Airlock Or No

[heyyu]

i may be lucky ,but ive never used an air lock,preferring instead to open ferment using a clean tea towel and the rubber ring from the fermenter lid to keep it in place .is this method accecptable or is there another reason to use an airlock ,besides the chance of infection.eg "taste temp control ect' :icon_cheers:

 

[Renegade]

My only fear of having no lid (using gladwrap) is that a curious housecat might jump up for a look and end up in the drink. That would be very funny to see.

 

[Ross]

It's acceptable, but a dish cloth is rarely sterile unless you've gone to the bother of sterilising it, i'd rather be using gladwrap.
Or, just take the O Ring out of your lid & use the lid without it - works great.

cheers Ross

 

[Scruffy]

Cut the odds of contamination - don't leave your buckets near flowering trees...

I find though, bubbling airlocks have an almost hypnotic charm.

 

[Nick JD]

I always get fruit flies in my airlock, and the occasional ant - so I think it's a good idea to have it there.

 

[manticle]

I use it because it's there, I just don't rely on it to tell me my brew is behaving. I do like the sound when it goes though.

 

[KGB]

I always get fruit flies in my airlock, and the occasional ant - so I think it's a good idea to have it there.

What are you putting in the airlock? Try vodka.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

Gladwrap here

Cheers

 

[Bribie G]

I borrowed a method from Buttersd70 and just sit a crown seal over the grommet until the high krausen has subsided and the danger of a froth-through has passed, then fit an airlock. With many of my UK brews I take the top off and thrash the wort twice a day for the first few days, and airlocks go stupid and suck backwards when removing the lid or moving the fermenter, anyway.

 

[hazard]

I With many of my UK brews I take the top off and thrash the wort twice a day for the first few days,

Why so? Is there any specific yeast, or style, which needs a good thrashing? My teenage son is giving me the s***s latley, maybe a good thrashing twice a day will also work for him?

 

[heyyu]

i remember visiting the 4x brewery in the early 70's and gazing down at a vast open fermenter,i wonder how many rats have commited hari-kari in that pond

 

[PostModern]

Why so? Is there any specific yeast, or style, which needs a good thrashing? My teenage son is giving me the s***s latley, maybe a good thrashing twice a day will also work for him?

Any top cropping strain traditionally brewed in open fermenters will have access to oxygen for as long as they're krausening. If you're brewing with an airlock, no O2 will get to the yeasty mousse.

 

[Bribie G]

Why so? Is there any specific yeast, or style, which needs a good thrashing? My teenage son is giving me the s***s latley, maybe a good thrashing twice a day will also work for him?

Any top cropping strain traditionally brewed in open fermenters will have access to oxygen for as long as they're krausening. If you're brewing with an airlock, no O2 will get to the yeasty mousse.

Yup. 1469 West Yorkshire Bitter and 1187 Ringwood (also a Yorkshire yeast from the old Hull Brewery) love their daily beating. Oh and this is a good opportunity for me to post this one more time :




Re the son, about ten years should cure that but then he'll never phone you and you'll end up missing him

 

[raven19]

View attachment 27701

That pic is mesmerising! Love it!

My father in law has a 1000L SS open tank similar to this one he got from his brothers pigery.... so keen to fill it with grain for a super sized mash tun and/or an open fermentor. That could fill at least 100+ cornie kegs! :lol:

 

[rupal]

How can the air get out or through Gladwrap ? I use a 1/2" tube coming out the lid of the fermenter & put the other end in a bowl of water.

 

[BoilerBoy]

My name Is BB it has now been 2 1/2 years since my last airlock :unsure:

BB

 

[Renegade]

The air will get out, dont worry. If you get a partularly super airtight brew, prick a hole into it with a needle.

ha ha ha I just said prick.

 

[hazard]

Yup. 1469 West Yorkshire Bitter and 1187 Ringwood (also a Yorkshire yeast from the old Hull Brewery) love their daily beating.

Bribie, I'm about to brew a TTL on the weekend, 1469 (saved from my last batch a few months ago) is in a starter as we speak. I've got a fridgemate now so will be able to keep the fermenter warm, but never tried beating it - is the intent to beat it until the krausen is mixed back into the wort? What is impact - I assume that is, in effect, adding additional oxygen so does it result in increased attenuation? increased yeast population? Decreased esters? I want to make the best brew I can, so this is of interest to me - I am planning to use Ringwood yeast as well for my next brew.

Thanks

 

[Bribie G]

Bribie, I'm about to brew a TTL on the weekend, 1469 (saved from my last batch a few months ago) is in a starter as we speak. I've got a fridgemate now so will be able to keep the fermenter warm, but never tried beating it - is the intent to beat it until the krausen is mixed back into the wort? What is impact - I assume that is, in effect, adding additional oxygen so does it result in increased attenuation? increased yeast population? Decreased esters? I want to make the best brew I can, so this is of interest to me - I am planning to use Ringwood yeast as well for my next brew.

Thanks

Here's an article from Samuel Smiths in Yorkshire with the rationale behind the use of Yorkshire yeasts like 1469 and Ringwood. You lucky ******* to still have some 1469 left over.

http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_brewe..._yorkshire.html

Also while I'm posting here, this morning I said that I normally put a crown seal over the grommet then fit airlock when everything has settled down. Just got home and checked my latest brew, a foreign extra stout for a comp on s-04 and here it is in all its glory. The OP will love this one: :lol:



big cleanup in the morning
Edit; looks like a Pelican to me, I was sort of hoping it would look like the Virgin Mary then I could have retired rich.

 

[Renegade]

Ho ho that's spectacular ! Now if only you have used gald wrap......

But, um, do you think it's started fermenting?