Woke up to a brown airlock!

[dblalock]

Hello all,
I am currently brewing my first batch of beer (as of yesterday). Everything seems to be going as planned but when i woke up this morning the airlock was sticky and brown. I have two so I sanitized the extra airlock and immedietly switched the two. Is there a problem in this process? Is this common? I wouldn't want to go all the way with it if its going to turn out green! Thanks!

 

[Trubadour]

Go ahead and swap it out with a blowoff tube. It'll be fine. I think that happens with most people's first batch. Take a piece of tubing that fits in your stopper and run the other end into a vase filled with water (I use starsan mixture)

 

[IrregularPulse]

It will most definitley turn out green since it's your first batch But green in a since that it'll be drank green, AKA to early do to impatience. If you have the patience to allow the first batch the time it needs kudos to you!!

But seriously you'll be fine. What did you fill you're airlock with? Just realize there is pressure pushing the brown gunk into the airlock. This same pressure prevents anything from falling down into your beer. But Blow off tubes are recommended for big beers. Also how much space did you have between the bucket lid and beer?

 

[dblalock]

Thank you both.
In response to your questions:
The airlock is filled with water. I have heard of some people using liquor?
And there is probably about a 4 inch space between the liquid and the lid. 5 gallons in a 6 gallon bucket.

 

[Whiskey]

Blow off tubes are your friend.

 

[Trubadour]

I put vodka in my airlocks once the aggressive fermentation has subsided and I take off the blowoff tube. Nothing can live in vodka, and if you get any suckback, it just ups your abv (-EdWort)

 

[IrregularPulse]

I also use vodka. some people use sanitizer. I wouldn't use plain water though. Buy the cheapest bottle of vodka at your grocery store and it'll last forever. But whatever you do don't drink it!! I said THE CHEAPEST you can find.

 

[TrojanMan]

4-5" of krausen head is normal. You did right, but sometimes if the temperature is a little high or if you have a lot of hops in the beer, etc. it can push to the airlock. You did the right thing. Sanitize your spare, swap it out and don't worry anymore. Good job.


I use "Zelko" brand vodka in my airlocks. It's $7.50 for a handle at the local college supply store. It tastes terrible. :cross: But it's cheap and antiseptic and it won't hurt you if a few drops get into the beer. I also use it to sanitize bottlecaps. BTW, if you do this, drink the vodka afterwards. The steel-flavored rotgut vodka is really one of those taste experiences everyone should have. If nothing else, it'll make you appreciate your homebrew that much more.


If you're using a bucket, you probably don't need the blowoff tube. 5 gallons of beer in a 5 gallon carboy needs one, however, at least for the first 3-4 days until you get past late krausen.

 

[Pangea]

I agree with replacing the airlock - sounds like you got some krausen pushed into the old one. Now leave that beer alone for a few weeks and relax!!!!!

 

[dblalock]

Thanks guys. Feel much better!!

 

[dblalock]

However. Its done this about three times today. where it just gets gross. Is it bad to change it too much?

 

[Trubadour]

I thought you were going to swap it out with a blowoff tube!

 

[r3dn3ckstyl3z]

dblalock.... i'm currently working on my first batch. These guys helped out a ton. Last night i got the call from my wife that the fermentation had blown off my airlock. i doing an imperial stout that i subbed dark brown sugar for honey. Blow off tubes are a life saver and very easy to do. I explained it over the phone to my wife.

Basically, what i did was rigged tubing through my grommet in the top of my bucket (my tubing was large enough to fit securely and air tight into the grommet) then ran it into a sanitized milk jug with about an inch or 2 of vodka. It was bubbling like a kid blowing in soda.

After about 14 hours or so it had calmed down enough that i could replace my air lock but i'm keeping a keen eye on it just in case. It helped that i had a buddy that has been brewing for a few years that was able to take quick action to relieve pressure on the bucket before i had a real mess on my hands.

Ok i'm rambling. but yeah a lot of these guys have a lot of experience and a lot of good advice but remember you ask 10 different brewers and you'll get 12 different answers.

One thing i've learned with watching other brewers and helping before doing it on my own was it takes a lot to mess up a brew to the point that its undrinkable.

Good luck and happy brewing.

 

[Trubadour]

I dubbed my first brew "Off the Wall IPA" b/c instead of the airlock shooting off the bucket and going through the ceiling, it popped up half the bucket lid (which you know how hard it is to open a locked lid) and splat krauzen all over the wall... I mean all over it, and it literally stripped the paint off the wall. Dayum that was a great beer though. Blowoff tubes since then.

 

[rico567]

I had some blowoff in the airlock a few times during my first half-dozen fermentations. Then I started chilling to 70F instead of 80F, and my fermentations tamed right down. My basement stays in the low 60s even in the summer, so things don't get out of hand much. I had one last month during my first AG brew, and I just played "swap the airlock." I use nothing but Star San in my airlocks.