# Suck back through the airlock while bottling



## megasuke (3/8/13)

Well in my excitement to bottle my brew, I forgot to take off the airlock. As I bottled my first one, I saw about half of the airlock suck back into the fermenter. Wouldn't be too fussed but some of the brew had bubbled into the airlock while it was fermenting and now I think I could have infected my brew.

Bottled it all but now I'm wondering what I should look out for as I let it sit for the next month.

Can you see infections in the bottle or is just by taste? Are infections tasteless and could I drink it and become really ill? Should I just tip the lot and rack it up to experience?


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## timmi9191 (3/8/13)

Dont tip it, Wait and see is really the only answer in IMO..

If its infected you'll be able to smell and taste it. 

Relax, it will most likely be fine


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## Feldon (3/8/13)

The real danger of infections in the bottle are exploding bottles - bacteria can consume things in the beer that the yeast can't, and in the process the buggers give off gas in excess of what the bottle can withstand (what, with priming sugar in there and all).

But I wouldn't be too worried though, it will probably be OK. Chuck a towel over the bottles just case.

As for leaving the airlock in the fermentor while bottling - as I once told an old pro, if you're gonna suck it in you're gonna have to swallow.

Edit: sp. and stuff


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## dougsbrew (3/8/13)

Presuming you have the same airlock as me, the s bend type, I never fill mine up to the indented line.
I just fill up to the u bend up, and if I do forget to remove, there isn't enough liquid volume to suck back in to brew.
As said above, should be fine, it was sterile water with a bunch of co2 pumped through it.


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## Cocko (3/8/13)

If you are truly worried, which I wouldn't be... it is a piss in an ocean really.

Are they glass bottles?

Either way, as Feldon has wisely suggested, throw a towel or heavy blanket over the bottles while they condition and treat with care once they are ready and you handle them.

I will bet my left it will be fine mate, we have all done it and are all still here posting! 

What did you use in the airlock? Try, starsan, cooled boiled water or I used to use vodka - then you are safe if it happens again.... not that it should, fool me once shame on me, fool me twice and nipple cripple a taxi driver and all that...

2c.


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## yum beer (3/8/13)

Just crack the lid on the fermenter when bottling or remove the airlock.
You need air to get the liquid out. Gravity will only do so much.


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## megasuke (3/8/13)

Looks like its the waiting game then. 
The water in the airlock was a mixture of over bubbling during fermentation and water. There was a few spots of mold on the lid of the fermenter but I cleaned and sanitized it before bottling. Being away for two lead to that. 
The bottles are plastic so if they are infected and burst at least there won't be broken glass to clean up.
Thanks for the advice everyone.


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## technobabble66 (3/8/13)

Sadly,
every. single. batch.
... of mine (6th one now) has had the water in the airlock blow back into the fermenter during bottling.
I stressed on the first & after nothing happened, i'm less worried about it now. However, after the first one i do put a pinch of sodium perc into the water in the airlock to keep it generally sterilized.
If you've had the brew bubble through the airlock, then hopefully whatever got sucked back in during bottling was in the brew originally anyway. So, as above, don't worry. Throw a blanket over those bottles, let them sit for a few weeks & see if it went wrong then.


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## bum (4/8/13)

Dude. Just pull the airlock out when you bottle.


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## dougsbrew (4/8/13)

megasuke said:


> Well in my excitement to bottle my brew, I forgot to take off the airlock.





bum said:


> Dude. Just pull the airlock out when you bottle.


Yes in hindsight!


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## technobabble66 (4/8/13)

bum said:


> Dude. Just pull the airlock out when you bottle.


Yeah. But that's too simple.
And i'm just too excited to be bottling something.
i guess i was so paranoid about infection originally that i figured it was better to pull air through the airlock than just blowing into the hole. Totally silly, but there you go. Nowadays, i just don't really worry about it either way.

Maybe someone can start another thread poll on whether people remove their airlock on bottling/kegging or not. h34r:


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## bum (4/8/13)

dougsbrew said:


> Yes in hindsight!


I probably should have quoted but I was talking to technobabble66.


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## technobabble66 (4/8/13)

bum said:


> I probably should have quoted but I was talking to technobabble66.


2 brewing now to bottle in september. I'll try to remember then... B)


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## scon (4/8/13)

Also remember at that stage your brew is much less likely to get infected due to the alcohol present as compared to fresh wort. You'll be fine RDWHAHB.

Just crack open your lid next time or ditch the airlock completely and use glad wrap plus the o-ring from your lid.


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## Edak (4/8/13)

If you are really really worried then year one after first week, if it's really gassy or is a gusher then it may be infected. Remember that this test is not fool proof because it depends on whether you were consistent in priming and assumes that all bottles are clean and sanitary to begin with.


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## DUANNE (4/8/13)

once they carb up just put them in the fridge so even if a bug has got in it shouldnt be able to take hold.


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## lukiferj (4/8/13)

Should be fine. Wouldn't make a habit of it though.

On a side note, not sure I would want to be drinking sodium perc technobabble66.


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## technobabble66 (5/8/13)

@lukiferj: It's just a *tiny* pinch in 10-20ml of water, & i'm hoping the acids in the beer neutralize the sodium perc straight away.

... I think i'll be removing the airlock next bottling session anyways


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## MartinOC (5/8/13)

The biggest visual clue of an infected bottle is a "ring of confidence" in the neck at the liquid/headspace boundary & will look like a thin film of whitish flecks on the surface of the liquid.


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## sponge (5/8/13)

Or remove the airlock and lid altogether and just use gladwrap.


Problem solved.


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## megasuke (7/8/13)

Thats the second time I've heard about using gladwrap. How do you go about it? Are there any cons to doing it?


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