Air Lock Drama?

[sokodan]

Hi All ( again ) yet again another querie ??

Put down a Strawberry Blonde brew on Sunday seems to be fermenting well froth , some condensation , build up on the bottom of the fermenter , got home today to find the water in the Air lock was totally up on one side and pretty much empty on the other ?? . I just loosened the lid and retightend which bought the bubbles back to half and half , do i have some sort of issue here ??

Thanks

Dan

 

[bconnery]

Hi All ( again ) yet again another querie ??

Put down a Strawberry Blonde brew on Sunday seems to be fermenting well froth , some condensation , build up on the bottom of the fermenter , got home today to find the water in the Air lock was totally up on one side and pretty much empty on the other ?? . I just loosened the lid and retightend which bought the bubbles back to half and half , do i have some sort of issue here ??

Thanks

Dan

That depends. Was the water level up towards the top of the outer side of the airlock? What I mean is did it look like there was more airspace pushing out of the fermenter, or was the outside air pushing the water back into the fermenter.

If the former, well that is exactly what is supposed to happen. It means the CO2 escaping from the fermenter is pushing out the water level, which will lead to bubbling and is what the airlock is supposed to work with.

You shouldn' t have any issues if that was the case, but next time don't worry...



if the latter then that isn't so good as it means that the outside pressure is greater and that your beer probably isn't going. If so, give it time again and hopefully you should be fine...

 

[brettprevans]

Hi All ( again ) yet again another querie ??

Put down a Strawberry Blonde brew on Sunday seems to be fermenting well froth , some condensation , build up on the bottom of the fermenter , got home today to find the water in the Air lock was totally up on one side and pretty much empty on the other ?? . I just loosened the lid and retightend which bought the bubbles back to half and half , do i have some sort of issue here ??

Thanks

Dan

Bconnery is right on the money (as if he wouldnt be!). Airlock's sole purpose is to let gas out while keeping outside air (with all its potential germs and infections) out of your lovely beer. Airlocks will bubble etc when gas is escaping through the water barrier. No need to loosen your lid. It also lets you know how vigerously your brew is fermenting (ie lots of bubbling means lots of gas = lots of fermentation). Once it stops you know fermentation has slowed right down or stopped.

 

[sokodan]

Bconnery is right on the money (as if he wouldnt be!). Airlock's sole purpose is to let gas out while keeping outside air (with all its potential germs and infections) out of your lovely beer. Airlocks will bubble etc when gas is escaping through the water barrier. No need to loosen your lid. It also lets you know how vigerously your brew is fermenting (ie lots of bubbling means lots of gas = lots of fermentation). Once it stops you know fermentation has slowed right down or stopped.

Hi Guys

Thanks , i think my initial " panick attack " was due to the fact that i have done a few brews and the airlock hasn't actually bubbled which is what may have looked foreign to me . Back to more " scouring for info "

Cheers

Dan

 

[brettprevans]

Hi Guys

Thanks , i think my initial " panick attack " was due to the fact that i have done a few brews and the airlock hasn't actually bubbled which is what may have looked foreign to me . Back to more " scouring for info "

Cheers

Dan

Gas is a lazy buggar. its will find the path of least resistance ie if you have a leak somewhere in the fermentor, or the lid isnt on tight enough or on wrong, then it will escape through there rather than the airlock...hence no bubbling. doesnt mean that it isnt fermenting. In fact you could probably smell the escaping gas more if it isnt going through the airlock. I had one brew where I had mis-screwed the lid on and all I knew if was fermenting cause the whole room smelt like a brewry (hmmmmm).

 

[jkeysers]

Hi Guys

Thanks , i think my initial " panick attack " was due to the fact that i have done a few brews and the airlock hasn't actually bubbled which is what may have looked foreign to me . Back to more " scouring for info "

Cheers

Dan

I don't think my airlock has ever bubbled. But I can smell the fermentation and the gas escaping. And I have never had a contaminated brew so far.

As the saying goes around here; "Relax, have a home brew." (I've always wanted to say that heheh).

 

[sokodan]

I don't think my airlock has ever bubbled. But I can smell the fermentation and the gas escaping. And I have never had a contaminated brew so far.

As the saying goes around here; "Relax, have a home brew." (I've always wanted to say that heheh).

Sounds like GOOOOD advice to me :chug:

Cheers

 

[0M39A]

I don't think my airlock has ever bubbled. But I can smell the fermentation and the gas escaping. And I have never had a contaminated brew so far.

As the saying goes around here; "Relax, have a home brew." (I've always wanted to say that heheh).

almost, its Relax, Don't Worry, Have A Homebrew (RDWHAHB)



and, btw, an airlock that has stopped bubbling most certainly is NOT an indication of fermentation finishing.