.

Schlante,
Phillip

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

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.

I was talking to my LHBS owner the other day and he said they stopped making them with that X shaped piece of plastic. I grabbed a couple of them and sure enough, no obstructions.

As for not using an airlock, well I do on every batch but I also use Fermcap. Its very unusual for me to have to add a blow off tube but when I do I just take off the airlock cap and bubbler and connect a 5/8 piece of tubing for a couple of days.